I still use it almost every day. For what it is, I really like it. I have adjusted the sound to be good from about 3 to 17 degrees or so, while avoiding the 0-3 degrees in normal listening. I advise you to not blindly optimalize for 0 degrees, that makes for a very limited experience IMO.
You cannot have everything, it's definitely value for money but it's not "Ultimate" in any way.
You cannot have everything, it's definitely value for money but it's not "Ultimate" in any way.
this is the main issue for me too hot directly on axis and vary varied if you walk around the room or stand up from sitting . I'm experimenting with ways to try and solve this . what type of box are you using with this driver yourself . although maybe not the ultimate they do have a noticeably relaxed or effortless sound that's got me really interested in high efficiency speakers
FWIW/FYI: I've messed with wide range/'FR' drivers up to 15" and always wound up toeing them in to cross in front of me a varying amount at ear height with up higher aimed down often a better overall choice, though when there was an odd # seating positions, i.e. 3 wide sofa/whatever spacing, aiming the left channel to right seat, etc., always worked best overall.
This is more or less what I ended up with as well.
Closed volume of about 80 liters, I'm using something else for bass. Crossover is offset 2nd order Bessel centered around 200hz or so.
One day I will try to put the 15 inch Fanes into a reflex box EQed to flat with a dsp. But with a resistor of eight to 15 Ohms before the driver. It will make the amplifier working inbetween voltage drive and current drive. This can help in bass and treble and reduces distortion at all frequencies.
I have a 13cm fullrange driver in a small vented box. I tried here first time putting a simple resistor of nine ohms before that 8 ohm driver. And it helped a lot to bring it further in terms of hifi sound with much lower distortion clearly audible by ear. As the driver was a cheap one with no shorting copper ring at the pole piece it now sounds like it has one.
Second reason for trying this: I did that because it is an older amplifer from the eighties and the loudness knob does not work well in the beginning i.e. the headroom while listening not loud. With the resistor in work I have to move the loudness knob in a region where it works much better.
However I am impressed by the merits of current drive as described by Esa Merilainen on his website describing the "resistor method". As he told me in an email current drive with voltage amplifiers just begins to work if your resistor is approximately at least like the ohms of the voice coil. More is better but first effects take part.
The small box with the 13cm driver only profits of the resistor in the bass too, because it is a bass shy driver. So not always you have to think about bringing the Q of the driver down when trying the simple resistor method.
I could even think of trying the resistor method with some EQing like:
12 Ohms before the driver paralled with 2,2mfd and 5 ohms in series in order to bring the highs up even more if needed by the loudspeaker. This is an idea for experiments.
The small box has two 18 Ohms resistors in parallel. The fullrange driver is not original RFT, it is an Eagle L022B Mk2. I covered it with on the front with aluminium. This helps making the cone stiff and can reduce resonances significantly.
I have a 13cm fullrange driver in a small vented box. I tried here first time putting a simple resistor of nine ohms before that 8 ohm driver. And it helped a lot to bring it further in terms of hifi sound with much lower distortion clearly audible by ear. As the driver was a cheap one with no shorting copper ring at the pole piece it now sounds like it has one.
Second reason for trying this: I did that because it is an older amplifer from the eighties and the loudness knob does not work well in the beginning i.e. the headroom while listening not loud. With the resistor in work I have to move the loudness knob in a region where it works much better.
However I am impressed by the merits of current drive as described by Esa Merilainen on his website describing the "resistor method". As he told me in an email current drive with voltage amplifiers just begins to work if your resistor is approximately at least like the ohms of the voice coil. More is better but first effects take part.
The small box with the 13cm driver only profits of the resistor in the bass too, because it is a bass shy driver. So not always you have to think about bringing the Q of the driver down when trying the simple resistor method.
I could even think of trying the resistor method with some EQing like:
12 Ohms before the driver paralled with 2,2mfd and 5 ohms in series in order to bring the highs up even more if needed by the loudspeaker. This is an idea for experiments.
The small box has two 18 Ohms resistors in parallel. The fullrange driver is not original RFT, it is an Eagle L022B Mk2. I covered it with on the front with aluminium. This helps making the cone stiff and can reduce resonances significantly.
Attachments
Hello, I asked wether the big fullrange will be still in production and what ist optimized paper pulp. Watch the answer:
My question:
Dear employees from Fane,
I want to know if the fullrange driver Sovereign 15-300tc will be continued in production as I am a great fan of this product.
I have a question concerning the fullrange driver 15-300tc: is the cone of the driver a classical paper cone or does it contain some stabilizing fibers Fiberglass or Kevlar?
