New and Old Drivers in shared enclosure

[mart34]

Hi,

Are there any draw backs to using an old and a new driver of the the same manufacturer and model number, in the same enclosure / shared volume?

I understand the TS parameters will change with usage, so can a simple burn in of the newer driver compensate? I'm guessing the driver will change substantially but eventually the rate of change will platue. So two separate drivers with unknown usage will both be close enough?

Also, would this be of greater concern for certain enclosure types eg sealed, vented etc

Reason I ask is I finally bought a driver (Peerless XLS 10" 830452) secondhand (only £30 in near perfect condition) and my plan is to obtain more secondhand (and new if too hard to find) and build an approx 5 cuft vented enclosure with a down firing 6" Port, with 3 or 4 drivers.

Many thanks

 

[weltersys]

Hi,

1)Are there any draw backs to using an old and a new driver of the the same manufacturer and model number, in the same enclosure / shared volume?
2)I understand the TS parameters will change with usage, so can a simple burn in of the newer driver compensate?
3)I'm guessing the driver will change substantially but eventually the rate of change will platue. So two separate drivers with unknown usage will both be close enough?
4)Also, would this be of greater concern for certain enclosure types eg sealed, vented etc

1) The same draw backs that apply with shared cabinet volume apply, loss of one driver can result in the loss of others in a shared enclosure. The cabinet is not as stiff as one using separate enclosures.
2) A high power "burn in" will loosen suspension parts fairly quickly, but cones can become less stiff over time after humidity cycling. If the old cones don't seem "softer" (easier to bend) and the surrounds are not cracked or stiffened they are probably fine.
3) The changes are not "substantial" after the first few hours, other than those noted in #2.
4) Concerns would be greatest in this order: high compression ratio horns, sealed, vented.

As they say, a chain is only as strong as the weakest link- two drivers sharing a chamber is not much of a concern, but 3 or 4 starts raising more potential for loss.

 

[mart34]

Thanks for the response. Maybe I'm better off with individually enclosed and spread across room, but I'm obsessed with the looks of subwoofers such as XTZ and RBH where they've used multiple drivers in same cab. That's the look I'm trying to achieve. Plus one tall box is a more economical use of space