High Efficiency Speaker Asylum

best small efficient fullrange driver for OB

180.200.156.210

digda_beat

I am interested in building some OBs and thought small drivers would be easier- well, I could do it with my drill and hole cutters. I am wondering if anyone had any advice on that.
missed out on some FE 103'3 last week, but they are back on eBay now so I am thinking about them

Follow Ups:

RE: best small efficient fullrange driver for OB - nl 10:16:03 04/22/14 (0)
I listened to FE103s on OB for a while, and have also used 755Cs and Fertin 200EXCs.

The FE103 is a fine driver on OB. It rolls of naturally from about 150-200hz (see spec sheet) so you will need a bass solution. I would suggest a pair of 8" subwoofers from Parts Express. You won't need a big baffle to reach down to 150hz or so -- about 2' effective width (12" wide plus 6" rear extensions) would about do it. Put one such baffle on each sub like Dick Olsher's BAsszilla OB lowther design.

http://store.hifiauthority.com/olsherkits.html
best? who knows?! advice? but of course! ;-) - mhardy6647 03:01:20 04/22/14 (1)
Preamble:

OK... until quite recently, I thought that open baffles were the simplest things imaginable. High Qts driver and two hunks of plywood.

Then the thread (link below) at AK took the easy and made it difficult. Judge for yourself.

Me? I'm lazy -- so I'll stick with simple. No filters, no biamp, no DSP.

Now, with that out of the way... :-)

Advice:

I think that an 8" driver is a good compromise between LF capability (on an OB) and HF extension and dispersion. There are myriad options. In terms of price and performance, I still like the venerable (and not terribly expensive, then or now!) Eletrovoice "Wolverine" LS-8 twincone. Sensitive, AlNiCo magnet, beautifully made, and nice overall tone.

While I like some of the Fostex drivers, they can be too "tizzy"/bright relative to my ears and tastes.

The 8" twincone sold under the "Goldwood" brand by PartsExpress isn't bad, either - and certainly inexpensive, current production. Hardly world-class, though.

Any interest in a true coax rather than a twincone driver for OB use? The Altec 409 series (the photo, from www.wardsweb.org, shows one variant). It's a stretch, but one might consider these drivers the poor person's 755 :-) In all seriousness, they're pretty competent and inexpensive, too.

There are, of course, many (many!) other options - and not just 8 inchers. But it's early and the coffee hasn't fully kicked in yet!

Epilogue:

If you'd like a pair of the R/S FE-103 variants (R/s 40-1197) to try - send me an e-mail; I am sure I have some surplus ones somewhere (!) in the basement.

all the best,
mrh
- http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=566879&hig (Open in New Window)
- RE: best? who knows?! advice? but of course! ;-) - Crazy Dave 12:21:29 04/22/14 (0)
  Hi Mark,
  
  Thanks for the tip on the Altec 409. I will keep an eye out!
  
  Dave

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