mwhouston Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 I’ve built five single driver speakers speakers from simple reflex loaded to complex back loaded horns. Fostex 6” and 8” drivers were my early choice but the last pair are with Mark Audio 12P 8” drivers. I consider the Mark Audio drivers superior to the Fostex particular the bass region. But even the mid-range and treble are better than the Fostex. At this point just single full range or wide range drivers in any box or baffle to be posted. Love to hear what others have done and why. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwhouston Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 A few links for more info. http://retro-thermionic.blogspot.com/2009/11/fostex-fe206e-back-loaded-horn.html http://retro-thermionic.blogspot.com/2009/11/fostex-fe206e-back-loaded-enclosure.html http://retro-thermionic.blogspot.com/2012/09/fostex-fe206en-drivers-in-dual-bass.html http://retro-thermionic.blogspot.com/2018/08/voxuno-12p-with-markaudio-drivers.html The Fostex are more sensitive and may be better with SETs etc though where Mark Audio are 88db sensitive but work well with SS amps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussievintage Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 Here's another pair of Fostex 8" in TQWT enclosures. All glued MDF construction. The really sound nice driven by a SET amp. They are connected to a nice example of a Pioneer 3-in-1 in this photo (that subwoofer is not connected). A very unique tweak has been applied, two Lambis lambis (spider) shells on top to distract the odd room resonance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussievintage Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 30 minutes ago, mwhouston said: A few links for more info. http://retro-thermionic.blogspot.com/2009/11/fostex-fe206e-back-loaded-horn.html http://retro-thermionic.blogspot.com/2009/11/fostex-fe206e-back-loaded-enclosure.html http://retro-thermionic.blogspot.com/2012/09/fostex-fe206en-drivers-in-dual-bass.html http://retro-thermionic.blogspot.com/2018/08/voxuno-12p-with-markaudio-drivers.html The Fostex are more sensitive and may be better with SETs etc though where Mark Audio are 88db sensitive but work well with SS amps. Those back-loaded horns are indeed complicated. I'll bet that took you a while! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyW Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 I use full range though augment bass and treble so I guess I've been ruled out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussievintage Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 2 minutes ago, MattyW said: I use full range though augment bass and treble so I guess I've been ruled out How do you augment them - in external boxes, or do you do it more like a normal 3-way system. If you don't have a crossover limiting the full-range driver's response, I think you might squeek in (it's not my thread of course) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwhouston Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 56 minutes ago, aussievintage said: Those back-loaded horns are indeed complicated. I'll bet that took you a while! Fortunately I had a better wood work friend put them together over weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwhouston Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 7 minutes ago, aussievintage said: How do you augment them - in external boxes, or do you do it more like a normal 3-way system. If you don't have a crossover limiting the full-range driver's response, I think you might squeek in (it's not my thread of course) Maybe it should be one driver one baffle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyW Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, aussievintage said: How do you augment them - in external boxes, or do you do it more like a normal 3-way system. If you don't have a crossover limiting the full-range driver's response, I think you might squeek in (it's not my thread of course) The full range is run unlimited, actually so are the bass woofers presently. Only the super tweeters are limited with some caps. Replacing the 10" Zenith 49CZ924 drivers with Lii Audio FAST-10S this weekend, and have already replaced the 15" Magnavox with Lii Audio W-15 woofers. The woofers have been designed to supplement their full range drivers and seem rather happy without any inductor in the path. I do need to EQ everything using a MiniDSP 2x4HD though as the speaker in the corner sounds louder than the other. Edited November 7, 2019 by MattyW 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RankStranger Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 Blah blah blah post photos. Give us a look 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planet10 Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 I have designed/built (actuall Chris & Bernie have dnoe the building), many Fostex, many Mark Audio, and lots more. dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Full Range Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 Over 30 years of building single driver speakers ( hence my user name ) I have built many designs from complex horn loaded cabinets to bass reflex cabinets Have used 3 or 4 brands of speaker drivers I always preferred Lowther The bigger the cabinet the greater the bass output is a rule of thumb 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussievintage Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 OK, here's one I mentioned before. I always remembered the "movie" sound from those old Bell&Howell film projectors at school. They had a detachable box with a 12" speaker in them for the sound. I eventually acquired one, and a top condition Rola 12PX driver for it. Very authentic. I then had the idea to set up a mono system, so I used a valve amp - a 6L6 ultralinear 'Playmaster' design with some changes. The sound reminded me, happily, of an old jukebox. I put the speaker box on a wall mount bracket above the turntable and amp, angled down to where I sit to listen. The open back uses the top corner of the room to produce a very full sound. Precariously holding my phone around behind the box to sneak a peek at the driver and inside of the box. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussievintage Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 3 minutes ago, Full Range said: I always preferred Lowther They were always mentioned with reverence in full range speaker discussions. I have only heard them in real life once. Don't know what style of enclosure it was, but I remember thinking that their reputation for being a bit "shouty" was about right. But that's one example, in a bad situation (shop floor, not a proper listening room). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Full Range Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 1 minute ago, aussievintage said: They were always mentioned with reverence in full range speaker discussions. I have only heard them in real life once. Don't know what style of enclosure it was, but I remember thinking that their reputation for being a bit "shouty" was about right. But that's one example, in a bad situation (shop floor, not a proper listening room). As with any speaker one should always look at the system that drives them, I encourage a wholistic approach Most recommend enclosures that use Lowther drivers are well over 100db sensitivity So what is pushed into them gets faithfully recreated Other than that changing / experimenting with phase plugs to suit a design or room dynamics is a good idea 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwhouston Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 4 hours ago, aussievintage said: OK, here's one I mentioned before. I always remembered the "movie" sound from those old Bell&Howell film projectors at school. They had a detachable box with a 12" speaker in them for the sound. I eventually acquired one, and a top condition Rola 12PX driver for it. Very authentic. I then had the idea to set up a mono system, so I used a valve amp - a 6L6 ultralinear 'Playmaster' design with some changes. The sound reminded me, happily, of an old jukebox. I put the speaker box on a wall mount bracket above the turntable and amp, angled down to where I sit to listen. The open back uses the top corner of the room to produce a very full sound. Precariously holding my phone around behind the box to sneak a peek at the driver and inside of the box. Love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussievintage Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 9 minutes ago, mwhouston said: Love it. Thanks. It's an indulgence that turned out well. I have 2 turntables that play through it, a Garrard 4HF, and a Garrard AT6 changer. I love playing old 78s on the 4HF , as well as old mono classical LPs, but really also enjoy stacking 45s on the changer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RankStranger Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, aussievintage said: Thanks. It's an indulgence that turned out well. I have 2 turntables that play through it, a Garrard 4HF, and a Garrard AT6 changer. I love playing old 78s on the 4HF , as well as old mono classical LPs, but really also enjoy stacking 45s on the changer. Reminds me of a doc I saw once on a guy in the us who had the largest known collection of 78s, some umpteen thousand stacked around a room, you know the sort. Anyway, in the middle of the room he had this homemade looking bar fridge-sized wooden box with a platter and arm on the top and a fr speaker in the side and that’s the only thing he ever played them on. No idea what was it was actually made from but a less glamorous playback system you could not have imagined. Edited November 7, 2019 by RankStranger 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ihearmusic Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 Metronom Speaker with Fostex 126 en full range drivers. 8W SS class A amp. Why? Why not! How does it sound? Bloody good for how little money I spent on it. The only system I heard where the solo guitar jumps forward by 2m out of the speakers. No, it does not do bass well. But we all know that. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planet10 Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 I have lots of pictures, i expect you’d like to see some? dave 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwhouston Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 2 hours ago, planet10 said: I have lots of pictures, i expect you’d like to see some? dave They are glorious. Did you make all of these? How many do you have now? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwhouston Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 8 hours ago, Ihearmusic said: Metronom Speaker with Fostex 126 en full range drivers. 8W SS class A amp. Why? Why not! How does it sound? Bloody good for how little money I spent on it. The only system I heard where the solo guitar jumps forward by 2m out of the speakers. No, it does not do bass well. But we all know that. What is the setup inside the boxes, some sort of horn loading? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planet10 Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 11 minutes ago, mwhouston said: They are glorious. Did you make all of these? How many do you have now? Of those only the green µFonken at the bottom. They are part of the museum. This was from some time ago. A different set now. dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian McP Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 local shop Multi Sonics currently has one of these! https://picclick.co.uk/Vintage-Murphy-146-Bat-Wing-wood-Radio-Gram-233136423400.html#&gid=1&pid=1 https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/murphy_a146ca_146.html single driver open baffle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RankStranger Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 46 minutes ago, Ian McP said: local shop Multi Sonics currently has one of these! https://picclick.co.uk/Vintage-Murphy-146-Bat-Wing-wood-Radio-Gram-233136423400.html#&gid=1&pid=1 https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/murphy_a146ca_146.html single driver open baffle Ha! I saw that yesterday I was over the road at Selby getting some bananas and i dropped in for a look on the way back to the car. Had to rush off though so I couldn’t check it out properly. Sure caught my eye though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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