A pity! A local one time DIYer's wife was once upon a time the Atlanta Symphony's 1st chair violinist and his goal was to as close as practical reproduce her practicing at home and he finally achieved it to his wife's satisfaction with a Wayne Parham/Pi Speakers JBL 2226 corner horn sub XO'd to a FE108ez in a small sealed cab perched above it.
How small sealed? If LF is given up, then is low distortion mid-to-HF it's main selling point? (Response curve doesn't look particularly special.) Thanks.
He didn't elaborate on tech details, just to let me know what he'd wound up with after several different BLH designs, BRs, OB, etc., and when I queried him, he didn't respond, though later found out they had been 'called back' to China. Guess they wanted her for their orchestra plus he was a MS programmer? designer? whiz. They both were pretty 'tight lipped' individuals, ditto their children; can't remember now whether the son or daughter was the piano child prodigy, but that was a long time ago now, though remember he already had his drivers in beautiful, properly designed BLHs (a real DIY rarity IME) when they moved here.
I had 20-25 yrs on my mind, but didn't post it because it seemed hard to believe it had been available that long since the first Atlanta DIYaudio Meet was where I met him.
I have both the FE108 Sigmas (bought them in 2001), and the recently discontinued FE108E Sigmas (bought them a couple of years ago).
I used the originals almost daily/continuously for 20 years. They are now tired and mushy. Worn out.
I've been playing the new ones continuously for about two years. They lack that magic human voice midrange, but have much lower/tighter bass and more dynamic (snappier) high end.
I love them both, but the originals were truly organic, in that acoustic instruments and voices were very scary real.
The new ones accommodate the current trend in half-speed remastering and 45rpm LP's. They're more articulate and separate instruments more.
Hard call.
I used the originals almost daily/continuously for 20 years. They are now tired and mushy. Worn out.
I've been playing the new ones continuously for about two years. They lack that magic human voice midrange, but have much lower/tighter bass and more dynamic (snappier) high end.
I love them both, but the originals were truly organic, in that acoustic instruments and voices were very scary real.
The new ones accommodate the current trend in half-speed remastering and 45rpm LP's. They're more articulate and separate instruments more.
Hard call.
Shame, it was always a nice little unit of its type -seems hard to believe it's been around so long. I can't say many of the more recent Fostex drivers have grabbed my attention, which is a real pity, as when they come up with a good one, they're usually very good indeed. I hope this doesn't mean the 168 and 208ESigmas will be for the chop (the latter in particular is a very nice unit of its type), although presumably the range is due for change.
Yeah, forgot to mention this! RS 40-1354 among others 'magically' vaporized when they went out of business. 🙁
One of the drivers that really launched the “budget” FR revolution that started in the ‘90s.
On i did up for Cal:
dave
Indeed! It was my first 'upgrade' to a then ~new '87 Mazda RX7 Roadster, though fast forward to my then new '90 Chevy SS PU was satisfied with its 'premium' sound system till Infinity introduced its premium speakers, so switched to their two way for in dash, co-ax for the rest.
Indeed! Got kidded a lot for it being a 'girlie girl' car, but a great value and now with a blown motor and no repairable blocks (SCCA racers have long since bought 'strip mined' them) is continuing on as a nice yard ornament to counterpoint my now humongously large PU/SUV centric locale, though the ~new 'youngster' neighbor across from me has an '88 coupe converted to a 'full tilt boogie' (just barely street legal) turbo/tranny/suspension/brake converted street racer pestering me to sell mine and slip all his 'goodies' into it along with the necessary chassis upgrades a Roadster/convertible needs to handle it.
My first 2 cars were R100s (900cc), i got the mechanic's RX2 for a WE, and an RX3 wagon at one point.
dave
