Worlds Second Best Speakers

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Tang Band W8-1772

I've been reading with interest an article using these Tang Band full range units.

Has anyone had any experience with them ?
 

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I've tried a few DIY builds which have been absolutely awful. I do like my B&W CM8s but I'm going to try a full range horn design just out of interest.

Dave, could you please list the drivers that you mention. I notice that you have added tweeters to your adaptation of the full range concept.
 
I'm not Dave, but it depends where your sonic priorities lie. The CM8 was one of B&Ws better entry-level[ish] offerings, and is a decent compact multiway floorstander. Doesn't get massively low, but it's well enough executed.

I have doubts about whether you'll prefer the TB driver. I'm not quite as negative about it as Dave -it's an OK example of a whizzer cone 8in widebander- and TB produce some excellent drive units, but I agree with him in that -by my lights- it's overpriced for the performance on offer.
 
What're you looking to improve over the CM8s?

The measurements and schematics I've seen of some B&W speakers suggest they favour extremely simple crossovers, at the expense of drive unit integration.

My approach here would be to measure the existing drivers and come up with a new crossover.

Chris
 
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Dave, could you please list the drivers that you mention. I notice that you have added tweeters to your adaptation of the full range concept.

Tweeters are something we did a lot of playing with early on, but abandoned the idea as, given the physical distance, the tweeter always ends up far too away from the FR (it would need to sit on front to be close enuff) the effect changes dramatically with listening position.

I prefer Alpair 10.3/p/11ms and FF165wk to the big TB. Among others.

dave
 
I have the 1772.
I like them, others have too, like Bob Brines who did some plans for them.

Most people who do not like them because they run them as is.
They are not flat.

They do need a notch, and preferably two notches, then they sound marvellous. Agile, clean, and gorgeous sounding on vocals.

So, either adding two notches passively, or adding some active EQ in your chain will clean them up and sound wonderful.
 
I am not a big fan of notch filters, the cure is often worse than the problem. If you do it actively it would be different and it does not get rd of the coloured sound, just band aids them.

dave

Sorry, but we don't share the same point of view here.

If I were to build a car up, install all the parts as they should be, but not adjust parts that need adjusting, the car would run terribly.

I haven't come across a driver that offered a relatively flat FR, each of them having their own intricacies, and each of them adding their own "colour". But they have the potential to become great, with a little help.

Why would I submit myself to a sound I don't like?

Each relatively good driver has the potential to become great, it just needs a little help, whether it is active, or passive, assuming one does not use parts from a broken toy train or something like that!

And btw, isn't your pattern of painted little dots and stuff like a, albeit colourful and cute, band aid solution as well?
 
I get the impression that this project will be a waste of money but someone on E-Bay will eventually benefit from my efforts.

When I was still fairly new to this hobby, I heard a pair of those TB 8"s loaded into some floorstanding ML-TLs and driven by decent valve amps.
It was very impressive - the detail retrieval on offer was like nothing else I'd heard.

They didn't stand up to being cranked up in a large room, but an average UK living room was no trouble.

As always, I'd recommend a measurement mic etc to make sure you're getting the best out of the speakers.

Chris
 
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