[rklein]

I built some TRT's from a Selah Audio kit and am still enjoying their sound very much!    I don't know if Rick even offers them any more but ScanSpeak drivers/crossovers cost was under $1,600 + the cost of enclosures/veneers/finishes.






Regards,

Randy

[rockadanny]

Lots of awesome suggestions! Had no idea so many were available. Nice.

rklein - those are sweet looking. super!

[PEB]

woofs >= 8”.

I suspect I might prefer this combo the most. Or at least I’d like to hear some to decide.

Know of any costing < $10k?

Yours is an interesting question.  Would you share with us your perceptions of the various cone materials for woofers, and dome materials for tweeters?

As we know, the driver makers can get more models by changing only the cone/dome on the same motor. 

[rockadanny]

Disclaimer: I am by no means a speaker expert nor vastly experienced listener. Just a dude with two ears, a brain (although my wife would dispute both of these attributes  ), and aural preferences whose heard some speakers and has yet to hear one preferred over my current ones.

Just asking because IME:
1. I seem to not have met a speaker with a metalized mid/woofer cone which sounds natural to me. They can sound good to my ears in certain cirumstances of music, but not overall. My current mains have polymer composite mids (Morel), but based on hearing other speakers with paper mids I suspect I might slightly prefer paper, suspecting they might provide better immediacy (less plyability?) to the sound.
2. I've also not heard a speaker with a metalized tweeter cone which sounds natural to me. They seem to be too harsh, spitty, glassy, or some other metal-related descriptive term offensive to my ears. My current mains have a silk dome tweeter (Dynausio Esotar) which I prefer over every other metal-domed tweeter speaker I've heard.
3. I was curious what speakers were currently being manufactured with silk/soft dome tweeters combined with paper mids/woofs. I hope to be able to listen to some of them.

Certainly I could be too inexperienced and/or ignorant to know any better, but this is my stance to date: Speakers with silk/soft dome tweeters and paper mids/woofs might likely sound most natural to me. I'd like to hear some to verify/dispute my theory of preference.

[stereocilia]

WLM even have paper tweeters.  Now that's old school.  I thought they sounded great when I heard them a few years ago.

[EdRo]

These have an 8" paper/bamboo cone with a WG loaded dome T. I like them but I guess I'd be a bit biased, since I built these. This set are my proto types. They have the RS28 silkies and sound very nice.

[Guy 13]

Disclaimer: I am by no means a speaker expert nor vastly experienced listener. Just a dude with two ears, a brain (although my wife would dispute both of these attributes  ), and aural preferences whose heard some speakers and has yet to hear one preferred over my current ones.

Just asking because IME:
1. I seem to not have met a speaker with a metalized mid/woofer cone which sounds natural to me. They can sound good to my ears in certain cirumstances of music, but not overall. My current mains have polymer composite mids (Morel), but based on hearing other speakers with paper mids I suspect I might slightly prefer paper, suspecting they might provide better immediacy (less plyability?) to the sound.
2. I've also not heard a speaker with a metalized tweeter cone which sounds natural to me. They seem to be too harsh, spitty, glassy, or some other metal-related descriptive term offensive to my ears. My current mains have a silk dome tweeter (Dynausio Esotar) which I prefer over every other metal-domed tweeter speaker I've heard.
3. I was curious what speakers were currently being manufactured with silk/soft dome tweeters combined with paper mids/woofs. I hope to be able to listen to some of them.

Certainly I could be too inexperienced and/or ignorant to know any better, but this is my stance to date: Speakers with silk/soft dome tweeters and paper mids/woofs might likely sound most natural to me. I'd like to hear some to verify/dispute my theory of preference.

Hi rockadanny and all Audio Circle members.
Just want to say that I like the way you write your post and the words you use.
I also want to add that I agree with you about the paper cone/dome.
Keep posting.

Guy 13
Sorry if I cannot not be of any help to you with your search.

[groovybassist]

Merlin TSM and VSM are possibilities as well. Slightly smaller mid-woofer than you're looking for, but they meet your interests in other design aspects.

I have a pair of TSM-MMMs and dig 'em quite a bit.  Good luck in your search.

[Letitroll98]

The Horning Eufrodite MK3 loudspeaker uses a paper tweeter and a 5" Lowther driver as a midrange, which are paper.  For bass they use 8 - 8" drivers that I believer are paper cone, but couldn't swear to that, only from my ever fading memory.  Somewhat expensive, not so much when compared to a new Porsche, but for speakers, somewhat expensive.  Anyway, likely the most coherent fullrange speaker I've ever heard. 

[Diamond Dog]

Does anyone make paper/pulp cones anymore at all? I'd be surprised.

