Good afternoon. I have been looking at building a 2 way with seas Nextel or Excel woofers? I have a few am eyeing but, wondered if the price difference justifies their sound difference and build quality? I know a lot of subjective and could be marketing? This is why I ask before I buy the drivers? Thanks Jeff
I don't think many have heard the Graphene. I imagine they are not a huge amount different from magnesium Millenium. I've heard both those in different speakers (e.g. Diapason uses the Nextel, Joseph uses the Millenium).
I prefer the Nextels; they have a smooth, lush signature. The Milleniums have more bass and a kind of analytical, etched sound.
Seas Excel doesn't offer great value in general. Depends what your application and preferences are as regards value.
I prefer the Nextels; they have a smooth, lush signature. The Milleniums have more bass and a kind of analytical, etched sound.
Seas Excel doesn't offer great value in general. Depends what your application and preferences are as regards value.
Sounds pretty close to Pioneers HPM cone material in my hpm 900s from 1982.
They sound exceptional with new midrange crossover.
They sound exceptional with new midrange crossover.
Am greatly appreciated that you have posted this and let me know? I will stay with the Nextel drivers. Am building a 2 way speaker.
So there is no change or advantage to newer cone manufacturers with cone materials senc. 1982? Please elaborate? Thanks Jeff
I've subjectively compared the W18NX001 to Volt's BM165.1, Faital Pro's 6RS140, and Scan's 15W discovery for the middle of a 3-way from ~140 to 1800 Hz. All in the same 20 L sealed box fully stuffed with fibreglass. Probably over ~4 months in my lounge room with lots of driver swapping.
The 6RS140 won't work in a 2-way, but it's my favourite among the 4 because of its articulation in the midbass (e.g., low male vocals, low piano notes) and realistic attack for percussion--it's the most dynamic of the bunch. The W18NX001 beats it for clarity/brightness in the midrange (e.g., female vocals, violins), but not in the midbass. Although not as clear as the W18NX001, the fibreglass cone of the Scan discovery driver seems to embellish the midrange and add spaciousness, which I quite like, but it doesn't have much weight in the midbass. Compared the the Volt, the W18NX001 still has a tiny bit of paper shout character when played loud even though it's coated front and back--that's being very fussy though. The Volt is a heavy polymer cone that has no trace of that, of course.
If it had to choose one for a 2 way I'd go with the Volt because it's nice and warm and relaxing--it might not pick out every last detail, but instead highlights melodies and vocals in a beautiful way. On the other hand, my partner prefers the W18NX001 because of its higher level of detail and separation compared to the Volt. It comes down to personal preference and the type of music. Is the W18NX001 all hype and marketing? No--it's outstanding at reproducing complex music. Also it looks good.
I have no idea if the newer W18NX003 is worth the extra money vs the 001, but the measurements on HiFi compass put it up there with Purifi's competing driver and I prefer the W18NX001 to the Purifi implementations I've heard. I've found the Purifis kind of dull and boring, but that's from limited listening to others' systems.
Ah, just remembered for my 3-way tests that I also tried out a Seas New Curv woven polypropylene cone and the fibreglass cone from their automotive line--I much prefer the Nextel--there's a big difference.
The 6RS140 won't work in a 2-way, but it's my favourite among the 4 because of its articulation in the midbass (e.g., low male vocals, low piano notes) and realistic attack for percussion--it's the most dynamic of the bunch. The W18NX001 beats it for clarity/brightness in the midrange (e.g., female vocals, violins), but not in the midbass. Although not as clear as the W18NX001, the fibreglass cone of the Scan discovery driver seems to embellish the midrange and add spaciousness, which I quite like, but it doesn't have much weight in the midbass. Compared the the Volt, the W18NX001 still has a tiny bit of paper shout character when played loud even though it's coated front and back--that's being very fussy though. The Volt is a heavy polymer cone that has no trace of that, of course.
If it had to choose one for a 2 way I'd go with the Volt because it's nice and warm and relaxing--it might not pick out every last detail, but instead highlights melodies and vocals in a beautiful way. On the other hand, my partner prefers the W18NX001 because of its higher level of detail and separation compared to the Volt. It comes down to personal preference and the type of music. Is the W18NX001 all hype and marketing? No--it's outstanding at reproducing complex music. Also it looks good.
I have no idea if the newer W18NX003 is worth the extra money vs the 001, but the measurements on HiFi compass put it up there with Purifi's competing driver and I prefer the W18NX001 to the Purifi implementations I've heard. I've found the Purifis kind of dull and boring, but that's from limited listening to others' systems.
Ah, just remembered for my 3-way tests that I also tried out a Seas New Curv woven polypropylene cone and the fibreglass cone from their automotive line--I much prefer the Nextel--there's a big difference.