5" enclosed or 6.5" open-baffled

coolkhoa · 14th May 2004, 09:43 PM

Experienced builders:

For the midrange, which is better: the best 5" in a box (sealed/aperiodic/vented) or the best 6.5" open-baffled?

I've heard that >6" drivers do not have the clarity in the midrange that the best 5" drivers do. However, they have lower distortion in the lower frequencies and are more suitable for open-baffle designs, which AFAIK improves midrange clarity.

5th element · 14th May 2004, 10:07 PM

What is wrong with 5" in an OB? My seas excel go plenty loud enough for the neighbours to complain in an OB.

If max SPL is your game then a box is better, if sound is then OB is. Also note that Linkwitz uses 8" in his designs and they are reputed to be some of the best.

What drivers did you have in mind?

454Casull · 14th May 2004, 10:23 PM

6.5" OB. The dipole aspect easily makes up for any psychosomatic "clarity" issue.

http://seas.no/excel_line/excel/E0021.PDF

http://seas.no/excel_line/excel/E0022.pdf

Compare the distortion graphs and tell me if one is clearly better than the other. In fact, in the region of 300Hz to 1kHz, it looks like the 8" driver is cleaner than the 5" one.

5th element · 15th May 2004, 12:47 PM

Yes apparently the 8" is cleaner then the others thats another reason why linkwitz chosethe 8"

I guess he got the best of both worlds, lowest dist and 8" for lower cone movement.

coolkhoa · 16th May 2004, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 5th element
What drivers did you have in mind?

Not the SEAS Excel due to resonance peaks. Maybe more modest drivers like Vifa Classic/Peerless HDS?

Bose(o) · 17th May 2004, 01:39 AM

If sound and max. SPL is your game then perhaps you could look at a Line array Open Baffle.

454Casull · 17th May 2004, 03:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by coolkhoa

Not the SEAS Excel due to resonance peaks. Maybe more modest drivers like Vifa Classic/Peerless HDS?

What's your budget? The Peerless 850439 is definitely one of the best bang-for-the-buck drivers around.

14th May 2004, 09:43 PM	#1
coolkhoa diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Houston	5" enclosed or 6.5" open-baffled Experienced builders: For the midrange, which is better: the best 5" in a box (sealed/aperiodic/vented) or the best 6.5" open-baffled? I've heard that >6" drivers do not have the clarity in the midrange that the best 5" drivers do. However, they have lower distortion in the lower frequencies and are more suitable for open-baffle designs, which AFAIK improves midrange clarity. __________________ KTK. Kool To the Kore.

14th May 2004, 10:07 PM	#2
5th element diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: England	What is wrong with 5" in an OB? My seas excel go plenty loud enough for the neighbours to complain in an OB. If max SPL is your game then a box is better, if sound is then OB is. Also note that Linkwitz uses 8" in his designs and they are reputed to be some of the best. What drivers did you have in mind? __________________ What the hell are you screamin' for? Every five minutes there's a bomb or somethin'! I'm leavin! bzzzz! Droggon Attack!

15th May 2004, 12:47 PM	#4
5th element diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: England	Yes apparently the 8" is cleaner then the others thats another reason why linkwitz chosethe 8" I guess he got the best of both worlds, lowest dist and 8" for lower cone movement. __________________ What the hell are you screamin' for? Every five minutes there's a bomb or somethin'! I'm leavin! bzzzz! Droggon Attack!

17th May 2004, 01:39 AM	#6
Bose(o) diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada	If sound and max. SPL is your game then perhaps you could look at a Line array Open Baffle. __________________ ERTW 4 life! "the day has 24hours. If that is not enough take the night."-Roemhild

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14th May 2004, 10:23 PM	#3
454Casull diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada	6.5" OB. The dipole aspect easily makes up for any psychosomatic "clarity" issue. http://seas.no/excel_line/excel/E0021.PDF http://seas.no/excel_line/excel/E0022.pdf Compare the distortion graphs and tell me if one is clearly better than the other. In fact, in the region of 300Hz to 1kHz, it looks like the 8" driver is cleaner than the 5" one.

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