Replacements for Vifa P21 woofers

[craigwalsh]

I'm upgrading a 15 year old dual woofer 3.5 way design that used Vifa P21-WO-20 woofers but I'm having a hard time finding them. It seems that Timphany has discontinued much of the Vifa line, including these really outstanding drivers.

I'm looking for good bass extension in an 8" driver (hey, this is for my living room so I don't need 120 dB 1W/1M levels here). I liked the P21-WO-20s and the P21-WO-39s for their overall smoothness and typically crossed them at around 3-500 into a Vifa cone midrange. The main thing I liked about the P21-WO-20's was their sensitivity and low Fs, as well as their reasonable price.

What's going on with Tymphany and the Vifa line?

[Moondog55]

Same with the P-13, not the best midrange as far as sensitivity etc but so smooth and easy to work with, ditto your comments but my favourite was the M22, still a few of thosehere but I don't have the cash to buy and put in storage "just in case"

Sending the factory to China may not have been the best thing to do to customers but must be very good for the bottom line as prices didn't fall

[Michael Chua]

Don't have the WO but I have 2 units of Vifa P21 WN 20-08 if its any help. Both as good as new. Only did a Free Air Impedance Sweep and installed once in a box for Frequency Sweep and quick listening test.

[Francec]

Craig,
I don't know what differences there are between the Vifa P21WO-20 and the P21WO-12, however, I did fry one of the latter and replaced it with a Peerless 830868, very successfully and happily.
One disclaimer though; the Peerless went into a speaker that is now active, the Vifa box is waiting on 'surgery' to make it active.
Nonetheless, the sound is comparable and probably better.
Frank

[rabbitz]

Originally posted by Moondog55
Same with the P-13, not the best midrange as far as sensitivity etc but so smooth and easy to work with, ditto your comments but my favourite was the M22, still a few of thosehere but I don't have the cash to buy and put in storage "just in case"

Sending the factory to China may not have been the best thing to do to customers but must be very good for the bottom line as prices didn't fall

The M22WR just disappeared from the WES trade pdf.

Haven't they done a retreat back to Denmark from China for some of the products and in the process deleted more drivers? I'm sure I read that somewhere.

[craigwalsh]

Thanks to all for contributing here. I am trying to source some drivers that are still in production. I might be able to find some old stock on some of these drivers, but I just can't understand why Vifa would eliminate these drivers as they are very good performers.

I did check out the Peerless speakers and a couple of them come close to what I'm looking for, but just not perfect for the application. I've also seen some of the HiVi units, but they lack in terms of sensitivity and it would be hard to integrate them with the other drivers I'm considering.

[PB2]

Also sold as the Eclipse 8", not sure how close the T&S parameters are. These have 8mm Xmax IIRC and have impressive large signal performance. Significantly more max SPL as compared to the P21:
http://meniscusaudio.com//magi-w0838r-p-566.html

Pete B.

[Moondog55]

Tom still has a few at Speakerbits, but we spent most of the spare cash on the partners trip to the USA, ( aging mother and new baby granddaughter )and we both know which is the more important, I was contemplating a box with 3 X m22's in each one, so I have one pair here that have been rewired 16 Ohm( nominal 24 Ohm impedance) in anticipation Damn!!
Well maybe I'll win Tattslotto this week-end

BTW 3 of those in a single box is impressive, almost as good as the deleted 12 inch but few amps will drive a 2Ohm load so rewireing is a must.
Better to rewire and run all drives in parallel. wishh more makers would provide 16 Ohm drivers

[Ed LaFontaine]

I'll let you decide if these are too "pricey". They are oem versions of the P21.

Thiel CS2.2 woofers

[Moondog55]

Actually they look reasonable, except for the nominal impedance of course.
Shipping charges make them too expensice to send to OZ but if all you wanted to run wa a single woofer I'd say that price was OK
Toms current list price for remaining M22 is ( I think ) AUD$ 148each plus 10%GST