Please feel free to add any FR drivers that you think is worthy of the list.
FR = ''fullrange'' than can cover at least 7 octaves
efficiency 1w/1m 90db+
retail cost no more than 50$USD or 50EUR per unit.
*** I will update the list on post #1 if you have good suggestions that can help others. ***
FaitalPro 3FE22 33$
FaitalPRO | LF Loudspeakers | 3FE22
Faital 4FE32 40$
FaitalPRO | LF Loudspeakers | 4FE32
Visaton BG 13 P 16$
BG 13 P - 8 Ohm | Visaton
FaitalPro 3FE25 20$
FaitalPRO | LF Loudspeakers | 3FE25
FaitalPro 4FE35 26$
FaitalPRO | LF Loudspeakers | 4FE35
Visaton BG 17 19$
https://www.visaton.de/en/products/fullrange-systems/bg-17-8-ohm
Visaton BG 20 38$
https://www.visaton.de/en/products/fullrange-systems/bg-20-8-ohm
Monacor SP200X 45eur
https://www.monacor.com/products/components/speaker-technology/hi-fi-full-range-speakers/sp-200x/
Beyma 3FR30 45$
https://www.beyma.com/en/products/c/full-range/103FR308/altavoz-3fr30-8-oh/
FR = ''fullrange'' than can cover at least 7 octaves
efficiency 1w/1m 90db+
retail cost no more than 50$USD or 50EUR per unit.
*** I will update the list on post #1 if you have good suggestions that can help others. ***
FaitalPro 3FE22 33$
FaitalPRO | LF Loudspeakers | 3FE22
Faital 4FE32 40$
FaitalPRO | LF Loudspeakers | 4FE32
Visaton BG 13 P 16$
BG 13 P - 8 Ohm | Visaton
FaitalPro 3FE25 20$
FaitalPRO | LF Loudspeakers | 3FE25
FaitalPro 4FE35 26$
FaitalPRO | LF Loudspeakers | 4FE35
Visaton BG 17 19$
https://www.visaton.de/en/products/fullrange-systems/bg-17-8-ohm
Visaton BG 20 38$
https://www.visaton.de/en/products/fullrange-systems/bg-20-8-ohm
Monacor SP200X 45eur
https://www.monacor.com/products/components/speaker-technology/hi-fi-full-range-speakers/sp-200x/
Beyma 3FR30 45$
https://www.beyma.com/en/products/c/full-range/103FR308/altavoz-3fr30-8-oh/
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Of all of those i have the 3E22 which shows a lot of promise. Haven’t measured it so i cannot verify the sensitivity. Given its bass alignments and that it is a 3” a real-world value of 87-88 dB seems more in line with Hoffman’s Iron Law.
And i would be leary of the Visaton Specs, the 95dB B200 actually turns out to be 89-90dB (lots of variations in the build over the years i have had them thru here).
Given cheap as you have posted would eliminate any of the 90+ dB drivers i would put into this category.
dave
And i would be leary of the Visaton Specs, the 95dB B200 actually turns out to be 89-90dB (lots of variations in the build over the years i have had them thru here).
Given cheap as you have posted would eliminate any of the 90+ dB drivers i would put into this category.
dave
The Visaton B200 is actually rated 96 dB (2.83 V/1 m) but it's a rising response, from a rather weak 86db @ 300hz, to some crazy 100db @ 7-8khz.
I'm not exactly sure if the manufacturers are following (strictly) the procedures to rate their drivers, but usually it's a 1khz snapshot or some average, but some like Aura are using the 100hz mark for their subwoofers...
What manufacturers use are all over the map and sometimes from the marketing department, not the engineering department. So a sack of salt is required.
It is preetty easy to fix the rising response issue in the B200 — just add phase plugs.
dave
Was able to pull out 103db of a single 3FE22-16ohms with ''normal'' music (Dave Brubeck) so I guess FaitalPro specs are pretty accurate
theoretically:
91db 1 watts
94db 2 watts
97db 4 watts
100db 8 watts
103db 16 watts
(max rated RMS (AES) = 20 watts)
The Dayton PS95 seemed very easy to drive although it's not rated as highly efficient.
