Your 3 favorite single drivers (and enclosures)

roymail · « **on:** 18 Jul 2015, 09:29 pm »

Thought it would be fun and/or insightful to read your choices for favorite single drivers along with enclosures if you like. Hope you will take part. I'm still undecided, but I really like Omega speakers.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 Jul 2015, 09:40 pm »

I cant name 3, I would like any FR Alnico and Hemp cone, a very rare combo.
I can name only omega.
Regular paper have the usual mountains after 2Khz.

KnyazHM · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 Jul 2015, 06:04 am »

Hemptone, Omega drivers, L.Cao

JackD201 · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 Jul 2015, 10:18 am »

PHY* would be my choice

*not affiliated

roymail · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 Jul 2015, 10:51 am »

JackD201, PHY is an excellent choice, and EMS which is now used by Musical Affairs. My fav is the Piccalo although I've never heard it in person. Bernard Salabert of France has now passed, RIP. Tonian Acoustics used them until they became unavailable.

JLM · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 Jul 2015, 11:22 am »

Fanboy alert...

My favorite is my Brines Acoustics M18-F200 with EnABL treatments. They use the sadly discontinued "mighty" Fostex F200A driver (90 dB/w/m, 8 ohms, 30 - 20,000 Hz, 8 inch cone, heavy machined aluminum frame, huge AlNiCo magnet) in very stiff MJK based transmission line floor-standing cabinets. Bob allowed me to commission these, so was able to set driver height, pick the veneer, and Bob uses them for the image on his website. Bud Purvine, inventor of EnABL, treated my drivers and call them once treated perhaps the world's very best drivers. The bass depth/fullness shocks most single driver fans into thinking "something is wrong". And no "stinking" mechanical crossover (whizzer). Detailed yet musical (versus analytical) that, with all that foundational bass makes many tube amps exhibit too much of a good thing - palpablity and bass fullness (bloat). With high frequency beaming and near-field setup room effects are minimized.

My second choice would be the still available Fostex F120A (the 5 inch version of the F200A, Fs = 65 Hz) in a bi-pole sealed cabinet with a "swarm" of subwoofers.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 Jul 2015, 11:42 am »

The Brines Alpair 12 enclousure is very good.

Srajan Ebaen · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 Jul 2015, 01:03 pm »

Given that you're likely inquiring relative to DIY, my comments may not be helpful but... in commercial iterations, my favourite widebanders are:

1/ the 8-inch Enviée used by Martin Gateley's soundkaos speakers but only when augmented by a Raal ribbon on top (and low-passed to eliminate the 6-8kHz wigglies)
2/ the biggest Jacob George Rethm driver (not the earlier Lowther) used in the Saadhana model (that needs some assist on the bottom with separate woofers)
3/ the Neodymium Voxativ (which in their Ampeggio cab does about 40Hz - 20khz)

Not sure which of these, if any, are available to DIY, sorry

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 Jul 2015, 01:11 pm »

Quote from: JLM on 20 Jul 2015, 11:22 am

Fanboy alert...

My favorite is my Brines Acoustics M18-F200 with EnABL treatments. They use the sadly discontinued "mighty" Fostex F200A driver (90 dB/w/m, 8 ohms, 30 - 20,000 Hz, 8 inch cone, heavy machined aluminum frame, huge AlNiCo magnet) in very stiff MJK based transmission line floor-standing cabinets. Bob allowed me to commission these, so was able to set driver height, pick the veneer, and Bob uses them for the image on his website. Bud Purvine, inventor of EnABL, treated my drivers and call them once treated perhaps the world's very best drivers. The bass depth/fullness shocks most single driver fans into thinking "something is wrong". And no "stinking" mechanical crossover (whizzer). Detailed yet musical (versus analytical) that, with all that foundational bass makes many tube amps exhibit too much of a good thing - palpablity and bass fullness (bloat). With high frequency beaming and near-field setup room effects are minimized.

My second choice would be the still available Fostex F120A (the 5 inch version of the F200A, Fs = 65 Hz) in a bi-pole sealed cabinet with a "swarm" of subwoofers.

