"Best" 5" midrange for three way 24dB active for around $80 to $140

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I have tried to be as specific as possible in the title (but I'm sure there may still be some ambiguity).

I am "re-doing" my active three ways, currently with 8", 5" and 1", to 10" SB Acoustics and will keep the XT25G tweeter. I have a Peerless 5 1/4" mnid in the form of 832873. Peerless 832873 HDS 5-1/4" Woofer 299-126

While I'm generally happy with the 832873, there are two problems; one the truncated sides which will cause grief when trying to route the hole, and, two, the desire for something "better".

I am asking for opinions on the "best" midrange in that size and price range only. "Best" for me is low distortion and ability to play loud without distortion. I don't care about "warm" or any other subjective-like term; I only want clarity in reproduction. It also needs to cover from roughly 280 - 300 Hz to 3,000 - 3,500 Hz. Please only post if you have direct experience with a driver, having used it, or having seen and heard it used in a similar situation to mine?

Absconditus
 
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Why not go with the 5" SB Acoustics - its a very nice sounding driver - as is the 6" and they are a bargain too. I just completed a Kit for SB Acoustics featuring their 1" dimpled tweeter 2 of the 6" uncoated mid-woofers and two of the 10" woofers. I'm very pleased with the results.

Good listening



Peter
 
More info coming on our website later this month about the SB Acoustics XmaX kit by PBN Audio
 

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Another recommedation for:
5" SB15NRXC30-8
6” SB17NRX C 35-8-UC

and the small diameter, low Fs, large Xmax, "very good" sounding SB29RDNC-C000-4 tweeter with a rim that can be trimmed down to provide just 30mm Center-to-Edge, which allows using a 6" with the same C-C of most 5" mated to a typical 100mm diameter tweeter.

Crossovers in the 1.8Khz to 2.4Khz range are becoming more popular with the goal of removing any polar pattern limitations from the midrange, as well as reducing lobing effects that develop with higher crossovers(poor C-C MT margin). In some cases, a lower Xover pushes the midrange cone break-up artifacts far enough away from the crossover to not require a serious RLC filter.
 
"Best" for me is low distortion and ability to play loud without distortion. I don't care about "warm" or any other subjective-like term; I only want clarity in reproduction.

Absconditus

Low non-linear distortion is a reasonably objective requirement, along with linear xmax..

Aurum Cantus AC130/50CK

http://www.zaphaudio.com/temp/AurumCantus-AC130-50CK-HD.gif

-and with 6mm of linear excursion.

(..and that's about as low in distortion with that much linear excursion for a driver of this format - irrespective of price.)


Its freq. linearity however is marginally lacking:

http://www.zaphaudio.com/temp/AurumCantus-AC130-50CK-FR.gif

..but that's on a large test baffle - it's going to change on a typical loudspeaker baffle anyway.

(..and that nice flat impedance isn't going to require a Zobel for correction.)



..seems it's on sale in the states as well (..but I'm guessing shipping will be ludicrous to Australia). :eek:

Aurum Cantus AC130/50CK 5-1/4" Midwoofer 296-442
 
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Why not go with the 5" SB Acoustics - its a very nice sounding driver - as is the 6" and they are a bargain too. I just completed a Kit for SB Acoustics featuring their 1" dimpled tweeter 2 of the 6" uncoated mid-woofers and two of the 10" woofers. I'm very pleased with the results.

Good listening



Peter

Is this a sort of *** poor mans B741 *** The Madisound Speaker Store

Reviewed so well in SoundStageXtreme.com | UltraAudio.com | PBN Audio Scan-Speak B741 Loudspeakers

Are you game to give an approx comparison please (for we who cannot afford perfection).

Regards JeffL
 
This will surely do the job well, I'm keen to try it out myself. Scan Speak quality, 'proper' mid driver with decent sensitivity and light cone, very flat and controlled response.

Scanspeak 15M/4624G

That was going to be my first recommendation as well..

-but then I read the poster's requirements. Loud without distortion.

1.5mm of linear excursion - might still work depending on the high-pass filter for the driver (and of course how loud the signal is). Non-linear distortion will also likely increase below about 250 Hz (and increasing near fs).
 
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Low non-linear distortion is a reasonably objective requirement, along with linear xmax..

Aurum Cantus AC130/50CK

http://www.zaphaudio.com/temp/AurumCantus-AC130-50CK-HD.gif

-and with 6mm of linear excursion.

(..and that's about as low in distortion with that much linear excursion for a driver of this format - irrespective of price.)

Its freq. linearity however is marginally lacking:

http://www.zaphaudio.com/temp/AurumCantus-AC130-50CK-FR.gif

..but that's on a large test baffle - it's going to change on a typical loudspeaker baffle anyway.

(..and that nice flat impedance isn't going to require a Zobel for correction.)

..seems it's on sale in the states as well (..but I'm guessing shipping will be ludicrous to Australia). :eek:

Aurum Cantus AC130/50CK 5-1/4" Midwoofer 296-442
Scott, how did you find Zaph's measurement of the Aurum Cantus AC130/50CK? Did he ever publish a full test?
 
Aurum Cantus midwoofer for small bookshelf

Scroll to near-bottom of page:

Zaph|Audio
Found it. Thank you.

I am thinking using the Aurum Cantus AC130/CK50 and Scan Speak D2905/9500 with a 7 liters closed box. The crossover is an active analogue LR4.

This will be my first venture into higher end drivers. I have had the SS tweeters for a while, but can’t decide on the midwoofer.
 
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