Midrange compression drivers on a budget?

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Any recommendations for midrange compression drivers on a budget? Of course they need to sound great but also be cheap :)

Looking to cover about 500-700hz to 7khz give or take a bit

This one looks good but not sure about a 1" exit driver going that low

Selenium D250-X GW 1" Phenolic Horn Driver 1-3/8"-18 TPI

http://www.parts-express.com/pedocs/specs/264-204--d250-x-spec-sheet.pdf

Or a 2" exit driver from P.audio

http://www.cannonsound.com.au/shop/...ii-2-inch-100watt-bolt-on-compression-driver/

Second hand JBL or similar would be good but they are rare and expensive in my part of the world.

Also will need a horn to cover the range with decent directivity, size not a problem
 
500-700hz to 7khz requires a 2" compression driver and a horn with at least 60sqin mouth area. Al or Ti diaphragm is necessary for your 7Khz goal.

Start by finding a well reviewed popular combination of CD + horn and check eBay for parts before going to BoxStore.
A popular, extensively used compression driver is the best choice, even at a modestly higher price.
If you plan to design and build a passive component crossover, finding a proven circuit can save hundreds of dollars in DIY-test-parts.

JBL/Selemiun are common use in the Americas.
Selenium - D3300Ti DPD is popular and worth review for a 700Hz crossover.
The D4400Ti has better low frequency response for a 500Hz crossover.
DD4400Ti Probably best 500-7Khz choice.
Easy to get replacement diaphragms.

---Why Ti is popular---
"The fatigue life of materials depends on amplitude of deflection. There is also a fatigue threshold, meaning that if a diaphragm never sees more than a certain level it will never fatigue."
"Titanium has about 10 times the fatigue resistance of aluminum. Titanium also has a much higher "no fatigue" threshold than Aluminum. Aluminum continues to fatigue even at very low levels."
 
D250-X should be able to do 700Hz no problem (w/ HL14-25 horn as per datasheet) but you'll see the frequency response starts to roll off up the top end. Unless you want to attempt to EQ out the roll-off enough to achieve a 7kHz slope, a more realistic lowpass is probably around 4-5kHz.

FWIW the OEM for the D250-X appears to be PRV-audio. The PRV-audio D250Ph-S appears to be the same or similar driver.
 
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Any recommendations for midrange compression drivers on a budget? Of course they need to sound great but also be cheap :)

Looking to cover about 500-700hz to 7khz give or take a bit

Second hand JBL or similar would be good but they are rare and expensive in my part of the world.

Also will need a horn to cover the range with decent directivity, size not a problem
For about $30 per unit you could properly build the horn/driver prototype tested in #860 here:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/285030-bookshelf-multi-way-point-source-horn-86.html

There are many other options presented in the thread.

The 3.5" TC9FD-18-08 covers a wider bandwidth than you requested, and sounds better than any low cost compression driver run as low as you want.

Chris' suggestion of an EVDH1 A driver is good (perhaps my favorite compression driver other than it's weight) but running as low as 500 Hz my preference actually would be the TC9. It's wide range can eliminate the need for a tweeter, and since the horn works well to 250 Hz, all that is needed is a sub woofer below for a complete 20-20kHz system.

Art
 
Thanks all.

The selenium looks good but is over budget after factoring in exchange and shipping

There is ONE local EVDH1A-16 on ebay at the moment and who knows how long I would have to wait for a second to pop up!

I might have to give the little Vifa cone a go. They seem be getting a lot of love here.

I already have a galaxy audio 5" driver with tractrix horn in the pipeline but so far in my experience I prefer using a compression driver for the extra detail and big sound it provides. I am not sure if that is the compression driver or the horn. I guess I will find out once I finish the tractrix horn for the galaxy driver and spend some time listening.

For the high end ill be using my ribbons coz i like how they sound. Shame about the sensitivity and directivity mismatch but I might try to make a little waveguide for them one day too
 
For about $30 per unit you could properly build the horn/driver prototype tested in #860 here:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/285030-bookshelf-multi-way-point-source-horn-86.html

There are many other options presented in the thread.

The 3.5" TC9FD-18-08 covers a wider bandwidth than you requested, and sounds better than any low cost compression driver run as low as you want.

Arggggghhh
I am just about to start believing we could just build a damn straight sided synergy horn and use nothing but TC9 drivers for the tweeter mids and woofers all around the parameter of the mouth???? Is that thing the damn holy grail?
 
re: cheap Selenium, here's the Trio version on a 511 Altec horn
sgwSOa6.gif


6ZyBn9X.gif
 
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Many Klipsch owners have used the D-250X for a replacement with their speakers successfully. Bob Crites recommends them but suggest crossing around 4500hz. For the money it is hard to beat in the US for what it cost. It is very hard to find a 1" driver that will go as low as this one. A 2" driver is no doubt a better option but the cost is going to be much much higher. It comes down to cost vs performance improvement.

