I really don't have a good answer for your question? I just decided on a 8 inch driver instead of a 6 1/2 inch driver. I know there's pros and cons to bigger drivers. So I really have not seen or heard a 6 1/2 inch fullrange driver I liked. I have only heard a few of the 6 1/2 inch fullrange drivers but, alot of small ones and 8 inch ones in person. Maybe the 6 1/2 drivers get lost in the shuffle and are over looked most of the time for use in projects? Jm
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I feel the same way about 6 1/2 drivers kinda a no man's land as 7 inch driver's are coming out more and more 6 1/2 drivers seem to be fading little by little more in more. I know that due to my dad's 12 year old speakers use a 6 1/2 inch driver and it's hard to find the right size? Either the holes are to small or the routing is not wide enough for the driver and is now a 7 inch driver instead of a 6 1/2 driver? Its been a process and a pain for me to find the right replacement driver's and tweeters for my dad's speakers. So the story is Some little hands got into the picture and damaged both sets if driver's ugh what a nightmare for me. I saw the damage in person and told my dad he didn't even know? Made my stomach turn. So getting back to the topic I see the same thing with 8 ohm diy raw driver's as car audio now. Times seem to be changing for some companys more the others. Sorry for getting off the topic. Just sharing my thoughts. I hope I didn't offend you! Jm
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I have read and heard good things about these driver's but, have not heard them in person. Jm
I wasn't suggesting only 6.5" as another option. Also 4" or 5" opens up a wide range of very good choices.
I used a 6.5" driver (Mark Audio Alpair 10M gen 3) in a ported box for a long time without helper sub, and got decent bass from it till the mid 30's (by tuning my case lower than fs. This summer i've build a helper sub (with a SCAN-SPEAK 26W-8534G00) taking over at 180Hz with an 1st order CR and the bass is not stronger, but deeper (tuned at 25Hz) and more defined.
A smaller FR and a helper sub with a 1st or 2nd order filter tuned low (100-200Hz) is the best solution i think. A FR driver, of any size can give such a good low extention (in quality and low FS) as a good helper sub can do. And to keep the FR sound, keep the crossover slope wide (1st order).
A smaller FR and a helper sub with a 1st or 2nd order filter tuned low (100-200Hz) is the best solution i think. A FR driver, of any size can give such a good low extention (in quality and low FS) as a good helper sub can do. And to keep the FR sound, keep the crossover slope wide (1st order).
A point that might be worth keeping in mind is the Alpair 10 is actually 5 1/4in driver rather than a 6 1/2in, in the same way the Alpair 12P is a 6 1/2in rather than an 8in driver. While drivers used to be defined by basket diameter, it's more usual / realistic now to classify by radiating area (Sd). A typical 6 1/2in unit will have an Sd lurking in the 130cm^2 - 150cm^2 region. The Alpairs use polymer rather than metal baskets, so by necessity are physically larger, though better damped.
I agree. It does open up a wider range of fullrange drivers to pick from and cheaper on my wallet. Thanks jm
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That clears things up with the mark Audio driver's. I always wondered about the size of the baskets and a smaller cone? Thanks for the post. Thanks again Scottmoose. Jm
Thanks for sharing what kinda speakers you have and what a subwoofer did in your system. It helps out. Thanks jm
You are making progress, soon I should be able to recommend the Jordan Eikona......perhaps even without getting jumped on by Dave, which would be nice.
Yes the fostex are shouty. Which makes them sound more alive sounding but, peakier in the midrange bandwidth.Thats good to know they can be tamed. I will say that I really enjoyed my past ff85wk speakers and my favorite driver was the fe126en driver's. Sometimes it was hard to get past the sss sounds of the driver other then that I enjoyed them. I did get to hear the fe126en driver's next to the fe108ez driver's and the 108's we're better in everyway even detail. It's just alot of money for a 4 inch driver. Thanks again Dave for your insightful advice. Cheers Jm
You are making progress, soon I should be able to recommend the Jordan Eikona......perhaps even without getting jumped on by Dave, which would be nice.
