Yes...I'm testing the NE149W 4 ohm version
I'm testing this 5" woofer and It seems to be really amazing!!!
I mounted It in a six liters cabinet with a 6,5" seas passive radiator. The bass are absolutely impressive for a so small driver in a so small cabinet...really fast, deep and clean!! If the bass is ok I feel the medium range one of the best that I've ever listened....as good as revelator, and just one step down the illuminator (but I'm not so sure...). The basket shape is incredible...I think that this kind of basket (like illuminator) is the best choice for the medium range..."behind the cone there isn't a big magnet but just the cabinet air"!!! Is this perfect? No...absolutely not!!! The biggest problem is, in my opinion, the poor response linearity up the 2,5Khz, anyway, with a 18db/oct xover at 2khz this isn't a problem. Now I'm using a morel tweeter (ET448) and the sound is very very pleasent.
Regards
Paolo
I'm testing this 5" woofer and It seems to be really amazing!!!
I mounted It in a six liters cabinet with a 6,5" seas passive radiator. The bass are absolutely impressive for a so small driver in a so small cabinet...really fast, deep and clean!! If the bass is ok I feel the medium range one of the best that I've ever listened....as good as revelator, and just one step down the illuminator (but I'm not so sure...). The basket shape is incredible...I think that this kind of basket (like illuminator) is the best choice for the medium range..."behind the cone there isn't a big magnet but just the cabinet air"!!! Is this perfect? No...absolutely not!!! The biggest problem is, in my opinion, the poor response linearity up the 2,5Khz, anyway, with a 18db/oct xover at 2khz this isn't a problem. Now I'm using a morel tweeter (ET448) and the sound is very very pleasent.
Regards
Paolo
Paolo,
Did you get to try this driver in a sealed box? I was looking at using this woofer with B&G Neo 3 tweeter (and the NE265 subwoofer for the bass) but your idea of the ET448 is also great.
Talking about Morel drivers did you get the chance to compare the NE149 vs Morel's ECW 536?
http://www.morelhifi.com/products/pdf/Woofers/EW/Specs sheet ECW 536.pdf
The option would be to use Peerless's NE Titanium tweeter (it has the smoothest HF response for the NE 1" tweeters).
http://www.tymphany.com/files/NE25VTT-04 Rev3_0.pdf
Another Neo magnet 5" Midwoofer is the Wavecor WF138WA03
WF138WA03
Companies like Wavecor and SB Acoustics have been attracting a lot of attention of late but unlike SEAS, ScanSpeak, Peerless/Vifa, Focal, etc there is very little user feedback about their products.
The SB products seem well built: just look at the size of the magnet on their 5" woofer here:
SB Acoustics :: 5" SB15NRXC30-8
The Wavecor 5" ferrite magnet is even heavier (630gms vs 540 gms for SB).
WF152BD03_04
WF138WA03
Companies like Wavecor and SB Acoustics have been attracting a lot of attention of late but unlike SEAS, ScanSpeak, Peerless/Vifa, Focal, etc there is very little user feedback about their products.
The SB products seem well built: just look at the size of the magnet on their 5" woofer here:
SB Acoustics :: 5" SB15NRXC30-8
The Wavecor 5" ferrite magnet is even heavier (630gms vs 540 gms for SB).
WF152BD03_04
I like very much the ECW536 but I don't know if it is better than NE149W, surely it's much more expensive. I'm firmly convinced that all the speakers could works great if used in the correct way (type of enclosure, quantity and type of dump material, xover and so on). Every feature must be planed with attention and verifed with the right instruments (and not only with the ears...I use Clio by Audiomatica). For example, it's trendy and fashion to mount small woofer in a thick front pannel, well, it's right, but if the small woofer have the magnet as large as the woofer hole...well..clearly it isn't the best thing for the bass and the medium response because the woofer couldn't "breath", so is much better to use a metal thin pannel...anyway...this is just an example! About the SB, Wavecor, Vifa...well, I feel that the biggest problems of these speakers is just the price. Too low!!! Seas, Scan Speak, Morel, Accuton etc etc are absolutely the best speakers all over the world, neverthelles I'm not so sure that the price-quality ratio is good as well!!!! This is just my opinion!!!
Paolo
Paolo
Agreed. The box and XO design are more important that the driver itself.
Yes the NdFeB woofers like the 149W allow more room to breathe but they are out of stock everywhere due to the extreme nature of the magnet prices.
Low price is not a problem! 🙂
it seems there is very little feedback on these drivers. Most are very positive though... What are their shortcomings and what other drivers would compete with them for around the same price?
i'm thinking a 5+1 with sb26adc
i'm thinking a 5+1 with sb26adc
Curt Campbell's Micro-Statement looks like an outstanding piece of work:
Speaker Design Works
You just wonder if the effort is worth what is ultimately a bedroom speaker!
