Looking for recomendations on 15" woofers

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DougL

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Joined 2004
#1
I have 3 high efficiency projects planed. For all 3 I was thinking I might be able to use the same 15" Woofer.
I have 2 15" sub-woofers, so this would be mid-woofers.

1: Vision B200 full-range OB with Woofer. XO 150 Hz to 400 Hz.

2: SEOS 12 or SEOS 15 "Econowave" style with Woofer. XO 800 Hz - 1200 HZ In 6 to 8 Cu FT box

3: JMLC 400 1.4" Mid horn with ~ 800 Hz XO In 6 to 8 Cu FT box.

Research indicated that "Pro" style drivers are designed for all 3 apps.

I wanted to keep the Budget around $100 per driver

Research indicates several high end drivers might fit, except for cost:
AE TD15M
Altec 416
Altec 515
JBL 2226H
B&C 15TBX100

Just for reference, I am currently Running a DCX2496 / Class D amps/ OB with Low Q drivers, so I am aware that there are trade-offs on driver Q.

I know the Eminence Beta 15 would work for the OB, but will it sound good at 1K Hz?

Any thought or recommendations on a suitable driver would be appreciated..
 
#2
I really suggest dropping to an 8 for a mid woofer. You are just not going to get really clean sound into the lower mids from a 15. There are a ton of very high efficiency 8 inch "pro" mids and you are far more likely to hit your price point. A $100 15 is just plain not going to be very good.

I would discourage OB unless you are doing something exotic like a Linkwitz Orion. They invented boxes for very good reasons. I really doubt the DCX will do as much as you think for an OB. You run out of memory real quick. Mine is relegated to the test bench.
 
#3
tvrgeek said:
I really suggest dropping to an 8 for a mid woofer. You are just not going to get really clean sound into the lower mids from a 15. There are a ton of very high efficiency 8 inch "pro" mids and you are far more likely to hit your price point. A $100 15 is just plain not going to be very good.

I would discourage OB unless you are doing something exotic like a Linkwitz Orion. They invented boxes for very good reasons. I really doubt the DCX will do as much as you think for an OB. You run out of memory real quick. Mine is relegated to the test bench.
Click to expand...

I disagree. A 15" can do superb low mids, it has the advantage over smaller drivers of inherent directivity and thus lower diffraction and room artifacts. I've used the 2226h, BD BD15, and Eminence Magnum 15HO all up to about 1k and had great success matching these to horn systems above them. The TD15M is known particularly for having superb mids.
 
#4
I really suggest dropping to an 8 for a mid woofer. You are just not going to get really clean sound into the lower mids from a 15. There are a ton of very high efficiency 8 inch "pro" mids and you are far more likely to hit your price point. A $100 15 is just plain not going to be very good.

I would discourage OB unless you are doing something exotic like a Linkwitz Orion. They invented boxes for very good reasons. I really doubt the DCX will do as much as you think for an OB. You run out of memory real quick. Mine is relegated to the test bench.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the quick response.

So no good options for an inexpensive 15" mid-woofer?

I would do a different design rather than use an 8" driver and end up with a 4 way with weird power response.

I have an OB running now.
I currently run a 3 way OB, so going to a 2 way should be straightforward
 
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#5
I disagree. A 15" can do superb low mids, it has the advantage over smaller drivers of inherent directivity and thus lower diffraction and room artifacts. I've used the 2226h, BD BD15, and Eminence Magnum 15HO all up to about 1k and had great success matching these to horn systems above them. The TD15M is known particularly for having superb mids.
Click to expand...

Thanks Badman for the encouragement.
I hope it can be done, but I have no experience with pro woofers.
I have read good things on the forum about the JBL 2226H and the AE TD15M.
I was hoping the Eminence line had something that might be a good compromise.
 
#12
JBL 2226

I think you have an excellent candidate here.
Low distortion, smooth and flat, efficient, excellent output capacity with minimal power compression. It is a mainstay of the JBL pro line for a reason.
Whether the same driver is optimal for all your applications will create (interminable) debate but this one will do it.
Specifications show they are very well matched to 1.5" throat compression drivers. JBL practice and my own system verify this.

Best wishes
David
 
#14
I don't know anything about your DCX2496, does it have EQ? If so do/will you use it?

My 2bits, since you have subs and don't need the bottom corner, consider the JBL 2220. My absolute favorite 15" mid bass driver, very clean. It has rising response and requires some shaping to be flat but when integrated properly its near impossible to beat.

