Hello, all.
I thought I might post this question here to get some feedback from some experienced and knowledgeable people on the subject of full range drivers.
I'm looking for a couple of good drivers to cover the frequency range of approximately 300 hz and up.
My system is multi-amp lyngdorf with dedicated bass/woofer units. I can set crossover(s) in the amps and it has a room correction DSP module so it should allow for pretty good flexibility in driver selection.
My basic idea was to mount the full ranges on an open baffle and so far I've been looking at some of the new drivers from Tang Band and SEAS.
So, do any of you have some ideas for good drivers for this setup?
Thanks in advance!
__
Andreas
I thought I might post this question here to get some feedback from some experienced and knowledgeable people on the subject of full range drivers.
I'm looking for a couple of good drivers to cover the frequency range of approximately 300 hz and up.
My system is multi-amp lyngdorf with dedicated bass/woofer units. I can set crossover(s) in the amps and it has a room correction DSP module so it should allow for pretty good flexibility in driver selection.
My basic idea was to mount the full ranges on an open baffle and so far I've been looking at some of the new drivers from Tang Band and SEAS.
So, do any of you have some ideas for good drivers for this setup?
Thanks in advance!
__
Andreas
Those look very nice. I'm guessing that if I do a bit of snooping around here, I'll find some ideas for application of these drivers. What is your experience with these vs other drivers?
Thanks for the input!
__
A
The MA, IMHO, are really pushing the envelope of what a FR driver can do (for something not prices in the stratosphere)
dave
Well for me "vs other drivers" would be restricted to those brands and types which I've experienced in approximately equivalent enclosure designs. In that case the very short list would be Fostex FE, FF & FX series.
It's probably safe to say that they share more differences than similarities. 🙂.
Firstly - sensitivity the MA are simply not as "efficient" as the Fostex, by as much as 6dB in some cases, so more amplifier power is greatly beneficial towards achieving their (MA) dynamic potential.
Secondly -FR linearity / soundstage presentation - I've generally found most of the Fostex ( FX120 & F120A excepted) to be very forward in the midrange - in the extreme case of FE166, rather too much "in your face" for smaller rooms / near field listening positions. This also has the effect of amplifying any grain structure or noise levels in upstream electronics/wiring, or in the case of multi-way systems the quality of parts in XO networks. Simply put, for my taste there are some combinations of Fostex and high gain/power SS amps that are fatiguing if not unlistenable. Connect the same speaker ( e.g. FE126E) to a low/moderate powered tube amp, whether DHT SE or P/P pentode, and I'm much happier camper - but as always YMMV.
The Mark Audio drivers have a degree of "BSC" engineered into their FR curves such that additional correction / EQ is generally not required. While I personally prefer my Fostex that way as well (or should I say have a preset calibration curve in my internal signal processing software 🙄), many folks would opine that the Fostex require correction, and who am I to argue the point?
Dispersion - the MA excel here
I'm currently running single Alpair 7 drivers in the front row of a small HT system - with the very flexible bass management available in virtually all modern multichannel receivers, it's quite feasible to run otherwise unfiltered FR drivers in such a set up. Of course for a large venue home cinema with festival seating and custom pop-corn maker, something larger would be appropriate.
FWIW, my particular receiver includes Audyssey software and calibrated microphone for setup. It runs test signal sweeps through all channels to determine speaker distances, sensitivities, and phasing. It also recommends XO points for rolling the front channels to LFE channel. In the case of the Alpair 7, the numbers it came up with were the lowest XO points available in the selection list - 80Hz for the MarKen7 mains and 90Hz for the Pensil7 temporarily used as centre. (laid on its side, it makes a decent stand for the flat screen)
When driven directly from the cable TV box and powered in simple 2 channel mode by Rotel RB850 amp, Fostex FE167E were quite acceptable as mains. But when connected to the (Denon) receiver, the FE167 and FE127E as center were simply not as seamless and tolerable.
Last edited:
Wow, some good information there.
In general I'm a sucker for imaging and soundstage. The illusion of three-dimensional space really makes all the difference for some types of music, in particular small-ensemble jazz. So that would probably be the main criteria.
The lyngdorf amps are more than capable of dealing with "difficult" speakers in my experience with them. I would guess that a driver with good dispersion should be good for imaging.
I'll take this info to heart when hunting for drivers!
Thanks again 🙂
In general I'm a sucker for imaging and soundstage. The illusion of three-dimensional space really makes all the difference for some types of music, in particular small-ensemble jazz. So that would probably be the main criteria.
The lyngdorf amps are more than capable of dealing with "difficult" speakers in my experience with them. I would guess that a driver with good dispersion should be good for imaging.
I'll take this info to heart when hunting for drivers!
Thanks again 🙂
I think the info given about MA drivers and fostex drivers is very true. I would also recommend the Audio Nirvana drivers. They fall in the high efficiency category and are easily over 95db efficient. Some say they are Lowthers on the cheap.
For me, none of the other full range drivers I've heard capture music like the ANs do. They just make it sound real. Sure they have problems in the highs - they can be harsh sounding on poorly recorded material and with typical SS amps - but they take you beyond the recording and into the recording studio or the venue and right to the heart of the music. None of the other drivers, including the ones mentioned earlier have been able to do that.
This is just my perspective and as always, YMMV.
For me, none of the other full range drivers I've heard capture music like the ANs do. They just make it sound real. Sure they have problems in the highs - they can be harsh sounding on poorly recorded material and with typical SS amps - but they take you beyond the recording and into the recording studio or the venue and right to the heart of the music. None of the other drivers, including the ones mentioned earlier have been able to do that.
This is just my perspective and as always, YMMV.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.