Terry Cain's BIB -why does it work and does anyone have those Fostex Craft Handbooks?

Jump to Latest
#2,442
The 165k and the 168S look and sound very different!

I will post pics next week. 168S looks much more substantial from the back.

In my BIBs (which were built for the 168) the 165k is more efficient. It’s much mellower sounding despite the rising response curves published by Fostex. The 168S sounds a little phasey by comparison for some reason (the wizzer?). It also sounds thinner.

I expected the 168S to sound better because it costs more. On first listen that doesn’t seem to be the case. 165k is mellower and fuller sounding (Scott you were absolutely correct – have you compared the 165 to the 166 or 167 when making your observation?). Vocals are clearer. I’m very surprised… and a bit annoyed actually… how different they sound. Especially since the cheaper (half the price!) 165k costs less. Anyone bothered by the excitability and forwardness of many Fostex drivers should consider the FF line without hesitation. As I listen more I will post my impressions. All listening so far has been at low volume levels.
 
#2,444
Stroop – thanks for the feedback on the website. Something really went wrong between Pingtone and Verizon. All they do is point fingers at each other.

Inside my office, no one can see any of our websites. We have five, six including zillaspeak.com. Zilla is the least of my troubles. The others are business related and help me earn a living.

I am comparing the older 168S with the wizzer cone to the current 165k available at Madisound. It’s the one TC used in his near field Abby, and the one Madisound sells with the BK161 kit.

I have been listening for about an hour now and find the 168S seems to resolve more detail while the 165k just bounces along with somewhat stronger bass and a more relaxed overall presentation. They are both a little forward. The 168S has a ‘woodier or reedier’ sound… the 165k is fuller.

Godzilla
 
#2,446
The 165k can get shouty (out of the box with about an hour on them) at loud volumes compared to the 168S which seems to handle louder volume levels better. Basically, two interesting drivers both with pros and cons. The balance is better with the 165k in the BIB (fuller bass) but the detail somehow goes deeper into the performance with the well worn in 168S.

I'll keep them both and enjoy one pair at home, the other in the office.

Great weekend to everyone and thanks for listening to my rambles today....

Truly,
Godzilla
 
#2,448
Yup, your impressions match mine Jeff. I ran comparisons to the 166. THat was over a year ago now. You'll find the 165 looses much of the high SPL shoutiness you've experienced after you get the suspension warmed up (a few trips to Xmax will do it -just make sure you've got ear-defenders on when you try it ;-) though due to the limited excursion it will always break-up sonically a little earlier than the Sigmas. Luckily, that still tends to happen at volumes you won't want to be listening to very often.
 
#2,451
peterr said:
A few pictures of my just finished FE168ESigma BIB's
First impression is very positive indeed!
Click to expand...


Lovely speakers - and your Lenco. I seem to be going towards a similar system (well, front and end), with a pair of 168Sigmas (old style with whizzers, like Godzilla's) and a Lenco 88. Speakers are now working, but looking extremely rough-and-ready - totally unable to work to your beautiful standards (still learning how to handle most of the tools and things.) Also, owning a grand total of 3 smallish clamps meant that I decided to screw-and-glue them. The Lenco is still in progress. I just finished an Amp6Basic from 41Hz, and it's a huge improvement on the T-Amp I was using before. The sounds in my room are now simply magical, and I'm really looking forward to getting the whole thing together.
 
#2,452
Tweeter for FF165K BIB

Noob questions for Scottmoose / Godzilla:
Been reading the thread a while and finally decided on a FF165k BIB. Seems like a good fit (buget and sound-wise).
Would it be a good idea to extend the top end with a FT17H? Also, would the FF165K alone or w/ tweeter work ok w/ a cheap SS amp?
Finally, would an L-pad and/or circuitry be needed to blend the tweeter?
Thanks guys.
 
#2,453
fishwinker said:



Lovely speakers - and your Lenco. I seem to be going towards a similar system (well, front and end), with a pair of 168Sigmas (old style with whizzers, like Godzilla's) and a Lenco 88. Speakers are now working, but looking extremely rough-and-ready - totally unable to work to your beautiful standards (still learning how to handle most of the tools and things.) Also, owning a grand total of 3 smallish clamps meant that I decided to screw-and-glue them. The Lenco is still in progress. I just finished an Amp6Basic from 41Hz, and it's a huge improvement on the T-Amp I was using before. The sounds in my room are now simply magical, and I'm really looking forward to getting the whole thing together.
Click to expand...

Thanks!
Well I have been listening a lot over the weekend (thanks to the lousy weather) and I like these BIBs more and more. They are my first Full Rangers so it is impossible to compare them to other FR's but I don't expect to go back to a crossover any time soon.

Btw the reason I did the paneling the way I did has to do with the max size of the ply sheets. I had to glue an extra 12cm on them to get to the right length. To ensure this connection is air tight and hidden I have put the extra layer of MDF on. I admit it looks fine and helps stability.

And yes this Lenco is awesome (for those interested look here ) 😎
 
#2,454
Yes, if you want the highs, a super-tweeter brought in will do nicely. You'll need to have some form of L-pad to get it dialled in right -other people here will be able to advise better on that side.

With a cheap SS amp? Not without adding a major dollop of series resistance. Either an 8ohm resistor in the + lead to the amp, or alternatively, you could try using the infamous 30AWG magnet wire as speaker-cable. This is hyper thin stuff (near hair-thickness) & will add the resistance needed to prevent the amp from over-damping the drivers.
 
#2,456
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom