Seas Excel M15CH002E0043 vs ScanSpeak 15M/4531K00 relevator

[ssstromar]

Seas Excel M15CH002E0043 vs ScanSpeak 15M/4531K00 relevator

Both are in the same price range and in my budget. Speakers are full 3-way, driven by EL34 tube-amp.

Currently i have Monacor SPH-135KEP (kevlar) for mids but they behave like poly cones, is it the coating or something else but it takes away some edge. Kevlar's are for me a little too much forgiving to the material reproducing. In the side project I'm using Vifa 6 1/2" treated paper cone units and still there is room for improvement.

The idea would be to use a untreated paper cone mid which would in combination with tubeamp give sound more body.

Both are completely different speakers. Qms in SS iz 4,8 and moving mass is 11g and they go quite low for a mid. A low-cut at arround 300Hz would be a must to avoid midrange distorsion because of lower frequencies reproduced. HF roll-off isn't exactly textbook example either 2nd order highcut at 3500 - 4000Hz will be starting point.

In the other hand Seas is more a mid. Qms is 1,7 and moving mass below 7g is closer to some aerogel units. But it is a smaller unit. It's treated with nextel coating. Only concern is HF rolloff, off axis response does give me some thought. In 6 liters enclosure I don't think low cut would be necessary. High cut will be the same as before 2nd order at 3500-4000Hz.

Any suggestions or feedback is appreciated.

[ssstromar]

Scan speak

Nominal Impedance 6 Ohms
Recommended Frequency Range 60 - 3500 Hz
Short Term Power Handling * 200 W
Long Term Power Handling * 70 W
Characteristic Sensitivity (2,83V, 1m) 88.5 dB
Voice Coil Diameter 26 mm
Voice Coil Height 12 mm
Air Gap Height 6 mm
Linear Coil Travel (p-p) 6 mm
Maximum Coil Travel (p-p) 14 mm
Magnetic Gap Flux Density 1.0 T
Magnet Weight 0.06 kg
Total Weight 0.8 kg

Voice Coil Resistance 4.9 Ohms
Voice Coil Inductance 0.43 mH
Force Factor 5.3 N/A
Free Air Resonance 67 Hz
Moving Mass 6.75 g
Air Load Mass In IEC Baffl e 0.38 g
Suspension Compliance 0.8 mm/N
Suspension Mechanical Resistance 1.77 Ns/m
Effective Piston Area 75 cm2
VAS 6 Litres
QMS 1.7
QES 0.52
QTS 0.4

Relevator

Characteristic sensitivity (2.83V / 1m) 90 dB
Recommended frequency range 100 - 6000 Hz
Free air resonance frequency, fs 35 Hz
DC resistance, Re 3.5 ohm
Voice coil inductance, Le 0.17 mH
Effective piston area, Sd 95 cm²
Moving mass incl. air, md 11 g
Mechanical loss, Rm 0.5 Ns/m
Force factor, BL 6.0 Tm
Equivalent volume, Vas 24 ltr.
Mechanical Q-factor, Qms 4.8
Electrical Q-factor, Qes 0.24
Total Q-factor, Qts 0.22
Excursion, lin./max. ±3.0 / ±8 mm
Voice coil diameter 38 mm
Net weight 1.6 kg

Nobody vastly experienced has something to say

I'm leaning towards Seas

[Jay_WJ]

I don't have hands-on experience with these drivers. But I know that SS Revelators usually have lower nonlinear distortion (especially 3rd and 5th order) than Seas Excel.

It seems that the SS 5" mid is a bit more sensitive than the Seas. Also, xmax is lower for SS than for Seas. I would choose the SS over the Seas for midrange duty.

[tinitus]

And you are sure that its not your XO that could be the problem

[ssstromar]

Originally posted by tinitus
And you are sure that its not your XO that could be the problem

Xover on Monacor is not a problem. I have also tested a pair of 6 1/2" "kevlar's" (they were not kevlar but painted fiberglass) which were not so thickly coated with resin and, I don't know exactly was there some distortion / flexing of the cone (not perfect piston operation etc.) hence reproduction suffered.

Monacor on the other hand is a smaller unit (5") much more transparent with better dynamics. But again its not paper. Try for example taping on a bas driver paper cone it sounds like a big base drum. Try that on kevlar or some metal alloys you can hear the difference now and when playing. Same is with mids.

SS vs Seas: Relevator MIDS are all 4 Ohm, midwoofer are 4 and 8. Seas is a 6 OHM unit, something in between. I do not need a midwoofer on the other hand 4" units are not my cup of tea also.

I absolutely not approve (passive with resistors) attenuation of drivers just to fit the response curves.