Dayton PS95-8 on Open Baffle | Speaker Projects by Zilla
https://www.parts-express.com/pedocs/specs/295-349--dayton-audio-ps95-8-spec-sheet.pdf
Another Dayton driver, the PA130, is pretty efficient for cheap. The PS95 and PA130 are completely different full range drivers and sound totally different but I always enjoyed both very much!
https://www.parts-express.com/pedocs/specs/295-010-dayton-audio-pa130-8-specifications-46131.pdf
The Radio Shack 1197 was quite efficient and could be had for less than $5 for a while. Unfortunately it's no longer available.
Radio Shack 40-1197 (FE103) Fullrange Speaker Driver
Dayton PS95-8 on Open Baffle | Speaker Projects by Zilla
https://www.parts-express.com/pedocs/specs/295-349--dayton-audio-ps95-8-spec-sheet.pdf
Another Dayton driver, the PA130, is pretty efficient for cheap. The PS95 and PA130 are completely different full range drivers and sound totally different but I always enjoyed both very much!
https://www.parts-express.com/pedocs/specs/295-010-dayton-audio-pa130-8-specifications-46131.pdf
The Radio Shack 1197 was quite efficient and could be had for less than $5 for a while. Unfortunately it's no longer available.
Radio Shack 40-1197 (FE103) Fullrange Speaker Driver
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Yes I looked into the Dayton Audio line-up but none was combining low pricing and efficiency...
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The 15cm FR151 I had made custom and more efficient compared to the original Airborne FR151 is still ''only'' 89db and doesnt cut it on the list either, and I think it shows how rare are those drivers...
Still, I'm surprised I wasnt able to find other than Visaton and Faital brands...
😕
Still, I'm surprised I wasnt able to find other than Visaton and Faital brands...
😕
EQ is a band-aid, much better to solve at the source. Phase plugs also fix the HF dispersion issues which EQ cannot. EQ is also much pricier than phase plugs.
So you DID NOT fix it.
dave
wait, you really don't use EQ ?
I mean, you're allergic to the very idea ?
There is no phase plug in the world that can adjust the frequency response of such a wild horse as a B200... 😱
I do use EQ in some speakers, but not electronic. Any EQ brings other issues, but if your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
You have obviously not heard before & after with the B200.
dave
You have obviously not heard before & after with the B200.
dave
But is it, really?
34,95$ you can find a phase plug that comes with a 2x 50w amplifier?
Dayton Audio DSPB-250 2x50W Class D Audio Amplifier Board with DSP
Even in my large room flat to 200 KHz is not usually achievable.
And i am still waiting for DSP to hit 24/192.
As cheap as the Dayton is and knowing the pricing pressure sthey put on OEM’s i fully expect the analiog parts of that to suck.
dave
And i am still waiting for DSP to hit 24/192.
As cheap as the Dayton is and knowing the pricing pressure sthey put on OEM’s i fully expect the analiog parts of that to suck.
dave
If you don't mind 4 ohms, just parallel a pair of 8 ohm (ferrite for cheepnis)
3 or 4 inch Faitals. Sensitivity and efficiency.
3 or 4 inch Faitals. Sensitivity and efficiency.
I get the feeling that everything I've ever had / owned stinks. So how to improve, without incurring ridiculous expense resulting from multiple trials and decades of time investment?
I'm sure the information is here, however dispersed throughout thousands upon thousands of posts, replies containing vetted and unvetted statements by diyAudio participants - talk about "big data" - with no analytical tools except ones own patience and persistence in reading, one by one.
I wish there was a sticky thread something like "The most efficient and cost effective way toward a decent sound" that evolved over the years, in each of categories like "FR", "Amplifiers", "DACs" "Players" and so on. Where the body of knowledge / progress were summarized for the year - instead of being spread out all over the space. Where you have to be a craftsman in a particular area (Raspberry PI players...) to know what's really up.
Who would do such a thing and with it being "democratic" I dont know. Threads like this one are interesting, but usually leave me feeling that I must be missing out on what can be reasonably achieved entirely... I know it's a lot of work to live a life and that goes for audio too, but the work has been done for a lot of the parts - it's just finding the result being like a needle in a haystack.