Just wondering about what kind of music you play on these, and what other components used in your systems?
I am sniffing around for some pro's and con's. I am very much interested in AN drivers, but it seems like most of the people praising them are only listening to jazz and other sorts of accoustic music. I have a broad taste and listen to everything from Dire Straits and Katie Melua to Massive Attack and Norwegian metal...I understand fullrangers don't do well with "noisy" music. But if they excell tremendously in other compartments I can consider them...
any thoughts to share?
I am sniffing around for some pro's and con's. I am very much interested in AN drivers, but it seems like most of the people praising them are only listening to jazz and other sorts of accoustic music. I have a broad taste and listen to everything from Dire Straits and Katie Melua to Massive Attack and Norwegian metal...I understand fullrangers don't do well with "noisy" music. But if they excell tremendously in other compartments I can consider them...
any thoughts to share?
I was wondering the same as I enquired recently about postage costs for Fostex from them and got a long email singing the praises of the AN drivers which I took with a pinch of salt.
From everything I've been researching, the Fostex drivers are better than the AN drivers for most applications!
From everything I've been researching, the Fostex drivers are better than the AN drivers for most applications!
Let me tell you....I have the super 8's in the 2.8 Ambiance cab (but with the extra speaker in the rear not on top)...I have listened to Primus, wang chung, twisted sister, many classical pieces, weather report, shade, peter murphy, morphine, filter, chilli peppers, and too many various more to mention. Both on LP and CD with my 25 watt tube VTL mono's. The only time I didnt like what I heard was when the recordings were produced crappy. Other than that, I had no need for a sub either. They sound great. David Dicks (owner) has mentioned to me that his 15 inch full rangers sound even better than the 8's. Quite more expensive though.
Aptquark, I'm basing everything from what I've read from people who've directly compared the two drivers. At the end of the day, everything is subjective but from all of my research it was enough for me to discount them. Glad you're happy with them though, I'm sure they're far better than a lot of stuff out there.
Thank you for that, was all I needed to hear. Maybe I'll go for the Ambience if I can afford it. Allways been bi-curious
If you went for the 2.8 Amb., all you need is 2 cast frame 8's, and 2 steel frame 8's. The 2nd pair help to reinforce the bass frequencies. If you go for that setup, let me know and ill show you how I did mine. I Find the rear placed drivers much better than on top.
IMO, a lot depends on how loud you tend to listen. If you run full range, as you go up in level then more and more intermod products will come into play. Reduce the level and it'll clear up. This is a general fullrange comment from my experience and not specifically pointed towards the AN drivers, though I do have and enjoy a pair of AN 12's.
An option if the music you like and the level you like start to push you into this less clean and clear reproduction area, then you can always opt to filter off the lowest frequencies and send them to a seperate LF driver. That will tend to allow louder levels with less cone motion and less intermod problems.
Good luck!
I would agree with the comments on the AN drivers. I own a pair of the standard 8s and they are by far the best drivers I have heard. The fostex models are similar but I just prefer the ANs.
They do start distorting when you turn it up, but so does every other full range driver. Nothing to worry about. AN is heartily recommended... you will not be disappointed.
They do start distorting when you turn it up, but so does every other full range driver. Nothing to worry about. AN is heartily recommended... you will not be disappointed.
If you want finesse have a look at the Mark Audio Alpairs.
I would stay away from the stamped basket ANs, i have only seen those and was left unimpressed. The cast basket ones come with high praise, particularily the 8". I do not subscribe to the D Dick's school of box design, i have fixed one already,
If you order a pair i would also suggest getting a guarantee of pair matching -- being in Europe i would insist on seeing the impedance curves before ordering -- attached is the measures from a "pair" of stamped basket AN8 i am currently working over.
dave
I would stay away from the stamped basket ANs, i have only seen those and was left unimpressed. The cast basket ones come with high praise, particularily the 8". I do not subscribe to the D Dick's school of box design, i have fixed one already,
If you order a pair i would also suggest getting a guarantee of pair matching -- being in Europe i would insist on seeing the impedance curves before ordering -- attached is the measures from a "pair" of stamped basket AN8 i am currently working over.
dave
Attachments
Thanks.
I never listen at extreme levels, and my Dali 2002's play more than loud enough with a Fatman Carbon. I am looking for quality of sound not quantity
Thanks for the feedback guys. I have a few options to consider
I don't listen at extreme levels either until somebody tells me to turn it down. When I hear "good" music it draws me in (low distortion for our purposes) We want to get closer until we get close enough and the music is loud enough for us to really listen. The "better" the music usually the louder.
Most ANs will give you at least 104+ db with 10 watts. That's plenty.
If you wanted equal bass reinforcement from the pair i'd posted, you'd probably need to build 2 different boxes. As they are suited for use as mid-tweeters in a FAST.
dave
To me that does not look bad at all. Build one cabinet for both and do a blind test to see if you can tell the difference. Besides, if you are going to do an open baffle, the bass response hardly matters. Too much is made of the Audio Nirvana parameters. While they are probably poorly manufactured, they're still leagues ahead of the other drivers.
I'm also surprised in that there isn't a rising impedance, very, very typical of AN drivers.
I would probably not hear such a difference between the drivers, and I beleive in a cabinet such as the 2.8 Ambience, it would be even harder to distingiush.
Anyway, I am so set on trying out AN, that I will buy a pair of Super 8's or 10's of the cast frame edition.
After what I have gathered it is a love/hate relationship after all.
So nought left but to try.
Anyway, I am so set on trying out AN, that I will buy a pair of Super 8's or 10's of the cast frame edition.
After what I have gathered it is a love/hate relationship after all.
So nought left but to try.
A big fan of what the larger 12" stamped AN driver did in my system in the Dicks 2.8 box (and I'd love recommendations on how I could play around with the 2.8s I have to potentially improve the sound). Compared to a Fostex 8" driver in a back loaded horn, I thought the AN could handle a wider range of musical genres.
Also spoke to Dicks recently and he mentioned that AN would be coming out with neodynamium (sp?) drivers shortly as well. Price somewhere between the alnico and the ferrite magnets.
Also spoke to Dicks recently and he mentioned that AN would be coming out with neodynamium (sp?) drivers shortly as well. Price somewhere between the alnico and the ferrite magnets.
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