Hey Fkeller, best not to hijack someone else's thread even though it may be long dead and you have the very same question. The reason being, other than it being impolite. Your needs may be very different to the original poster.
For example "the best" of anything needs to be specific to your needs. I like open baffle speakers therefore "the best" is relative to my needs, you might know of the worlds greatest speaker designed for a cabinet but it is totally useless for open baffle e.g my TC Sounds Pro 5100 drivers, so to get meaningful answers you need to be specific about your needs not the original posters.
Include information about what you do and don't like, for example I am partial to paper drivers for the warmer tones, so someone recommending aluminium drivers is hardly going to refine my list of best driver for my ears.
For example "the best" of anything needs to be specific to your needs. I like open baffle speakers therefore "the best" is relative to my needs, you might know of the worlds greatest speaker designed for a cabinet but it is totally useless for open baffle e.g my TC Sounds Pro 5100 drivers, so to get meaningful answers you need to be specific about your needs not the original posters.
Include information about what you do and don't like, for example I am partial to paper drivers for the warmer tones, so someone recommending aluminium drivers is hardly going to refine my list of best driver for my ears.
I still stand by my original suggestion of the illuminator series ScanSpeak drivers, but which ones depends largely on the tweeters you plan to use, and where you want to cross over. Even though I haven't heard them in a while (in box under the bed) I still remember being blown away by the RAAL 140-15AM monopole drivers (not to be confused with the dipoles I am currently using in open baffle). I made the mistake / lack of understanding of not better preparing all of the drivers together. Again you can have a "best" driver but unless it fits the whole system there can be better choices available. I would still love to hear the Accton drivers with the RAALs. Don't know if they would be too much, but would be a great listening experience.
I have been extremely happy with my RAAL's over the last 3 or 4 years, I just need to pull my finger out and build the other 7 speakers.
If you decide you like the 140-15AM which I am sure you will, make sure you run a small cap on them. I run a 4.7uF cap on each of mine.
I made the mistake of buying all my mids first (something like 20 of them) before I bought my tweeters. I should have bought the tweeters first because different RAAL models have very different xover points and perhaps may have chosen different mid drivers.
If you decide you like the 140-15AM which I am sure you will, make sure you run a small cap on them. I run a 4.7uF cap on each of mine.
I made the mistake of buying all my mids first (something like 20 of them) before I bought my tweeters. I should have bought the tweeters first because different RAAL models have very different xover points and perhaps may have chosen different mid drivers.
Thanks, I looked at the madisound website and didn't see the monopole raals that you speak of. Now I would be using the AE TD6m in a sealed enclosure so is it the monopole or dipole 140-15 AM that you recommend for this application. I don't want to order the wrong raals. I could run the TD6m from say 250-400hz up to say 1600-2500hz then cross to the raal. Is this what you would suggest. Help me pick the right raal at madisound please. Thanks in advance I really appreciate your help.
This is the monopole with a sealed back (I have 3 of these) https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.c...l-140-15d-ribbon-tweeter-with-amorphous-core/
This is the dipoles I am currently using (have two of these) they have an open back https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/ribbon-tweeters/raal-dipole-140-15d-ribbon-driver/
And I have four of these for surround sound speakers. https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.c...-10d-raal-ribbon-tweeter-with-amorphous-core/
All tweeter have the AM core. Be ready to be surprised how heavy they are. These are some serious tweeters and weigh a ton.
This is the dipoles I am currently using (have two of these) they have an open back https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/ribbon-tweeters/raal-dipole-140-15d-ribbon-driver/
And I have four of these for surround sound speakers. https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.c...-10d-raal-ribbon-tweeter-with-amorphous-core/
All tweeter have the AM core. Be ready to be surprised how heavy they are. These are some serious tweeters and weigh a ton.
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Just had a dig under the bed to see what RAAL recommends... And if you're looking for AM to be printed / stamped on the tweeter it isn't. The only way of telling is the AM at the end of the serial number.
