[JohnR]

Hi, here is a catalog of fullrange drivers. This is mostly a DIY resource as these are raw drivers, not completed speakers. The idea here is that if someone is interested in building a speaker using a full-range driver, this list would provide a survey of known good starting points. Drivers tend to appear in this list if they receive good feedback on the Net or especially by AudioCircle members.

It's not supposed to be an exhaustive catalog of every single driver that could possibly be considered. So with that in mind, please post suggestions below and I'll add suitable ones to the list. (Please also read the fine print at the end of this post.)

3" (~ 35 cm²)

• Aurasound NS3-193-4A (4 ohm).
  
  • Variants/comments: NS3-193-8A (8 ohm), NS3-193-4/8A1 (4/8 ohm, black cone).
  • Frequency response: 100 Hz sealed, 50 Hz vented (Qts=0.58)
  • Nominal efficiency: 81.8 dB/W/m
  • Additional information: Zaph Audio Measurements
  • Approx price: USD18
• Fountek FR89EX (4 ohm).
  
  • Variants/comments: FR89EX (8 ohm); earlier driver FR88EX (8 ohm) also available, slightly cheaper but any other differences unclear
  • Frequency response: 170 Hz sealed, 77 Hz vented (Qts=0.45)
  • Nominal efficiency: 83.7 dB/W/m
  • Additional information:
  • Approx price: USD30

4" (~ 50 cm²)

• Fostex FE103En (8 ohm).
  
  • Variants/comments: This driver gets good comments but the parameters don't lend themselves well to conventional T/S modeling
  • Frequency response: 140 Hz sealed (Qts=0.33) (see above comment)
  • Nominal efficiency: 86.7 dB/W/m
  • Additional information: Solo 103 at Humble Homemade Hifi
  • Approx price: USD39
• Mark Audio CHR-70 (4 ohm).
  
  • Variants/comments: grey or gold cone
  • Frequency response: 102 Hz sealed, 47 Hz vented (Qts=0.53)
  • Nominal efficiency: 84.5 dB/W/m
  • Additional information: Planet 10 cabinet designs
  • Approx price: USD36, AUD64
• CSS EL70 (4 ohm).
  
  • Variants/comments: none
  • Frequency response: 98 Hz sealed, 44 Hz vented (Qts=0.55)
  • Nominal efficiency: 86.7 dB/W/m
  • Additional information: Planet 10 cabinet designs
  • Approx price: CAD49, AUD65
• Mark Audio CHR-70 (4 ohm).
  
  • Variants/comments: grey or gold cone
  • Frequency response: 102 Hz sealed, 47 Hz vented (Qts=0.53)
  • Nominal efficiency: 84.5 dB/W/m
  • Additional information: Planet 10 cabinet designs
  • Approx price: USD36, AUD64
• Mark Audio Alpair 7 (6 ohm).
  
  • Variants/comments: grey or gold cone
  • Frequency response: 92 Hz sealed, 44 Hz vented (Qts=0.57)
  • Nominal efficiency: 83.5 dB/W/m
  • Additional information: Planet 10 cabinet designs
  • Approx price: USD85, AUD90

5" (~ 80 cm²)

• Fostex FX120 (8 ohm).
  
  • Variants/comments: none
  • Frequency response: 117 Hz sealed, 55 Hz vented (Qts=0.45)
  • Nominal efficiency: 89.7 dB/W/m
  • Additional information: DIY cabinet designs
  • Approx price: USD113
• Jordan JX-92s (6 ohm).
  
  • Variants/comments: none
  • Frequency response: 82 Hz sealed, 42 Hz vented (Qts=0.41)
  • Nominal efficiency: 85.7 dB/W/m
  • Additional information: Zaph Audio Measurements, DIY cabinet designs
  • Approx price: USD180, AUD264

6" (~ 130 cm²)

• Fostex FE168EΣ (8 ohm).
  
  • Variants/comments: best in back-loaded horn
  • Frequency response: 64 Hz vented, ~ 35 Hz back-loaded horn (Qts=0.26)
  • Nominal efficiency: 92.6 dB/W/m
  • Additional information: Ron Clark horn (Austin A166)
  • Approx price: USD163
• Mark Audio Alpair 12 (8 ohm).
  
  • Variants/comments: grey or gold cone
  • Frequency response: 104 Hz sealed, 48 Hz vented (Qts=0.33)
  • Nominal efficiency: 89.2 dB/W/m
  • Additional information: Planet 10 cabinet designs
  • Approx price: USD150, AUD199

8" (~ 230 cm²)

• Audio Nirvana Super 8 Alnico (8 ohm).
  
