good or bad idea -- monacor SPH-165KEP

[qubix]

Hi !

I have heard many good things about this unit and think about using it in my next project.

How good is it really? To which mid-woofs in terms of sound quality would you compare it?

I've got a pair of sale out SS 9300 comming up. Is it a good idea to team them up with the monacors?

Another thing. The XO point would be at around 2 - 2.2 kHz, and i would like to get the baffle step correction done somehow. Either by making a 2.5 way or only on XO by lowering overal efficiency. What would you do? a regular 2way with BS correction, 2,5 way or MTM with BS correction?

Thanks !

[bombardon73]

These monacors are really good, for this price you can't get a better 6,5" unit. When compared to the expensive ScanSpeak units they only have a bit more k3 distortion (but still under 0,8%).
Frequency linearity and the cumulative spectral decay is as fast as these ScanSpeaks. Also the monacor is easier to Xover, it has a really smooth drop-off at the highend.
When xover at aprox. 2,2 khz you may only need to increase the value of the inductor in series with the 165kep to compensate for the bafflestep.
I'm sure that when used correctly you'll get superb results!

btw, I would go for the MTM version because you'll get better efficiency that way, and the d'appolito version will have very solid imaging.

[qubix]

thanks for an answer !

MTM was my preference also. There is a project based on that idea using seas noferro somewhere in the net.

You mean that this monacor can be compared to same size SS woofers? But it costs here in Poland 3-4 times less than the ScanSpeaks!!!

Anyone else has some experiences?

[Nemophyle]

hello
i bought two monacor SPH-165KEP; i didn't used them for the moment as i need to finish a pair of speakers before beginning to build my owns.although, i made them run in free air and their medium is OUTSTANDING, really, without any filter i couldn't hear any ringing resonnance and the sound was perfect, i hesitated to keep them for using them as mediums for an open baffle project.
although, given the specs, the bass with one of theses things will be slow ,and they have pretty low efficiency (this is predictable given the fact that they go down to 45hz in a 15 liters BR cabinet, pretty good for a 6.5" driver)...

given this fact, if you have the money (i don't )go for an MTM. if you look for the FR of the monacor,if i'm not dumb, and depending of the size of your baffle, you may not need Baffle step compensation, because the SPL level is slowly decreasing as frequency rises.

i wouldn't Xover this driver at 2.2, moreover if you gonna cross with a passive XO as it haves outstanding mediums and 2.2 khz is a pretty critical frequency. 3khz would be much better i think, but i dont know the off axis FR may be more critical in such a design

[Asdonk]

I also have plans to build a MTM with the sph-165 kep and the
mtm on the web can be found at
www.cuvac.de/allerlei/leopard.pdf
it is a d´appolito with serial filter

[qubix]

yeah -- leopard was the thing i've digged up also.

I would decide on the XO point when i'll buy and measure myself the drivers - i've got a SW rig. I recon 3kHz would be just to high because the off-axis FR. But... we'll see. 3kHz XO point would also cry for a 19mm dome that should move faster and more agile than the 25mm. Also i'm not sure if it's not too high for a d'A MTM we're thinking of here...

Maybe someone did measure them and can comment on that.

[armonrib]

I also have made a testmule with a 165 KEP on a cardboard open baffle, I have combined it with a Philips RSQ8P. As a test I am using a 6db crossover for the tweeter and no crossover for the Monacor. The combination sounds amazing. It needs a lot of eq to be balanced in the low end. I 'll make some measurements soon

[Mikael Abdellah]

I have used a SPH-135KEP with a DT-101SK with my tubeamp for almost 2 years now. The sound is amazingly clear and open.

[Leeuwarden]

I have a (from top to bottum) Hivi RT2C, SPH135KEP and two SPH165KEP design in the workshop at the moment Already playing is a combination of the SPH165KEP en de HiVi. Sounds great!

[markp]

Who sells Monacor in the U.S.?