interesting PRV mid/tweeter horn WG290py?

[kd1yt]

I've until fairly recently been oblivious to the idea that a compression driver arrangement could _ever_ be a candidate when fidelity and even-output frequency response are a priority- but I have been reading up and realizing that I need to open my mind in this regard....

I see what to my still un-savvy eyes looks like a pretty intriguing candidate in the form of this PRV driver/horn combo:

WG290Py - PRV Audio

For those with more experience than I, would this have potential in a high quality home audio arrangement? It looks like it can be crossed remarkably low at 1 kHz but still cover up to almost 20 kHz. It does have an impedance spike centered at just above 2 kHz but that extends considerably downward and upward from there... but I'm thinking that since the unit's sensitivity is so high compared to most home-application woofers, an L pad could sort of swamp-out a lot of that peaky-ness....

Very interested in others' reactions-

 

[AllenB]

A compression tweeter on a worthy horn can indeed be hifi. Doing so without proper equalising when crossing can give poor results. When making comparisons this requires attention.

When I look at your link through ordinary eyes, I see something familiar. It resembles a cone driver. However when I look at the horn profile my estimations change. Did this sway your views too?

The impedance peak may need a little more than an L-Pad to sort out.

 

[damuffin]

Do a www search for Econowave Speaker. B&C D250 is the best and has crossover designs.
The PVR 280 is the cheapest and a crossover still needs to be designed. You want a flat response with no breakup at 10k. EQ’s are a temporary fix and sacrifice Sound quality.
That’s why people pay 900 plus for beryllium.

 

[kd1yt]

Do a www search for Econowave Speaker. B&C D250 is the best and has crossover designs.
The PVR 280 is the cheapest and a crossover still needs to be designed. You want a flat response with no breakup at 10k. EQ’s are a temporary fix and sacrifice Sound quality.
That’s why people pay 900 plus for beryllium.

I'd stumbled across and read up on the Econowave discussions- which were actually the 'light bulb moment' for me on this general subject- although at some point the sheer volume of the discussions (thousands of posts across multiple forums, and the critical mass of them from a decade ago) became hard to stay with and absorb.



This driver/horn seemed of potential interest for an Econowave-like application because it seems to have something approaching a fairly flat response over a wide swath of frequencies, and is designed and spec'd for a 1000Hz crossover at full power. . . . at moderate cost . . . . at moderate overall size. . . . and it doesn't seem to have been on the market when the interest in the Econowave was at full steam. Which has me wondering whether it could be a valid candidate for an Econowave-like application.

 

[AllenB]

Econowave was intended to provide waveguide like constant directivity, and the horn looks interesting. It appears to end near 45 degrees. If this was me starting out I would try to extend this horn. It could be continued near 45 degrees and/or given a gentle but substantial rounding at the mouth.

 

[damuffin]

There are many horn options. The only currently available one is the B52. For crossover design you can DIY or ask for help. The miniDSP is the quick and dirty version. Then you’ll have a good idea of what you need passively. You can mic the frequency response on a IPhone.

2way passive cross over help

 

[cspieker]

It does look like a good candidate. There's just so many options that it's hard to comment on one I have no experience with. It does seem a little too good to be true. ie, 1k xo on a 6" horn. Also overly smoothed measurement maybe? They never seem to measure the same once you get them. Keep in mind, unlike the econowave, this horn has a more slowly expanding throat, so high frequencies will beam. As with all tighter horns, this will be more of a sweet spot speaker, not for the whole room, and classical music is not usually represented quite right as high frequencies are beamed tightly at your head rather than splashing about the room.