The only negative I can say about the RAAL is having to solder the speaker wires on which is a PITA. But the build quality is solid. In the second picture (the ones you are looking at) that whole back is cased in something like stone.
The recommended xover is a 24dB Linwitz Riley at 1600Hz
The only negative I can say about the RAAL is having to solder the speaker wires on which is a PITA. But the build quality is solid. In the second picture (the ones you are looking at) that whole back is cased in something like stone.
The recommended xover is a 24dB Linwitz Riley at 1600Hz
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Oh and a friendly bit of advice heed the warning on the driver covers. DO NOT, AND I REPEAT, DO NOT TRY LIFT THEM OFF. Slide them off like directed on the cover. The cover has a fairly strong magnet in it to make sure the aluminium foil is protected, but because the back of those drivers are sealed if it is stronger than you think and pulls out of your finger it compresses the foil and wrecks it. I nearly found out the hard way.
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In general, your advice ought to be taken with a grain of salt. The weight
may or may not be of importance to product performance. We know
that Neo magnets are lighter for the same performance in comparison to
ceramic ones.
Commercial loudspeakers may weigh a ton for nothing but to impress
a buyer, hoping he would feel better. Who cares about the health of your
backbone!
At 2.8kgs each they are hardly going to break anyone's back, but they are probably 10 times heavier than a typical tweeter. I was told sometime ago the heavy casing was to do with shielding, but would need to look through really old emails before I could say definitively who said it to me. It may have been the guys from RAAL as I was in contact by email with them at one point.
Even if the weight if for no additional sonic benefit, they are so heavily constructed because of it, you could nearly park a car on it, and not be worried, not sure the same can be said for your light weight plastic tweeters.
Even if the weight if for no additional sonic benefit, they are so heavily constructed because of it, you could nearly park a car on it, and not be worried, not sure the same can be said for your light weight plastic tweeters.
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? My M560Ds cost me less secondhand as part of a DIY speaker than an average pair of D52AFs for sale secondhand. But you say it's a waste of money?
I think you mean at silly $1200+/pair prices they are of less value for money compared to a $500/pair price of the D52AFs.
If you are not an audiophile yourself then you're not someone qualified to judge in this thread.
Audiophile = "An audiophile is a person enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audiophile
If you're not enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction but are instead here because you like the technical and constructional side of DIYAudio.com then you will guide those looking for high-fidelity sound down the wrong path...
Although Lojzek has a point, I will agree with you here.
I still find it peculiar that some people (particularly on "objective" forums) take offence to being referred to as audiophiles, and use the term themselves as though it had derogatory implications.
Interesting I have always thought of an audiophile as something of a badge of honour, but never thought myself worthy because I don't know the nth degree of detail like others, but if the definition is merely to be enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction, then I have been one for the last 40 years.
An audiophile is an individual willing to pay more for the bits
of the hi-fi system that, according to his belief, will bring the
sound quality to a greater level.
There is no guarantee that he will be fortunate. He mostly
relies on the testimony of a manufacturer, a reviewer or
a satisfied customer that a piece of a hi-fi system will perform
as promised without or with very little relevant evidence. The
industry favors it.
This isn't taken from wikipedia and you can quote me on that.
My moto is:" Ask not what your speaker can do for you, ask what
you can do for your speaker."
Whether I am an audiophile or not, is irrelevant. The question is,
am I of good use to the people conversing on diyAudio? Those
who were engaged can probably give the answer.
of the hi-fi system that, according to his belief, will bring the
sound quality to a greater level.
There is no guarantee that he will be fortunate. He mostly
relies on the testimony of a manufacturer, a reviewer or
a satisfied customer that a piece of a hi-fi system will perform
as promised without or with very little relevant evidence. The
industry favors it.
This isn't taken from wikipedia and you can quote me on that.
My moto is:" Ask not what your speaker can do for you, ask what
you can do for your speaker."
Whether I am an audiophile or not, is irrelevant. The question is,
am I of good use to the people conversing on diyAudio? Those
who were engaged can probably give the answer.
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