I did 360° polars of a dozen or so candidates for a nude dipole mid. The 6nd430 was not one of them, and I'd guess it's not that good because of the large magnet system. The BMS was the most consistent dipole mid I tested.
This driver is a bit like the 6½″ SATORI MR16, which also has a small neodymium magnet and minimalist frame. Was that one you tested?
Honestly not a huge difference between the 18S and BMS in that regard.
If you want open basket, well behaved polars, midrange, and can live with the limited xmax which is usually the killer for OB.
These could be a consideration for testing.
Medium/high Q, copper sleeved, low distortion, well behaved, high sensitivity, open basket, but limited Xmax and needs a little notch 3,5-4k.
Other good candidates was already mentioned like :
8PE21.
6ND430.
Scan speak illuminator 12MU.
Eminence Beta 8a.
Faital 6RS140.
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😀 I keep recommending the Eminence Beta8, but no one ever buys it or tries it. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s not fancy or exotic enough to spark audiophile desire. Too bad, it ought to be a more popular driver.
That purple paper used in some midrange drivers really does sound great. Beta 8, 8PE21, 8M400, and some EV's.
I used a pair of Eminence guitar drivers with the same material for open baffle mids. Very clean open sound.
I used a pair of Eminence guitar drivers with the same material for open baffle mids. Very clean open sound.
I'd choose the 6n160 over the Beta 8 because it has more linear displacement and is beaming less at the upper crossover point, so is closer to dipolar in its radiation pattern.
The BMS is a very low distortion driver, too.
I have used the Beta 8 in a couple of designs, but not dipoles. It is a good driver.
The BMS is a very low distortion driver, too.
I have used the Beta 8 in a couple of designs, but not dipoles. It is a good driver.
Where I heard the Beta-8 used most effectively was in an open back with heavy stuffing design. In that case it didn’t need to be a perfect dipole.
At the current sale price it’s a steal. A great place to start even if someone has a lust for a fancier driver later on.
https://leanaudio.co.uk/product/bms-6n160-8-ohm-6-130w-loudspeaker/
A little googlefu drops that price to almost half 🙃