Full Range 2 Way with hifi woofer and horn/CD

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frangus

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Joined 2013
#1
Designing this for a friend who wants a full range classic style enclosure (similar size to Klipsch Heresy) with a compression horn mid/tweeter.

He already has a Radian 745NEO comp driver and I am thinking to use 18 Sound XT1464 for a crossover point of around 800hz to an SB acoustics SB34NRX75 or SB34NRXL75-8. There are other 1.4" horns like the Ciare and Faital also that I would consider.

SB Acoustics SB34NRX75-6 12" Woofer

SB Acoustics SB34NRXL75-8 12" Woofer

https://www.eighteensound.it/media/...TBfNTZfMzZfMTY4X1hUMTQ2NC5QREYiXV0/XT1464.PDF

745NEO - 3″ Diaphragm, 1.4″ Exit - Radian Audio

Speaker will be actively bi-amped so sensitivity mismatch is not so important.

Bass requirement is around 30hz flat in room or better at moderate/high SPL for music. Enclosure will be 80-100L and 500 wide by 750 tall.

Has anyone tried this slightly unconventional mix of hifi woofer with comp driver and horn and what was your experience? Do you think the SB woofer will be clean enough to 800-1000hz for crossover?

Thanks
 

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#2
It would definitely work. I would go with the XL woofer between those two. Better motor for 2-way use.

You could get away with a 650hz crossover with the XT1464. Plenty of headroom to match the spl limits of the woofer.
 
#3
ErnieM said:
It would definitely work. I would go with the XL woofer between those two. Better motor for 2-way use.

You could get away with a 650hz crossover with the XT1464. Plenty of headroom to match the spl limits of the woofer.
Click to expand...

Thanks, a 650hz crossover should work for most decent 12" woofers provided the comp driver enjoys playing at such low frequency.

The XL has lower Le also so should have less distortion playing higher...
 
#6
With the more sensitive PA driver (but yes a bit less bass) you would have more to work with in DSP for baffle correction and bass tuning. But yes it would probably start roll of at 45Hx so if that’s a problem yes maybe a sub driver would be better. Don’t know how the mid ads would be though.
 
#8
I also have a pair of 745's. They can do 120db all day long crossed at 800hz on the Ciare PR614. Easily keep up with a prosound 12" fed with a 1000w amp into occasional clipping.

They would barely be tickled in a typical home environment. The XT1464 is a little deeper as well to better support a low crossover.

The SB will work well. The woofer will set the spl limit in this case.

There are dozens of woofers that can be massaged to 30hz with tuning and dsp....selection process can quickly get out of hand.
 
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#11
Yes and no.

1. The size of the enclosure has been determined. It will be a two-way.
2. The compression driver is already on hand and the highest quality easily accessible horns are narrow.
3. You can either cross high and compromise the midrange or cross low where both are nearly omni and leverage the capabilities of the compression driver.
 
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#12
markbakk said:
I would first establish the directivity of the woofer at crossover frequency, then adjust horn coverage to that. To me, if you don’t design that way, you throw away half of the advantages of using horns.
Click to expand...

Hopefully there is enough flexibility within the crossover region (700-1000)hz to get a good directivity match. Measurements will confirm. Happy to try a few different horns as well.
 
#13
ErnieM said:
Yes and no.

1. The size of the enclosure has been determined. It will be a two-way.
2. The compression driver is already on hand and the highest quality easily accessible horns are narrow.
3. You can either cross high and compromise the midrange or cross low where both are nearly omni and leverage the capabilities of the compression driver.
Click to expand...

Ernie, good answer, there are several ways to skin this cat and part of the reason for the deep horn with good directivity control but narrow dispersion and the ability to cross low while the woofer is still projecting in mostly omni directional pattern
 
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#14
yeah give more weight on the woofer upper spectrum performance than low extension, that is the main duty ina two way. One can and should use subwoofers anyway so the two way has to play somewhere below 80Hz or so. Comprimising the mid performance by using a sub driver would be poor choise in this regard, there is nothing to fix the mid performance but the mid driver (and resonance/diffraction free enclosure).
 
#15
tmuikku said:
yeah give more weight on the woofer upper spectrum performance than low extension, that is the main duty ina two way. One can and should use subwoofers anyway so the two way has to play somewhere below 80Hz or so. Comprimising the mid performance by using a sub driver would be poor choise in this regard, there is nothing to fix the mid performance but the mid driver (and resonance/diffraction free enclosure).
Click to expand...

Everything depends on context. Subs are not an option. A 12" driver with low enough distortion and resonance should work fine to 700hz. Sealed or aperiodic with closer wall placement could also work and alleviate the low end requirements and keep the mid range clearer.

However, I would like to hear some opinions from others that have tried it. On paper it should be successful with little compromise.
 
#16
if subs are not an option one just have to live with it 🙂 still, dont try to reach too low by expense of the woofer top bandwidth. If you make a sealed box it is easy to eq the low end extension you need. SPL is then limited though. Buy best driver you find, might cost few subwoofers.
 
#18
I dont have much real world experience on different drivers, but the Acoustic Elegance models popup every now and then when people try to find performance here on the forum. Check out B&C and other pro audio drivers as well. They mostly have strong motors and sturdy constuction with incredible power ratings, if you decide to boost the lows with EQ. Happy hunting! 🙂
 
#20
tmuikku said:
I dont have much real world experience on different drivers, but the Acoustic Elegance models popup every now and then when people try to find performance here on the forum. Check out B&C and other pro audio drivers as well. They mostly have strong motors and sturdy constuction with incredible power ratings, if you decide to boost the lows with EQ. Happy hunting! 🙂
Click to expand...

You are right that there is a possibility to push the low end of these type of woofers though I often wonder if a driver with a stiffer cone built for those frequencies would work better, hence this idea...and the fact that additional subs are not an option.
 
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