I have looked at the new Jordans nice looking driver's. I only see them for me to buy at solen.ca I know alot about the jx92s driver's or I mean read alot and never heard them. I would be willing to buy a pair of the older drivers to see if I like them before I go and drop $283.91 each for the new driver's plus shipping.l from solen.ca. I just wish I could go to a store and hear alot of these driver's before I buy them? Thanks for including the Jordan driver's. I will put them on my list of drivers to think about? Thanks for your post. Jm
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The ff85wk is a relatively small driver and the break-up nasties are pushed up to higher frequencies where they have far less chance of being 'excited' and furthermore, are simply less annoying. I had an FE127 once, the break-up peak was just in the wrong place, it was annoying and I couldn't live with it despite it's good qualities otherwise. Such resonances are not easy to tame, I tried cone treatments and electrical filters - they either didn't cure the shoutiness or they killed the good things about the driver at the same time - I tried.
One Mark Audio driver that I liked a lot is the Alpair 10.3. I built a pair of Pencil's around these drivers for a friend of mine. They image very well, have decent treble dispersion and in the Pencil enclosure provide OK bass. There was absolutely no issues with shoutiness, these drivers are really very good indeed. However, in a direct subjective comparison with my Audio Nirvana Super 15", they lost out. The Audio Nirvana had so much more 'body' due to their size. In the mids there was little to choose between them. In the treble, the AN had better dispersion but was less good directly on-axis.
good hunting!
One Mark Audio driver that I liked a lot is the Alpair 10.3. I built a pair of Pencil's around these drivers for a friend of mine. They image very well, have decent treble dispersion and in the Pencil enclosure provide OK bass. There was absolutely no issues with shoutiness, these drivers are really very good indeed. However, in a direct subjective comparison with my Audio Nirvana Super 15", they lost out. The Audio Nirvana had so much more 'body' due to their size. In the mids there was little to choose between them. In the treble, the AN had better dispersion but was less good directly on-axis.
good hunting!
That makes sense to me. The A.N. driver's are alot of money are they worth it? I know prices have gone up so I don't know if they are worth buying? I will put it on my list of driver's. The ff85wk drivers were a little ruff breaking in but they seemed to smoothin out after a while of breaking in for me. Sold them to another diyer. I have never tried a fe83en driver's next to ff85wk drivers? Thanks for your help. Jm
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I have tried the FE83 next to the FF85wk. Now both had my fill treatment which takes the rough edges off both. The FE83 is not capable of any bass, it is really a midtweeter. A surprising amount of bass can be had out of the FF85wk even in a small reflex (2.5 litre miniOnken), something like 80 Hxz snf i love demoing them — and blowing people away) in the big room with selected demo tunes. In the Frugel-Horn Lite one does not have to be as selective, they reproduce the 2nd harmonic so well, one thinks that they are producing the fundemental (it takes swapping in a speaker with better bass performance to see what is missing). The new Alpair 5.2 goes a tiny bit lower, but is smoother with fewer issues to work out. Both make tremendous midTweeters. We have used a lot more FF85wk but that is because of their 3-4 yr head start on the little Alpair.
The 3, 3.5 and 4” (A5.2/6.2/7.3) metal alpairs have become our favorite midTweeters for our WAWs.
dave
The 3, 3.5 and 4” (A5.2/6.2/7.3) metal alpairs have become our favorite midTweeters for our WAWs.
dave
I have tried the FE83 next to the FF85wk. Now both had my fill treatment which takes the rough edges off both. The FE83 is not capable of any bass, it is really a midtweeter. A surprising amount of bass can be had out of the FF85wk even in a small reflex (2.5 litre miniOnken), something like 80 Hxz snf i love demoing them — and blowing people away) in the big room with selected demo tunes. In the Frugel-Horn Lite one does not have to be as selective, they reproduce the 2nd harmonic so well, one thinks that they are producing the fundemental (it takes swapping in a speaker with better bass performance to see what is missing). The new Alpair 5.2 goes a tiny bit lower, but is smoother with fewer issues to work out. Both make tremendous midTweeters. We have used a lot more FF85wk but that is because of their 3-4 yr head start on the little Alpair.
The 3, 3.5 and 4” (A5.2/6.2/7.3) metal alpairs have become our favorite midTweeters for our WAWs.
dave
Wow Dave. A very impressive build with killer look's. Thanks for the pictures and info on both fostex driver's. It all helps out Dave. Thanks Jm
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