More affordable and easier is this 830860 design.:
Peerless HDS PPB 830860
Now this sort of thing would excite me:
As a series wired MTM it would go much louder. The crossover would cost the same.
Speaker Design Works
You just wonder if the effort is worth what is ultimately a bedroom speaker!
More affordable and easier is this 830860 design.:
Peerless HDS PPB 830860
Now this sort of thing would excite me:
As a series wired MTM it would go much louder. The crossover would cost the same.
thanks for answering, system7!
I'm aware of the power limitations of a 5'' midwoofer...i 'm looking for a reference «midrange sound» that don' t break the bank. Even the tc9fd, ran fullrange, i have is OK but barely for me for my current smallish room. i can get the ne149w for around 75$US locally and from the impressions on the net it seems really good, to say the least. it is just odd that it's not more popular...maybe it's the wiggling frequency response? If possible, i would like something that could give me similar performance to my hd6XX (or hd650) cans that i really like, if something like this is even possible....
The cheaper HDS woofer you suggest i can't get locally, so taking into account international shipping, it might not end up so cheap. I prefer ordering from Solen... and i can ship back easily if not satisfied, as a bonus.
The troels Scanspeak 5+1 with 15w/8434 seems a good alternative with nice falling response for woofer, but wonder if it is really in the same category as ne149w, which has nice THD spectrum. But it seems like an appreciated driver overall.
otherwise,
-seas er15rly is on sale for around 45$US but can't find any design using it.
-ne180w i on sale for around 55$US (no design i can find)
also, there is the meniscus soprano speaker i could build with around 150$ US total in drivers for 2 channels, but it better sound nice because it is smallish.
i could have forgot other possiblilities i thought about...that whats come to mind for now.
I'm aware of the power limitations of a 5'' midwoofer...i 'm looking for a reference «midrange sound» that don' t break the bank. Even the tc9fd, ran fullrange, i have is OK but barely for me for my current smallish room. i can get the ne149w for around 75$US locally and from the impressions on the net it seems really good, to say the least. it is just odd that it's not more popular...maybe it's the wiggling frequency response? If possible, i would like something that could give me similar performance to my hd6XX (or hd650) cans that i really like, if something like this is even possible....
The cheaper HDS woofer you suggest i can't get locally, so taking into account international shipping, it might not end up so cheap. I prefer ordering from Solen... and i can ship back easily if not satisfied, as a bonus.
The troels Scanspeak 5+1 with 15w/8434 seems a good alternative with nice falling response for woofer, but wonder if it is really in the same category as ne149w, which has nice THD spectrum. But it seems like an appreciated driver overall.
otherwise,
-seas er15rly is on sale for around 45$US but can't find any design using it.
-ne180w i on sale for around 55$US (no design i can find)
also, there is the meniscus soprano speaker i could build with around 150$ US total in drivers for 2 channels, but it better sound nice because it is smallish.
i could have forgot other possiblilities i thought about...that whats come to mind for now.
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SB Acoustics, 15cm Ceramic Cone Mid-bass, with 30mm Voice Coil.
..if it was for a 3-way as a dedicated midrange (with suitable high-pass) then the Peerless (149) would work well.
..if it was for a 3-way as a dedicated midrange (with suitable high-pass) then the Peerless (149) would work well.
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Anything that uses the CA15RLY is going to work with the ER15RLY in my view. As it goes, the Gryphon Mojo pictured above uses the SEAS CA15RLY. Not a cheap speaker, either.
H1216-08 CA15RLY
H1455-08 ER15RLY
Like this:
SEAS 5INCH
H1216-08 CA15RLY
H1455-08 ER15RLY
Like this:
SEAS 5INCH
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not sure how ceramic cone is better than alu, sonically, because SB lists environemental advantages mostly. have you listened to it?
also, not sure why one would favor that clearly the SB over the ne149w for midbass...but opinions are welcomed 🙂
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the CA15 seems to have unusual highish distortion figures here...
SEAS CA15RLY (H1216) | HiFiCompass
on the other hand the w15 seems like a nice woofer! but at over 200$ US, it's better to listen to it first....
«audioexcite» has made a speaker with the smaller version: the excellence two
www.audioexcite.com >> Excellence Two – M1 DXT
also form audioexcite, the kensho two m3 looks like a nice value, using a paper cone similar to the ne149w.
www.audioexcite.com >> Kensho Two – M3
«audioexcite» has made a speaker with the smaller version: the excellence two
www.audioexcite.com >> Excellence Two – M1 DXT
also form audioexcite, the kensho two m3 looks like a nice value, using a paper cone similar to the ne149w.
www.audioexcite.com >> Kensho Two – M3
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My friend, I can only try and answer your questions. You told me you can get a SEAS ER15RLY for $45 a pop. Sounds like a bit of a bargain to me.
