Basic questions about Fostex drivers

[zachary]

Hello everyone,

I am new to the Fostex line, but like the full-range and especially the high efficiency.
I have a few questions though:

1. The Xmax on their drivers is REALLY small (similar to Lowther I guess, but at a substantially lower price), how do they achieve the base/lower ranges? How will these speakers sound compared to drivers with a larger more typical Xmax?

2. Are any Fostex drivers suitable for a small enclosure box for use in a 5.1 HT setup? If so, which one(s) would you recommend?

3. Are there any recommended/tested Fostex HT designs available online?

Thank you!!
Zach

 

[MarkMcK]

Zach,

I have started work on one of the Fostex full-range drivers. I have some preliminary test results that might interest you.

E-mail me directly and I would be willing to share.

Best,

Mark

 

[dvdwmth]

check out the enclosure recommendations for the fe103 on madisounds fostex page. There's a smallish BR box there. I couple of other drivers have BR designs too. I built it but I cant comment on the sound because I used the radioshack driver which is not at the same level as the fostex.

 

[kepa1]

hi,

i build the acr fe103s (which is a replica of the fostex) in BR - 6 litres, after i read a 5.1 thread in a french forum where people got very enthusiast about it.

it's true they sound very good, detailed, open, with a very good image.

my system is just a 2.1 : lately i've had a bassbox with a beyma 10lw30 in it. it adds the bass that was lacking with the fostex alone and listening isn't painful anymore.

beware to chose a fast woofer to go with the fostex because they are really fast too (avoid the peerless stuff).

also, on the first days i was disappointed about the sound but within a week the speakers opened up.

i'm sure you'll find plenty of info on this site. check the full range driver web site also.

bye

BTW the fe108s now replaces the fe103s

 

[Timn8ter]

Hello everyone,

I am new to the Fostex line, but like the full-range and especially the high efficiency.
I have a few questions though:

1. The Xmax on their drivers is REALLY small (similar to Lowther I guess, but at a substantially lower price), how do they achieve the base/lower ranges? How will these speakers sound compared to drivers with a larger more typical Xmax?

2. Are any Fostex drivers suitable for a small enclosure box for use in a 5.1 HT setup? If so, which one(s) would you recommend?

3. Are there any recommended/tested Fostex HT designs available online?

Thank you!!
Zach

The Fostex full-range drivers tend to rely on some fashion of horn-loading to achieve adequate bass response. As a result the cabinets tend to be largish. My experience with full range drivers that have a large Xmax is that cone control becomes an issue and need to be used in smaller enclosures with an amp that can provide a reasonably high damping factor. My question is; How much more floor space does a FE166 or FE167 ML-TL (ala Bob Brines or Martin King) require compared to a smaller enclosure on a stand? Fostex does sell drivers for making HT speakers and has published plans on-line. These are, however, two-way BR designs.
http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/speaker_comp/pdf/recom_enclose/fw137_fw85k_tboy.pdf
http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/speaker_comp/pdf/recom_enclose/ft207d_fw137_2way.pdf
If you like Fostex full-range drivers and want to use them in a HT setting I would recommend the FE167E in a ML-TL for the mains and a FE167E in a BR for the center. The subwoofer is up to you. I've used the FE207E with a super tweeter in a ML-TL for mains and it handles the task quite well.

 

[Bill Fitzpatrick]

E-mail me directly and I would be willing to share.

You won't share openly?

 

[OTMOPO3OK]

Re: Re: Basic questions about Fostex drivers

I would recommend the FE167E in a ML-TL for the mains and a FE167E in a BR for the center. I've used the FE207E with a super tweeter in a ML-TL for mains and it handles the task quite well.

