Fostex 208E-Sigma

[TaaJ]

Has anyone heard either the two recommended units (FE208 Mid/T900A Tweeter)?

I'm interested in using 208E and the T925A Tweeter instead, in the recommended Fostex enclosure

http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/speaker_comp/pdf/recom_enclose/208ez_enclrev.pdf

Mainly because I like the looks and have wanted a BLH Enclosure, and also these would be my first speakers and this is pretty close to being a kit.

I have two concerns with building these. I've read a few reviews of the 168 Sigmas. Most people described the Bass as "suprising". I take that two ways. Suprising as in very good, or suprising as "I didn't expect much, but it was decent". Bass isn't the most important thing for me, but I love to feel my speakers in certain pieces. My musical choices are very wide. I listen to Electronic music the most, which has many genres in it. Classical, Acoustic, Drum and Bass, Electric Guitars etc. so Bass is important to a certain extent.

Another concern is basically the value. Without the lumber which I can source for cheap, it will come to $880ish total. Are there better performing units in that price range?

Im powering these with a Gainclone.

 

[joe carrow]

Are you totally sold on the idea of a BLH?

Some interesting alternatives in your price range, IMO, would be the Hammer Dynamics super 12.

http://www.hammerdynamics.com

I think that could save you some money with this one.

If you enjoyed building that gainclone and you've got the budget for it; you might consider something like the Orion. Bi/tri-amping with active crossovers is supposed to have a lot of potential.

Madisound has other kits- http://madisound.com/kits.html

If you're prepared to build a BLH, then the Thor T-line could also be a contendor. Again, it's a bit more money at $1025 without cabinets- but you were going to need to spend more than $880 once you got crossovers anyhow.

Also, I've noticed that some electronic music has VERY low bass- below 40hz for sure. Anything mentioned so far is going to require a good sub to hit a sub 30hz note with any sort of authority. IMO, that's another reason to consider bi-amping. You save a lot of trouble with trying to get an 8" driver to play 30hz, let it run from 40 or 50 hz up, and then use a big beefy amp for the very lowest of the lows.

Good luck!

 

[ScottG]

you could spend a bit more and do this..

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=42012

I can almost hear Paul Hogan looking at your prospective horn and saying: "Thats not a horn mate.. Now THATS a HORN!"

(The Gainclone could be converted to current operation rather easily.)

 

[Josephjcole]

Has anyone heard either the two recommended units (FE208 Mid/T900A Tweeter)?

I'm interested in using 208E and the T925A Tweeter instead, in the recommended Fostex enclosure

http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/speaker_comp/pdf/recom_enclose/208ez_enclrev.pdf

Mainly because I like the looks and have wanted a BLH Enclosure, and also these would be my first speakers and this is pretty close to being a kit.

I have two concerns with building these. I've read a few reviews of the 168 Sigmas. Most people described the Bass as "suprising". I take that two ways. Suprising as in very good, or suprising as "I didn't expect much, but it was decent". Bass isn't the most important thing for me, but I love to feel my speakers in certain pieces. My musical choices are very wide. I listen to Electronic music the most, which has many genres in it. Classical, Acoustic, Drum and Bass, Electric Guitars etc. so Bass is important to a certain extent.

Another concern is basically the value. Without the lumber which I can source for cheap, it will come to $880ish total. Are there better performing units in that price range?

Im powering these with a Gainclone.

I certainly think for the money you would have a very good speakers. However they are not going to give you the chest pounding bass. I have never heard this exact combination, but I have heard the 208e in a different enclosure and other fostex drivers in a fostex enclosure. From this I would guess that your bass will be fairly satisifing down to around 40-50Hz with good dynamics, however below that........ everything from there up though is quite nice, and I'm sure you will find it quite satisifing if you don't mind just the impression of bass with out the physical impact. If you wanted more bass you certainly could build a larger backloaded horn. I'm not suggesting the Klienhorns but something between them and the fostex recomended enclosures.
Joe

 

[Nelson Pass]

Really, even the Kleinhorns don't pound you down at 40 Hz
unless you load a beefier driver.

That doesn't mean you can't have a really nice pair of speakers
with these drivers, depending on your taste. I use current
sources to get bottom end out of the 208's.

 

[Josephjcole]

I would think the Fostex 208e sigma would constitute a beefier driver in comparison to the Lowther DX55. Since the Fostex is about 2" bigger and has a resonant frequency a full octave lower.... but you probably know better than I do
BTW Nelson... Do you have any problem with vibrations in the klienhorns? It just looks like there are a lot of large unbraced surfaces, and I know that unbraced back loaded horns love to resonate to the music.
Joe

 

[TaaJ]

It sounds like what I'm looking for are the Orions, or at least something with a Woofer with it's "own box."

And the Thors are certainly something I've been looking at as Horns aren't a necessity here, just something that crossed my mind.

 

[planet10]

I have two concerns with building these. I've read a few reviews of the 168 Sigmas. Most people described the Bass as "suprising". I take that two ways. Suprising as in very good, or suprising as "I didn't expect much, but it was decent". Bass isn't the most important thing for me, but I love to feel my speakers in certain pieces.

With a BLH the bass is too a large extent determind by the size of the horn... to get real low, it needs to be really big.

dave

 

[454Casull]

Here's to hoping for some distortion testing of that unit!

 

[TaaJ]

Thanks for the input everyone.

I'm pretty much decided on the THOR. I can source wood for cheap because my Dad can get some from his construction job, so they only end up being ~$200 more than the Fostex.

This will all be done through my computer as a source, and I had planned to make a 5.1 setup for gaming in a few years so my thinking is when I'm ready for that, I can use the THORs as Gaming/Home Theatre fronts, and just build a new design for Stereo loads. By that time I hope to be much more experienced, and since the THORs are baiscally kits anyways, this seems like a good project.

 

[Nelson Pass]

BTW Nelson... Do you have any problem with vibrations in the klienhorns? It just looks like there are a lot of large unbraced surfaces, and I know that unbraced back loaded horns love to resonate to the music. Joe

I have vibrations that I don't regard as problems. Actually, we
have experimented a lot with damping surfaces and volumes
in the horns, and after the first few feet, it has been detrimental,
so we have left the 2nd half of the horn undamped.