GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's Audio Site

In the Forum: Audio Discussions
In the Thread: Macondo’s MiniMe or about Pilot Acoustic Systems

Post Subject: Non annoying monitorsPosted by serenechaos on: 2/19/2009

Good luck getting midrange from F120A for non annoying monitors.
Seems reasonable to expect, many people have been very happy with these drivers...
I haven't tried this specific driver, but have spent some time trying to get a similar (FE138esr) to "behave" well enough to be used as a "simple, second system."
Although made by the "yellow driver company," these grey coned, alnico magnet drivers do have a different tone, and don't have the painful (to me) whizzer highs.
I thought the 138 (later model of 5") would be great for this application.
The magnisium dust cap was supposed to carry highs out clear to 30k, blah, blah...

The dust cap made more peaks than whizzers, and depending on the key the music was in, it was annoying, unlistenable...
It did work well with a ribbon though.
138 crossed below the peaks, first order, ribbon crossed higher, third order (had to futz around with that for a while to get it to integrate nice though).
Have a slight (2dB) tilt down from 150Hz to 15kHz.

The box is the on going problem...
Tried Transmission Line (sounded passable, but a lot bulkier than I really want), sealed box (lost too much tone, sounded "stuffy," compressed), and planet10 bvr (good for firewood if I had a fireplace; sound like heavy felt was placed in front of driver).

I've heard the planet10 bamboo aperiodic fonkens with enabled yellow drivers...
I'll say that was enough to know not try that cabinet. Or as my wife said, "why would anyone waste the time with those?" They don't even do a girl singing with a guitar, what would they do with music?
I mean, I know no box is going to sound like a front loaded horn.
Or have the dynamics, or resolution, or not break-up @ higher volume levels. duh.
But I still don't think that "non annoying monitors" should be too big of a goal?

Oh, and I did hear an extended A / B demo of enabled drivers, in my home.
A guy brought some over, & I switched them back and forth @ will, with different material playing...
No doubt about that one, Bud is on to something...

Robert

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