Yeah... I thought about this 🤓 Maybe the easiest is simply to give it a dedicated chamber 👍
Most of the SB line performs very well for the price. Kind of makes you wonder about some other prices. Country of assembly does not explain all of it. If you look at them, it is hard to see the difference in manufacturing cost between a $20 tweeter and a $200, exotic dome materials excluded. It also makes you wonder about the rather poor performance of other drivers likely made in the same factory. As Sinar Baja Electric being one of the big OEMs.
I have given up on rigid dome tweeters. Yes, they have some advantages, but the breakup modes seem to be what was causing sensitivity to different DACs. Harmonics, IM etc. Just swapped the Seas al/mg dome for the same motor soft dome 29TFF/W and the problem diapered. Almost identical response below 18K. 27TAC and 27TBFC both had that "glare" around 3100 Hz. More expensive, the HDS did not have the glare, but too many other issues to deal with. So, I am back fully in the soft dome camp just as I have returned from aluminum woofers to paper.
My favorite budget tweeter is the Vifa XT25G60 ring dome. Some think it boring as it is so well behaved, no extra "impact and life" , translated as extra distortion. But, need to cross steep and high it does not have the SD to play low.
I LIKE plastic face plates. Easier to cut an arc out of it to move the tweeter closer to the woofer. Easier for them to shape the transition from suspension to the plate and even almost no cost to make a wave guide. How it sounds is more important than how it feels in my hand.
I have given up on rigid dome tweeters. Yes, they have some advantages, but the breakup modes seem to be what was causing sensitivity to different DACs. Harmonics, IM etc. Just swapped the Seas al/mg dome for the same motor soft dome 29TFF/W and the problem diapered. Almost identical response below 18K. 27TAC and 27TBFC both had that "glare" around 3100 Hz. More expensive, the HDS did not have the glare, but too many other issues to deal with. So, I am back fully in the soft dome camp just as I have returned from aluminum woofers to paper.
My favorite budget tweeter is the Vifa XT25G60 ring dome. Some think it boring as it is so well behaved, no extra "impact and life" , translated as extra distortion. But, need to cross steep and high it does not have the SD to play low.
I LIKE plastic face plates. Easier to cut an arc out of it to move the tweeter closer to the woofer. Easier for them to shape the transition from suspension to the plate and even almost no cost to make a wave guide. How it sounds is more important than how it feels in my hand.
Would you please explain the DXT comment. I use on in my HT center which is effectively a very large baffle. Can't say I am thrilled with it.
I read Heissmanns recommendations, which worked great for me:
https://heissmann-acoustics.de/en/test-seas-dxt-27tbcd-g/
The DXT seems to have a much too wide dispersion when put in a normal width baffle, which will give it too much energy around 3kHz, and ruin the smooth transition with the midrange. What happens when you use it in a center.. no clue.
The SB26ADC plays absolutely wonderful in my system now, in an Augerpro 5" waveguide. It blends great with my SB MW13TX and midrange/tweeter combo seems like a clean, open and coherent teamwork, that makes me forget that it's 2 drivers working together.
Would the SB26CD be just a little better? hmmm.... maybe I should try, even though I think it would be a wash
It might look cool with the white dome though
Would the SB26CD be just a little better? hmmm.... maybe I should try, even though I think it would be a wash
It might look cool with the white dome though The 26ADC does sound very good, but it might be on the harsh side of what I like. It might be something else though that needs tweaking, so I'm not judging anything too hard yet.
I'm still not sure if you actually can "hear the material", it should be possible to measure as well then.
If someone has compared this to one of the soft dome from the same series it would be interesting to hear about your observation, not that I'm about to change, but still.
I'm still not sure if you actually can "hear the material", it should be possible to measure as well then.
If someone has compared this to one of the soft dome from the same series it would be interesting to hear about your observation, not that I'm about to change, but still.
On the wrong width baffle, the SB26ADC's tiny 5khz resonance (if you could even call it that) can become an annoying sibilance, roundovers or assymetric mounting helps.
It does have a slight rising respons between something like 5-7khz, pretty much where the 15NBAC midrange has its breakup. Crossed over at 2500hz @ 24dB.
I could always try slightly lower crossover or try 8:th order filter and see how it responds.
I'm easing into it as I'm going to re-arrange the room as well, it's not ideal listening position.
I could always try slightly lower crossover or try 8:th order filter and see how it responds.
I'm easing into it as I'm going to re-arrange the room as well, it's not ideal listening position.
I would measure the midrange alone and EQ it within it's intended pass-band and minimum an octave above and below. Then add filter, so that you see closer to a text-book perfect slope. Then, if you also add the delay on the tweeter, relative to the midrange, you should be able to have a smooth transition that does not have a trace of the break-up and even out the overall response. I would say that 2500Hz is a little bit too high... try 2200Hz instead. The 26ADC should not have a problem at all down there. Leave it at 24dB. Higher order filters tend to ruin the smoothness of the cross-over, and these drivers are plenty smooth to deal with it.
I run the crossover before EQ in the DSP, but I could disconnect the tweeter. I did measure every driver on its own, need to go back and look at that.
I did a quick change now to 2400hz XO and reduced the shelving filter above 10khz (it was slowly falling) and it's better already.
I believe one problem I have is that these are so much more transparent and open compared to my old speakers that I'm just not used to it. But it's also enjoyable to rediscover music. 🙂
I did a quick change now to 2400hz XO and reduced the shelving filter above 10khz (it was slowly falling) and it's better already.
I believe one problem I have is that these are so much more transparent and open compared to my old speakers that I'm just not used to it. But it's also enjoyable to rediscover music. 🙂
Heh - no, not in the waveguide thread so I was just referring to standard baffle/box mounting
I used the SB26STAC and the SB26ADC in the same speaker with a SB17NAC and the SB26ADC was thought to be better. Not much in it but seemed to have a better presentation and control. Both tweeters are very good and ended up using the SB26STAC in another design.
I've had this tweeter. It's a good budget tweeter. Made in Indonesia, where wages are on average 1/3 of average wages in China.
But I tell you what IS incredible value:
Scan-Speak D2604/83300-00.
Made In Denmark
Incredibly low distortion- can cross at 1.5KHz LR4 without a waveguide.
High sensitivity 93dB/2.83V (4ohm). Fs 420Hz.
Standard 104mm faceplate, plastic.
US$55
For those who can't get their hands on it, there's a Chinese made version the Peerless DX25BG60. US$35
This one is cheaper and comes with a metal faceplate, but I understand the internal are the same.
They are both BEAST versions of the Vifa DX25TG59; with twice as much magnet and a larger chamber than the Vifa DX25TG59-04 (US$25)
It might have some other changes that I'm not aware of, but the TG59-04 is itself a variant of the old DX25TG09-04.
And the old DX25 was first used by commercially by ProAc about a decade ago, before general availability.
But I tell you what IS incredible value:
Scan-Speak D2604/83300-00.
Made In Denmark
Incredibly low distortion- can cross at 1.5KHz LR4 without a waveguide.
High sensitivity 93dB/2.83V (4ohm). Fs 420Hz.
Standard 104mm faceplate, plastic.
US$55
For those who can't get their hands on it, there's a Chinese made version the Peerless DX25BG60. US$35
This one is cheaper and comes with a metal faceplate, but I understand the internal are the same.
They are both BEAST versions of the Vifa DX25TG59; with twice as much magnet and a larger chamber than the Vifa DX25TG59-04 (US$25)
It might have some other changes that I'm not aware of, but the TG59-04 is itself a variant of the old DX25TG09-04.
And the old DX25 was first used by commercially by ProAc about a decade ago, before general availability.