Anyone modded the PE #295-010 full range 5" PA driver?

[rcavictim]

I'm looking for possible low cost full-range drivers [aren't we all? ] and have looked closely at the 5" full-range PA speaker with the monster 20 oz. magnet on Parts Express' website. It looks pretty darned good compared to many, including more expensive drivers. Efficiency is a bit on the low side for my likes but not low compared to 'industry standards' at 88.8 dB. I was looking at this driver's published response and thinking that by removing the cap and adding a bullet phase plug, possibly also cone coating, frame damping, etc. this could smoothen out to be useful for hi-fi. There's a big dip at 4K. Anyone tried this?

This is a tough driver that goes up to 15K and is designed to be abused.

Madmark??????!!!!!

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...number=295-010

[GM]

Haven't done any mods, but FWIW I did both a max flat ML-TL and an extended BW version using some series R for it some time ago and the former sims aneochoically flat to 80Hz/90dB/2.83V/m, with the latter to 60Hz/~87.5dB/2.83V/m, but I don't know if the dude ever built either so don't know how accurate they are.

Of course, at least dual drivers is required to keep distortion ~reasonable once you move out of the nearfield.

GM

[johninCR]

RCA,

That frequency response graph looks way too ragged between 3K and 10K to make a good FR driver. The search goes on.....

[rcavictim]

Originally posted by johninCR
RCA,

That frequency response graph looks way too ragged between 3K and 10K to make a good FR driver. The search goes on.....

John,

Out of the box stock I'd totally agree but I was thinking the bumps might be tamed by the modifications I spoke of. I was looking at Tang Band driver response plots on the PE site and those 3 and 4" drivers don't look any better quite frankly.

[johninCR]

Smoothing out a peak is one thing, but that big dip at 4khz is what turns me off. The whole point of using FR drivers is to minimize things in the signal path. You really have to get out to at least 10khz and that's still only "wide range" and a super tweeter is needed on top. Any less than 10k and it really starts to sound muffled, at least to my ears.

[rcavictim]

Originally posted by johninCR
Smoothing out a peak is one thing, but that big dip at 4khz is what turns me off. The whole point of using FR drivers is to minimize things in the signal path. You really have to get out to at least 10khz and that's still only "wide range" and a super tweeter is needed on top. Any less than 10k and it really starts to sound muffled, at least to my ears.

John,

Everything you say is true. That hole at 4 KHz looks like a mechanical suck out that I thought modifications could cure because it is so blatant and high-Q that it must be one specific thing causing it.

Anyhow, your points are exactly why I'm asking first and not ordering any just yet

Maybe I was just enamored by such a huge magnet on a small speaker for the low price!

[rcavictim]

GM,

Thanx for the input. Too bad you didn't hear the things.