[pipboy2000]

Hello everyone! I just want to start off saying that I am a newbie to audio so please excuse me if I sound ignorant.
Now on to the other stuff. I was checking the Vsac report on audioasylum when kept crossing on the mention of the bent flat twin drive speaker.  It seems like a lot of people liked it. Then I went to the Bent audio site where the owner was selling the driver to that speaker.  I went to sibatech but was confused on some parts they were saying. So can anyone answer the questions below?
Is the FAL driver full range?
Does it have a crossover?
I am thinking of doing a DIY speaker with absolutely one flat speaker (no ribbon tweeter or Heil driver) for each channel and thats it, will it work?

[John Chapman]

Hello!

Sorry for the delayed reply! I was away for a few days but am back online now.

Thanks for the post and the interest in the FAL's. The FAL's are what I would call a 'wideband driver'. I would also put most all 'fullrange' speakers in the 'wideband' catagory - many having very little real low end response desite heroic efforts with complex cabinets to coax bass out of them. When I played with Lowther/REPS drivers I gave up on the low end and went with a front horn for the driver and then TAD 1601's on the low end below about 150Hz. Bert's Oris horns are like this and can work quite well. The only truely fullrange speaker I have heard is the soundlabs. They are great but not easy to drive or fit in most rooms so that limits them a bit.

Getting back to the FAL's I have measured response from 40 Hz or so to 10K. They fall off above 10K so most anyone would prefer having the tweeter with them.  They do run with no crossover on the FAL driver and just a single cap on the tweeter.

FAL also makes a smaller driver that goes higher and can run without a tweeter - but it does not go as low and for most folks a woofer of some kind would be needed. I had a quick listen to the protypes of these last spring and they sounded good but did lack the low end of the larger twin drive system.

I like your goal and have had a similar thing in mind myself for many years now! It is not easy to pull off though.  As mentioned above appart from soundlabs I do not know of any really full range drivers.  Please let me know what you find as you look around!


Many Thansk!

John Chapman
www.bentaudio.com

[pipboy2000]

I am very thankfull for your response.
I have one more question. I heard about the Flat B and the specs seemed better than the Flat C, why was the Flat B replaced?

[John Chapman]

Hello!

There was a flat B and I guess a flat A although I never heard that one. The difference between 'B' and 'C' was that C used a higher grade neo - slightly incresing efficiency - there may have been other small differences but that is what I recall. Actually just ahead of vsac I upgraded my drivers to a new magnet assembly so I guess the ones I have now are Flat C.5 or something....


Thansk!

John

[pipboy2000]

I just remembered one more thing? How does a DIY'er make their own cabinets? What kind of tools would one need in order to mount a speaker in a cabinet?

[John Chapman]

Hello!

I am the wrong guy to be suggesting anything to do with woodwork. I get along o.k. with wires but not with wood! I have folks build the enclosures - these latest FAL ones were made by Raw Acoustics:

http://quicksitebuilder.cnet.com/wrnch2/

Unless you plan on taking up woodwork I'd get them made. These enclosures are not particularly difficult for a woodworker but to do a good job of any enclosures would take some experience first. Also the cost of tools would easily be as high or higher than the cost of getting them made. I'd check around for someone to locally build boxes for you.  You'll also need to know how to solder as well. Be sure you are in a spot to tackle this kind of project - it may be cheaper and easier to just have someone make something up for you.

Thansk!

John