Best value mid and tweeter

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phillil

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Joined 2018
#1
I'm looking at building a pair 2 or 3 way to cover around 350 - 20kHz

I will use in conjunction with a pair of sealed 12" subs, which I am currently running with a pair of B&W 803D3 crossed over at 350Hz

I eventuallly want to replace my B&Ws (as I'm sure I can do better for the money), and figure I will need very good quality drivers - I was thinking about Accuton mid and a Be tweeter.

But for now I just want to do a "trial run" with better "value" drivers, and if I can get close to the quaility of my 803's may even not bother with the expensive drivers in the future.

So I was thinking like something along the lines of:
Tweeter: Vifa D27TG-35-06 (£30 each)
Upper mid: SB Accoustics Satori MW16-P (£120 each)

..and depending on how the 6" mid integrates with the sub might up even adding a lower mid:

Lower mid: SB Accoustics SB23NRXS45-8 (£70 each)

I'm in the UK, so am a bit limited, but other brands such as SEAS, Scanspeak etc seem to easy enough to source

Advice appeciated
 
#2
Have you seen Zaph's tweeter mish-mash?
Zaph|Audio

Best value is the Vifa DQ25SC at $23, but I suspect most people look at the FR curve and see it doesn't quite reach 20k and keep searching...? Zaph used it in the ZA5.
Vifa DQ25SC16-04, 1" Titanium Dome Tweeter

I selected the Vifa D27TG in a 1994 design, so I'm patting myself on the back that it's still around a quarter-century later and still repairable with a new voice coil. BUT I wouldn't choose it today.
My current favorite dome tweeters are the Scan-Speak HDS $75:
Scan-speak D2608/9130
almost any of the SB's, like the SB29RDC $50:
SB Acoustics SB29RDC-C000-4 Ring Dome Tweeter
 
#6
phillil said:
I'm looking at building a pair 2 or 3 way to cover around 350 - 20kHz

I will use in conjunction with a pair of sealed 12" subs, which I am currently running with a pair of B&W 803D3 crossed over at 350Hz

I eventuallly want to replace my B&Ws (as I'm sure I can do better for the money), and figure I will need very good quality drivers - I was thinking about Accuton mid and a Be tweeter.

But for now I just want to do a "trial run" with better "value" drivers, and if I can get close to the quaility of my 803's may even not bother with the expensive drivers in the future.

So I was thinking like something along the lines of:
Tweeter: Vifa D27TG-35-06 (£30 each)
Upper mid: SB Accoustics Satori MW16-P (£120 each)

..and depending on how the 6" mid integrates with the sub might up even adding a lower mid:

Lower mid: SB Accoustics SB23NRXS45-8 (£70 each)

I'm in the UK, so am a bit limited, but other brands such as SEAS, Scanspeak etc seem to easy enough to source

Advice appeciated
Click to expand...

I am using the SB Satori MR16P-4 4 Ohm, 6 inch midrange. It is one of the best sounding drivers available at any price. I am using it "almost" full range. It can easily do 100Hz to 8KHz (I realize most people would never go as low as 100Hz or as high as 8KHz with a 6 inch mid.!). The point is, pick a woofer or sub-woofer and tweeter; this driver will match about anything out there in any price range, any design style, "almost" unlimited X/O choices.
 
#12
Thankyou everyone for your comments and advice

Yes MTM would work - I occasionally like to turn up the volume, and my 2 x 12" bass drivers have plenty of headroom compated with my 803 TM

Or something like T, HM (4-5 inch), LM (7-8 inch) or similar
 
#14
Consider building the diyAudio Kalasan with the $70 lower cost SB29RDC-4 dome tweeter plus passive L-R-C components which can meet ~ $250/speaker budget. Two cabinets discussed: slanted baffle; pyramid
========
World Famous Designer Jochim Gerhard developed the Kalasan SB Satori monitor in a well documented diyAudio thread. Pyramid cabinet for diffraction control. MW16P-8 midbass + TW29R-4 tweeter.... you can swap the lower cost SB29RDC tweeter with little sonic difference. There is also a slanted baffle cabinet similar to Kairos.

Joachim Gerhard final Satori Kalasan crossover 5.0 circuits from the Kalasan diyAudio thread. # 700
SB Acoustics Satori Monitor
SB Acoustics Satori Monitor

measurements post# 699
crossover circuits post# 700
photos post# 801 762 746
====
If you favor a flat baffle, you can mount the Satori MW16P-8 midbass and SB SB29RDC tweeter into a low edge diffraction cabinet designed by Troels Gravensen.
 

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#15
Dave Bullet said:
Plenty of 4" to 5" drivers will do that range.
Click to expand...

+1

I also fancy nicely behaved wideband drivers.

I picked up a few Scanspeak 15M Discovery a while ago. They appealed to me cos they have nice features and are substantially more sensitive than other Scanspeak cone drivers (or similar brands, such as SB Acoustics). And they are pretty cheap, for Scanspeak.

Quotations truncated from the tests published in Voice Coil:

"maximum linear cone excursion was reached [at] 102 dB [when run] “wide open” without the high-pass filter that will always be used with this product."

- this was for a small sealed box with F3 = 144 Hz

"a very flat rising response that is ±1.68 dB from 300 Hz to 4.5 kHz"

"–3 dB at 30° with respect to the on-axis curve occurs at 4.5 kHz."
 
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#16
nipper1 said:
I am using the SB Satori MR16P-4 4 Ohm, 6 inch midrange. It is one of the best sounding drivers available at any price. I am using it "almost" full range. It can easily do 100Hz to 8KHz (I realize most people would never go as low as 100Hz or as high as 8KHz with a 6 inch mid.!). The point is, pick a woofer or sub-woofer and tweeter; this driver will match about anything out there in any price range, any design style, "almost" unlimited X/O choices.
Click to expand...

I agree, in fact, I wouldn't necessarily consider an Accuton a step up from this. The only midbass I've heard that outperforms the Satori line in any meaningful way was an Audio Technology driver.

Dan
 
#17
phillil said:
I'm looking at building a pair 2 or 3 way to cover around 350 - 20kHz

I will use in conjunction with a pair of sealed 12" subs, which I am currently running with a pair of B&W 803D3 crossed over at 350Hz
...
Advice appeciated
Click to expand...

Hello,

B&W's drive units are probably very good, to say at least, and from that perspective you will likely not do much better, if any. The issue with their crossover filter design has been discussed on one or two occasions with a conclusion that there is plenty of room for improvement, especially in the mid-high transition range. Then again if you desire to lose the 803's for a healthy amount of money, then you are better served with a cheaper costing option in a DIYed fashion. The driver offerings from manufacturers are colourful enough and I consider it a matter of one's own taste in choosing some.
 
#18
A very interesting Youtube channel is Ryan's "Impulse Audio":

YouTube

Ryan rarely uses exotic drivers. Just very good value ones. You will become a light unto yourself and avoid pestering the people here for advice, which will often confuse you even more. 😀
 
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