I have been experimenting with various open back designs and drivers over the past year, and am now attempting to put everything I have learned together.
The design will be biamped and crossed active. The panel is flat, although it is a vibration isolating dual layer type with visco-elastic material sandwiched in between 2 MDF cores. The baffles are currently built, 15" wide, 26" tall, 2" thick.
After hearing several design architectures, I have settled on a single point source main driver combined with a helper woofer. The woofers for me were an easy choice. After auditioning both low excursion/high Q drivers, and low Q/high excursion drivers, I selected the 10" Peerless XXLS (Nomex version). Additional active equalization comes from a DEQ as needed.
For the full range, I auditioned several Pro Audio single point source coaxial units. Once again, for me the choice was relatively easy, although I must say I have not seen this unit used much. I selected the Eminence 8" Acoustinator CX2008 for it's slighly dark voicing, after spending many hours of critical listening. It's a poly cone with a rubber surround and is threaded with a 1 3/8" 18TPI flange designed to accept a pro audio style high frequency driver.
I am now at the point where I am testing several high frequency units, both pro audio and home hi fi (with the help of a threaded/flat plate adapter). My initial roll-off points are as follows:
Peerless XXLS 350Hz 24dB/octave
Acoustinator LF 350Hz to 4K 24dB/octave
HF (undecided) >4k
The acoustinator is rated at about 91dB 1W/1M. After auditioning several HF units I am leaning toward a few of the pro audio drivers such as those made by Radian and B&C. While the home audio tweeters seem to offer a more refined sound and flatter response, they seem to have trouble keping up with the rest of the design dynamically.
I would be greatful if someone could recommend a suitable candidate for a HF driver, based on some of the information above. I have not tried ribbons simply beacuse it would be hard to mate in a single point source configuration.
Thanks!
The design will be biamped and crossed active. The panel is flat, although it is a vibration isolating dual layer type with visco-elastic material sandwiched in between 2 MDF cores. The baffles are currently built, 15" wide, 26" tall, 2" thick.
After hearing several design architectures, I have settled on a single point source main driver combined with a helper woofer. The woofers for me were an easy choice. After auditioning both low excursion/high Q drivers, and low Q/high excursion drivers, I selected the 10" Peerless XXLS (Nomex version). Additional active equalization comes from a DEQ as needed.
For the full range, I auditioned several Pro Audio single point source coaxial units. Once again, for me the choice was relatively easy, although I must say I have not seen this unit used much. I selected the Eminence 8" Acoustinator CX2008 for it's slighly dark voicing, after spending many hours of critical listening. It's a poly cone with a rubber surround and is threaded with a 1 3/8" 18TPI flange designed to accept a pro audio style high frequency driver.
I am now at the point where I am testing several high frequency units, both pro audio and home hi fi (with the help of a threaded/flat plate adapter). My initial roll-off points are as follows:
Peerless XXLS 350Hz 24dB/octave
Acoustinator LF 350Hz to 4K 24dB/octave
HF (undecided) >4k
The acoustinator is rated at about 91dB 1W/1M. After auditioning several HF units I am leaning toward a few of the pro audio drivers such as those made by Radian and B&C. While the home audio tweeters seem to offer a more refined sound and flatter response, they seem to have trouble keping up with the rest of the design dynamically.
I would be greatful if someone could recommend a suitable candidate for a HF driver, based on some of the information above. I have not tried ribbons simply beacuse it would be hard to mate in a single point source configuration.
Thanks!
