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Doug,Cool. I think FE-126s are your next logical choice -- unless you want to go up to the 6-inchers, but the bigger you go the more of the magic is lost in the mids and highs.-- Jim
A little OT but some room treatments would improve the sound quality and would most likely help the speakers at high volume. I recently purchased some GIK 4" panels and immediately noticed the tighter bass and more focused soundstage. I plan to DIY some more acoustical treatments of various sizes and shapes. IMO room treatments are a cheap and necessary tweak that pays big rewards.
Doug,Have you tried them bipole or dipole (turn the lower pair backwards) wired in parallel? Lin
Quote from: opnly bafld on 22 Dec 2007, 07:40 pmDoug,Have you tried them bipole or dipole (turn the lower pair backwards) wired in parallel? Lin lin, i do not think that would work, w/the problem i am already having - not enough gain w/o driver break-up...doug s.
Quote from: doug s. on 22 Dec 2007, 11:29 pmQuote from: opnly bafld on 22 Dec 2007, 07:40 pmDoug,Have you tried them bipole or dipole (turn the lower pair backwards) wired in parallel? Lin lin, i do not think that would work, w/the problem i am already having - not enough gain w/o driver break-up...doug s.Not suggesting it will solve your problem, but to see if you like the sound even better. Lin
The 103....any version will NEVER play loudly......not even in a blh. I used them for 15 years (all versions) . Name a cabinet design.....I built it. They do sound wonderful within their limits. Not good enough for serious listening IMO. The 126's are NOT the "cat's meow" as some think....even though I use them. Drivers do NOT (alone) guarantee a good sound......speakers are a system and as such the SQ is determined by many things other than the actual driver. The 126's will be more efficient but in a closed box will not sound better.....I "guess" (ok, I know) . If you use it as a dedicated midrange and bandpass limit its response the system will be able to play at high SPL's but then it will be a conventional 3 way. There are better midrange drivers. What you have is "typical" of the 103's sound and limitations. Stick them in anything you want and watch me be right...again.Ed
Scott, Glad to see we are not in total disagreement, but I'm gonna say, nope, not even close to 100 in a real room with out serious audible distortion, regardless of the math or enclosure. As my tag says...."designing loudspeakers is very easy. Building one that actually sounds good is MUCH more difficult." As I am sure you are well aware there are things you just don't learn in books or in school or on the Al Gore WWW internet. And this is a good case......regardless of any numbers the 103 will simply not play loud without audible compression or distortion. The 126 on the other hand in a good home is capable of levels that I have been called a liar over. All without AUDIBLE compression or distortion. WAY above what the "math" will show is possible. Also way above what the differences in real, measured efficiency between the drivers. And that is a dirty little secret of single driver speakers (in particular)....the secret being....you can have a single driver SYSTEM that the math will predict and the measurements will show to be 97 dB efficient. But it may NOT be capable of actually playing music at that level,with any size amp without audible compression or distortion.The flip side is that it does NOT work the other way.....meaning a low efficient single driver speaker regardless of it's power handling can never be made to play "loud" either. The only way a single driver can play loud is if it does not fall into either of the above categories. And there in lies the trick.....how to avoid building a "high efficiency" single driver system that not only measures that way but is also able to play music at high volumes.Some may not want to hear that and many may not think it true but again.....all there is to know is not found on forums on the web. It's nice to know we do agree basically. Keep in mind my posts are never meant as ball busters but rather I see a lot of reinventing the wheel and applying proven design of multi way speakers being applied to single driver speakers and to put it mildly...."it just don't work that way all the time". So please take anything I say as simply opinion and nothing more. I do however believe and use the things I say and they seem to work in the real world.....and sometimes even on paper!Merry Christmas everyone.EdFor those reading this and wondering about my claim , just for kicks as you think about the post....and wonder how it could be....start with simply the cone material of the 103 vs. the 126. That is just a start. Everything matters in the design of a system.
But they're going into a pair of focused double-horns in the new year, which should be interesting as the curve provides a degree of front-loading, pushing excursion down.