I second the F200A drivers. They do not sound like any fullrange driver I know off, in the Brines cabinets

JLM · « **Reply #9 on:** 21 Jul 2015, 01:31 pm »

Quote from: Srajan Ebaen on 20 Jul 2015, 01:03 pm

Given that you're likely inquiring relative to DIY, my comments may not be helpful but... in commercial iterations, my favourite widebanders are:

1/ the 8-inch Enviée used by Martin Gateley's soundkaos speakers but only when augmented by a Raal ribbon on top (and low-passed to eliminate the 6-8kHz wigglies)
2/ the biggest Jacob George Rethm driver (not the earlier Lowther) used in the Saadhana model (that needs some assist on the bottom with separate woofers)
3/ the Neodymium Voxativ (which in their Ampeggio cab does about 40Hz - 20khz)

Not sure which of these, if any, are available to DIY, sorry

I believe DIY is less of an issue around here than cost (to which appropriately priced ancillaries should be accounted for). And then there is a matter of our guidelines within the single driver circle:

1.) The Martin Gateley's Soundkaos is intriguing but cost $21,000 USD and the main driver barely covers the required minimum 7 octaves;

2.) The Jacob George Rethm Saadhana certainly covers the required frequency range with built-in subwoofers, but at $12,000 USD this obvious "value leader" is still pricey;

3.) The Voxativ Ampeggio covers our frequency guideline with it's field coil but cost a breath taking $26,000 USD.

Anyway, thanks for the view from above.

DaveC113 · « **Reply #10 on:** 21 Jul 2015, 02:18 pm »

The best I've heard is Lamhorns with AER drivers. At 102.5 dB efficiency and covering nearly 20Hz - 20 KHz it's the most extended, detailed and overall best single driver I've ever heard.

http://www.rlacoustique.com/aer.htm

Next, I'd have to say the Feastrex 5" field coil drivers... Lotus Group built an OB with 2 15" woofers per side and a custom digital xo called the Grenada which is one of the best speakers I've heard. The driver also sounds amazing in a simple bass reflex cabinet as do all Feastrex drivers.

http://www.lotusgroupusa.com/granada.html

3rd is a tie between Omega's Alnico 6.5" and RS5 drivers used in several different cabinets, the Voxativ Ampeggio and Feastrex 5" Naturflux in BR cab (I forget the builder of the cab). To be fair to the Vox, I only heard it at a show and a friend that was with me agreed my Omega system was equal or better, but show conditions are not representative of the best setups most of the time. We also thought my system was equal or better vs the lower end Feastrex drivers in BR cabs, again at a show, but I've heard this driver at a friend's place and several times at shows. My feelings are the Feastrex drivers can do girl w/guitar music better than Omegas but Omegas are more versatile.

http://www.voxativ.com/en/loudspeakers/ampeggio/

http://www.feastrex.com/products.html#1

http://omegaloudspeakers.com/omegaoemdrivers.html

JackD201 · « **Reply #11 on:** 22 Jul 2015, 02:07 am »

Quote from: roymail on 20 Jul 2015, 10:51 am

JackD201, PHY is an excellent choice, and EMS which is now used by Musical Affairs. My fav is the Piccalo although I've never heard it in person. Bernard Salabert of France has now passed, RIP. Tonian Acoustics used them until they became unavailable.

That is very sad news Roy. I hadn't heard of Mssr. Salabert's passing.

Srajan Ebaen · « **Reply #12 on:** 22 Jul 2015, 06:07 am »

That goes back a few years. Samuel Furon of Ocellia bought the remains of the company after bankrupcy liquidation and family disbursement were done with it. He secured all of Bernard's notes and many of his gigs and some of his machines. Manufacture of the drivers has resumed in France and they are once again built as they were then and available to DIY. http://www.phy-hp.com/

roymail · « **Reply #13 on:** 22 Jul 2015, 05:49 pm »

Srajan, thanks very much for posting that information. I wasn't aware the PHY-HP was back in production. That's good to know. Enjoyed perusing the website, too.

versus rider · « **Reply #14 on:** 30 Jul 2015, 07:26 pm »

Voxativ ampeggio due with the top of the range field coil is the best I've heard and should be at £75000. Yes that's right three zeros. Next up is my CSS FR125's in a bass reflex cab with a little help from aurum cantus G2 ribbon. Ok so not strictly single driver.

jbtrio · « **Reply #15 on:** 30 Jul 2015, 10:01 pm »

How about the Teresonics Ingenium Silver loudspeaker. Never heard it personally however, people who did say it is amazing with the best bass of any speaker using the Lowther DX4 silver voice coil driver.
Anybody hear them at one of the shows? I like to know, very interested in this speaker.

Thanks,
Joe

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #16 on:** 30 Jul 2015, 10:21 pm »

Prices like 75000 pounds are pure marketing.
Not even a Copperfield could justify this obscene price.

versus rider · « **Reply #17 on:** 31 Jul 2015, 06:23 am »

Quote from: FullRangeMan on 30 Jul 2015, 10:21 pm

Prices like 75000 pounds are pure marketing.
Not even a Copperfield could justify this obscene price.

most are sold in China.

roymail · « **Reply #18 on:** 5 Aug 2015, 02:26 pm »

Feastrex, clarity, resolution, gorgeous. Same for Musical Affairs and EMS driver. And, a bit costly.

Poultrygeist · « **Reply #19 on:** 6 Aug 2015, 10:54 am »

These Tekton Fostex speakers work well with the OB H-frames.