My opinion is formed from long term listening/ownership of the following JBL 15's:
2220
2225
2226
2227
E130
E140

You should be able to find a clean pair within your budget.
 
#16
There is no one right answer. Badman and I seem to have quite a different view of a great midrange. The advantage of this forum is you get several ideas to think about. I will agree the value of the Dayton is excellent. It has features you don't get at twice the cost like the copper shunt and with the exception of my Titanic III's I have been very happy with all the Dayton's I have used. Mostly RS series.

You did not say if you were building a PA system or a home music system. I stand by my view of 15's as they will have breakup problems way before you get to the mids. Beaming is only an advantage in a PA. Yea, the market is full of 12 or 15 inchers and a horn for a cheap PA, and well, to my ears, they are horrid. Even the not so cheap JBL's. So for a PA, I would use my favorite solution, a line array. Not always cheap though. For a home music system, all of what is discussed here is completely against my preferences.

For a home system in the vain of a big cone PA, go look at the GEDLEE work. Now their stuff is not cheap, but it has valid ideas.
 
#17
I don't know anything about your DCX2496, does it have EQ? If so do/will you use it?

My 2bits, since you have subs and don't need the bottom corner, consider the JBL 2220. My absolute favorite 15" mid bass driver, very clean. It has rising response and requires some shaping to be flat but when integrated properly its near impossible to beat.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the response. The DCX 2496 has extensive but not unlimited parametric EQ.
I will look at the JBL 2220. Also I'll see if any are currently up for auction.

I do see JBL 2225 H/J close to my price range. What is your experience with them?
 
#18
The DCX has very poor eq capabilities and you run out of memory real quick. Basically, it can do a three way crossover, one notch and maybe have enough left over for a delay. For the input channels, it can only notch, not boost. They want to sell you a DEQ for that. Remember, it is designed to help tame PA speakers as one step up from a simple analog crossover. That it can do more is quite a complement. I find it noisy, ugly when it turns on, and not at all a hi-fi component. Really handy on my test bench as it allows asymmetrical crossovers where the simple analog ones do not. The A2D, D2A is not the biggest problem in it. At least the DAC portion is not half bad.
 
#19
There is no one right answer. Badman and I seem to have quite a different view of a great midrange. The advantage of this forum is you get several ideas to think about. I will agree the value of the Dayton is excellent. It has features you don't get at twice the cost like the copper shunt and with the exception of my Titanic III's I have been very happy with all the Dayton's I have used. Mostly RS series.

You did not say if you were building a PA system or a home music system. I stand by my view of 15's as they will have breakup problems way before you get to the mids. Beaming is only an advantage in a PA. Yea, the market is full of 12 or 15 inchers and a horn for a cheap PA, and well, to my ears, they are horrid. Even the not so cheap JBL's. So for a PA, I would use my favorite solution, a line array. Not always cheap though. For a home music system, all of what is discussed here is completely against my preferences.

For a home system in the vain of a big cone PA, go look at the GEDLEE work. Now their stuff is not cheap, but it has valid ideas.
Click to expand...

This is a home system. The waveguide discussions on DIYAudio have made me want to see for myself what I like.
Since I have an electronic crossover and 6 channels of amplification, I want to try some of these things for myself.
The SEOS project (#2) is a variant on the GEDLEE technology, being a Super Elliptical Oblate Spheroid waveguide.
The third project is a cost reduced Lynn Olson inspired project.
Both of these push a 15" driver until the directivity matches the horn / waveguide.


I agree the Dayton RS drivers have been a great Value.
However, The cone breakup on the metal drivers severely limits their use at extended frequencies.

At this point I am more interested in trying different approaches than anything else.

Thanks for your experience.
 
#20
e DCX has very poor eq capabilities and you run out of memory real quick. Basically, it can do a three way crossover, one notch and maybe have enough left over for a delay. For the input channels, it can only notch, not boost. They want to sell you a DEQ for that. Remember, it is designed to help tame PA speakers as one step up from a simple analog crossover. That it can do more is quite a complement. I find it noisy, ugly when it turns on, and not at all a hi-fi component. Really handy on my test bench as it allows asymmetrical crossovers where the simple analog ones do not. The A2D, D2A is not the biggest problem in it. At least the DAC portion is not half bad.
Click to expand...
I am doing a 3 way with a base shelf, a mid-base low Q notch and some HF boost.
I am probably close to the memory limits. I will look.
I applied some cleaner to the ribbon cable and its been quiet for the last 3 or 4 years.
There are probably lots of crossovers that sound better, but up till now it hasn't bothered me.
 
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