Radian PB850 - any experiences?

[Defo]

Do someone have any experiences with this driver? How smooth/harsh is it compared to B&C DE250?

Any measurements? Ive learned not to trust manufacture graphs... Except Seas

[Defo]

Bump

[el`Ol]

Maybe at Audio Asylum -- Audio Reviews, Audiophile Forums and Stereo Reviews

[Defo]

Originally Posted by el`Ol

Maybe at Audio Asylum -- Audio Reviews, Audiophile Forums and Stereo Reviews

Thanks, will post there

[Radian]

Originally Posted by Defo

Do someone have any experiences with this driver? How smooth/harsh is it compared to B&C DE250?

Any measurements? Ive learned not to trust manufacture graphs... Except Seas

I got a pair and I am very impressed with them.
I don't understand why it is not used more often but I guess
that will change in the future.
Even though I had to use an adapter from 2" to 1.4" to bold them
to the StereoLab 400hz Tractrix horns, they came really close to my
Yamaha JA6681 drivers. I wonder how they would sound if the horn was
a native 2"er.
Now the Yamaha is by many preferred over the TAD 4001 sounding more
smooth but can not quite reach the top octave like the 4001.
The Radian has very good heights for a single seat configuration, but the
radiation pattern of a 2" Tractrix horn is not to good past 5k. I would never
use a 2" Tractrix without a tweeter as I don't want to be pinned down to a
1 food wide sweet-spot, but that is personal preference.


Here is a quote from someone over at A-Asylum:

"I just replaced my 1" JBL CD's that were running genuine JBL 2421 aluminium
diaphrams with a pair of 850pb Radians. Kind of an unfair comparison as the
radians are 2" and the jbl's are 1", however I'd listened/read years of raving
as to how smooth and extended the jbl's were. Yes they were better than
my previous gear but they sounded pretty thin compared to the Radians. So
I would have to agree 100% with the previous poster that the Mylar Radians
are definately smoother, more detailed by far and have MUCH better top
end.

Kelly."

I got a frequency plot of the 850PB on a B&C ME75 but that horn is not
the most balanced out there. If you care I can post it.


Greets,
Klaus

[Radian]

Disclaimer,
I have no affiliation with Radian at all. I was researching a good compression driver like
6 years ago and found out that Radian is actually manufacturing Emilar drivers.
That made me buy a pair of used 850PB and since than I was hooked by their sweet
sound.

Anyway here is the response curve for the 850PB on the B&C ME75
for comparison a B&C DE750TN on the same horn.
Even on this horn the results are very good.

Radian bottom
B&C top

Greets,
Klaus

[Defo]

Cheers for the listening impressions and measurements. Looks very good. I wonder if the PB651 compares considering the price.

Regarding the tractrix horns and dispersion at higher frequencies; couldnt one just make a small cone shaped "phase-plug" inside the horn to reduse the beaming?

[Pano]

Interesting. I own a pair of 90s vintage Radians - the older version of the 700 series.
Don't like them at all. Rough sounding.
They must have gotten a lot better over the years, or they wouldn't get so many good comments. That's a good thing.
Anyone else have that experience with older Radians?

[Radian]

Radian has obviously bought the patent on the Emilar drivers.
This driver as well as the 475PB is actually a brainchild of Jonas Renkus
The only difference between the 3” diaphragm drivers is the strength of
the magnetic force and the 2 different conical openings of the throat to
either 1.4” or 2”.
Many French audiophiles as well as John Hasquin consider the 475PB the next
best driver to the TAD 2001. John has build many tractrix horns for his
customers and says the the 475PB does 98% of the TAD.
See attached screen-shot for his comments.

For you guys in the US, there is no need to search in Europe for good
compression drivers that are affordable, you got it all there.
Having the Yamaha JA-6681 as a 1.4”er and the Radian 850PB as a 2”er, my
search for compression drivers is over.

There is another product from Radian that I really tempted to try, the 5208
8 inch coax speaker that was used in the Galante Audio Rhapsody speaker.
It got a rave review from Steve Rochlin over at Enjoy the Music.
My wife is not thrilled about the looks of my all horn system and I must
agree, it is only acceptable in a dedicated listening room. I am hooked to
high efficiency and the next step down would either be a small appealing high
eff. (94-96db) Coax or to build a 360 degree horn, in the likes of the
fantastic Duvel series.

Greets,
Klaus

[sannax]

After reading this I am very happy that I stuck to my PB475 I have been thinking of TAD-2001 for a while, but do have some issues with the price jump.