Yeah, until Neo came out there was nothing to replace AlNiCo and even then they can't wick heat away as well. Ferrite is stable, but it's an insulator, so no way it will perform even remotely the same once the VC heats up a bit.
Good points. I would think though that you could embed the Neo into aluminum, copper, or whatever material as in multiple small magnets evenly distributed within the heat sinking material to deal with heat. I am not a physicist, so I am not saying this would necessarily work.
Aye, chalk up another AlNiCo fan at this end -with the proviso that it's done 'right' of course. 😉
One point to keep in mind about the AN drivers is that they weren't like-for-like comparable, since although the shared the same cones, basket, had more or less the same rated Fs etc., they had completely different levels of EM damping. I've just dug out the spec. sheets, and assuming the whizzer cone models, then the ferrite-motor Super 15 had a Qt of about 0.48 & a Vas of roughly 618 litres. The AlNiCo model had a Qt of just over 0.95 and a Vas of roughly 493 litres, with rated conversion efficiency dropping from about 2.33% for the ferrite motor version to just under 0.88%, with roughly a 4dB loss in nominal SPL. I'm not saying anything for or against either driver here -just noting that there are significant differences due to that shift in motor power, which is going to make them sound rather different in itself -especially in the LF. Something similar went for the whizzerless 'Classic' versions. Using the published values, ferrite model, Fs of about 25Hz, Vas around 551 litres, Qt of 0.27. Equivalents for the AlNiCo were Fs = 31Hz, Vas = 384 litres, Qt = 0.98.
One point to keep in mind about the AN drivers is that they weren't like-for-like comparable, since although the shared the same cones, basket, had more or less the same rated Fs etc., they had completely different levels of EM damping. I've just dug out the spec. sheets, and assuming the whizzer cone models, then the ferrite-motor Super 15 had a Qt of about 0.48 & a Vas of roughly 618 litres. The AlNiCo model had a Qt of just over 0.95 and a Vas of roughly 493 litres, with rated conversion efficiency dropping from about 2.33% for the ferrite motor version to just under 0.88%, with roughly a 4dB loss in nominal SPL. I'm not saying anything for or against either driver here -just noting that there are significant differences due to that shift in motor power, which is going to make them sound rather different in itself -especially in the LF. Something similar went for the whizzerless 'Classic' versions. Using the published values, ferrite model, Fs of about 25Hz, Vas around 551 litres, Qt of 0.27. Equivalents for the AlNiCo were Fs = 31Hz, Vas = 384 litres, Qt = 0.98.
I just wonder if there is better out there. I may not be willing to spring for it. Beyond that, my system already sounds so good that I am pretty surprised when I find anything that improves the sound. I am finding it difficult to sort out ICs now. I don't know if it's because I haven't done enough listening lately, so that I am not dialed in, or if the ICs are just that similar. I haven't had that issue historically even with far less revealing gear.
Front loaded Horns!🙂
Here was the 1st incarnation of my 5 way horn system.
Note the tapped horns out wide and firing inwards.
Room was perhaps a bit bigger than 50m2.
I did Anti-mode EQ the bass.
Sounded good full of people on Sunday.
Here was the 1st incarnation of my 5 way horn system.
Note the tapped horns out wide and firing inwards.
Room was perhaps a bit bigger than 50m2.
I did Anti-mode EQ the bass.
Sounded good full of people on Sunday.
Me neither, but my 'experience' back in the mid '60s WRT SOTA DC electric motor design was that Union Carbide had been given a 'what if' magnet 'problem' after some local electrical engineering, etc., 'brains' had (allegedly) concluded that the performance we wanted defied known physics, etc., yet they ultimately created various AlNiCo 'blends' (epoxy encased being the most advanced) that to their consternation did and later gave us samarium cobalt blends that made the AlNiCos ~big/heavy 'boat anchors' in comparison, so seems reasonable that given enough cubic 'coin of the realm'..........Actually, there probably already is, but no longer privy to SOTA NASA spec 'goodies', so maybe some day soon it will trickle down to us relatively low budget DIYers............
As a side note, one of its more interesting properties was how performance could be significantly increased by randomly chipping off sharp corners, like occurred in high speed accidents and/or cutting a proven design into slivers (narrow bars) after bonded in place.
