search for ultimate system

[mvagusta]

ive been searching fot the "ultimate" system to build, without spending a packet, and the closest i can find to this impossible target, is picking up a few fostex fx 200's and hoping they will go with my current fane 18" sub.

i think ill have to use a tweeter with the fx200's

they start to drop off at like 16-17k, and i can hear up about 18k using signal generator

i dont wanna use crossovers at all - dont like the idea of components altering the sound, and i like the way speakers sound without them.

is there maybe some sort of piezo/supertweeter i can use to solve my problem, without using a crossover?

maybe a better driver combo i could use without using crossovers?

bass is not an issue, 18" pumps from about 90 hz and below 40 hz, pumps even more.

[coolkhoa]

Piezo tweeters inherently do not need a crossover, but I cannot say much about their sound quality. A dome supertweeter still needs one, though. Regarding a driver combo without XO, how about a woofer and a midtweeter, like one of the Tangband 2-inchers? You'll need a woofer that naturally does not extend into the midrange, but there will still be considerable overlap in the FR of the drivers.

[mvagusta]

tangbangs dont have xo?

[mvagusta]

i see what you mean now, yeah that would work good, but id probably need 10 or 12s, my 18 doesnt go that high, not nicley anyway.

any other nice ful ranges other than tangband or fostex

[GM]

Jordan JX92S.

GM

[mvagusta]

thanks, ill check them out.

so what do you guys rate better, in terms of sound quality, fostex, tangband, or jordan?

[nonamekid]

Can't speak to fostex or tangbands, but the 92s I have are terrific. BTW - go dual subs and biamp using active crossover with the jordans around 100hz - closed cabs for all - you will like what you hear...

[GM]

is there maybe some sort of piezo/supertweeter i can use to solve my problem, without using a crossover?

Piezos don't need an XO, but they will play too low and sound way too harsh, so not an option without an XO IMO. You could design/build a very narrow BW super tweeter horn, it wouldn't need an XO.

maybe a better driver combo i could use without using crossovers?

The Jordan is the only one I've auditioned that is so 'hot'/extended on the top end you actually need to listen to it off axis if you have good HF hearing. Mine's rolled off enough that on axis sounds fine.

bass is not an issue, 18" pumps from about 90 hz and below 40 hz, pumps even more.

OK, but the critical midbass could be since a typical high SQ FR driver doesn't have enough excursion to cover this BW with sufficient dynamic range. Again, you could design/build a horn, but then the sub may not be able to keep up......

so what do you guys rate better, in terms of sound quality, fostex, tangband, or jordan?

I prefer the Jordan's SQ to the few Fostex I've auditioned, but I haven't heard the most popular ones (FE206E, FE168ES), so Caveat Emptor. For me, the Jordan's lack of sensitivity is its major shortcoming, though all the folks I know that have them are quite happy with their dynamic range. The TBs are great bang/buck, but overall not even remotely in the same league IMO.

GM

[paulspencer]

Here a few ideas a little different to what you are thinking.

What about an active crossover? This gets around a lot of the problems with passive crossovers and are easier to design. Get a nice low power class A amp for a tweeter crossed fairly high. This lets you choose a tweeter with nice detail that doesn't like to be crossed low. Perhaps a ribbon tweeter. It's out of the critical range. The critical range would be covered by your fullrange driver. If you can't get the fullranger to go down to a point the sub is happy with you might have to use a few of them. I'd say if you have just one driver then you want to try to cross at 200 Hz to keep some dynamic range.

[mvagusta]

i was thinkin of gettin some nice speakers, which could run off valve amps, when i finally get around to getting some.

but now youve got me thinkin..... a nice dac without outputs to control two valve amps per channel, one for top end, one for mid range....active x-overs - no passive crap!!!

ill probably end up getting the fx200's and using a couple of db's of eq at the top end if necc.