Hello Timn8ter,
How would you compare 167E to 207E in ML TLs. say for 50% Music, 50% theater. Is Beaming from larger mains a problem for HT? Does beaming from 167E & 207E differ a lot. I understand that beaming for CC is actually very good.
Another thing: i see u did not recommend SuperTweeter for 167E but did for 207E. Do 167E sound more extended? How is the camparison of bass? If you were to do it all over again which driver would you chose?
As for me i was thinking 207E+ST MLTL and 167E MLTL(F3=50-60Hz) for center, 127MLTL(F3=60-70hz) for surround. Maybe u'll change my mind now.(i did not want to make surround smaller than 127E since i use it for DVD-Audio sometimes and i cross my sub as low as i can because i can hear where the bass is coming from)

Thank you, if you can tell me some other things i should note it would be good.😎

 

[Timn8ter]

I think the whizzer cone helps with the beaming issue. The 207 has more bass but is that important in HT when you have a sub? The 207 ML-TL will give you about 10Hz lower bass response than the 167. The 167 does have better HF response than the 207 so I didn't see the need for a super tweeter but there are many that don't see the need for a ST for the 207 either. I always recommend using the same drivers (if not the same speaker) for the mains and center. Remember that the majority of audio information in HT comes through the center channel. If you like the idea of the larger driver go for 3 207s. The Fostex recommended BR enclosure for the 207 isn't that big IMO but I guess that may depend on the size of your TV. 😀 If you want to be true to DVD-A then all five speakers should be the same and in a perfect world able to handle 20 - 20kHz.

 

[MJK]

Tim,

On your Alegria Audio site :

http://www.alegriaaudio.com/

I saw the following circuit sketch :

http://www.alegriaaudio.com/207BSC.htm

It is amazing how similar it looks to a sketch on my site :

http://www.quarter-wave.com/Project05/BSC_Circuit.pdf

If you guys are going to steal information off of a copyright labeled site, at least have the decency to give the designer credit or redraw it so it is not so obvious.

For the rest of you reading this post, this is one prime example of why I have decided to not release any more free upgraded MathCad worksheets (they exist), any more free speaker designs (they are coming), and have changed the way I document my work so that it is not so clear how I get from point A to point B (as evident in my recent baffle step calculation write-up). To be fair to Tim, there are a number of other examples on the Internet of people using my MathCad worksheets for commercial purposes against my wishes. But the others have at least done some of the work themselves, redrawn the figures in their own format, and given credit for the MathCad worksheets.

 

[Timn8ter]

I'm sorry you feel that way Martin. Your name is all over my website. For example:
http://www.alegriaaudio.com/prod03.htm
Since you feel that I'm not giving you enough credit I will make the appropriate changes. Furthermore, I have not sold anything that has been produced through the use of your MathCAD worksheets and in fact contacted you when I did take to market a design that was based on your work. Please note that I am not selling the plans you refer to, only the parts to make them. I apologize for not giving you more credit.

 

[Bill Fitzpatrick]

MJK:

Any chance of your redoing the images in the gallery? I wanted to see them but it became obvious that I am not going to live long enough for them to download.

 

[OTMOPO3OK]

Timn8ter, thank you for you suggestions.

Martin,
can you also please comment on my question 4 posts above since i think you worked closely with both drivers.
And I would like to say that your work is greatly appreciated. As a Junior EE student i learned a lot reading your website and pdf files. Thank you.

 

[planet10]

the acr fe103s (which is a replica of the fostex)

A better description is an OEM FE103 with an extra magnet for more sensitivity & a bit lower Q. (ie built by Foster to ACRs design specs)

dave

 

[MPM]

Re: Re: Re: Basic questions about Fostex drivers

Hello Timn8ter,
How would you compare 167E to 207E in ML TLs. say for 50% Music, 50% theater. Is Beaming from larger mains a problem for HT? Does beaming from 167E & 207E differ a lot. I understand that beaming for CC is actually very good.
Another thing: i see u did not recommend SuperTweeter for 167E but did for 207E. Do 167E sound more extended? How is the camparison of bass? If you were to do it all over again which driver would you chose?
As for me i was thinking 207E+ST MLTL and 167E MLTL(F3=50-60Hz) for center, 127MLTL(F3=60-70hz) for surround. Maybe u'll change my mind now.(i did not want to make surround smaller than 127E since i use it for DVD-Audio sometimes and i cross my sub as low as i can because i can hear where the bass is coming from)

Thank you, if you can tell me some other things i should note it would be good.😎

www.fostexspeakers.com will get you started with speakers and plans for a HT setup using the 206 or 207.