The ultimate single driver speaker?

Val · « **on:** 20 Jan 2009, 05:07 pm »

German Physiks Unicorn II, shown at CES 2009. Omnidirectional with horn-loaded bass. Ugly as hell, but if it sounds half as good as the Ohm F up high and the Klipschorn down low, it's good enough for me.

planet10 · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 Jan 2009, 05:47 pm »

In 2000 i heard a speaker with this driver... i liked it. They keep mucking with it... the last review i saw was not very flattering.

I think it gets disqualified from contention as the best FR since it needs a BIG amp to drive it ... and one of the reasons why we quest after FR is so that we can use all those wonderful sounding small amplifiers.

dave

Brad · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 Jan 2009, 10:26 pm »

Pretty hard to hit the 60wpc minimum with a 2a3 or 45 SET.....

The xover weighs 10lbs

Interesting design - would like to hear thise

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 Jan 2009, 10:45 pm »

not much WAF there - almost as little as the Gaudi MKII - their "monument to musicality"

http://tinyurl.com/2x7htm

Seems to me they should accept that the bass capabilities are going to be limited with these drivers and design a sub into the concept - either inboard or outboard - then they could make enclosure shapes that might get past the significant other!

planet10 · « **Reply #4 on:** 21 Jan 2009, 04:16 am »

Quote from: Russell Dawkins on 20 Jan 2009, 10:45 pm

Seems to me they should accept that the bass capabilities are going to be limited with these drivers and design a sub into the concept - either inboard or outboard - then they could make enclosure shapes that might get past the significant other!

That is how all the ones i'veen (except this one) are XOed at 120-150 Hz with a woofer for bass support. The ones i heard were very elegant looking.

dave

Val · « **Reply #5 on:** 21 Jan 2009, 05:16 am »

Quote from: Russell Dawkins on 20 Jan 2009, 10:45 pm

Seems to me they should accept that the bass capabilities are going to be limited with these drivers and design a sub into the concept - either inboard or outboard - then they could make enclosure shapes that might get past the significant other!

I think they already heard you, their Troubador 40 is basically a minimonitor (16" x 10").

Quote

planet10 · « **Reply #6 on:** 21 Jan 2009, 05:55 am »

Quote from: planet10 on 21 Jan 2009, 04:16 am

\The ones i heard were very elegant looking.

Unlike the curret octagan columns on the website, this was a much better looking (IMO) sqaure column.

dave

JLM · « **Reply #7 on:** 23 Jan 2009, 02:51 pm »

With a sub, the specified crossover frequency is quite high (120 - 160 Hz) for most models. With so many cabinet designs offered they must really love that driver (and yet must be getting really fustrated by the lack of bass/mid-bass response).

Note that the Unicorn II is only rated down to 40 Hz at 88 dB/w/m. Heck a Fostex F200A raw (no cabinet) is rated better than that (fs = 30 Hz, 90 dB/w/m) and its pretty darn good sounding at 1/10th the price.