What Speaker Mfr's Still Make their Own Drivers?

dB Cooper · « **on:** 25 Feb 2007, 05:42 pm »

Just curious with all the discussion of speakers here. Apart from specialty designs like the Ohm Walshes, various makes of planars, the Allison mid and tweeter domes, etc, do any makers still build their own drivers? I understand well the reasons not to- cost, mainly- but was just wondering about this.

Among the implications of using outsourced drivers is that the job of the speaker designer is more that of tuning the driver/enclosure and crossover so the driver(s) work to their fullest, and that two different designers could make very different choices and arrive at very different results with the exact same drivers.

I welcome input from any mfrs that want to sound off

also.

Daygloworange · « **Reply #1 on:** 25 Feb 2007, 06:13 pm »

I know some manufacturers out source and get some built to their specs.

I know all the drivers GR Research uses, are drivers specifically designed by them. Danny wanted specific numbers to be achieved, and was specific about cone materials, and pretty much every other aspect.

He won't even start on a design till the drivers spec the way he wants on the test bench.

RAW Acoustics has a proprietary ribbon tweeter manufactured for them. They also work very closely with the manufacturer of their other drivers as well.

Cheers

PhishPhan · « **Reply #2 on:** 25 Feb 2007, 06:21 pm »

I believe Usher and Dynaudio make their own drivers.

PhishPhan · « **Reply #3 on:** 25 Feb 2007, 06:33 pm »

I think Reference 3a does too but I'm not totally sure on that one.

srb · « **Reply #4 on:** 25 Feb 2007, 08:06 pm »

B&W and JM Lab (Focal) make their own drivers.

macrojack · « **Reply #5 on:** 25 Feb 2007, 08:08 pm »

Zu makes their full range driver and their tweeter.

Srajan Ebaen · « **Reply #6 on:** 25 Feb 2007, 08:48 pm »

Triangle and Cabasse in France do, Gallo does, mbl does obviously, I believe Elac's tweeter is unique to them, Thiel does, Paradigm does - just a few off the cuff.

Now, if the question means, who makes their own drivers in-house (rather than using the expertise of a specialty driver manufacturers who builds something custom to spec) I flat out don't know...

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #7 on:** 25 Feb 2007, 08:54 pm »

Quote from: macrojack on 25 Feb 2007, 08:08 pm

Zu makes their full range driver and their tweeter.

Oh, really???

Does this look familiar?

http://www.usspeaker.com/APT50-1.htm

rollo · « **Reply #8 on:** 25 Feb 2007, 10:21 pm »

Hyperion makes their own drivers, and most manfs, modify or have drivers made to their specification.
rollo

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #9 on:** 25 Feb 2007, 10:46 pm »

The giants:

JBL and Infinity do.

bluewax · « **Reply #10 on:** 25 Feb 2007, 10:49 pm »

Others can likely provide more information, but my understanding is that Acoustic Zen's drivers are custom-made, and their ribbon tweeter's hand assembled onsite.

jrebman · « **Reply #11 on:** 26 Feb 2007, 07:42 pm »

Yes, the tweeters are assembled by Robert and his workers in San Diego, and I'm pretty sure they have the mid/bass drivers pre-assembled but they are proprietary to AZ and Robert's design... and they sound wonderful

Louis of Omega is now starting to ship his custom-made hemp drivers, with more to come.

-- Jim

Quote from: bluewax on 25 Feb 2007, 10:49 pm

Others can likely provide more information, but my understanding is that Acoustic Zen's drivers are custom-made, and their ribbon tweeter's hand assembled onsite.

mscdda · « **Reply #12 on:** 26 Feb 2007, 08:21 pm »

Paradigm and Theil are a couple of others.

honesthoff · « **Reply #13 on:** 26 Feb 2007, 09:25 pm »

Revel.

Daedalus Audio · « **Reply #14 on:** 26 Feb 2007, 10:49 pm »

Daedalus Audio.
we have our woofers and mids made to spec in the USA. unfortunately many of the oem driver builders in the USA have gone out of biz, in fifteen years I’ve had three good companies that built for me go down. Feels like having a horse shot under you (or at least that’s what I imagine, never having been a calvery soldier…) so now I’m switching to an in house modification of an existing driver for my mids . another reason for this is many consumers seem to be uncomfortable with custom built driver, I’m kind of curious about that….

Parnelli777 · « **Reply #15 on:** 27 Feb 2007, 12:36 am »

Bohlender-Graebener

http://www.bgcorp.com/index.php

RodMCV · « **Reply #16 on:** 13 Mar 2007, 08:09 pm »

Mark&Daniel also make their own wide frequency Heil AMT(some 800hz-20khz), and long throw Woofer.

Tweaker · « **Reply #17 on:** 13 Mar 2007, 08:49 pm »

Phase Technology manufactures their own and is the source for numerous other companies.

In The Groove · « **Reply #18 on:** 15 Mar 2007, 07:13 pm »

Magnepan makes their own.

2bigears · « **Reply #19 on:** 15 Mar 2007, 07:20 pm »

Zu's tweet is 27 bucks????