I would buy immediately a fullrange driver from fane with 18inch. The 15 inch Sovereign 15-300tc makes me happy and I would appreciate even bigger drivers of this type. And I would recommend buying it to my hifi-friends.
Looking forward to your answer.
Yours, Dragan Pavlovic from germany
Answer from Fane:
Hi Pavlovic,
Thanks for your message. Unfortunately, due to low sales volumes the 15-300TC has been discontinued in our general stock portfolio. It's only available now with a minimum 50-100pcs order quantity.
The cone is Curvilinear Ribbed Paper with optimised pulp formula. The Surround / Edge Termination is made from Polyvinyl Damped, Poly Cotton.
Regards
Fane
My question:
Dear employees from Fane,
I want to know if the fullrange driver Sovereign 15-300tc will be continued in production as I am a great fan of this product.
I have a question concerning the fullrange driver 15-300tc: is the cone of the driver a classical paper cone or does it contain some stabilizing fibers Fiberglass or Kevlar?
I would buy immediately a fullrange driver from fane with 18inch. The 15 inch Sovereign 15-300tc makes me happy and I would appreciate even bigger drivers of this type. And I would recommend buying it to my hifi-friends.
Looking forward to your answer.
Yours, Dragan Pavlovic from germany
Answer from Fane:
Hi Pavlovic,
Thanks for your message. Unfortunately, due to low sales volumes the 15-300TC has been discontinued in our general stock portfolio. It's only available now with a minimum 50-100pcs order quantity.
The cone is Curvilinear Ribbed Paper with optimised pulp formula. The Surround / Edge Termination is made from Polyvinyl Damped, Poly Cotton.
Regards
Fane
I am sure the 12 inch is fine, but "there's no substitute for cubic inches." Of course there is always a balance of things, if the midrange is crap or if there is no treble, of course a bigger driver isn't best. The 15" has a rare balance of dynamics, clarity and extension that has won me over.
It is entirely possible that I will try the 12 inch and enjoy it as much.
I am also somewhat optimistic that a vendor that has had enough sales might occasionally order a minimum batch of the 15 inch and keep selling it. You never know.
It is entirely possible that I will try the 12 inch and enjoy it as much.
I am also somewhat optimistic that a vendor that has had enough sales might occasionally order a minimum batch of the 15 inch and keep selling it. You never know.
In Europe still in Romania at poweraudio.ro - in stock - I got mine from there, less shipping in Europe
https://www.poweraudio.ro/fane_sovereign_15_300tc?search=fane 15-300
Blue Aran in U.K. is out of stock:
https://bluearan.co.uk/index.php?id=FANSOV15300TC
I am crying!
https://www.poweraudio.ro/fane_sovereign_15_300tc?search=fane 15-300
Blue Aran in U.K. is out of stock:
https://bluearan.co.uk/index.php?id=FANSOV15300TC
I am crying!
I wanted for a long time to have big fullrange drivers. But never they were bigger than 12 inch and very seldom they had good parameters.
Or the cone travel was very short (usually +-2.5mm or +-1.5mm) or the induction of the voice coil too high and no copper ring reducing the distortion of the driver.
The last feature is one of the most important if you want to make a big driver make high frequencies although diaphragm mass is too high.
I got four of the Fane 15-300tc which I have at home but I still did not make loudspeakers with them. With the 15-300TC I plan to make a omnipolar speaker with the driver facing down and firing against a wooden cone dispersing the high and mid frequencies into all directions (like Canon S25 fullrange loudspeakers).
Certainly dsp corrected what works today easily with a smartfone and some Equalizer app. So I can use any (cheap) amplifier.
Before I found out it can be done with the smartfone alone - Preamplifier and Digi-EQ in one, I used MiniDsp and Behringer DEQ2496.
Or the cone travel was very short (usually +-2.5mm or +-1.5mm) or the induction of the voice coil too high and no copper ring reducing the distortion of the driver.
The last feature is one of the most important if you want to make a big driver make high frequencies although diaphragm mass is too high.
I got four of the Fane 15-300tc which I have at home but I still did not make loudspeakers with them. With the 15-300TC I plan to make a omnipolar speaker with the driver facing down and firing against a wooden cone dispersing the high and mid frequencies into all directions (like Canon S25 fullrange loudspeakers).
Certainly dsp corrected what works today easily with a smartfone and some Equalizer app. So I can use any (cheap) amplifier.
Before I found out it can be done with the smartfone alone - Preamplifier and Digi-EQ in one, I used MiniDsp and Behringer DEQ2496.