Hey guys, I haven't seen any mention of this driver yet. Not sure if no one is talking or if I'm just not paying close enough attention.
http://www.diycable.com/main/product_info.php?cPath=24_93&products_id=652
I just found this sucker a couple days ago and don't know much about it, for example, I don't know if this is the only retailer it is available from.
Living north of the border I always just assumed the Mach5 MJ18 or IXL18 was going to be the best way to spend my money. BUT now that I've found this I'm not so sure. You can get 8 of the TempestX for just over $1100 + shipping or you can get 8 of the IXL18 for $1800 shipping included. Being in Canada, with shipping rates the way they are, the price difference is probably not much.
As far as I can tell they model almost identical, with the TempestX requiring a bit more space for the back wave due to it's slightly higher fs, but for max output, they look virtually identical. (Disregarding things like xbl2 motor design, overall quality etc, but since I've never seen either close up I can only guess)
So what do we think of these things?
http://www.diycable.com/main/product_info.php?cPath=24_93&products_id=652
I just found this sucker a couple days ago and don't know much about it, for example, I don't know if this is the only retailer it is available from.
Living north of the border I always just assumed the Mach5 MJ18 or IXL18 was going to be the best way to spend my money. BUT now that I've found this I'm not so sure. You can get 8 of the TempestX for just over $1100 + shipping or you can get 8 of the IXL18 for $1800 shipping included. Being in Canada, with shipping rates the way they are, the price difference is probably not much.
As far as I can tell they model almost identical, with the TempestX requiring a bit more space for the back wave due to it's slightly higher fs, but for max output, they look virtually identical. (Disregarding things like xbl2 motor design, overall quality etc, but since I've never seen either close up I can only guess)
So what do we think of these things?
just a guy said:
Yes, DIYCable is the sole source of the Tempest-X and I have mentioned it, although it has just come onto the market. It's an improved and updated version of the Adire Tempest, which is one of the best Subwoofer drivers ever designed.
I haven't seen the Tempest-X yet, but based on the other drivers offered by Exodus and knowing Kevin Haskins' integrity and insistence on providing an extremely high quality product, I'm going to say that it's the real deal. I don't see how you can go wrong, the design is the result of a profound understanding of the critical elements in subwoofer design, coupled with the most advanced motor design in a quality package.
Now for the disclaimer: Kevin Haskins, Dan Wiggins and I are friends of long standing, but if I didn't absolutely believe what I have stated above, I certainly wouldn't be posting this.
I had "just a bit" of input on the design of the original Shiva and I built the first Sub using it (Shiva serial #1), which is still in daily use.
BTW: Kevin has told me that he intends to post most of the Adire Audio documentation and the White Papers sometime in the future on his website.
Best Regards,
TerryO
ThomasW said:
I see that he took advantage of the Audio Circle's package deal on the Face Amp and Drivers. That's a real steal to say the least! I just wish I had the money and more importantly, the space, to take advantage of the special introductory offer.
I've bookmarked your friend's thread so I can follow his progress.
Best Regards,
TerryO
On paper I can't determine a real winner between the ixl18 and the tempestx. WINISD tells me that the tempestx needs a bit more space to vent the backwave, it requires a bit more power to come to max output level, and in the end it still lags behind the ixl by about 1 db at max spl. The extra cone area is hard to beat. The price difference is negligible and WINISD is not perfect. The tempestx has the infamous xbl2, although I have no idea how much difference this makes since I've never laid hands on an xbl2 driver.
I suspect that the real winner in a head to head shootout would be 2x MJ18. 2 of these will obviously take up 2x more room than a single tempestx or ixl, and requires more eq to flatten out, but I expect 2 mj's would outperform a single ixl or tempestx for ~ the same price.
On the other hand, maybe it's best to wait a bit as new products come to market. Considering the price of the Avalanche 18, which was the reference 2 or 3 years ago, and the prices of the drivers discussed here, I can imagine prices going a whole lot lower in the next year or two.
I suspect that the real winner in a head to head shootout would be 2x MJ18. 2 of these will obviously take up 2x more room than a single tempestx or ixl, and requires more eq to flatten out, but I expect 2 mj's would outperform a single ixl or tempestx for ~ the same price.
On the other hand, maybe it's best to wait a bit as new products come to market. Considering the price of the Avalanche 18, which was the reference 2 or 3 years ago, and the prices of the drivers discussed here, I can imagine prices going a whole lot lower in the next year or two.
Well what I meant to say is that it is cool, or more accurately "desireable", although I have no idea how advantageous it really is since I've never had one.
I have to admit that I thought the word infamous meant exactly the opposite. Hmmmm... have I really been speaking english all my life? I was so sure infamous meant exactly the opposite that I searched for definitions, and guess what... Infamous is not a term of endearment. (oops)
In case I messed anything else up, let me paraphrase myself.
- as far as I can tell, the ixl18 and tempestx appear to both be great drivers
- price difference when shipped to my location is negligible when purchased in quatity
- both drivers have close to the same displacement
- the ixl has a bit more cone but the temestx has xbl2
- a single ixl or tempestx would probably be bested by 2 mj18's at close to the same price
In other words, I would be proud to own either, and may soon own one or the other. Despite my unfortunate usage of the english language.
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