I think they will work well enough in some CA15RLY design:
This one went for 21,000 Euros a pair. 6moons audio reviews: Gryphon Audio Designs Mojo
I don't think any speaker is perfect. This one doubtless lacks bass. Maybe Scanspeak do a better 5" driver. SEAS can push the boat out into their higher Excel range too. But you won't have a bad time with those Prestige ER15RLY drivers IMO.
I have heard this sort of MTM with a ribbon stuff. About as good as it gets, IMO.
I think they will work well enough in some CA15RLY design:
This one went for 21,000 Euros a pair. 6moons audio reviews: Gryphon Audio Designs Mojo
I don't think any speaker is perfect. This one doubtless lacks bass. Maybe Scanspeak do a better 5" driver. SEAS can push the boat out into their higher Excel range too. But you won't have a bad time with those Prestige ER15RLY drivers IMO.
I have heard this sort of MTM with a ribbon stuff. About as good as it gets, IMO.
System7,
just to make it clear: i'm not looking for the best deal ever. otherwise, i would probably buy some 20$ SBpfc plastic basket line drivers, which are suppposed to sound very good. I'm looking to spend around 250$US total maximum on drivers. And from data and feedback ne149w seems very good at that price point, competing with revelator and satori series, which cost an arm and leg, but are highly regarded in general, hence my interest. the only gripe is that i would have to design a crossover since rs28a in microstatement are obsolete.
that said, i might give the er15rly+ 22taf with troels design a shot, in hope they have low distortion, or surprisingly addictive sound to me. i can always return if unsatistfied, because they are purchased locally at Solen. And the price may come as a nice bonus, of course. I'm not the kind to throw money out the window for nothing neither.
in all cases, thanks for the suggestion, based on your listening experience and some common sense.
just to make it clear: i'm not looking for the best deal ever. otherwise, i would probably buy some 20$ SBpfc plastic basket line drivers, which are suppposed to sound very good. I'm looking to spend around 250$US total maximum on drivers. And from data and feedback ne149w seems very good at that price point, competing with revelator and satori series, which cost an arm and leg, but are highly regarded in general, hence my interest. the only gripe is that i would have to design a crossover since rs28a in microstatement are obsolete.
that said, i might give the er15rly+ 22taf with troels design a shot, in hope they have low distortion, or surprisingly addictive sound to me. i can always return if unsatistfied, because they are purchased locally at Solen. And the price may come as a nice bonus, of course. I'm not the kind to throw money out the window for nothing neither.
in all cases, thanks for the suggestion, based on your listening experience and some common sense.
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Several other have commented that the Aluminum isn't as clear as the Ceramic. I'd expect the non-linear result to be at least as good as the Aluminum.
The SB has lower non-linear distortion overall, and particularly lower distortion below 100 Hz and "scales" reasonably well with increasing power.
The SB ceramic line is certainly exciting, but the lack of feedback and measurements makes me want to wait.
BTW, i'm not looking precisely for good bass performance, but i certainly don't despise it on the other hand.
probably not original idea, but the sb nrx series seems popular among «amateur» designers and to measures well too...very close to SS revelator etc...many schematics or kits are available.
that said, i do tend to think harder cones are genuinely better everything else being equal, but it is often not the case.
in any case, thanks for your input, Scott!
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Yes, Curt & I have used both...
We've used the NE149 in the Finalists ( NLA ), the Micro Statements and the Finalist Monitors. It is an excellent low distortion driver with great detail, smooth response and a very natural sound. Vocals are really excellent. The 8 ohm version is the only one commonly available in the US.
We also used the SB15CAC as a mid driver in our Travelers design. We were both blown away with the sound quality of this driver and rate it a notch above the NE drivers for sound quality. It has exceptional detail with out being analytical, super low distortion with just the right blend of warmth that results in an extremely natural sound quality with killer vocals. The SB-CAC series are currently my favorite driver and subjectively feel it competes favorably with Accuton drivers for a fraction of the cost. SB hit a home run with this driver, IMHO.
Products - Meniscus Audio
Both are highly recommended!
HTH
Jim
We've used the NE149 in the Finalists ( NLA ), the Micro Statements and the Finalist Monitors. It is an excellent low distortion driver with great detail, smooth response and a very natural sound. Vocals are really excellent. The 8 ohm version is the only one commonly available in the US.
We also used the SB15CAC as a mid driver in our Travelers design. We were both blown away with the sound quality of this driver and rate it a notch above the NE drivers for sound quality. It has exceptional detail with out being analytical, super low distortion with just the right blend of warmth that results in an extremely natural sound quality with killer vocals. The SB-CAC series are currently my favorite driver and subjectively feel it competes favorably with Accuton drivers for a fraction of the cost. SB hit a home run with this driver, IMHO.
Products - Meniscus Audio
Both are highly recommended!
HTH
Jim
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