"Best" extended midrange driver below $200 ?

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After discussing with a sound engineer, I figured I needed a big driver if I wanted enregy in the low-midrange. Therefore, the most suitable driver for this purpose would be a 8" (20cm) widerange driver, and the best I've seen for this purpose is the Supravox 215RTF64 (the signature is not suitable here because it has less "punch" due to high Qts).

It could be used from 130Hz to 6-7kHz

Hope it helps !

BTW : I've not much money yet, so this project will maybe only start in a few months.
 
youyoung21147 said:
After discussing with a sound engineer, I figured I needed a big driver if I wanted enregy in the low-midrange. Therefore, the most suitable driver for this purpose would be a 8" (20cm) widerange driver, and the best I've seen for this purpose is the Supravox 215RTF64 (the signature is not suitable here because it has less "punch" due to high Qts).

It could be used from 130Hz to 6-7kHz

Hope it helps !

BTW : I've not much money yet, so this project will maybe only start in a few months.

You coukd make do with a 5" (JX92, Veravox5, etc..) if you XO higher (say 100-200Hz depending on the ammount of slam you want).

The advantage of the smaller drivers is less beaming and in many cases better integration with the tweeters (G2si, Fountek etc...) usually used with fullrange drivers.

In any case these drivers are very quick (I have only heard the JX92) and the bass system should such that it does not detract from the sound of the fullrange/widerange.
 
I have finished the conception of my project considering high output capability (112dB/1m max), low distorsion and low directivity.
It is a 3-way design, active filtered, closed subwoofers, open baffle midrange, dome tweeter.

I have already bought the bass drivers (B&C 15PS100)

I have chosen the Supravox 215RTF64 for its excellent performance from 140 to 1800Hz.

A tweeter is used above. (Seas 27TBFCG)

Mathematically, there are two limits to this system :

- the woofer's excursion under 35Hz ("only" 100dB/1m @ 20Hz)
- the tweeter's excursion in the 1800 ~ 2500Hz region ("only" 106dB/1m continuous)

I have chosen a 8" driver because this part of the sound spectrum supports much transcients and must not limit overall performance. A smaller driver is mathematically limited, even if we don't talk about distorsion.


I should have finished it for Christmas, comments will be posted.

Cheers !
 
Hello youyoung21147,


What is your aproach for the active filter? Are you going to use it in a minimalistic way, just to take care of the cross-over points, or you will go all the way, a la linkwitz, with time delay circuits and so on?

I personaly believe that 215rtf is one of the best choises for midrange...

Good luck with the project!
 
I thought the 215rtf was a widerange. BTW how do a large drivers like the 215rtf, Fostex 207 etc.. manage the beaming at higher frequencies?

Some years back I was playing with a few 8" drivers (a few were woofers a few were widerange) and I did notice in listening tests that the widerange drivers although having the same diameter as the woofers had less beaming yet in all cases beaming was noticeable above 1500-1800Hz or so. So I think the 1800Hz XO point is a perfect compromise.

A smaller driver will have less beaming and a larger driver has more SPL capability. yet having one driver cover a wide range makes the sound so coherent. using multiple small drivers does not seem a solution thanks to comb effects. seems like one has to live with one or another "evil". :-(

I would like to think that the range mentioned by youyoung21147 in his post above "It could be used from 130Hz to 6-7kHz" will cover a range to allow for the coherence associated with fullrange sound.

Youyoung21147, do let us know how it goes.
 
What is your aproach for the active filter?

No electronic delay compensation : I will mecanically shift the drivers for this purpose. The woofer and midrange are linkwitz transformed to ensure flat response and flat phase.

Filtering is 24dB/oct LR, Q=0,5.


I personaly believe that 215rtf is one of the best choises for midrange...


Do you own one pair ? I've never listened to this unit, but on paper it looks great !



beaming was noticeable above 1500-1800Hz or so. So I think the 1800Hz XO point is a perfect compromise.


Yes, you've understood my choice :D I wanted to use a compression driver + horn instead of the tweeter, but TAD drivers are far too expensive ! (2000-3000$ a pair)

Youyoung21147, do let us know how it goes.

I will :cool:
 
Hello SunRa.

No, I still don't have the Supravox and Seas driver.

I have built the two sealed subwoofers with B&C 15PS100 woofers, but right now they are not in use.

I've left high school for university so I don't live at my parents anymore, and don't have enough space fo such a system in my small flat. As the system stays at my parent's, I cannot work on it very often.

The system should be finished on the 30th of April, for my 18th birthday party :D

Be sure I'll keep you up to date when I get the system measured and working as fine as I expect

;)

P.S = here's a pic of the two subwoofers. So heavy I couldn't move them alone once the drivers were inside ! :hot:


Greets ! :cool:
 

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Best midrange driver

The best mid range driver I know of is made by a marine company who is beginning to make home speakers called Dc Gold. The Reference 7 is 92 db efficient and unique. It used a ferrofluid bearing with no spider under the cone. Also unusual in this price point is the use of a beryllium center dust cap. These drivers work best as dipole with no enclosure. One other benefit is they can be used almost full range. Mine are on a 12 X 16 inch baffle board hooked up directly to the amp. If you use an inductor you loose the magic. If you try to put them in an enclosure use parts express sonic barricade with no fill or micro fiber rags again no crossover unless it is a simple capacitor. Hope this helps hifiralph
 
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