Hi,
I plan to build a WAW/FAST (or whatever terms is used these days) setup in the car with an approx. 3" driver in the a-pillars.
I have had similar setup earlier in an older car but would like to try a new fullrange driver instead of my current P830986.
I am currently considering both the Mark Audio Alpair 5.2 and the Visaton B80 (or the Omnes audio "sister" of the B80).
The plan is to make the XO in the 200-500hz range dependent of the distortion.
My concerns on the Alpair is that is has no spider, so I am not sure if the alignment of the voice coil only dependent on the surround could lead to damage in the harsh car environment.
For the Alpair I can't find any distortion measurements but based on experience would expect the distortion to increase significantly somewhere below 500hz.
The feedback on this forum is generally very positive towards this driver.
The design of the B80 is more classic with an spider, so maybe more rigid for the use in mind.
The B80 shows a rapid increase in distortion below 500hz so will maybe not be able to set the XO as low as I would prefer, but other than that looks like a very nice driver.
The feedback in the subjective blind comparison tests for this unit seems generally positive.
Any feedback on the pros and cons of the drivers would be very much appreciated.
Regards
Rune
I plan to build a WAW/FAST (or whatever terms is used these days) setup in the car with an approx. 3" driver in the a-pillars.
I have had similar setup earlier in an older car but would like to try a new fullrange driver instead of my current P830986.
I am currently considering both the Mark Audio Alpair 5.2 and the Visaton B80 (or the Omnes audio "sister" of the B80).
The plan is to make the XO in the 200-500hz range dependent of the distortion.
My concerns on the Alpair is that is has no spider, so I am not sure if the alignment of the voice coil only dependent on the surround could lead to damage in the harsh car environment.
For the Alpair I can't find any distortion measurements but based on experience would expect the distortion to increase significantly somewhere below 500hz.
The feedback on this forum is generally very positive towards this driver.
The design of the B80 is more classic with an spider, so maybe more rigid for the use in mind.
The B80 shows a rapid increase in distortion below 500hz so will maybe not be able to set the XO as low as I would prefer, but other than that looks like a very nice driver.
The feedback in the subjective blind comparison tests for this unit seems generally positive.
Any feedback on the pros and cons of the drivers would be very much appreciated.
Regards
Rune
TC9FD, TG9FD10-8, 10F/8424, PS95-8, 3FE25-8
Best bang for the buck is TC9FD, but if you like sound of 10F, the 8ohm TG9 is not far off if you can find them. If you like a bit of liveliness to top end, the PS95-8 is a nice driver/ It is also built way above its price point with cast Al frame, underhung half roll surround, copper phase plug. The 3FE25 has a beautiful sound and is 91dB, one of the top performers.
Best bang for the buck is TC9FD, but if you like sound of 10F, the 8ohm TG9 is not far off if you can find them. If you like a bit of liveliness to top end, the PS95-8 is a nice driver/ It is also built way above its price point with cast Al frame, underhung half roll surround, copper phase plug. The 3FE25 has a beautiful sound and is 91dB, one of the top performers.
FWIW, the spiderless BABB line of speakers were sold as car and marine audio products and held up very well in my experience.
Tim, I think the Babbs, and their successors the DC Golds were designed with high durability in rugged environs as a major priority. Were Mark Fenlon to be asked the question regarding the three Alpair models now incorporating the mono-suspension, I suspect his answer would besome something like “wasn’t really the intention, mate”.
Either the silly cheap Peerless TC9s or the Faitals would be on my short list for this application.
Either the silly cheap Peerless TC9s or the Faitals would be on my short list for this application.
As much as i really like the Alpair 5.2, the big bezel might make it too large to fit. I think it is worth a try given how good it it — if you are willing to chance death. My other favorite 3” is the FF85wk. I can’t speake rfor any of the others except for the TC9 which i think is not very good at all.
dave
dave
3FE25, 4 ohm sounds like it would work well for you, as would the 3FE22. I like the TC9 but don't think it would do as well here.
I built an under-dash soundbar for a friend using a pair of 3FE25 to use in his older VW beetle (no other way to get the seakers in front of you on the passenger side there!) using PVC that was stuffed with polyfill, he augmented the setup with a pair of 10" PA-225 subs in the space behind the back seat in an isobaric cone-to-cone, vented arrangement. An additional pair of 4FE25 were installed on a panel above the sub.
Initial installation sounded fantastic, but do to minor nitpicking we eventually ended up adding HF in the form of a pair of AMT pods to either lower corner of the windshield, and giving the rear speakers a shelving low pass around ~7khz. This was done to bring the soundstage up and forwards to compensate for the lower placement of the front speakers in such a limited space, and is where the tweeters were rolled in.
Initial install was two years ago or so, with the tweeters added a couple months later... system still works superbly and has shown no damage from the automotive environment. The subwoofer in particular is a very, very nice option for cars like this with limited space, and was pretty simple as well as affordable too!
I built an under-dash soundbar for a friend using a pair of 3FE25 to use in his older VW beetle (no other way to get the seakers in front of you on the passenger side there!) using PVC that was stuffed with polyfill, he augmented the setup with a pair of 10" PA-225 subs in the space behind the back seat in an isobaric cone-to-cone, vented arrangement. An additional pair of 4FE25 were installed on a panel above the sub.
Initial installation sounded fantastic, but do to minor nitpicking we eventually ended up adding HF in the form of a pair of AMT pods to either lower corner of the windshield, and giving the rear speakers a shelving low pass around ~7khz. This was done to bring the soundstage up and forwards to compensate for the lower placement of the front speakers in such a limited space, and is where the tweeters were rolled in.
Initial install was two years ago or so, with the tweeters added a couple months later... system still works superbly and has shown no damage from the automotive environment. The subwoofer in particular is a very, very nice option for cars like this with limited space, and was pretty simple as well as affordable too!
Last edited:
I hear you, Chris. We were encouraged to demonstrate the Babb's weatherability by dropping them in a bucket of water while playing. My ill-communicated point was that spiderlessness alone shouldn't disqualify a driver from automotive use.
BTW, I'd stick those Alpairs in my car in a heartbeat if they were what I wanted. Just keep an eye on the surround and frame for a while to be sure they can stand the heat, which does require taking a chance.
IMHO, the Faital neo's surprising efficiency, minimum frontal area and small magnet are some pretty good advantages here.
MarkAudio generally warns against excessive UV exposure as it will break down the cone material and shorten the driver life. I would think that might be an issue for in-dash speakers, even with modern car window glass. I admit that I don't specifically know if this applies to the Pluvia 7.
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.