[Niteshade]

This might be an odd question, I don't know. Do single driver speakers work better with any specific kind or type of amplifier? Do they require an amp with a high damping factor? To be more specific, I am interested in the Fostex line of drivers. What does it take to make them sound good? Do they have a characteristic tone? What cabinet type do they work best in? on and on...

Too many questions.... any help would be greatly appreciated.

[JimJ]

Do single driver speakers work better with any specific kind or type of amplifier?

I've only heard mine (168EZs) with SETs, but my gut reaction would be no, as long as you've got a decent amp on the other side they should do fine I have friends that have FR125's with SS, nothing wrong with that...

Do they require an amp with a high damping factor?

I can answer that one, and it's definitely no.

What does it take to make them sound good? Do they have a characteristic tone?

Same as any other speaker - it takes the right enclosure and room placement.

What cabinet type do they work best in?

Depends on which one you're talking about. The alnico ones are very different than the Sigmas. The good thing about enclosures like the BIB and the cabinets on http://www.frugel-horn.com is that they don't really take up a lot of floor space. Tall, but thin.

[richidoo]

Hi Blair,
Nelson Pass wrote about amping single driver speakers. A friend amp designer had the same experience even in pro audio scenario.

Planet10 has some great designs to get the most out of Fostex. If you are handy in the woodshop, the cost is small to give it a try. Owner Dave Dlugos has lots of excellent advice. He and Scottmoose designed a BVR horn for my Feastrex drivers with which I am very pleased.

My Cary SLI-80 sounded terribe playing on them when my Snappers sounded fine. Not sure why, but that's when my friend told me he would build me a current source amp for these drivers. Can you make a tube amp that is current source? Single driver guys might like that!  The SimpleSE amp seems to be working well for a few single driver guys. I've not yet tried it, but you might take a look at the schematic.
Rich

[floobydust]

 Hi Rich,

 Agreed on points.... Dave and Scott do wonderful work for the DIY crowd. I'm using a 2-watt SET amp to drive my Feastrex drivers in the BVR enclosure. They sound wonderful.... I did move the output tap to 16 ohms of course. Not sure about a current source amp... at least not with an OPT.

 Regards, KM

BTW - what trumpet are you showing for your avatar?

[planet10]

No matter what the speaker, the amplifier & cable are part of a system...

The most popular Fostex prefer an amplifier with a higher output impedance, The FR125 needs a low output impedance amplifier (and doesn't like SE amps tube or SS)

For developoment work, we have a couple variable transconductance amplifiers with a knob on the front that lets us dial in the output impedance from close to ) to close to infinity....

There have been a number of us working to change the landscape as far as potential enclosures go... when i started exploring dynamic full-range drivers there was very much a dearth of decent single driver enclosures.... now i am happy to say that there are boxes for all manner of size, cost, performance, WAF, and taste -- whatever set of compromises are required to suit your needs & taste, you can probably get pretty close today. All 3 of my sites have plans, and one must check Martin King's quarter-wave site and a number of others  including Giovani Militano's.

There is no best enclosure or driver, just the best one for your needs & budget.

dave

[JLM]

If coherency, imaging, and midrange performance are your priorities, then single driver designs are for you.  Going too far from these ideals and you can quickly get into trouble with the laws of physics.

Many low cost single driver speakers/designs are available.  Note that using a single driver allows you to put the money into a better driver instead of multiple drivers with crossover.  But cost of the amp must also be considered.  As nearly all single driver designs are above average efficiency, you can save money on amps (that you could plow back into an even better pair of drivers).  I'm a Fostex fan, but honestly most of them can sound thin.  Their Alnico based drivers are different, very full bodied, but less efficient and more expensive.

Amplifier damping factors are only a concern for tube amps and then only if the speaker is bass capable below 60 Hz (which frankly many single driver speakers struggle to reach).

Cabinet design is primarily an excercise of ingenuity versus those pesky laws of physics.  Their primary influence is bass and some mid-bass.  Bass reflex can sound good if the cabinet is stiff enough.  I've heard tapered quarter wave pipes that were very pleasant.  Horns are very efficient but produce very high pressures and so must be properly shaped and massively built to avoid the associated colorations.  But my favorite is mass loaded transmission lines.  Martin King and his students have come up with some very nice stuff (deep/fast/musical bass that rolls off at the same rate as room gain and like pipes or horns the backwave is reflected away from coming back out through the driver cone material).

Happy hunting.

[Mariusz]

This might be an odd question, I don't know. Do single driver speakers work better with any specific kind or type of amplifier? Do they require an amp with a high damping factor? To be more specific, I am interested in the Fostex line of drivers. What does it take to make them sound good? Do they have a characteristic tone? What cabinet type do they work best in? on and on...

Too many questions.... any help would be greatly appreciated.

*Dave of Planet10 is a great source of information and modified Fostex drivers.
Highly recommended. I have a pair on order and will need more.......

Dave, I hope you are listening.

*Sachiko design works extremely well with Fostex drivers...........a bit big and ugly.....who cares.
*I agree with Dave......all speakers have coloration. Also true with amps etc,etc,etc.
*SE amps work nice with SD designs, however my modded PP was just as lovely.
Hard to say........but I would bat on SE or high quality PP IMHO.
SD are mostly about middle range, speed and transparency IMO.
Bass is not its strongest point but satisfying .....at least with the design I mention earlier. aa
Good luck and welcome to SD club.

Mariusz

[planet10]

*Dave of Planet10 is a great source of information and modified Fostex drivers.
Highly recommended. I have a pair on order and will need more.......

Dave, I hope you are listening.

Indeed... and while i have your attention did you get the mail i sent Monday inquiring about the colour of your drivers?

Sachiko with 206e probably hits below 35 Hz in room with a fair amount of authority.

dave

[planet10]

........but I would bat on SE or high quality PP

Our little Scott based Class A triode EL84 PP is a real stunner...

dave

[Mariusz]

*Dave of Planet10 is a great source of information and modified Fostex drivers.
Highly recommended. I have a pair on order and will need more.......

Dave, I hope you are listening.

Indeed... and while i have your attention did you get the mail i sent Monday inquiring about the colour of your drivers?

Sachiko with 206e probably hits below 35 Hz in room with a fair amount of authority.

dave

Noooooo I did not.
But away, if all goes well, I would like to get more.
In fact , you could prepare another one like the ones I order for the friend of my. (that is a 100%)

If it is possible to have those in black.....it would be great. (gray works too).

I will use those in Sachikos with small modifications. (will post pics tomorrow).

Also - would any of the Fostex super tweeters match that driver..........that is for another design though.

thanks

Mariusz

[planet10]

If it is possible to have those in black.....it would be great. (gray works too).

We should take this to private mail...

dave

[Mariusz]

PM send.

And here is one of the projects that should be finished by the end of the year. 
Sachiko based with a twist. 





Cheers
Mariusz

[JimJ]

Can't wait for pics of that either

[Mariusz]

Can't wait for pics of that either

Soon Jim....soon.
Selling some gear to make it happen.
Two designs are at work the other one should be even stranger ..........I can not wait myself for that one. It will use spirals and wood-turned custom dispersion cones .
I still can not decide on the final design. Both very difficult however the omnidirectional one needs some research do determine the perfect driver for the job. It will also use omnidirectional super tweeter.
Thanks

Mariusz