Single Driver Thoughts?
- Thread starter Republicoftexas69
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It was just a comment that those dims aren't far off a cube, but point taken.
Maybe it's time for you to reveal why you're tempted by the single driver concept.
Well, I can't speak for Cube etc, but the Zu ethos is pretty simple and purist. Full range treated 10.3" Eminence driver covering the range of human voice (35Hz-11kHz) w no intervening energy sapping crossover, simple high pass filter (single Duelund cap and resistor) to Radian tweeter that extends up to roll off just after 20k. Genuine 101dB/1m efficiency, steady 8 or 16 Ohms impedance.
They work in many ways, critically nailing tone density, presence and shove. Yes, they have some shortcomings, but I feel what they excel at makes them hugely addictive.
You can buy the raw drivers ( top 10 inch model ) for approx £5k and get cnc ply cabinets, no crossovers required !
Sure if you have time....btw that is $6500 USD and I can buy ZU Soul V for $6K complete.
Instead of single driver speakers I find great merit in using very wide range speakers with bass and high treble augmentation. My fully horn loaded tri-amplified DIY speakers use one driver, an AER BD3 in a Oris 150 horn to cover the range from 200 Hz to 8 kHz. The results are good.
A friend of mine has some Lii Audio Origin S-10 single driver speakers and he used to own Cube Audio Nenuphars.
PHY makes two drivers of interest. Neither uses whizzer cones, which often tend to have breakups. So one is an 8" unit with a sandcast basket and the other is a newer design 6". The 6" unit is very light and has nice smooth high frequency response. Its limited in what it can do down low of course, but you can get it to go below 70Hz so its possible to blend it with a sub well enough. I've set the 6" up in sealed boxes and also a rear loaded quarter wave horn and had them work quite well. Its about 96dB and 15 Ohms. The 8" is more like 99dB and is also 16 Ohms. The ones I've seen seem suited for open baffle or a 1/4 wave rear loaded horn.
I recommend having some rear firing tweeters with any full range driver to supplement the off-axis tonality a bit. The trick here is to make sure that the tweeter's reflected sound arrives enough later than the ear can use it for echo location. If you angle the tweeter(s) up slightly (perhaps at 45 degrees) this will allow the speaker to be a little closer to the wall behind it.
Voxitive has some nice drivers too. They have a bit of resonance (peakiness anyway) in the 3KHz range but if you have an amplifier that behaves as a voltage source they are perfectly smooth. Although expensive, their field coil units are where the action is.
I get the attraction to a crossoverless full range design. But IME they only get close; you'll want to add a sub and the ancillary tweeters (they do really help and don't impose a crossover into the full range driver circuit). But if you also cross over the driver to keep out of band bass excursion out, it will be more transparent. And then the crossover imposes its cost...
I recommend having some rear firing tweeters with any full range driver to supplement the off-axis tonality a bit. The trick here is to make sure that the tweeter's reflected sound arrives enough later than the ear can use it for echo location. If you angle the tweeter(s) up slightly (perhaps at 45 degrees) this will allow the speaker to be a little closer to the wall behind it.
Voxitive has some nice drivers too. They have a bit of resonance (peakiness anyway) in the 3KHz range but if you have an amplifier that behaves as a voltage source they are perfectly smooth. Although expensive, their field coil units are where the action is.
I get the attraction to a crossoverless full range design. But IME they only get close; you'll want to add a sub and the ancillary tweeters (they do really help and don't impose a crossover into the full range driver circuit). But if you also cross over the driver to keep out of band bass excursion out, it will be more transparent. And then the crossover imposes its cost...
I prefer the sound of augmented wide band speakers to their single driver counterparts. My custom Bache Metro 001 for example has Eton's premium Symphony woofer (8") covering the range below 500 hz, a 4" Tang Band wide band driver covering 500 hz - 9000 hz, and the rare (out of production) Japanese made Fostex FT-96 EX-2 horn loaded tweeter covering the range 9000 hz and above. With no crossover in the mid range you get the coherence and "all of a piece" sound of the best single driver speakers without sacrificing bass response and treble extension.
BLOG | BACHE Audio - Audiophile High Sensitivity Speakers and Amplifiers
Bacheaudio: 002 speakers Bacheaudio was demonstrating their 002 loudspeaker. A semi-unconventional design, the 002 features an active 10” woofer with a bass level adjustment. A level control hardly seems like a breakthrough, until you consider the large variations in output below 100 hz...
bacheaudio.com
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Just yesterday I received an e-mail from Filip Keller of AER in response to an inquiry I had sent asking the price of a pair AER BD4 drivers. His answer was 48,000 Euros for the pair of eight inch drivers.
Of the Decware offerings the Lii speaker they market ( not made by Decware ) is one I would like to hear. Promising on paper...wonder about reality.
I like my speakers. But I do remember someone telling me to direct wire my Voxative driver to the amp. No crossover. I was shocked at the most beautiful violin I had heard from any speaker. Then the piano or a singer or something started and it all went to pieces.
Ralph has a good point about adding a subwoofer and tweeters.
Ralph has a good point about adding a subwoofer and tweeters.
Coral 10 beta in backloaded horn, i ve heard some of it over years.
for me best to get a lot fun listen to music
Amazing good mesurements 45hz-16 khz only +-1.5db
for me best to get a lot fun listen to music
Amazing good mesurements 45hz-16 khz only +-1.5db
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I would love to hear the all new Camerton Audio Binom 1.2's with the new Western Electric WE91E 300B Integrated amp with matching CD Player !
www.camerton-audio.com
https://www.facebook.com/CamertonAudio
https://www.pranadistribution.com/camerton
Shows/Awards - Camerton
Shows/Awards Binom-ER PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2023! (ConvinceMeAudio)Binom-ER review from ConvinceMeAudio 03.11.2023Binom-1.1 review on DIAPASON magazine 02.01.2022Binom-1.1 review on VOIR@EMOUVOIR 17.05.2021Binom-1.2 review on HiFI Knights 21.04.2021Binom-1 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2019! (6moons)Binom-1...
www.camerton-audio.com
https://www.facebook.com/CamertonAudio
https://www.pranadistribution.com/camerton
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And such a good price too @$4000 ! Very interesting as I was quite keen on the Cubes.
Can you tell is more about the Lii, have you heard them yourself Audio_karma.
I think your theory is a flop. I purchased single drivers with the guarantee that I could return them. I was positive that the comments were not from real customers, until I broke them in and heard them. None of this has anything to do with theories, just music.
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