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Single driver speakers, DIY or commercial


mwhouston

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10 minutes ago, planet10 said:

Oft used, but coloured and IMO pricey for what you get.

I found them less coloured than most fullranges, although there was a lot of work done to address this within the implementation linked, but they are getting up there price-wise.  Together with the 300B amplification, which itself was very nice, the overall result was quite captivating.  Very different to the majority of systems I'd been involved with but with a sense of life that was wonderful.  Naturally, a system such as this is not about removing all colouration, but few systems I've heard make me want to just keep listening as much as this one (the owner is also an incredible host).

 

But yep, not particularly cheap.

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15 minutes ago, mwhouston said:

A simple one I have heard is a weak solution of PVA glue and water painted on. 

As @planet10 said above, you can end up with it being too stiff.  That's what I did, and it sounded terrible.

 

I might think about something that doesn't dry out painted on the flexible corrugations of the surround, to stop them cracking with age, but that'll alter the resonance frequency if it changes the suspension constants.  Makes it hard to design a correct enclosure if the published data is altered by the treatment to any great degree.

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Speaking just for myself, I’m going to assume the fine folk at Seas, with their state of the art r&d facilities and fancy testing equipment, know more about getting a driver to sound its best than I do.

 

It’s not that I doubt they can be improved, it’s that I doubt with my absolute zero knowledge base that I would stumble haphazardly on a significant improvement on the first (and in my case, only available) set of drivers I tried it on. 
 

as always, YMMV :) 

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The Goodmans Axiom 80 frequency response.

Not much different to the Altronics $14 driver really.About $3000 versus $28.Much more efficient though.

As I said just enjoy them for what they are- the good and  the bad.

 

image.png.8aea30bddc2a2395e57aca25813a479c.png

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10 hours ago, mwhouston said:

A simple one I have heard is a weak solution of PVA glue and water painted on. 

I start with a more flexible PVA (when it dries) Been using it for 40 years. On a FR you have to particularily careful with the amount. There is a tendency to lose top (good if it is a resonance being suppressed), and if too much you can make it too stiff. Often not an issue with woofers (where lots can add sufficiebt mass to drop Fs (and efficiency) which may be useful.

 

dave

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9 hours ago, aussievintage said:

I might think about something that doesn't dry out painted on the flexible corrugations of the surround, to stop them cracking with age, but that'll alter the resonance frequency if it changes the suspension constants.

There are specific speaker stuff sold (like BL100?) that are suitable.

 

dave

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9 hours ago, RankStranger said:

Speaking just for myself, I’m going to assume the fine folk at Seas, with their state of the art r&d facilities and fancy testing equipment, know more about getting a driver to sound its best than I do.\

The basics, yes, but speaker manufacturers are very conservative and very cost conscious. The modified FA22eN is definitely improved over the stock driver.

 

dave

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3 hours ago, planet10 said:

The basics, yes, but speaker manufacturers are very conservative and very cost conscious. The modified FA22eN is definitely improved over the stock driver.

 

dave

I don’t doubt it but I’m also very conservative and very, very cost conscious. :D 

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On 13/11/2019 at 6:14 AM, mwhouston said:

I made the suggestion a few posts back about making a pair of speakers around the $15 Altronics 8” wide range twin cone. Not much good if I just do it but the suggestion appears to have gone down like a Lead Zeppelin without a whole lot of love. 

 

I picked the driver because it was a suggestion by a member and it’s cheap and easy to get. Is it the wrong driver, is it too cheap or too poorer performer? No use suggestion a $500 driver for a fun build. I’m not prepared to spend that with other speaker projects ahead. Cheap, simple and fun was what I was suggesting. What can members achieve with looks and sound quality with such a cheap driver! 

 

Any comments for or against. I’m happy to drop the whole subject. 


Mark,

 

I have the Atronics C2000A $14ea driver running at the moment in a bass reflex 25L box, put simply it sounds superb. As Thomo has suggested it actually sounds more balanced than the more expensive Lowther and Fostex drivers, the C2000A sounds great plugged straight into the amplifier no crossover or Baffle Step Compensation circuit required.

 

I would encourage anyone wanting to experience Fullrange magic to try the Altronics driver out with a decent subwoofer, it costs nothing and is basically as good as a $1,500 Lowther driver.

 

Btw, in case people have forgotten the C2000A fullrange driver was first brought to our attention by Kye in this thread:

 

 

70345650-FE4E-4624-8028-90A6171FACEE.jpeg

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1 hour ago, Steve M said:


Mark,

 

I have the Atronics C2000A $14ea driver running at the moment in a bass reflex 25L box, put simply it sounds superb. As Thomo has suggested it actually sounds more balanced than the more expensive Lowther and Fostex drivers, the C2000A sounds great plugged straight into the amplifier no crossover or Baffle Step Compensation circuit required.

 

I would encourage anyone wanting to experience Fullrange magic to try the Altronics driver out with a decent subwoofer, it costs nothing and is basically as good as a $1,500 Lowther driver.

 

Btw, in case people have forgotten the C2000A fullrange driver was first brought to our attention by Kye in this thread:

 

 

70345650-FE4E-4624-8028-90A6171FACEE.jpeg

Mate, would you share details and specifications of your box. Box dimensions and port size. Have you tested the bass. What does it go down to. Have you drawings. Any tweaks to the driver. 

