I have a pair of FOCAL drivers (7L-011DB) but thinking about using them in a DYI build.
Would these work for a full range set up? Or open baffle? Or both.
Obviously, I'm a clueless newbee...
Anyway, they are the metal basket Focals, not the later plastic baskets.
They seem in excellent operation condition.
Got them in a DIY set I bought years ago and they've been in the closet since then.
Would these work for a full range set up? Or open baffle? Or both.
Obviously, I'm a clueless newbee...
Anyway, they are the metal basket Focals, not the later plastic baskets.
They seem in excellent operation condition.
Got them in a DIY set I bought years ago and they've been in the closet since then.
Attachments
Those later, plastic basket jobs have a tendency to warp over time from the weight of the magnets.
And the tweeters are prone to frying too.
Quality goes down, yet the prices go up.
Sad.
And the tweeters are prone to frying too.
Quality goes down, yet the prices go up.
Sad.
Those are the dual voice coil Kevlar mid bass units from the early 90s. They are nice drivers but not a full range. they are suitable for open baffle either as the Qts was too low. They also don’t take a lot of power before they burn the VC. Use them in a bass reflex two way and the sound great. The mids are very clear but you might need a notch filter to tame the break up in the upper mids. You can use the two voice coils to do baffle step compensation. Over all a good driver if not over powered.
Thanks so much! I'll have to read up on your suggestions. I'm assuming you meant "not suitable for open baffle", not "suitable". I did get them out of a DYI base reflex so that's probably where they'll end up, or sell them.
Yes, they should not be used in open baffle! Keep the power under 50 watts too, they are rated at more but from experience they are not. Try using them in a bass reflex for best results.
These came stock in the SOTA Panorama speaker from the late 80s, among others. They have a low Qts and an Fs of something like 37Hz and want to be in a small box.
It so happens that I have a pair of 7K011-DB on which I replaced the surrounds with rubber that is thicker and has a higher Fs and higher Qts. (On my other Focal kevlar 7-inchers I used foam surrounds that have high compliance like the stock rubber. They are in smaller enclosures of course.)
These want to be in an open baffle or a room-sized box and they need a home. Want them? Where do you live, about?
Paul
P.S.: BTW, a seller on Ebay has had a SOTA Panorama crossover on there for ages and no takers. This is designed for that woofer and you could experiment with tweeters similar to the original Focal T-120K. https://www.ebay.com/itm/153468647111
It so happens that I have a pair of 7K011-DB on which I replaced the surrounds with rubber that is thicker and has a higher Fs and higher Qts. (On my other Focal kevlar 7-inchers I used foam surrounds that have high compliance like the stock rubber. They are in smaller enclosures of course.)
These want to be in an open baffle or a room-sized box and they need a home. Want them? Where do you live, about?
Paul
P.S.: BTW, a seller on Ebay has had a SOTA Panorama crossover on there for ages and no takers. This is designed for that woofer and you could experiment with tweeters similar to the original Focal T-120K. https://www.ebay.com/itm/153468647111
Paul - thanks for the offer (and the ebay link) but, based on the feedback, I think I'll do a lot more reading before I start the full range/open baffle trip. I've just started hotrodding an old AR AX and loving how basic the thing is.
BTW, I'm in New Hampshire by way of the west coast but went to NC State and grew up in Greensboro. Small world. Dan :8)
For open baffle you want a Qts over .5 at a minimum. The Focals don’t fall into this group and like a small reflex box for best bass. Their real magic is in the midrange but their bass is not bad. Fast and punchy but not bloated.
Several millennia ago I worked at Speaker City where we sold lots of Focal drivers when they still catered to the diy market. They made lots of really good drivers and a few not so great ones too. The T120k was a great tweeter in a big system but was way too much in a little two wa. That is where the T90 came in. I was partial to the Dynaudio tweeters due to their smooth response but some loved the Focals for their analytical nature. It was a great time in speaker building when we had access to so many brands no longer available to us. Those 7K011 db were great as near field monitors with the T90 tweeters.