4 inch Tang Bands.....

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#1
Can someone help me figure out what the difference is between the Tang Band Bamboo W4-1320sb and the other TB 4 inchers. Let's use the W4-616s for this example. What in the specs or the design lets the 1320 reach 20khz while the 616s can only go to 14Khz? The cone shape looks the same. The Diameter is the same. Even the phaseplug s look the same. Could it really be the addition of "Bamboo" in the paper?

Here's a link to both:
W4-1320sb:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=264-846

W4-616s:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=264-818
 
#4
I own both drivers. The 616 has decent bottom and mid, but it is very different than the 1320. I use the 616 as dummy and test loads, and use the 1320's for critical near field listening. Bamboo in cone. You might want to look at Godzilla sit for the BIB boxes. I have tried it, but look intresting.

Chris
 
#5
While TB drivers may MEASURE full range, they cannot be used full range IMHO.
The 616 has nasty breakup modes around 6 and 12kHz which are audible. Bamboo has rising FR which sounded unpleasantly bright to me.
So I'd recommend 2-way with x-over around 3kHz.

YMMV
 
#6
Corloc said:
I own both drivers. The 616 has decent bottom and mid, but it is very different than the 1320. I use the 616 as dummy and test loads, and use the 1320's for critical near field listening. Bamboo in cone. You might want to look at Godzilla sit for the BIB boxes. I have tried it, but look intresting.

Chris
Click to expand...


So in comparing the 2 drivers, do you feel that the 616s is missing some high frequency information or is it just that the 1320 sounds better over all?
 
#8
Some time ago, one of the crossovers came unglued from inside one of my two-way mains, and so the only alternative was a pair of single-driver vented bookshelves with the W4-616. Before then, they had been doing surround duty in a home theater set. So I swapped them out, and began noticing the things that single driver enthusiasts always rave about (no audible crossover points, amazing imaging). But I did notice that they were missing the top end sparkle that I had found so satisfying from my two-ways. They did have some air to them. I'm sure with a little bit of filter work, they would be a good-sounding driver for the enthusiast who is just starting with single-driver loudspeakers. I eventually repaired my two-ways, and went back to them, but I still remember my short single-driver fling with the W4-616.
 
#10
The 616 has no highs, the -10 dB @ 15 Hz in the manufacturer's curve is for real. Nice midrange though. The bamboos have a touch of roughness caused by a peak around 8 kHz as I recall. A better overall choice full range to my ears.
 
#11
Have a look at the Fostex FE103E which is another very nice full range driver. It has similar specs to the 1320, but the FE103E has a lighter moving mass with about the same motor strength. The 1320 has more xmax, and they both have just about the same sensitivity. The FE103E is a bit cheaper too when comparing prices from Madisound and Parts Express. The Tang Bands look nicer but the Fostex drivers certainly aren't ugly. The sound is all that matters of course 😉
 
#12
hi
planet10 knows a lot of them TangBand
I am sure he will drop in here with some comments.
And he also likes them Fostex 103, 4 inch
he calls this old version F103A
Save the FE103A (alnico 4" fullrange)
http://www.t-linespeakers.org/drivers/tunnelreflex/index.html

if you search forum you will find old projects on tangband, mostly 3 inch, like: W3-871S
for example:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=310271
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=8054

Her is a topic with some 4 inch tangband
last post from this summer
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21615

Here is pictures of a W4-616S
from audiophile36 from Ohio one week ago, but I guess you have already seen this!
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=86096

... and there are a lot more topics from past years on
Tangband nice wide frequency range drivers!
 
#14
I don't know what could be more surprising than finding someone who enjoys the "liveliness" of piezos. I really can't stand them at all, though the problem may not be in the ceramic actuator but in the marginal design of most horn-loaded piezo tweeters, as well as their capacitive nature. Community (a professional loudspeaker manufacturer) used to use a small isolation transformer, wound on a typical air-core inductor bobbin, to keep the amplifier from seeing ultra-low loads and becoming unstable. It improved the sound somewhat, as Community's CSX line (which used these piezos) don't really sound as piezo-ish as other piezos.

If it suits you, I suppose I can't judge, but I'll stick to my dynamic tweeters for now.

Are you doing anything special (like Community) to tame the harshness of the piezos you use?
 
#17
Sorry, I don't remember where I stumbled across it but Motorola made a series of piezos with very impressive frequecy response. Another company (CTS?) picked up the design and is currently manufacturing it. Worth a look.
 
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