CSS FR125S 'fullranger' anything comparable?

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Exactly how "near" you talking about, Steve? As Dave says, there are literally scores of small FR drivers from which to choose in this category - I have a couple of favorites, including members of the Fostex and MA stables.

Fostex FF85WK
Fostex FF105WK

MA CHR70 (now Gen3)
Alpair 5.2
Alpair 6P
Pluvia 7

Then there's the question of budget.
 
Someone mentioned TangBand. I got the W5-2143 (for me) and the W6-2144 for my sister. For the money I am really impressed with these little drivers.

Here is the W5-2143 in a box and the frequency response.
 

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frugal-phile™
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The FR125 was limited by its abrupt stop when pushed to hard — full force right to the end — it made a very disturbing sound. In the end we decided not to use them in any BR enclosures. Hence sealed or aperiodic enclosures that do not go as low.

I haven’t directly compared to the FR125 but i do know the Pluvia 7 has really good LF potential.

dave
 
Perhaps planet10 or others can chime in as they certainly have more experience than I with Fostex drivers, but the ones I've heard behave gracefully enough when pushed beyond Xmax. Sure, they won't do club-level bass-heavy techno in any kind of sustained manner, but they handle dynamically rich music quite well IMO. I listen daily to a pair of FF125K (see my avatar) with an almost non-existant Xmax of 0.15mm and they have no issue playing at satisfyingly loud levels near-field.
 
I had 4 of the MK CHBW-70s which had a plastic frame and did not seem sturdy to me. I ended up using them in my friend's synergy for his mancave.

I had 4 of the VWR126X drivers in an OB and I found them pretty impressive for the mid-range. Build quality was quite good.

I have had a fair amount of drivers (yes, I do have a problem) and I am very impressed with the TangBand build quality and capabilities for the money.
 

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frugal-phile™
Joined 2001
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CHBW-70s which had a plastic frame and did not seem sturdy to me.

I like the plastic baskets… less ringing compared to aluminum or steel. One does need to be careful with the screws (but that is the case with all drivers — too tight is not good). The new Pluvia baskets improve the tech.

The CHBW is really a midbass… the top end is purposely shelved down about 15 dB at 5kHz.

dave
 
My two cents:


I never heard and know nothing about the CSS FR125S, so please read my comments in light of that fact. I own and have directly compared these drivers to each other: Tang Band W8-1808, W5-1611, W5-2143, Markaudio Alpair 10P, Alpair 10 Gen. 2. I have tested them both on a 48" X 48" baffle and in a variety of cabinets, all within one meter listening distance. Since the W8-1808 is an 8" driver and requires a fairly large cabinet, I think we can discount that one for your stated usage.


All of these drivers produce what I would call acceptable sound quality, but my favorite, the one I think has the best tonal balance both on and off axis, is the Tang Band W5-2143. It models well in a small bass reflex cabinet, but the limited Xmax restricts the bass output. If you can live with that limitation you will be rewarded with a driver that produces a smooth and detailed sound that is equally superb at both lower and higher volume levels.
 
Steve - for that close a listening distance, I'd suggest either the Alpair6P, or Fostex FF85WK. The latter is a bit more forward and dynamic in the mids, but in a nearfield application punches way above its weight class. I run a pair very compact pair of boxes with little Topping TP30 amp .

I've heard the FR125, and as Dave noted earlier, it was a helluva driver 10yrs ago, but there's more from which to choose these days. Of course there'll be lots of other suggestions - careful what you ask for, analysis paralysis is almost guaranteed at least once in a while .;)
 
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