Value for money.
At that price I can't see it happening. I've heard plenty of higher end speakers with soft domes ATC, ProAc, PMC. Soft dome use is extremely popular. I still think they are generally not as good as a good metal tweeter.
I'm not sure if the intent of this thread was to reminisce about vintage tweeters, but reading between the lines, it sounded like you may have been trying to find best bang-for-the-buck metal dome tweeters?
If so, the best contenders now, IMO, are the SB26ADC/CDC, the Peerless DA25, and the Peerless 25/32TX.
Possibly worth a look as well, depending on their cost in your region, are the Dayton RS28A, Seas 22taf, 27tbc, and 27dxt.
The da25 is the cheapest metal dome I've heard recently that has been good, and the DA25TX and SB26ADC/CDC are more expensive, but sound as good as most anything I've heard.
If so, the best contenders now, IMO, are the SB26ADC/CDC, the Peerless DA25, and the Peerless 25/32TX.
Possibly worth a look as well, depending on their cost in your region, are the Dayton RS28A, Seas 22taf, 27tbc, and 27dxt.
The da25 is the cheapest metal dome I've heard recently that has been good, and the DA25TX and SB26ADC/CDC are more expensive, but sound as good as most anything I've heard.
Around here, in the late 70s, we sold a ton of those and the Audax HD25 (that came with various faceplates). The Peerless dome with the “sad face” was commonly seen in commercail loudspeakers.
dave
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Wow, that's some great analysis and insight! Have to respond to that.
And yes some of my thinking was nostalgia and just a general interest in what the public 'like' in terms of general tweeter votes. As the mass number of sales usually dictates what people actually love.
Yes bang for buck metal tweeters I do like, but cheap ones aren't always the best, but a good cheap metal beats a good cheap soft dome if you ask me.
Of course, the T27 is a great tweeter but because of the LS3/5A long success, the price on those is just unacceptable now for what it is and perhaps DIY projects.
As for metal domes, I have again been looking for one for another project. I was planning to use Seas 22taf again. That's a great tweeter imo with outstanding resolution and a nice presentation with it. Very open and airy but not your average metal dome sound. The biggest problem is price. Here in the UK it's almost doubled in price in the last 2 years when I bought a pair last (a sore subject discussed in another threat, which was closed down, so we won't go there). It's a fantastic tweeter I believe but when you factor in the new price here, then it becomes time to perhaps look elsewhere for value for money.
As for alternatives, I tried a Dayton RS28A, a wonder tweeter on paper perhaps, plus a metal dome with an almost perfect freq response, yet they did nothing spectacular for me when I played with a pair, was left thinking they were a bit meh actually!
Peerless is still one make here in the UK, where I think we can still get a bargain. I may see if I can try the DA25 at some point. Wonder if it'll get me the Seas 22taf Champagne performance on my Babycham budget 😀
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it is an OK tweeter, doesn’t stand up to today’s.
I think i have a pair of those in my clear out pile. Brand new.
dave
I never rated those if you read it. They were not for me.
The T27 combined with the B110 in that box was a magic combination, a sweat spot in audio design with that crossover. Human voice never sounded so good, no matter how technology advanced, even today.
Still, there are plenty of higher resolution tweeters about in modern times.
There is something alluring about the LS3/5a. I had a love hate relationship with them.
The last pair i heard sounded kinda boxy compared to what i am used to. I hear the same thing in the bigger Harbeths.
dave
The last pair i heard sounded kinda boxy compared to what i am used to. I hear the same thing in the bigger Harbeths.
dave
Hi Dave, I wonder what you regard as a suitable improvement over the T27A, something in the Scan-Speak? What about a D2608-91300? (The old Peerless HDS) or one in the old classic D2008 / D2010 range as used by Naim, Proac etc? (same size not important).
Thanks!
I'll be looking for a 25mm tweeter to go with a 165mm mid-bass in a 2-way so drew up a list of likely suspects. Thinking a crossover at 2.5K up to 3K. They've all been used in DIY designs. Any favourites here - any left out?
Today there are three models available at DigiKey of what started as 'Vifa' XT25 and sold as 'Peerless by Tymphany':
XT25SC90-04 Small face, $19, ok
https://hificompass.com/en/speakers/measurements/peerless/peerless-xt25sc90-04
XT25TG30-04 Normal Face, single magnet, $28, good
https://hificompass.com/en/speakers/measurements/vifa/vifa-xt25tg30-04
XT25BG60-04 Normal face, double magnet, $29, bit better:
https://hificompass.com/en/speakers/measurements/vifa/vifa-xt25bg60-04
Does this link work?
https://www.digikey.com/en/products...MiGpFnkaReAFYAbAGYkDZgCZ2nAC4AnAK68ykSgLr0tQA
XT25SC90-04 Small face, $19, ok
https://hificompass.com/en/speakers/measurements/peerless/peerless-xt25sc90-04
XT25TG30-04 Normal Face, single magnet, $28, good
https://hificompass.com/en/speakers/measurements/vifa/vifa-xt25tg30-04
XT25BG60-04 Normal face, double magnet, $29, bit better:
https://hificompass.com/en/speakers/measurements/vifa/vifa-xt25bg60-04
Does this link work?
https://www.digikey.com/en/products...MiGpFnkaReAFYAbAGYkDZgCZ2nAC4AnAK68ykSgLr0tQA
IMO the Dayton ND25FW-4 is one of the best home audio tweeters regardless of the price, have very low distortions, clean waterfall (I didn't find a cleaner waterfall on the linked site below) and a nice waveguide, ohh and it sounds really good too. It is probably a Peerless/Vifa iteration. Best used 3 kHz and up, but can be used from 2 kHz if slightly more harmonic distortion is allowed. One tricky part is the high Q behaviour around Fs, but it's not a big deal in most cases.
http://www.dibirama.altervista.org/...n-audio-nd25fw-4-tweeter-1-4-ohm-40-wmax.html
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...arts-express-diy-c-note-speaker-review.12693/
http://www.dibirama.altervista.org/...n-audio-nd25fw-4-tweeter-1-4-ohm-40-wmax.html
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...arts-express-diy-c-note-speaker-review.12693/
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At a circa 2k local (Atlanta, Ga) DIY Meet there were a bunch of DIY two way bookshelf speakers with one standout for me as it sounded WG loaded/better overall off axis and looked nothing particularly unique and was told the make model, but memory being was it's not nowadays, anybody got a clue which model it is to recommend?
No I don't.. but the waveguide you use and the way you use it, as well as the EQ you apply tend to have a greater effect on the sound than the driver you use, provided it is at least an appropriate choice.
The DX25 or comparable Scan Speak, SEAS 27’s and SB26ST or SB26ADC are a bit of no-brainers to me, as they can be fitted to proven waveguides (Augerpro, WG300 or WG148) and have proven themselves many times. The XT-series suffer from higher distortion at low frequencies and/or high levels. Of course you can spend a lot more and that pays back a (little) bit, but imho you have to have your design capabilities sorted out big way to make that happen.
I wouldn’t consider combining bare tweeters with 6” (or bigger) midwoofers any more. You hardly get the directivity right and you have to pay attention to big roundovers or facets on your enclosure.
I wouldn’t consider combining bare tweeters with 6” (or bigger) midwoofers any more. You hardly get the directivity right and you have to pay attention to big roundovers or facets on your enclosure.