 

Looks good by by the way. 

Edited by mwhouston
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21 hours ago, mwhouston said:

Mate, would you share details and specifications of your box. Box dimensions and port size. Have you tested the bass. What does it go down to. Have you drawings. Any tweaks to the driver. 

 

Looks good by by the way. 


I first saw that 25L BR box loading on the Lowther America website several years ago, they were also selling it as a completed loudspeaker with your choice of Lowther driver. I have found this box to also translate well to the Lowther DX3, Fostex FE206 and the Altronics C2000A drivers. The discussion on the Lowther site is that you can load their drivers in horn loaded enclosures for a slightly better result, but that the simple 25L BR box gets you most of the way there. The 25L box is supposedly good to 80Hz, port dimension is 40mm dia x 50mm shallow depth.
 

As stated previously, with the C2000A it is run directly from the amp no xo or BSC circuits.

 

Truth be told both the Lowther and Fostex drivers sound more refined and lively than the Altronics unit, especially the Lowther which is super feathery in the treble, but you are always trying to tame the liveliness of the Lowther/Fostex whereas the Altronics requires no electronic manipulation and sounds very balanced straight out of the box.

 

Cheers,

 

Steve.
Btw, the 25L boxes shown above are just my test mules with no real attempt at beautification. The black box was my effort with a gold Bunnings marble spray paint and the wooden box is made from Ikea beech wood laminated chopping blocks.

 

 

 

 

.

Edited by Steve M
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On 13/11/2019 at 3:22 PM, Buffle said:

I'm surprised not to have seen mention of the Tang Band W8-1772 (or W8-1808) yet, unless I missed it.  

This is my latest build with the W8-1808. The result has been excellent!

Sealed in 22L with polyfill, 1st order xover. Bass is 2nd order, tuned to 35 Hz in 115L, rear ported, Series/Parallel giving the right sensitivity to match W8-1808. Very good in room response to high 20's.  Xovers are external and located on floor behind speakers in little bamboo boxes.

1019707684_20190823_132916(1).thumb.jpg.5838937ce08031841693ca7a247d83e7.jpg

 

20190815_133329.thumb.jpg.1a4335728eb831fe9812d90da0da73ea.jpg

 

20190823_132814.thumb.jpg.c1a4b4db82ecb3b704bd5c990c92fbd8.jpg

 

20190901_081540.thumb.jpg.38384bd75e540b3be140638db07394ca.jpg

 

Screenshot_20191114-141116_AudioTool.thumb.jpg.58e2beee739f152add8ded409db7bfbe.jpg

 

Measurements are taken 1 m in room. calibrated mic, calibrated with Audio Tool Program has been used on my Mobile phone. Unfortunately no fancy measuring device used... This was used in combination with my preferred in room listening /tuning.

 

This my favourite project out of many Tang Band FR driver projects...

 

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Here's a few other FR driver projects of mine.

W8-1808 Floorstanding in 110L. Tuned to 47Hz.

W5-2143 Bookshelf speakers in 12L tuned to 55-60Hz.

W4-1320SJ Centre channel, 4L ported, tuned 90Hz.

 

Not pictured.

W4-2142 bookshelf speakers, 7L port tuned to 65Hz.

W3-2141 Bookshelf speakers in 2L, port tuned to 75-80Hz.

 

20170616_165253.thumb.jpg.34d1b401ccc58cd61cc73f51295949e4.jpg

 

20170616_092422.thumb.jpg.42d996a490dfbd17d1466694822bf801.jpg

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4 minutes ago, Mushroom01 said:

W8-1808 Floorstanding in 110L. Tuned to 47Hz.

20170616_092422.thumb.jpg.42d996a490dfbd17d1466694822bf801.jpg

Tuned as you would a BR? Given the aspect ratio of the box they are going to be an ML-TL and any simmed tuning will be off.

 

They ar every pretty.

 

dave

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1 minute ago, planet10 said:

Those TBs in the little WAW (and the centre)?

 

dave

Yes, W4-1320SJ driver. Dayton Audio Reference 5" woofers, 4 ohm series, 1st order xover at 500 Hz.

3" TB's in the bookshelf, sealed with ported SB acoustics 5.25" NRX woofers, 2nd order Xover at 620Hz. these TB's are great drivers with top class top end, really sparkle!

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51 minutes ago, Mushroom01 said:

Here's a few other FR driver projects of mine.

W8-1808 Floorstanding in 110L. Tuned to 47Hz.

W5-2143 Bookshelf speakers in 12L tuned to 55-60Hz.

W4-1320SJ Centre channel, 4L ported, tuned 90Hz.

 

Not pictured.

W4-2142 bookshelf speakers, 7L port tuned to 65Hz.

W3-2141 Bookshelf speakers in 2L, port tuned to 75-80Hz.

 

20170616_165253.thumb.jpg.34d1b401ccc58cd61cc73f51295949e4.jpg

 

20170616_092422.thumb.jpg.42d996a490dfbd17d1466694822bf801.jpg

Excellent. 

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