  • Variants/comments: high Qts indicates open-baffle use; similar drivers in different sizes: 6" and 10". Note that some online reports question T/S accuracy, probably not really an issue for likely open-baffle usage.
  • Frequency response: 45 Hz infinite baffle (Qts=0.73)
  • Nominal efficiency: 90.6 dB/W/m
  • Additional information:
  • Approx price: USD250; (USD640 per pair inc shipping to Australia)
• Tangband W8-1808 (8 ohm).
  
  • Variants/comments: low-Q version - Tangband W8-1772 - looks intended for back-loaded horn
  • Frequency response: 80 Hz sealed, 85 Hz infinite baffle (Qts=.44)
  • Nominal efficiency: 92.7 dB/W/m
  • Additional information:
  • Approx price: USD190
• Visaton B200 (6 ohm).
  
  • Variants: none
  • Frequency response: 37 Hz infinite baffle (Qts=0.76)
  • Nominal efficiency: 90.9 dB/W/m
  • Additional information:
  • Approx price: USD199, AUD235

The Fine Print

Where possible, links are to the specification on the site of the original manufacturer of the driver. If I can't find it, then it's a link to a supplier. Not endorsing the supplier necessarily but you can only find it on the web where it's on the web. Additional information provided is a guide only and not intended to be authoritative. Low end response given is the modeled -3 dB point unless indicated otherwise - different enclosure types and tunings will give different results. Nominal sensitivity is as given by the manufacturer unless the modeled sensitivity is significantly lower, in which case I have used the latter. Price is approx best known current pricing per driver in the indicated country/currency and again, is intended only as a guide.

The list is not exhaustive - it's not really intended to be but will hopefully grow to include most "interesting" drivers. Drivers are much more likely to be included if I can find favorable comments about them on the Net (or if you have used it yourself). Drivers do need to meet the criteria in this circle's guidelines. Also, they have to be in current production and easily available for purchase on the internet - so not vintage, obsolete/superseded, or a "buyout" or some other time-limited special. This is to help the list stay current and to ensure that people (on any continent, not just North America) can actually get them. Finally, some basic specifications have to be available (i.e. T/S and on-axis frequency response).

Note: the "infinite baffle" enclosure type is provided if a driver has a high Qts that indicates likely use in an open baffle speaker. Since it's impossible to anticipate the baffle dimensions used, I have provided the -3dB point in a large enclosure i.e. a hypothetical extremely large baffle. On any real baffle the roll-off frequency will be higher.

[hdspeakerman]

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=295-346
Parts Express has some new drivers that might be of interest.
Howard

[planet10]

I'll chase down links later, but let me add:
3" -- Fountek FR883x (a variation on FR89 AFAICT), Mark Audio Alpair 6P (paper) Alpair 6M (metal), Fostex FF85, Audience A3. A whole bunch of TangBands. Audio Nirvana 3"

4" -- Fostex FE103En, FE108eS

4 1/2" -- FX120 fits here, Fostex FE126En

5" -- Mark Audio Alpair 10.2

6" -- Fostex FE166En

8" -- Fostex FE206En, FE208eS, 3 different Audio Nirvana, TB W8-1772

10", 12" -- Audio Nirvana

dave

[JohnR]

Thanks Dave - I'll work through a few of those tonight.

J

[JohnR]

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=295-346
Parts Express has some new drivers that might be of interest.
Howard

Thanks Howard, I hadn't heard of those!

[JohnR]

Added Audio Nirvana Super 8 Alnico (is this really an 8" or did I miss something - I calculated Sd of only 186 cm² based on 77mm effective radius?)

[JLM]

I believe that my favorite, Fostex F200A (8 incher) is still available.

Lots of drivers missing from the list, like Lowther, Supervox, and Jordan.

Nice idea to have a listing.

[JohnR]

Jordan is there.

Perhaps I should have been clearer about the intent of the listing. It's not supposed to be the Encyclopedia Brittanica of fullrange drivers. More a cookbook - want to build a full-range loudspeaker? You could do worse than these then. That kind of thing. Maybe a cost-benefit criterion should be included.

[el`Ol]

The Encyclopedia Britannica is this:
http://www.spectrumaudio.de/breit/tabelle.html

[JohnR]

LOL

OK I give up

[JohnR]

Updated description/purpose of this thread.

Added FE103En.