hi everyone. I'm so impressed with my audax midrange in my 3-way, and getting so much fun building speakers, that I want to now build a 2-way with the audax HM170CO driver. I'm pretty set on this driver because it goes fairly low, low enough for my needs and its audax, which I trust completely.
this is the woofer: The Madisound Speaker Store
I want the project to be relatively cheap, around 500$-600$. The audax is 100$ each, so that let me about 100$ max each for the tweeters, 50$ for the wood, and 500 to 100$ for the crossover parts. Doable!
So, what tweeter would match great with the audax mid-bass?
I'm thinking about something like the SEAS 19TFF...
thanks
this is the woofer: The Madisound Speaker Store
I want the project to be relatively cheap, around 500$-600$. The audax is 100$ each, so that let me about 100$ max each for the tweeters, 50$ for the wood, and 500 to 100$ for the crossover parts. Doable!
So, what tweeter would match great with the audax mid-bass?
I'm thinking about something like the SEAS 19TFF...
thanks
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I'd be inclined to stick with Audax for the tweeter as well, any of the TW025 series . The 19TFF are only $30 each, and in that price range each, any of the 3/4" - 1" soft domes should be quite acceptable. If you feel the need to get more spendy than $40 each, then look at the SEAS Excel, ScanSpeak Classics, Illuminators or Revelators .
The only firm suggestion I'd make is to look for one with the lowest FS - it simply makes life easier when it comes to XO design - if the mid-woof's high-end roll-off sounds as benign as the FR graph suggests, then you might possibly be able to get away with simply a HP filter cap on the tweeter - far less than $100 unless you get silly with high-tech caps. ( Deulund, Jupiter, etc)
I built a pair of 2 ways with the Audax HM170-Z18 and Scan Speak 9500's. That was a good pairing. I was just a little disapointed with the Z18 though in that it had a notable bump in the response around 2800 Hz. I could always hear that bump when I crossed them over at 3 kHz, even when eq'd out. I ended up crossing them over between 2-2.3 kHz and they sounded better. According the Audax plot on the Madisound site, the C0 does not have a similar bump and looks smooth to a higher frequency. The bump in the FR of the Z18 was evident even in Audax's published graphs, so I'd be inclined to trust that the C0 is indeed smooth to higher frequencies. Anyway, SS9500 is a good possibility although I'm sure there are other better tweeters for less money these days.
Dan
Dan
Okay! thanks so far! the SS 9500 are too expensive. Ideally, something around 50$ for the tweeter is ideal.
if not, what tweeter are you using and how do you like your speaker with the audax? Could you share me your crossover?
hi, is this what you are using? The Madisound Speaker Store
if not, what tweeter are you using and how do you like your speaker with the audax? Could you share me your crossover?
your first post seemed to suggest a budget of $100 each for tweeters - there are several slightly lower cost ( ie. under $35) similar models by VIFA, as well as an interesting dimpled soft dome/ring by SB (the dimple bears an interesting resemblance to dust cap on Mark Fenlon's new A10P - I suspect we may see more like this )
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yeah, so I'm willing to go that high if its worth it, of course! but not up to 140$...
The non magnetically shielded version;
The Madisound Speaker Store
IMO, it has the extension, detail and delicacy of a lot of ribbons, the dynamics of a metal dome but without the typical sizzle as the dome resonates.
I have extensive experience both selling as well as building speakers and Audax is my favorite for a moderate cost high performance driver that does not have a lot of cone resonances. Most importantly the Audax does not have an overly damped cone which IMO, zaps the liveliness out of the speaker.
I prefer 6db x-overs. Lots of compromises I know but I value their strengths much more than their weakness. If you need to be able to play at loud volume levels over long periods of time I'd recommend 12db or higher.
perfect. I will follow you with the tweeter!
what is the enclosure size you recommend? How low do the woofer go? Im looking for 50hz...
