planet10 said:
I've not heard the Mark Audio (uses tooling they made to make Jordans before the Swedes funded Ted's retirement) or the Jordans. I'd go for the FF85 (do keep in mind all my opinions are based on treated drivers). The rated power handling & level capability is for FR use -- it has to go up considerably if you XO them at 1k.
dave
Dave's observations on the FF85K(eN) are based on a brief listen on temporary, tiny OB's, (drivers rear mounted on 1/2" MDF and chamfered on the front side)
No bass at all of course, but stunningly clear and dynamic mids to top, and quite decent soundstage as well. My impression so far, from more extensive listening, is that they do such a nice job on vocals (even male - Kevin Mahogany/Jim Byrnes/Union Station) that it would be a shame to XO them anywhere between 200 and 6000.
Frankly, with my middle-aged hearing loss, tweeters would seem pointless- they certainly give nothing up to the FE126 in that regard. The big question would be how low to XO them, i.e. whether single "sub" or dual woofers. It's probably no surprise that we're playing around with that at present, but nothing concrete to announce.
They've been so much fun that I haven't even dug out the SPL meter, but if I was to hazard a guess as to the levels at which I've been listening, it would be less than 90dB peaks.
95dB continuous at the listening position is pretty freeking loud, and as Scott notes, guarantees accelerated hearing damage - ask any industrial audiologist.