Has anyone heard the TB W5-1138SM

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I see, I think my listening distance will likely be less than that so I shouldn't have to push them so much. I wonder how similar they will be to the 5s.


The idea is more for compact size and bass because I like the idea of pushing the boundaries of what is expected from a small speaker.


Those sub120s are cute little drivers for sure, I like how extended they are, so could push the xo a little higher more comfortably. Obviously my next question will be how do you think they compare to the TBs :)
 
I've found an issue with the Sub120_vHP-F which would prevent me from recommending them at this stage.

If they can fix the issue, then I'd say they're excellent drivers. Kartesian has focused their efforts on high-tech drivers by including an interesting spider design, and demodulation etc in the motor. The Klippel curves are excellent, and the drivers sound really good, apart from the issue I've found.

Lots and lots of bass out of a small box, and the measured response matches the manufacturer curve well. I'm using 1x Sub120 with 1x SB Acoustics 5x8" passive radiator, and they're a good match in terms of displacement. I've had some scary amounts of excursion on the PR.

I'll keep you updated about whether or not this gets fixed.

Chris
 
A pity that Babb's '57? patent keeps getting renewed as it does away with the spider [moves on spindle/ball bearings IIRC] and their Lorelei model has a 1.2" Xmax plus multi-layered VC for at least a 400 W rating [most field tested TTBOMK before they were sold to DC Gold].
 
I've found an issue with the Sub120_vHP-F which would prevent me from recommending them at this stage.

If they can fix the issue, then I'd say they're excellent drivers. Kartesian has focused their efforts on high-tech drivers by including an interesting spider design, and demodulation etc in the motor. The Klippel curves are excellent, and the drivers sound really good, apart from the issue I've found.

Lots and lots of bass out of a small box, and the measured response matches the manufacturer curve well. I'm using 1x Sub120 with 1x SB Acoustics 5x8" passive radiator, and they're a good match in terms of displacement. I've had some scary amounts of excursion on the PR.

I'll keep you updated about whether or not this gets fixed.

Chris


That's a shame because they really do look appealing. What exactly is the issue?


A pity that Babb's '57? patent keeps getting renewed as it does away with the spider [moves on spindle/ball bearings IIRC] and their Lorelei model has a 1.2" Xmax plus multi-layered VC for at least a 400 W rating [most field tested TTBOMK before they were sold to DC Gold].


I've not heard of this before but will make some interesting reading
 
The issue sounds like a rattle, but occurs at medium excursion. Increased signal level increases the excursion, so it's not mechanical limitations.

I suspect it's the air trapped above the polepiece having nowhere to go, so it escapes around the back of the voice coil, which results in a short burst of air passing through.
The neodymium version of this driver has vents in the voice coil former, above the polepiece, which would allow that air to escape.


I've emailed Kartesian and TLHP (supplier) and will see how it goes. If there's no dice there (and there really should be something they can do), I'll try adding vent holes myself.

It's a real shame, because if you play reasonably dense program material, you don't hear it. Something like Royals by Lorde, though, makes any LF rattles very obvious.

Chris
 
Yep, I've got 2x SB65, 2x Sub120 and 2x SB 5x8" PR.
The idea was a compact box, 35Hz-20kHz, with a first-order series crossover somewhere around 1kHz.

Efficiency would be low, but watts are cheap. I've got a few Powersoft T-series amplifiers sitting around here, so it's pretty much unlimited power for home HiFi.

Chris
 
Yes, I'm not too worried about efficiency of the bass driver as long as it can play at a reasonable volume without being pushed too hard. I do have to get a powerful amp still, not sure what to go for with reasonable quality and power. I find the biggest thing I hear in cheaper amps is how much worse the bass is. I am jealous of your ample amp collection
 
Well, running a live sound business has its perks. There are also down-sides, in the current climate.

When it comes to amplifiers, remember that +3dB (a small but noticeable increase in volume) requires 2x the power. +10dB (sounds twice as loud) requires 10x the power.

100w/ch will probably do just fine.

Chris
 
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