I've used both pro and home drivers in the same and separate setups
with some very expensive scan speak and eton drivers amongst them
I now only use pro drivers
and the assumption that they don't do well at low volumes is rubbish you just have to choose the right drivers same as any build .they are not all large xmax/motor designs
look to altec ,phl, ae etc.
Sheafer
with some very expensive scan speak and eton drivers amongst them
I now only use pro drivers
and the assumption that they don't do well at low volumes is rubbish you just have to choose the right drivers same as any build .they are not all large xmax/motor designs
look to altec ,phl, ae etc.
Sheafer
I always enjoyed utterly baffling individuals who take a listen to a pair of high efficiency loudspeakers I've built.....the pair all alone in the middle of the room. I'd hear the "What's hooked up to it?" yelling over the music....I'd pick up the FM "Walkman" half the size of a pack of cigarettes running some milliwatts into the enclosures. I'd get the weirdest looks!
_______________________________________________________Rick.......
_______________________________________________________Rick.......
Basically there are a lot of disadvantages to low effeciency speakers. I've heard some that sounded fine, but I have never associated the sound quality with low effeciency. High Efficiecy speakers have a lot of advantages and the only downside being that poor quality electronics are shown for what they are. So if you're using Lousy (but powerful) amplifiers, etc., be sure to use Low Efficiency speakers...Your ears will thank you!
I'm using 2 Crate 2 x 15 guitar bass cabs as my speaker system. The bass cabs have 2 15" Eminence Delta each cabinet. I added an Eminence horn twitter for high frequency. The twitters are connected through Eminence 3-way cross over, but the woofers are not. They are running without passive cross overs.
But, I'm using a Bose 901 Series IV active cross over between the pre-amp and power amp. Sounds freakin great. Not harsh for for home use and can be played at low volume levels and still have good bass and treble. The mid bass and mid frequencies are excellent. The sound doesn't sound thin at all like the Infinity SM-150 and other DJ speaker systems.
Yes, I have Bose 901 speakers. And as far as the active equalizer, they are set a bit below their mid settings. My pre-amp bass and treble control settings are also set below mids. I'm using Yamaha C80 and m80.
But, I'm using a Bose 901 Series IV active cross over between the pre-amp and power amp. Sounds freakin great. Not harsh for for home use and can be played at low volume levels and still have good bass and treble. The mid bass and mid frequencies are excellent. The sound doesn't sound thin at all like the Infinity SM-150 and other DJ speaker systems.
Yes, I have Bose 901 speakers. And as far as the active equalizer, they are set a bit below their mid settings. My pre-amp bass and treble control settings are also set below mids. I'm using Yamaha C80 and m80.
EmKens are a wide range design though - GF is slightly worried about my plans for LF reinforcement as the enclosures are going to be HUGE
I'm not sure I should give relationship advice, but you need a new GF.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. She's not even your wife and she's telling you what speaker to build. Not a good sign. She's going to have a problem with everything. And if you marry her it will be worse.
Wow, look at the freq response Of this driver Troels mentions on his site! A 15" woofer that would actually work well with a 1" horn driver or smallish full range driver
If you point it at you!
http://www.parts-express.com/pedocs/specs/294-1271-faitalpro-15pr400-8-specifications.pdf
If you point it at you!
http://www.parts-express.com/pedocs/specs/294-1271-faitalpro-15pr400-8-specifications.pdf
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No it wouldn't. You can have all sorts of sound bouncing around inside a totally sound PROOFED room !
But yeah, a truly "sound proof" design (Say, 60 db attenuation for 20 hz to 20K, is a very expensive and tricky proposition. Not for beginners. (I used to design recording studios for a living.)
A slightly less ambitious goal would probably be better for most home owners.
I will add this:
Really GOOD pro subwoofers are as good or better than anything made for hi fi, however they are also insanely expensive. They are only used by touring companies and well-heeled houses of worship.
the typical "pro" subwoofer sold to DJ's and local bands tend to be muddy, loose, and overall pretty bad. They are always designed to maximize the db rating, or sometimes the lowest frequency response they can legally / morally claim, at the expense of tightness, phase response, control, etc.
They also tend to have less-than-optimal enclosures, to cut down on weight.
Another problem is, as stated above, pro sub drivers are always going to be 15" or larger. You don't need that, and the extra cone mass adversely affects tightness & control.
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- But going back to the OP's original post, in which he is only asking about DRIVERS:
Pro drivers tend to have heavier cones and a lot more voice coil material, plus heavier magnets, etc. - All designed to handle extra power & to last under heavy use. In a small room where you don't need this, it's obviously better to have something like an aluminum cone and a smaller coil (but with a lot of windings, for good control.)
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I would look instead at smaller subs designed for recording studios, but of course then you are in the same design / price realm as good home hi fi.
FWIW, in a smallish room (less than 500 sq feet) you cannot beat a sealed design. However, you then also need a lot of driver area & extra power, since such subs don't push much air, and are horribly inefficient:
In my pro recording studio control room, I use four dual- 12" Bad Ends. (sealed) Each with its own amplifier running at 8 ohms. Flat to 8 hertz. Super fast, super-punchy, super clear. Plenty of air movement for this smallish room. Perfect integration with the upper drivers. Absolutely amazing, but it needs it's own 20a service, just for the subs.
Really GOOD pro subwoofers are as good or better than anything made for hi fi, however they are also insanely expensive. They are only used by touring companies and well-heeled houses of worship.
the typical "pro" subwoofer sold to DJ's and local bands tend to be muddy, loose, and overall pretty bad. They are always designed to maximize the db rating, or sometimes the lowest frequency response they can legally / morally claim, at the expense of tightness, phase response, control, etc.
They also tend to have less-than-optimal enclosures, to cut down on weight.
Another problem is, as stated above, pro sub drivers are always going to be 15" or larger. You don't need that, and the extra cone mass adversely affects tightness & control.
-----------------
- But going back to the OP's original post, in which he is only asking about DRIVERS:
Pro drivers tend to have heavier cones and a lot more voice coil material, plus heavier magnets, etc. - All designed to handle extra power & to last under heavy use. In a small room where you don't need this, it's obviously better to have something like an aluminum cone and a smaller coil (but with a lot of windings, for good control.)
----------
I would look instead at smaller subs designed for recording studios, but of course then you are in the same design / price realm as good home hi fi.
FWIW, in a smallish room (less than 500 sq feet) you cannot beat a sealed design. However, you then also need a lot of driver area & extra power, since such subs don't push much air, and are horribly inefficient:
In my pro recording studio control room, I use four dual- 12" Bad Ends. (sealed) Each with its own amplifier running at 8 ohms. Flat to 8 hertz. Super fast, super-punchy, super clear. Plenty of air movement for this smallish room. Perfect integration with the upper drivers. Absolutely amazing, but it needs it's own 20a service, just for the subs.
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In my experience, just the opposite:
If you are talking about an entire speaker, then high efficiency typically means less damping, or too big a port. (unless it has a huge cabinet.)
If you are talking about drivers, then "high efficiency" typically means less voice coil windings. That translates to less amplifier control of the excursion.
- But it's an interesting question, and there surely ARE other factors involved, so I remain open to new info & other opinions.
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