Korean Sonodyne S-654 Full-Range/Wide-Range Drivers

[thetubeguy1954]

Hello everyone!

I thought I'd share a very interesting new ---{at least to me, as I had never heard of these full-range/wide-range drivers before}--- I discovered as I was once again perusing the internet this Monday morning! From what I've read so far I believe it's quite possible that materials the cones these drivers use may equal or supersede the sonic capabilities of the materials used in my Fostex FE208ES-R drivers and possibly be of Feastrex washi quality! Of course as everyone here already knows cone material alone doesn't dictate the sonic signature of a driver, but I'm quite excited by the possibilities the usage of this incredible paper may present to audiophiles/music lovers everywhere!

This paper is made of a very unique Korean paper called "Hanji". Hanji is made from the inner bark of Paper Mulberry, a tree native to Korea that grows well on its rocky mountainsides, known in Korean as dak. The formation aid crucial to making hanji is the mucilage that oozes from the roots of Hibiscus manihot. This substance helps suspend the individual fibers in water. The Korean methods used to make hanji are similar to those used by Feastrex in Japan to make the washi paper they use in their cones, but differ in sheet formation techniques ---{traditional hanji is made in laminated sheets using the we bal method, which allows for multi-directional grain}--- and calendering ---{dochim is a method of pounding finished sheets to compact fibers and lessen ink bleed}--- perhaps, while not inexpensive, these may end up being a poor man's Feastrex?

There are 10 prs of these Sonodyne S-654 6.5" full-range/wide-range drivers available on eBay as I'm posting this message here and they can seen by clicking on this link: Sonodyne hanji S-654 6.5" Full-range Speaker Pair - eBay (item 250667624744 end time Feb-11-11 10:25:21 PST) I highly suggest checking them out even if you're just curious about full-range/wide-range drivers, or if perhaps you're interested in possibly upgrading in the future from your present high-quality entry-quality full-range/wide-range drivers ---{like the Fostex FE206E drivers I started with}--- up the line closer to the the middle-level or reference-level range of full-range/wide-range drivers.

NOTE: I am NOT suggesting anyone buy these drivers or that they are a reference-level quality of full-range/wide-range drivers. These drivers are too new ---{for me or anyone else who's not familair with them, heck they're not even posting specifications yet}--- so don't jump to any conclusions yet. What I am suggesting is that any interested parties do what I'm going to do, which is; look at these drivers, check out the cone material ---{I love how it looks and how thin it is}--- and remember the Sonodyne name. I may be mistaken, but I believe these just may turn out to be something very special! So I believe researching the hanji paper-making process and the Sonodyne line of full-range/wide-range drivers that use hanji paper is a smart move. Obviously these drivers don't cost what a pair of Fostex FE206e, Audio Nirvana 'Super 8 Alnico' , Tang Band W8-1772 etc cost. These are up in the Lowther DX4 range cost-wise, but they use a paper similar to the Feastrex washi and cost a lot, lot less. I, for one am very curious and interested in following the testimonies & reviews of those who do buy these drivers and hopefully one day soon a review from one of the webzines.



Tom Scata (thetubeguy1954)

[thetubeguy1954]

WOW! I'm very surprised that no one had anything to say either postively or negatively about the Korean hanji paper used in these drivers and how they feel it may affect the driver's sound. To be quite honest "if" I had the extra $$$$$ available to purchase a pair of these drivers ---I would!

Tom

[Scottmoose]

I wouldn't. Not without knowing more about them and seeing some performance data, which goes for any drive unit.

Beyond that, I don't think there's much that can be usefully said until more information emerges, other than the obvious general remarks. All materials behave differently, so these will be no different on that score, and (one hopes) they are designed to exploit the positive attributes of the chosen materials while minimising the negatives which will exist unless they have invented some new form of reality where compromise doesn't occur. A lot will depend on how well the paper itself is made, and to what level of consistency. Multi-direction grain may be good for self-damping (although there is evidence from other fields to suggest that it may actually weaken a structure under sudden load conditions), but again, this will depend on the inherent production consistency levels, and how effectively it is used for a given application. YMMV as ever of course.

[mp9]

i can only wonder how different the Fullrange be from the Mid-Bass version?
Frequency Response Plot:
?????????

Mid-woofer HANJI654 (bullet)
HANJI 654-PS
■ 6.5 mid-woofer speakers
■ Sensitivity .......................... 91dB 91dB
■ 72~60kHz (-3DB) ■ frequency response band ........... 72 ~ 60kHz (-3DB)
■ DC .....................5.8ohm ■ DC Resistance ..................... 5.8ohm
■ ....................8 ohm ■ .................... 8 ohm impedance
■ ................200W ■ ................ 200W power handling
■ ................3.0 Khz ■ Crosspoint ................ 3.0 Khz
Mid-woofer HANJI654 (bullet)
* Loudspeaker Measurement Systems * Loudspeaker Measurement Systems
* Electro Mech Speaker Parameters * Electro Mech Speaker Parameters
* Reference Curve = Sweep * Reference Curve = Sweep
* Delta M/C Curve = Sweep * Delta M / C Curve = Sweep
* Method = Double Curve - Delta Mass * Method = Double Curve - Delta Mass
* Domain = Free Air * Model = Standard * Domain = Free Air * Model = Standard
Revc = 5.800 Ohm Revc = 5.800 Ohm
Fo = 67.351Hz Fo = 67.351Hz
Sd = 12.272 sqM Vas = 13.99CUM Sd = 12.272 sqM Vas = 13.99CUM
Mms = 8.535g Mms = 8.535g
VC diameter = 39.6 mm VC diameter = 39.6 mm
VC hight = 14mm VC hight = 14mm
Qms = 1.568 Qms = 1.568
Qes = 0.312 Qes = 0.312
Qts = 0.261 Qts = 0.261
¼Ò³ë´ÙÀÎ ¼îÇθô Open

[mp9]

"As soon as possible quickly, I will add accuracy SPEC"
the e-bay listing will be up for almost a month, i wonder how much longer?

[mp9]

...in not seeing the S-654 full-range driver specs, comparisons of a "family signature" may be premature but i should add the mid-bass driver 9db peak at 600Hz isn't very encouraging:
?????????

[thetubeguy1954]

Originally Posted by mp9

...in not seeing the S-654 full-range driver specs, comparisons of a "family signature" may be premature but i should add the mid-bass driver 9db peak at 600Hz isn't very encouraging:
?????????

Thanks Scott & MP9! After reading about the "hanji" paper I was hoping we might actually be seeing the potential, possiblity of a real high-quality, wide-range driver emerging, that wasn't outragously expensive. Oh well I can still hope & dream...

Thetubeguy1954 (Tom Scata)