I'm thinking about project for 2025 and would like to build a small 2 way with the 5FE120 which seems popular. They're made in Italy which is appealing to me considering so much European manufacturing has moved to Asia. Its intriguing how Faital has managed to manufacture a well regarded driver at such a low cost in Europe. This has got me thinking can i match it with another budget friendly European made tweeter that performs well?
Look at Seas maybe, they produce in Norway still, and the 27TFFH or 27TFFC are good domes for (relative) cheap prices. Scanspeak also builds in Europe (Denmark) and sells good tweeters that are not very expensive.
SB is good, but made in Indonesia, not Europe. The owners are also Indonesian, although the design is done in Herning, Denmark by Danesian Audio (a Scanspeak spinoff engineering company). But the drivers are build by Sinar Baja Electric, a OEM builder with decades of experience in Surabaya, Indonesia. The SB in SB Acoustics refers to Sinar Baja, the name of the mother company.
SB is good, but made in Indonesia, not Europe. The owners are also Indonesian, although the design is done in Herning, Denmark by Danesian Audio (a Scanspeak spinoff engineering company). But the drivers are build by Sinar Baja Electric, a OEM builder with decades of experience in Surabaya, Indonesia. The SB in SB Acoustics refers to Sinar Baja, the name of the mother company.
In Europe, you can also get the no ferrofluid Seas H1025 from Germany https://www.lautsprechershop.de/hifi/seas_en.htm
https://heissmann-acoustics.de/en/test-seas-noferro-900-h1025-06/ It apparently (and some other Seas tweeters with flat faceplates), mounts very easily to the Visaton WG148R waveguide as https://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/download/Humble Homemade Hifi_Tempo Two.pdf and https://heissmann-acoustics.de/en/test-wg148r-noferro-900/
Otherwise, maybe look at Sica and Ciare.
https://heissmann-acoustics.de/en/test-seas-noferro-900-h1025-06/ It apparently (and some other Seas tweeters with flat faceplates), mounts very easily to the Visaton WG148R waveguide as https://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/download/Humble Homemade Hifi_Tempo Two.pdf and https://heissmann-acoustics.de/en/test-wg148r-noferro-900/
Otherwise, maybe look at Sica and Ciare.
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(Edit: does not match your criteria "made in europe":
https://www.der-akustische-untergrund.de/speakers/intermediate-projects/winter-blues/
BC25TG15-04 might be available again at soundimports.nl)
Sica LP 98.25-245 perhaps?
https://en.toutlehautparleur.com/dome-tweeter-sica-lp98-25-245-8-ohm-voice-coil-25-mm.html
https://www.der-akustische-untergrund.de/speakers/intermediate-projects/winter-blues/
BC25TG15-04 might be available again at soundimports.nl)
Sica LP 98.25-245 perhaps?
https://en.toutlehautparleur.com/dome-tweeter-sica-lp98-25-245-8-ohm-voice-coil-25-mm.html
Seas DXT ? can be found for 70-80 euros a piece.
Very well documented and solid performer.
For traditional dome tweeters "made in europe" :
Audax
Beyma
Bliesma
B&W
Ciare
Davis acoustics
Focal
Kartesian
Seas
Sica
ScanSpeak
Designed, assembled, tested and packaged.
Magnets and frames are guaranteed sourced from Asia.
It is also the cheapest place to source soft parts from.
Italy has a high number of transdsucer manufacturers.
Although Kurt Muller in Europe does a lot of tweteer parts.
Very well documented and solid performer.
For traditional dome tweeters "made in europe" :
Audax
Beyma
Bliesma
B&W
Ciare
Davis acoustics
Focal
Kartesian
Seas
Sica
ScanSpeak
When you look into the subject you will find out that they are assembled in italy.
Designed, assembled, tested and packaged.
Magnets and frames are guaranteed sourced from Asia.
It is also the cheapest place to source soft parts from.
Italy has a high number of transdsucer manufacturers.
Although Kurt Muller in Europe does a lot of tweteer parts.
Italian company but made in China 🙂
My rega speakers have scanspeak and have always liked the highs from those which made me think of scanspeak first followed by seas. There is some other brand mentioned I've not heard of so I'll look into them too.
Thanks for the information.
Thanks for the information.
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Found another vendor for the German Seas tweeter for a bit cheaper https://www.hifisound.de/Do-it-your...r/Gradient-No-Ferro-900-Softdome-Tweeter.html
Nice, thank you. I am leaning towards a seas. Why would you use a waveguide? To lower the crossover frequency?
Helps match the acoustic offset / phase alignment to the (5") woofer > allows easier shallow slopes in crossover design + helps match the directivity of the woofer; read the pdf I linked earlier and the test reports from Heissmann, observe the difference in off-axis dispersion from the no waveguide review to the waveguided review. Also immunizes the tweeter somewhat from normal baffle diffractions.
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I paired the 5FE120 and the Dayton ND25FW-4 for my latest 2 way build with very good result. This tweeter is a good match for the 5FE120 in my opinion, both price- and soundwise.
https://www.dibirama.it/home-page/tweeter/755-dayton-audio-nd25fw-4-tweeter-1-4-ohm-40-wmax.html
https://www.soundimports.eu/en/dayton-audio-nd25fw-4.html?
gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAmrS7BhBJEiwAei59i7dJAwTAlQkqfEzLkJXCLHtFkP78MOsplfJIX0NqUce5vCmFuSENixoCMCcQAvD_BwE
https://www.dibirama.it/home-page/tweeter/755-dayton-audio-nd25fw-4-tweeter-1-4-ohm-40-wmax.html
https://www.soundimports.eu/en/dayton-audio-nd25fw-4.html?
gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAmrS7BhBJEiwAei59i7dJAwTAlQkqfEzLkJXCLHtFkP78MOsplfJIX0NqUce5vCmFuSENixoCMCcQAvD_BwE
For inspiration, boxes, woofer x-over.
Add your European tweeter and high pass x-over.
Mini Mouse DIY Speaker -France
Peerless DX20BF-04 & Faital 5FE120-8
Peerless was founded in Denmark, now China
https://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum...e-la-mini-qui-n-a-peur-de-rien-t30114960.html
Google Translate
https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&op=translate
Matt Grant- Argos Speaker
RT002A ribbon tweeter, Taiwan
http://www.hificircuit.com/community/threads/argos-tm-and-mtm-bookshlf-speaker-design-thread.5640/
PE Parts Express Gallery
MIdnite Magic
Dayton AMT2-4- China?
https://projectgallery.parts-express.com/speaker-projects/midnite-magic/
Add your European tweeter and high pass x-over.
Mini Mouse DIY Speaker -France
Peerless DX20BF-04 & Faital 5FE120-8
Peerless was founded in Denmark, now China
https://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum...e-la-mini-qui-n-a-peur-de-rien-t30114960.html
Google Translate
https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&op=translate
Matt Grant- Argos Speaker
RT002A ribbon tweeter, Taiwan
http://www.hificircuit.com/community/threads/argos-tm-and-mtm-bookshlf-speaker-design-thread.5640/
PE Parts Express Gallery
MIdnite Magic
Dayton AMT2-4- China?
https://projectgallery.parts-express.com/speaker-projects/midnite-magic/
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I did mean made. Just curious if you can make a decent affordable speaker with European made parts.
There is a small loudspeaker company in my area and they produce drivers too. I don't have much experience with them but they seem to have quite good QPR opinions. Their website has English language options and prices in euros, so I guess they sell abroad too (at least in Europe).
stx tweeters link
stx tweeters link