I have a set of Half-Chili cabinets that need new drivers. Is the Fostex FF165WK a good substitute for the FE167e in this case?
Should be -I'll check in the morning. Or since it's currently 00:27 here, perhaps I should say 'later this morning'! 😉
Thanks. I'm considering this versus building Pensil enclosures with Mark Audio drivers. Would the latter be a significant improvement over the Fostex/Half Chili combo? It has been a long time since I looked into current single-driver designs.
I'm not the best person to ask, since Markaudio have me on a retainer to design speakers for them [or their customers anyway], give feedback on new drivers & characteristics, help with customer enquiries etc. So I'm naturally biased, although I'm not blind to context & features either -I wouldn't be any use to them if I was.
So for what it's worth -I'd say 'it depends', mostly on a bunch of things only you can know. The frugal part of me says 'if you have a decent set of enclosures, don't waste them'. That said, this was not the standout option of that overall range -nice but a bit limited in LF extension; fine if you don't mind that but could be bettered by other options if you happen to want that. The MA drivers are different to the Fostex in presentation, although the wk units are closer than the En & now NV2 series. Assuming you picked a size-equivalent driver based on Sd not basket diameter, & a pensil or one of the other MLTL versions, then you'll get lower, with probably some more midbass gain & with the pensils greater adjustability [I designed them to be easily tuned via trimming the damping density]. But some of this will depend on preference, amplifiers, cost, time, inclination & so on. So YMMV on that front!
So for what it's worth -I'd say 'it depends', mostly on a bunch of things only you can know. The frugal part of me says 'if you have a decent set of enclosures, don't waste them'. That said, this was not the standout option of that overall range -nice but a bit limited in LF extension; fine if you don't mind that but could be bettered by other options if you happen to want that. The MA drivers are different to the Fostex in presentation, although the wk units are closer than the En & now NV2 series. Assuming you picked a size-equivalent driver based on Sd not basket diameter, & a pensil or one of the other MLTL versions, then you'll get lower, with probably some more midbass gain & with the pensils greater adjustability [I designed them to be easily tuned via trimming the damping density]. But some of this will depend on preference, amplifiers, cost, time, inclination & so on. So YMMV on that front!
I was satisfied with the bass produced by the FE167e. If I decide to build another set of FR speakers, I'd like something with a bit more top end. Which of the MA drivers offers the most HF extension? My system is in a much larger room than when I ran the Fostex + Half Chili combo, so speakers for a larger room would be nice, though I've no problem listening near-field.
Technically CHN-50, Alpair 5.3, MAOP5, Pluvia 7HD etc. all make it above the audio band depending on the criteria you want to use. With a handful of deliberately BW limited exceptions, lack of HF extension isn't an issue MA drivers suffer from -they all motor up a goodly way.
FF165wk benefits from a few tweaks: https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/opinions-on-mods-to-ff85wk.365756/post-6480912
FF165wk (tweaked) and A10.3 take similar places, each with their pros and cons. Which is “better” for you only you can say byliving with each.
dave
FF165wk (tweaked) and A10.3 take similar places, each with their pros and cons. Which is “better” for you only you can say byliving with each.
dave
Good drivers both. The wk series has been a bit of a sleeper from Fostex -they never fully promoted it, but most of the drivers have some decent performance on offer.
The 85 and 105 were particularly fun in designs I ran across by some random guys on the internet.
The Vampyr V was probably my favorite for the 105.
The Vampyr V was probably my favorite for the 105.
IIRC, the cone colour came first, so finding a stain to match was fun. I think it got used again on a mini or midi sized MarKen with Corian top, but that was well over a decade ago?
If getting the best out of the FF165wpkmeans EnABLing it, I'm out. I have a spinal condition that affects my hands. I'd hate to ruin drivers that cost over $220 a pair.
Of the Mark Audio drivers, which offers the highest efficiency in a simple Pensil cabinet? Or should I say which would work best with my 2A3 amps?
Of the Mark Audio drivers, which offers the highest efficiency in a simple Pensil cabinet? Or should I say which would work best with my 2A3 amps?
Alpair 12p in either Super Pensil or Joan enclosure. Long time 12p user here. I've never tried them with a 2A3 based amp, but should sound nice within the amps limited power output.
jeff
There are mods short of EnABL (preEnABL) that make significant differences:
dave
dave