Bob Crites also sells them so you may want to check with him on shipping cost. Great guy and very knowledgeable when it comes to horns.

http://www.critesspeakers.com/selenium-products.html
 
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Arggggghhh
I am just about to start believing we could just build a damn straight sided synergy horn and use nothing but TC9 drivers for the tweeter mids and woofers all around the parameter of the mouth???? Is that thing the damn holy grail?
The 3.5" TC9FD-18-08 works quite well from around 250 Hz up in the various two part conical horns I have tested. Below 250Hz the conical horn contour provides no gain, so it would be more appropriate to use woofers capable of the low frequency extension and SPL desired than additional TC9 drivers.
The additional drivers should be located around the perimeter of the throat, not the "parameter of the mouth" ;^).
As far as the TC9 being the "holy grail", that would depend on the parameters compared- in terms of smooth response, some (expensive) compression drivers are better. In terms of extended low mid range with low distortion at high SPL using a relatively compact horn, and also extending to 16 kHz, there simply are no compression drivers that can pull that off, due to inherent excursion limitations.

Art
 
re: cheap Selenium, here's the Trio version on a 511 Altec horn.
Good to see. That's a combo I use. I had to make the waveguide/adapter you see in the pics. It's actually a PA loudspeaker pole mount socket. Hey ya gotta do what you can with what you got right? :)
is there a compression near enough the old Altec 288-C in the new cheaper of shelf drivers ?
I wouldn't think so. That a big hunk of metal and I can't imagine it's equivalent as being cheap. I sent mine to Great Plains to have the 8Ω aluminum diaphragms installed and a remag and they are a great driver when mounted to a big horn like the 1803 or 1505.
 

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Thanks call. Sad I am, they are rare in France and Europe... (one of the rare candidate for my tastes if no wallet TAD driver proof :)

Is it really important to remag it as the efficienty is quite high enough already with lower efficienty ? Heard than the remag is not longer than few months (half a year!) because of the way ALnico magnet and ceramic used ??? And even less with Altec 416/515 (sorry here as OT).

Maybe Weltersys EV compression he likes a lot as a swap ?! (but not 1/4 !)

(We should ask if Great Plain Audio is still alive to make again a cheaper 288-c with a massive GB ; magnet can be outsourced with highest temperature ceramic than Alnico)
 
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Is it really important to remag it as the efficienty is quite high enough already with lower efficienty ?

I'm not sure. When I got the drivers, the diaphragms were shot so since they needed new ones and the adapter that goes with them, I asked GP to remag at the same time. They were probably 50 years old when I got them.

Anyway, I too think the Selenium D250 is a good bang for the buck. A little EQ or a notch is all that's really needed.
 
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For about $30 per unit you could properly build the horn/driver prototype tested in #860 here:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/285030-bookshelf-multi-way-point-source-horn-86.html

There are many other options presented in the thread.

The 3.5" TC9FD-18-08 covers a wider bandwidth than you requested, and sounds better than any low cost compression driver run as low as you want.

Chris' suggestion of an EVDH1 A driver is good (perhaps my favorite compression driver other than it's weight) but running as low as 500 Hz my preference actually would be the TC9. It's wide range can eliminate the need for a tweeter, and since the horn works well to 250 Hz, all that is needed is a sub woofer below for a complete 20-20kHz system.

Art

Art has a great recommendation here and the low distortion on a cone driver in a horn has to be heard to be appreciated. It's very clean sounding. I don't know what your budget of sense of "cheap" is but the PRV 5MR450-NDY has had a price reduction and one of these in an Edgar style tractrix can really cover a oass range. Here is what I was able to achieve. This was perhaps one of the lowest distortion soeakers I have ever heard or tested. With 95dB sensitivity before horn loaded - it's in the 105dB range with a horn. It can take 225watts thermal.

434944d1408971865-prv-5mr450-ndy-fast-applications-tractrix-cld-new-eq.png
 
If only ready made horn with a T factor made for ScanSpeak 10F/84G00 could exist (for the ones like me with bad hand skill and not 3d print horn;) with the good throat (5" with reduction to 4" ?) (but if you have a good behavior in the lows you haven't in the highs and vice versa with horns... We should encourage Seos group to make a cheap horn for a 10F/8 ohms for 700-8000 Hz with a good pattern for this range; I MEAN if no Trynergy design)
 
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ra7

Member
Joined 2009
Paid Member
I would throw in the JBL2445/6 into the hat as well. They can go pretty low, as low as 300 Hz and not complain in a proper horn. Can be had for cheap on the bay. These drivers are monsters, pretty much indestructible, and can peel the proverbial paint off the walls.
 
but maybe the nice warmer sound of the 288-c.... trade off I assume. The D250 is cheap enough to try for people whom have not acess to the great JBL second Hand USA markett.

I'm forwarding too to see a design by Weltersys with a ScanSpeak 10F classic driver as well (maybe a wood cabinet maker will be more skilly than me with foam, glue and wood... xrk971 has golden hands with foam)
 
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