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WTB Markaudio 12PW

Wanted to buy
I could consider a trade if that works for anyone. I built a NuTube preamp that is for sale, and in this case would make a pretty clean swap.
 

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An update. Yes, I was able to find a set of new 12PW drivers from the UK. The price was much better than I have seen anywhere else, let alone the fact that they were still in stock! Many thanks to those who have helped with the search. It was a dead end otherwise.
 
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well, it shows that the drivers are in the states. New York so far, but it will be a week easy to make it to Wyoming. I am trying not to think about what it will take retrofit these drivers in the cabinets that are housing the Scan Speak drivers. Best way is to simply pull out the drivers and adapters, but you see when I do job like this, you can bet that the present adapters are really in there good and solid. Too bad there isn't such a thing as reliable, completely sealed bayonet type adapters for different drivers.
 
Ah, the Scan Speak drivers. There is a story behind those. In fact I have built for a customer two pairs of speakers using these drivers. They are 18WU/8741T-007. So I raved about the drivers so much that the customer gifted two of them to me! Now as far as that sounding great, the truth is that these drivers exaggerate the bass in the cabinets that I am using. I have tried a lot of stuff to reduce the bass without affecting the total sound, but no, it would be better to build proper cabinets for these drivers.
In the meantime, the Mark Audio drivers are on the way. I originally had the MA12P drivers in the cabinets and they did everything well except the bass! feast or famine folks. So, says I, let's try the 12PW in these cabinets. Yes, I get it. I am taking yet another chance. But don't worry. I have the plans for a cabinet from Planet10 Audio designed for the 12PW. I just want to hear these drivers in my existing cabinets first.
Yes, I must be careful, surgically remove the adapters if need be from the cabinets. I can get lucky only so many times. (that's what she said)
 
Yes, I first saw these, but at $209 Ea. plus $40 ea. for shipping, a total of $480. I said no. Then I saw the KJA site. There the cost was $137 Ea. plus about $35 shipping for each. I paid a total of $320. I was anxious but not desperate.
Today, I will try and make the new adapters for the drivers using bamboo. I bought two cutting boards at the pawn shop for $11 ea. Still heating up the shop for this endeavor.
 
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Well, it was a bit more than changing a light bulb, I tell ya. So now, I listen. If I think it is worth the effort, then I will take the adapters back out and finish them with the proper bevel and such.
 

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I know that you are correct but it is really hard for me to do. But I must. Even at low volume, I am liking what I hear. Murpheys law crqacks me up though. Every little mistake was made while trying to get it all together. The scary news is that it is possible that I made some trouble in my poor little Iron Pre by hooking up the output from the DAC to the output of the Iron Pre. I am just going to forget for tonight. Too much drama.
 
Just listening to light classical music. I think that a speaker or entire system can be listened to at a lower volume and still have the needed sound to create a real experience. I am pleasantly surprised by this as it has been some time since I have heard a driver do this. I now remember what it is about the 12P drivers that I previously owned that caught my attention. A mid bass that isn't overdone, and a midrange that isn't thick. Later during the break in period, I will be listening to voice recordings and that is an acid test for FR drivers. Egads, some of them come out with slicing sibilance. You know it when you hear it and it is a deal breaker for me.
The fact that these are even being compared to the Scan Speak 18WU/8741T 7" driver within its range, says a lot since the Scan Speak driver is a powerful sound to be sure.
One of my ultimate comparisons for any driver is to listen first with a great set of cans and then compare (where it can apply) that to the drivers being used.
 
Yah, that is the plan for now. So it is indeed a single driver set up. I have a pretty strong feeling that it will stay that way. I have been playing mostly light piano music so far and some other music like Simon & Garfunkel, but at about the lowest possible listening level. Even then, I hear these drivers are not missing much and that is impressive.
 
It is harder than you might think to find recordings without bass in them for the break in of the Mark Audio drivers. I wince to not be able to have the volume just a little higher but hey, that is still the plan. Just trying to do the right thing. Ok, so apparently it is the spider in this case that might be most sensitive to the break in process? And that the spider in this particular model has been beefed up a bit to help handle lower frequencies.
How much is a mistake allowed in that a certain song may have an acoustic bass that you forgot about? I guess that this is all some kind of variable as to just much bass and what kind of impact it plays on the driver break in process. Probably at somewhere around 14 hrs. of break in so far. If it matters at all, the little preamp that I use has quite a large dose of second order harmonics that these drivers, even at a low volume, bring out. I thought outside of the envelope and figured that this would be some sort of advantage. I am a dreamer, here for a short time.
 
I will tell you that the cone is not visibly moving at the volume that I have it at, yet the sound is clearer than you would expect. I will increase the volume slightly. I have probably clocked 18 hours or more so far. Thoughts? Comments? I don't want to screw this up after having sought these drivers for so long.