[Russell Dawkins]

http://tinyurl.com/nns23mh

At around USD$840 each, they look interesting, especially with the CW 250A subwoofer at $755  http://tinyurl.com/nns23mh

Comes with its pretty fancy base, too.

The bass/mid driver diaphragm is high purity magnesium which they chose for its lossiness. This is well demonstrated at 1:50 in this video where the presenter apparently drops an aluminum diaphragm of the same (complex) shape onto a speaker top, then the magnesium version. The difference (lack of ringing) is interesting and obvious:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrdYofPYD4M
To my ears the sound quality is evident even through the poor fidelity of this video (the music finally starts at 1:08:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iELuLN1b1RE

the 4" 100mm woofer has a lot of work to do:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRfUICsrFc8

[Norman Tracy]

Review just posted here:

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/fostex/1.html

I want a pair just to look at!

[srb]

That's an interesting cone profile!  Reminds me of another unconventional computer-designed metallic cone (actually an aluminum / paper sandwich, which is how they dampen ringing) from Elac of Germany, another manufacturer with limited exposure in the U.S.

Elac Crystal AS-XR cone

 

Steve

[Russell Dawkins]

Good review. Thanks Norman.

They are quite expensive in the UK, it seems. I found a source in Japan that was much cheaper than the price quoted - USD $1544 delivered and insured.

Also interesting to note the difference between the half-as-expensive regular model GX100 and the Ltd is only the aluminum 4" diaphragm instead of the magnesium one used on the  Ltd.

I suppose the expense is in the manufacturing process, because I don't think magnesium is that much more expensive - even 99.9% pure magnesium, but I am guessing.

I am wondering whether they could work as studio near field monitors.

[JLM]

Woofer cone shape similar to Fostex FE168EZ.

Don't like the low 82 dB/w/m stated efficiency (@ 6 ohms).  Understandably limited to 100 watts, but that means they would barely reach 100 dB in room.

Yes, those woofers are working hard on very bass light material.

Funny (but not unusual) how the crossover gets barely a mention.