Who's had both?

[Bluto]

I owned CSS FR125's for awhile. Never got them where I wanted to but was getting some good sounds at one point.
Loved the mids but bass was empty and they didn't like power. I truly loved the appearance of the driver.

Now all speak of Mark Audio and no one speaks of CSS. I'm having a hard time getting used to the looks. For sound I might be willing to try these.

Who's owned both and can draw a comparison?

 

[Jim Griffin]

I've used the CSS FR125S in a bipolar MLTL design (see my thread on DIYaudio) which has been well received by listeners. It won the Parts Express DIY low cost speaker competition last year and others have been impressed with the sound.

Earlier I used the CSS WR125S (the first in the line of CSS widerange/full range speakers and later replaced with the FR version). The line arrays use an Aurum Cantus G3 OEM version ribbon tweeter. These arrays use 12 WR or now FR125S per side with 9 of the A-C tweeters perside. CSS offered a kit for these arrays for several years but they are no longer in their product list.

I've done MLTL speakers with he Mark Audio Alpair 10 and Alpair 6 drivers. Another bipolar MLTL uses CSS EL70 driver which is a Mark Audio produced driver made with a paper cone.

Now Creative Sound Solutions (CSS) is owned by Bob Reimer (based in British Columbia) which distributes and sells speaker building items and accessories. Bob has provided the impetus for several driver developments and continues to be an asset to the DIY and speaker industry for many years. He has worked with TangBand, Mark Audio, and other companies to have proprietary drivers developed.

Mark Fenlon (Mark Audio) is a UK native who now lives in Hong Kong. He is a bright mechanical engineer who worked with Ted Jordan for several years. Mark also worked to bring out some new Jordan models and anticipated a major mangement role at Jordan when Ted retired. But Ted sold the company to the Swedish interests. Mark left to form Mark Audio with production in China and the rest is history.

Jim

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/61753-bipolar-mltl-speaker-fr125s-wr125s.html

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/148939-offset-bipolar-mltl-css-el70-drivers-part-1-a.html

http://www.greatplainsaudiofest.com/Photos/CSSLineArray01.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/tlinespeakers/FAL/downloads/BipolarMLTLDesignPak.pdf


http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/137585-mark-audio-alpair-10-mltl-design.html

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/138750-small-mltl-mark-audio-alpair-6-drivers.html

 

[Jim Griffin]

I remembered another recent positive comment about my bipolar MLTL with the CSS FR125S drivers. Fred Thompson from Houston made an iteration on my design--added a rear mounted tweeter which enhances the reverberent sound field for better high frequency sound.

Best Sounding Single Drivers

Jim