A quick sim in WinISD shows F3@57Hz and F10@41.5Hz in a 14 Litre box with 51.4Hz tuning.
jeff
After baffle step compensation (assuming a modest baffle/enclosure), average sensitivity will be pretty low (around 85 db).
I personally prefer a somewhat softer/sculpted sound than the vifa rings, my suggestion:
Tang Band 28-537SH 1-1/8" Fabric Dome Tweeter 264-870
oh... That I didnt know. I have a 12w chip amp in 8 ohm. it would be limit I think BUT, this is for my TV set so wont go really loud ever! just need max 90 db.... I just finished a pari of alpairs 12p BR standmount and want to build a similar price 2-way and then see which I prefer. The 12p is 92 db, goes realy really loud with the 12 w, I dont need that loud. would 85 db efficiency be just enough with my 12w amp?
BTW, I love the alpair, but I am now officially addicted to building speakers, gotta build more!
So youv heard the scan speak ring radiator and the TB and prefer the TB?
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I would go with Scott G's original suggestion and use an Audax TWO25AO with that mid-bass driver. You won't be disappointed in the top end and it will match well with the bottom end. I wouldn't go any higher than 2.5Khz for a crossover point though. For the money those drivers are hard to beat.
double ring radiator vs dome tweeter
As far as baffle step goes, my baffle is only slightly wider than the Audax woof and the tweeter section of the baffle is about the same area as the woofer. My in room responce at 2.83 volts is 88db.
Not sure what a "sculpted sound" is but the tang bang is a few db more efficient but has a rising responce, up 5db at 10k, then drops back down at 20khz and then falls off completely. Also doped cones such as this one are very well behaved as the doping helps to eliminate the tendency of the tip of the dome to break up or resonate however it also tends to effect what I call the livelyness or quickness of the tweeter. Last but not least, IMO, as well as in many study's, the added extension of the ring radiator on the top, beyond 20k, helps our ears to hear things properly.
As far as baffle step goes, my baffle is only slightly wider than the Audax woof and the tweeter section of the baffle is about the same area as the woofer. My in room responce at 2.83 volts is 88db.
Not sure what a "sculpted sound" is but the tang bang is a few db more efficient but has a rising responce, up 5db at 10k, then drops back down at 20khz and then falls off completely. Also doped cones such as this one are very well behaved as the doping helps to eliminate the tendency of the tip of the dome to break up or resonate however it also tends to effect what I call the livelyness or quickness of the tweeter. Last but not least, IMO, as well as in many study's, the added extension of the ring radiator on the top, beyond 20k, helps our ears to hear things properly.
Not my suggestion.
I've heard several Audax tweeters over the decades (fabric) - sort of a "whispy" sound to them, but still good space and imaging.
I'll take a *good* Esotar variant any day over them - especially one that's as well engineered as the Tangband.
The Tangband can be crossed low.
Another option is the older scan speak variants "Usher"/Dayton - the RS28A, RS28F, and the Usher 9950, but they are more expensive and don't necessarily sound better or perform better. (..certainly the RS28A is a bit different with an aluminum diaphragm.)
For even more there is the Peerless/Scan Speak HDS - sort of a synthetic posing as a metal tweeter = more detail (but without the break-up), if starting to trend into "thin" again.
Also,
"sculpted" = more 3d imaging. I've not heard the Tangband, but I've heard esotar/esotec and variants over the years, and tend to like the sound better than most tweeters. Search for other comments on the driver. Morel makes several types, (some with good objective performance, some not so much), but they cost more.
Designs I've heard using the vifa ring's have been uniformly overdamped - leading to a "flat" image, and sometimes a bit truncated in depth overall. Still, clean and clear though.
thanks a lot, I will trust you since youve build the same thing using the same audax woofer. Lets pm each other from now on
Thanks a lot for everyone. that was a fast answering thread. 6 hours and the design is complete!
cheers, I'll report here once my speaker is done!
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