A good and budget friendly PA midrange

[Biscu]

Happy New Year!

I try to decide upon a good PA midrange driver for my home hi-fi diy speaker project and I can't find some real advices for my situation:
- freq from 250Hz to 3500Hz (or 4000HZ !? I try to avoid XO in critical midrange area)
- size from 6 to 8 inch (some bass still required)
- spl arround 96dB (could be plus/minus 2dB)
- power minimum 100W
- impedance 8 ohm
- this midrange will be between a 12 inch bass and a SEOS 12 waveguide ...
- prefered brands : Beyma, Fane, B&C
- and, unfortunately, the price should be really friendly!

Any experience please? Thank you

Also still not decided yet what 1" driver to buy for the SEOS 12 ... but this in an old story.

 

[TBTL]

You could cross the 12" directly to the SEOS 12. That would be a perfect match in terms of directivity if you cross around 1 kHz. With a smaller midrange crossed at a higher frequency you would throw away (constant) directivity in the midrange.

 

[Biscu]

I could try first this 2 way as most projects indicates ... my ideea was to not let the 12" play over 250Hz. From what I read arround this forum the SEOS 12 with BC DE250 could be cross arround 1kHz. Also the Beyma CP380 seems interesting to me, but can't (financialy) afford to buy the wrong one, I must go for sure and seems everyone indicates the BC DE250.

I previously owned a pair of BC DE250 and sold them ...

 

[zmyrna]

check faital pro for both cone and compression drivers...
top quality and reasonably priced.

do you already have the seos?

 

[pinkmouse]

Hi Biscu, have a look at Faital drivers. Decent prices and pretty good performance. Ciare are also well worth a look, the FXE6.15 is an excellent driver for the price.

edit: Snap!

Oh and have a look at the Celestion CDX1730, I like it a lot, (better than the DE250, though that may get me shot! ), and it's not that expensive.

 

[Biscu]

Thank you for the ideas.

The SEOS are ordered but is all that complication with shipping over the ocean, a third party involved, still not clear the shipment details ...

I know Faital Pro , they are expensive for what I have planned but maybe I should have a second look.

I have noticed arround a few "rebels" here ... with Celestion compression drivers
but I want to be ready for both 2 way and 3 way projects, so I need a driver to be able (just in case) to XO at 1kHz.

 

[pinkmouse]

The Celestion CDX1-1747 goes a bit lower, and though I've never used it, I have heard it in a system, (with a CD horn if that influences your choice), and it was pretty good too. And still about half the price of a DE250.

 

[JonBocani]

8FE200 without a doubt.

 

[youknowyou]

audax pr170mo

 

[pinkmouse]

audax pr170mo

Yup, but like the CDs I recommended, doesn't go low enough for the OP, I wouldn't think of taking one lower than about 450-500hz.

But it is excellent, though for home use, I'd go for the HM100Z0, which is better. But still not low enough...

 

[youknowyou]

Yup, but like the CDs I recommended, doesn't go low enough for the OP, I wouldn't think of taking one lower than about 450-500hz.

But it is excellent, though for home use, I'd go for the HM100Z0, which is better. But still not low enough...

300hz is easily doable.
I acheved in 35L sealed -3db at 300hz. the advantage is how clean and good it sounds up to 5khz.

about the 170mo:
..crossover: ESP 4th order LR 2-way active @ 500Hz

Thorsten
Bad choice. X-Over point is too high. Consider using a lower X-Over point (< 250Hz), a suitably large baffle and a low order X-Over. If you do your homework you can combine driver, baffle and a 1st HPF into a combination that offers a 4th order acoustical slope.

The Driver has a resonance aorund 120Hz and a Qt of 0.5, in other words without baffle rolloff you will have 120Hz/-6db. Make the baffle large enough and add a suitable 1st Order HPF and you can aim at 250Hz -6db and make the Woofer system to match. The woofer system needs to not go excessively low if you have a sub.

 

[pinkmouse]

With an Xmax of 0.5mm and the substantial roll off below 500Hz, I certainly wouldn't go that low. You might choose differently.

 

[youknowyou]

With an Xmax of 0.5mm and the substantial roll off below 500Hz, I certainly wouldn't go that low.

400hz to 5khz is what id recommend.

but im using it crossed 3th order at 280hz and can play the system as loud as I want without any issue.

 

[pinkmouse]

You quoted me before my edit went through...

 

[youknowyou]

You quoted me before my edit went through...

to add, ive actually by mistake played the audax pr170mo without highpass for days playing s loud as I want and the audax are still intact.

the xmax of 0.5mm is low, but when you see the audax playing without highpass bass content, you udnerstand that destroying the PA audax midrange would be imho impossible with a xo at 250hz

 

[pinkmouse]

.. you udnerstand that destroying the PA audax midrange would be imho impossible with a xo at 250hz

No, not impossible, but I did work in pro audio.

 

[youknowyou]

No, not impossible, but I did work in pro audio.

oh forgot to add, impossible to destroy with a xo at 250hz at any domestic levels. unless you listen at 110db in your living room. I never go pass 95db. YMMV

 

[Biscu]

Very nice price for the Faital Pro 8FE200, also the response curve looks nice for what I have in mind. I used to know that they make good drivers but they are rather expensive ... surprised me with this 8FE200!

So, given the SEOS 12 with B&C DE250 and this Faital Pro 8FE200, Xo at 250Hz and 3500Hz with miniDSP (I already have one) and all driven by my Anthem 4 channels power amp at 125W / channel ... what the problem(s) could be? Is something wrong here? Directivity?

BTW, the 8FE200 will be mounted on open baffle! forgot to mention that ...
My speakers are a kind of modular construction, the passive bass is already in his own box and all the rest are mounted on an open baffle mounted on top of the bass box. I try to add some pictures ...

 

[EarlK]

Westlake has used the PR170 ( a variant of ) in their BBSM-12 studio monitor ( for decades now ).

A look inside ( here at LHF ).

The PR170 is a pro mid that everybody ought to explore ( DIYing ) at one time or another ( IMHO, of course ).

- Replacement parts ( foam surrounds etc. ) here!

 

[mr2racer]

I have a pair of Faital Pro 6" you could have cheap. PM me if you like.