AudioCircle

Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Single Driver, Wide-Bandwidth Speakers => Topic started by: Irwin on 11 Jun 2018, 04:26 pm

Title: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: Irwin on 11 Jun 2018, 04:26 pm
One of the biggest mistakes I've made over the years was selling a pair of Omega Grande 6 loudspeakers with the matching Omega sub.I'd like to
get back into a single driver loudspeaker.My room is 12 x 16 and I listen to mostly modern electric blues and classic rock.Bookshelf size speakers are
 perfered. I'm not a diy guy,and have a maximum budget of $500 new or used. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: roscoe65 on 11 Jun 2018, 04:28 pm
You answered your own question.  Keep a lookout for a secondhand pair of Omega Super 3 speakers.  New ones start at $695, so you only need a bit of patience.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: rodge827 on 11 Jun 2018, 04:39 pm
Look into Caintuck Loudspeakers $350.00+shp for a basic finish. Randy is a great guy and I had a pair of DIY in my 11x15x8 room for a few  months.  Till I spent a lot more on Charney Audio horns.They are a single driver OB design and are super simple to set up. Sound great with either SS or tube gear.
http://www.caintuckaudio.com/
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: JLM on 11 Jun 2018, 04:57 pm
Look into Caintuck Loudspeakers $350.00+shp for a basic finish. Randy is a great guy and I had a pair of DIY in my 11x15x8 room for a few  months.  Till I spent a lot more on Charney Audio horns.They are a single driver OB design and are super simple to set up. Sound great with either SS or tube gear.
http://www.caintuckaudio.com/

Thought the Betsy driver was no longer available. 

Omega drivers (other than the 5 inchers) seem to keep changing.  Each have their own voicing.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: OzarkTom on 11 Jun 2018, 05:57 pm
Thought the Betsy driver was no longer available. 

Omega drivers (other than the 5 inchers) seem to keep changing.  Each have their own voicing.

Randy closed his store down but is still selling the Betsy on the net. You can also buy the Betsy on the Decware website.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: rodge827 on 11 Jun 2018, 06:12 pm
Thought the Betsy driver was no longer available. 

Omega drivers (other than the 5 inchers) seem to keep changing.  Each have their own voicing.

Just got off the phone with Randy and Wild Boro is still producing the driver. Randy is up and running building his Betsy speakers.
Chris
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: JLM on 11 Jun 2018, 06:54 pm
Glad you called.  Randy is a good guy.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: FullRangeMan on 11 Jun 2018, 08:10 pm
One of the biggest mistakes I've made over the years was selling a pair of Omega Grande 6 loudspeakers with the matching Omega sub.I'd like to
get back into a single driver loudspeaker.My room is 12 x 16 and I listen to mostly modern electric blues and classic rock.Bookshelf size speakers are
 perfered. I'm not a diy guy,and have a maximum budget of $500 new or used. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Your wish be granted, here prices start $98/pair:
http://www.commonsenseaudio.com/nirvana.html
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: tailspinrex on 1 Oct 2018, 02:52 am
Decware sale the plans for the DNA speaker for $20.  Very good small speaker.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: tailspinrex on 1 Oct 2018, 02:57 am
Decware sales the plans for the DNA speaker for $20.  A very good small speaker.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: charmerci on 1 Oct 2018, 03:52 pm
I'm not a diy guy,and have a maximum budget of $500 new or used. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[/size]Your wish be granted, here prices start $98/pair:http://www.commonsenseaudio.com/nirvana.html (http://www.commonsenseaudio.com/nirvana.html)


FYI, DIY means Do it Yourself.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: FullRangeMan on 1 Oct 2018, 09:39 pm


FYI, DIY means Do it Yourself.

Certainly there is a carpenter in your city.
For stuffing the box see this:
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=100689.0

Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: charmerci on 1 Oct 2018, 09:47 pm
Certainly there is a carpenter in your city.
For stuffing the box see this:
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=100689.0 (https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=100689.0)


I haven't priced carpenters making speaker boxes but in the States, I'm not so sure and a custom box would be very cheap.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: FullRangeMan on 1 Oct 2018, 10:27 pm
For less expense with enclosure worth mentioning the known pair already tested and approved: Alpha 15A and Visaton B200 in OB panel and they emit sound to front and back, much better than monopole speakers.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=182037)
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: OzarkTom on 2 Oct 2018, 01:33 am
Decware sale the plans for the DNA speaker for $20.  Very good small speaker.

+1
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: Canada Rob on 15 Jan 2019, 08:25 pm
Thought the Betsy driver was no longer available. 

Omega drivers (other than the 5 inchers) seem to keep changing.  Each have their own voicing.

The Omega 6" Alnico driver has been on the market for around ten years unchanged but for the colour of the main cone.  The 4.5" RS5 driver has been on the the market for about 6 years unchanged.  The 7" driver has been on the market for about 5 years unchanged. 
A solid record IMO.