Surprise! 
PMC does. Lot's of 'em. In the OP's price bracket in a three-way, the OB1i. Soft tweeter as well. In a two-way, you shouldn't need to be a master negotiator to get a pair of fact.8's for under 10K US unless your dealer is having a really good month. Also paper cones and soft tweeter.

D.D.

[rollo]

 Plus one for Fritz speakers.



charles

[musiclear]

Have you looked into Bamberg Audio?  They have newly designed speakers with some really nice write ups and if you want something specific, Phil Bamberg can design with any drivers you like.
 
Phil designed a two way paper cone with silk tweeter for me that was so good, I had him design my full system.

[watercourse]

DeVore Fidelity Silverbacks meet your driver specs, but not your pricing.

The discontinued Nines (which I own) would meet both your pricing and driver material needs, and also have the Esotar tweeter, but the mid/woofers are smaller than what you wanted. I think they are perfect for mid-sized rooms with their dual 6.5" paper woofers (2.5 way). They fill up my listening space just fine, and also loaded up my dealer's almost twice as large 25x20 space with honest bass, but if you wanted gut-punchers, you'd need to move up to the X's (Tens). The X's have dual 7-inchers, and significantly punchier bass, and fully loaded that same room with juicy, tight, vibrant bass. The bad news is that I think they're $11K.

The Orangutans are seriously musical and fun speakers, two-way, with 10" woofer and semi-horn loaded tweeters. I think the O/93s are sub-10K, so check all three boxes. I've heard the O/96s, which I wish I could own, but I'm not wealthy enough.

How big is your room? You could get Nines and add sub(s). All the DeVore speakers are relatively high sensitivity (90db/w or higher), so you can get by with lower powered amps.

Since you like the Esotars (who doesn't?), have you looked into Dynaudio speakers? They may not have paper woofers anymore though, and TBH, the last ones I heard had some bass boom issues.

[rockadanny]

Phil designed a two way paper cone with silk tweeter for me that was so good, I had him design my full system.

Very interesting, thank you. I've heard only good things about Bamberg.

The discontinued Nines (which I own) would meet both your pricing and driver material needs, and also have the Esotar tweeter, but the mid/woofers are smaller than what you wanted.

I think I'd make an exception in the case of the Nines. I've read so much good about Devores, I would like to hear them. Thank you.

[Letitroll98]

DeVore Fidelity Silverbacks meet your driver specs, but not your pricing.

The Orangutans are seriously musical and fun speakers, two-way, with 10" woofer and semi-horn loaded tweeters. I think the O/93s are sub-10K, so check all three boxes. I've heard the O/96s, which I wish I could own, but I'm not wealthy enough.

I thought the Orangutans were close to best in show at this year's CapFest.  Not the most dynamic or "impressive", but definitely the most musical with an astounding soundstage, especially noteworthy as they had appeared to be second fiddle placement to a more expensive Devore speaker.  I just enjoyed listening to them more than any speaker at the show.  If you're looking for the advantages of paper cone drivers, you need look no further.

[watercourse]

IMHO, I thought the O/96s were more immediately engaging than the Xs, so I would imagine the O/93s would have a similar character. The O/96s were not as linear in the low freqs, and so might be harder to place than the Nines, but they were fun fun fun and high resolution - not old school rolled off or shouty treble. Driven by Shindo of course. Haven't heard the O's long term, but they seemed like keepers to me, and easy on the eyes too.

[Quiet Earth]

I thought the Orangutans were close to best in show at this year's CapFest.  Not the most dynamic or "impressive", but definitely the most musical with an astounding soundstage, especially noteworthy as they had appeared to be second fiddle placement to a more expensive Devore speaker.  I just enjoyed listening to them more than any speaker at the show.  If you're looking for the advantages of paper cone drivers, you need look no further.

Why don't you sell all the gear you're not using anymore and buy a pair? These are the "downsize" speakers that you're looking for. 

[Letitroll98]

Why don't you sell all the gear you're not using anymore and buy a pair? These are the "downsize" speakers that you're looking for. 

Thanks for the the thought QE, but it's 'cause I have way more speakers than I need right now and am trying to get rid of equipment, not add to it.  Secondly, they're not even close to downsizing, but would rather be upsizing what I'm putting in the bedroom system.  Lastly, the wouldn't work for the livingroom system because all my disposable is going into the move.  I'm downsizing in size, but upscaling in quality of life.  But Christmas is coming so if you wanted to get me a really nice present....

[jhm731]

WA Sasha gets a soft/silk dome tweeter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUSuYs-5V8s

[watercourse]

Uh, the Sashas are more than double the OP's budget...