OB FAST with tube + SS amplifier ?

[planet10]

I can't really offer a real answer to that, having only seen pictures & data of each, but from that the PRV looks a disaster at the top.

dave

 

[Bigun]

I'm wondering if anybody uses the AN 6.5 Classic - I haven't found anything of merit with a web search looking for impressions on the sound.

Looking more carefully at the AN drivers (ferrite and AlNiCo versions of the 6.5 Classic) I see they both have some bumps in the 'presence region'.

 

[45nutcase]

How about Altecs, 604 or 601's

 

[Bigun]

I thought the Altec 604 was one of those rare beasts that sell for rather a lot of $ - but were loved by Shindo san

 

[Bigun]

Let me see if there is something I can come up with using PCD to smooth that out.

PCD ?

 

[xrk971]

Passive Crossover Designer by Jeff Bagby. XO modeling and design software.

 

[Bigun]

X, was it the 8 Ohm or the 4 Ohm version of the driver you are familiar with ? I noticed that the manufacturers datasheet looks terribly ragged at the top-end for the 8 Ohm but better for the 4 Ohm ? and your own measurements were definitely less ragged than the datasheet I saw for the 8 Ohm hence my question.

 

[xrk971]

I have both - the 4ohm was sent by mistake and when I took data I thought it was an 8ohm but it's the 4.

 

[Bigun]

So in terms of the sound - especially the treble being non-fatiguing - how do they compare - is your recommendation for this driver limited to the 4 Ohm version for example ?

 

[xrk971]

I think they sound about the same actually and myself prefer the 8ohm.

 

[xrk971]

I have not tried this one but it is worth a serious look. Seems flatter response than PRV but only 91dB. Looks very well made - another pro audio product. This one also has neodymium motor but adds ferrofluid cooling. Very nice cast frame - although rear radiation pattern may be a bit less open than PRV basket.

Galaxy 5SN-8 for $60.

http://www.parts-express.com/pedocs/specs/290-020-galaxy-audio-s5n-8-specifications.pdf

FWIW, the specs seem very detailed and most pro stuff you can expect a less inflated, more to the reality of how it really measures graphs and TS parameters.

 

[Bigun]

It does look nice, but it's always hard to tell how much smoothing has been applied and it has that tell-tale bump up around 7kHz. At the end of the day, I'm also not sure how much of the FR curve is audible. I found the Fostex terrible in the end and the FR has a spike in the treble - yet the Audio Nirvana Super 15" sounds great to me despite having a ragged treble response (it's weakness is some dispersion non-uniformity close to on-axis). After all is said and done I value your listening experience with the driver more than the datasheet itself so I'm still very tempted by the PRV, but it will have to wait until after all the rushing around - some time in the New Year.

I'm also considering a different configuration as 'option B' - placing the mid-tweet in a closed box like the LW Pluto and crossing to an OB woofer. The PRV asks for a very small box if sealed so care would be needed with the design to avoid reflected sound coming back through the cone.

 

[xrk971]

I used the PRV in a sealed tapered spiral Nautaloss cabinet with stuffing. No back reflected coloration at all - verified with comparison to OB response. More in my PRV thread.