The big name mass market outfits often change their drivers once a year for each new Los Vegas CES.  It seems when a big name changes their product, it's called progress, but when small outfit changes their product, it's called instability.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: planet10 on 15 Jan 2019, 08:41 pm
sale the plans for the DNA speaker for $20.

Moderatly good, it is smaller than expected. Complex to build. Having heard it, i’d suggest one of the Frugel-horns as a better bet. A10p in FHXL smokes DNA horn (but has a bigger footprint).

dave
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: OzarkTom on 15 Jan 2019, 09:53 pm
Moderatly good, it is smaller than expected. Complex to build. Having heard it, i’d suggest one of the Frugel-horns as a better bet. A10p in FHXL smokes DNA horn (but has a bigger footprint).

dave

I read on their forum about a guy that was going to make DIY DNA Horn's, but was talked into making a DNA 2. You might look that up, Steve Deckart says that is the best he has ever made.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: Canada Rob on 15 Jan 2019, 10:06 pm
Moderatly good, it is smaller than expected. Complex to build. Having heard it, i’d suggest one of the Frugel-horns as a better bet. A10p in FHXL smokes DNA horn (but has a bigger footprint).

dave

Dave,

Some years ago in Lethbridge Alberta an audio acquaintance had a pair of your Fonken monitors with an enabled driver (forget exactly which) and they sounded lovely.  He was powering them with a tiny 15w/ch Nu-Force amp.  I kept asking him whether his sub was on but he said no.  All around very balanced sound with great imaging.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: Canada Rob on 15 Jan 2019, 10:18 pm
You answered your own question.  Keep a lookout for a secondhand pair of Omega Super 3 speakers.  New ones start at $695, so you only need a bit of patience.

Sometimes they'll show up on his website store for a discounted price.  I've seen some real good deals on there.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: nature boy on 15 Jan 2019, 10:22 pm
Look into Caintuck Loudspeakers $350.00+shp for a basic finish. Randy is a great guy and I had a pair of DIY in my 11x15x8 room for a few  months.  Till I spent a lot more on Charney Audio horns.They are a single driver OB design and are super simple to set up. Sound great with either SS or tube gear.
http://www.caintuckaudio.com/
+2 great sounding speakers & easy to drive.

NB
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: planet10 on 15 Jan 2019, 10:25 pm
Some years ago in Lethbridge Alberta an audio acquaintance had a pair of your Fonken monitors with an enabled driver (forget exactly which) and they sounded lovely.  He was powering them with a tiny 15w/ch Nu-Force amp.  I kept asking him whether his sub was on but he said no.  All around very balanced sound with great imaging.

That would be Stu. And likely a deciCHR-Ken with CHR70eN. He does have a set of Mileva, with the FE127eN — the original Fonken driver. Someday i have to get out there are pick those up.

dave
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: SET Man on 16 Jan 2019, 02:40 am
One of the biggest mistakes I've made over the years was selling a pair of Omega Grande 6 loudspeakers with the matching Omega sub.I'd like to
get back into a single driver loudspeaker.My room is 12 x 16 and I listen to mostly modern electric blues and classic rock.Bookshelf size speakers are
 perfered. I'm not a diy guy,and have a maximum budget of $500 new or used. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Hey!

     I built my own back horn loaded with Fostex 167E drivers back in 2002 and I'm still using them and love them still.

    I know that you said you're a a DIY guy but these kits from Madisound are all pre-cut and should be easy to assemble. I've never heard them but those back loaded horn kit look very good. The BK-16 and BK-20 look great. Anyway, just a thought.

https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/full-range-speaker-kits/ (https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/full-range-speaker-kits/)

Take care,
Buddy

 
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: planet10 on 16 Jan 2019, 02:43 am
BK16 & BK20 are really old designs from pre-2k before good hornmodelers came out  and targeted at drivers at least 3 generations old.. S. Some of the more modern designs offer better performance. But the Madisound flat-paks do go together nicely.

dave
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: FullRangeMan on 16 Jan 2019, 11:05 am
On Omegas and Horns, the only horn sound I like are the dipole Frugal Horn XL that will fit a 6 or 7'' driver. It is a superb invention idea.
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: planet10 on 16 Jan 2019, 03:36 pm
Frugel-Horn XL (note the “e” not an “a”.

A raer loaded horn, not a dipole. https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/246248-frugel-horn-xl-alpair-10-3-10p-fostex-ff165wk.html

dave

Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: FullRangeMan on 16 Jan 2019, 08:38 pm
What frugel means?
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: planet10 on 16 Jan 2019, 08:50 pm
What frugel means?

Frugel is a cross between Frugel and Flugel(horn)

dave
Title: Re: Single Driver speakers on a budget .
Post by: FullRangeMan on 16 Jan 2019, 08:58 pm
This makes sense, frugelhorn has a great midrange.