What Bass/Mid-bass driver for me?

[timreeves]

Hi folks.

I'm currently planning my next build and wanted your advice on drivers to look at.

I'm looking for something that plays best in a sealed enclosure up to 1.25cft and will be crossed at 200hz tops as will be paired with a full range driver. Will be run off an average integrated amp (not tube) with a passive XO. Would like something that's transparent yet will still give a great punch and with any luck negates the need for a subwoofer!

$150 is absolute tops per driver, less is better of course!
(and yes, it does have to be a sealed enclosure )

Thanks for your time

Tim

[bentoronto]

If you can make (or even... buy) a mixed-bass sub below 120 Hz (which you plunk down in the best corner available), generating all the rest above is as simple as could be.

[dwk123]

What are your efficiency and/or output expectations?

I just built a couple bass modules using the Dayton RSS-210 in 1ft^3 sealed enclosures, and am very happy with the results - very good articulation and extension (for music anyway). This is for a nearfield style setup so max output wasn't a huge concern.

At $100 per driver not a bad deal, but availability/shipping across the pond may be a deal-breaker for your application.

[timreeves]

I don't do subwoofers, bass may not be locatable - but distortion is! and I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to stereo sound

my full range drivers have an spl of 86db so I'm looking for something in the region of 88 - 90db to account for BSC.

[dwk123]

Um, maybe you need to take a closer look at the RSS210 - it's not just a sub. It may be nominally part of the "subwoofer" line at PE, but it's a fairly low distortion driver (not as low as the scan-speak or the Usher, but still very respectable) and is capable of playing up quite high. Check out the measurements from Zaph. Wolf on the PE forum even used it up to ~750Hz in a 3-way which got very good reviews at one of the big DIY meets.

I mentioned it since my eval criteria were very similar to yours - cross between 150 and 250, sealed, low distortion; I looked at everything I could find under $200 per driver, and ended up with the 210. The 210 will do ~40Hz F3 in 1 cu ft which is better than anything else out there that I've found, has enough excursion to eq further if desired, and doesn't give up that much in distortion to even the $$$$ drivers. Not bad for $100 IMHO.

The efficiency looks like it may be a bit low for your application, but don't dismiss it out of hand just because it's a "sub".

The Usher seems to be the other low-distortion candidate 8" driver out there and has better efficiency, but sealed it'll only do ~70 Hz or so which undermines it's utility quite a bit.