Blueprint Forum and driver specs
Aug 31, 2011 11:38:26 GMT -7
Post by FOH on Aug 31, 2011 11:38:26 GMT -7
Aug 30, 2011 12:23:59 GMT -7 @chrisbee said:
Meanwhile, Thomas has repeatedly said that more expensive drivers are a waste of money in an IB. So which "trick" drivers would you suggest we should look at while going against this expert advice? Should the well heeled ignore Thomas and blow a stack of cash on a stack of $1k drivers and crazy expensive amps? And, if they did, what exactly would they hear that the IB3/EP4K owners would not? I think we should be told. In most any form of durable goods, as one ascends the scale of MSRP, generally there is a correlation to apparent quality. Again, as the goods in any particular category increase in price, one generally encounters diminishing returns. Audio, is a nearly ideal example, and low frequency drivers are certainly no exception.
If I were entering the hobby, and examining the LF drivers that could perform reasonably in an IB config, I'd likely see something like this; At the bottom end, you've got junk,...essentially paperweights that somehow find a market for buyers that prefer the visual impact, over actually performing. Then there are many good quality LF drivers, that get thrown into IB's. However due to limited displacement, they just can't move enough air to provide any realistic playback of the bottom octaves. All things equal, it take a 4x increase in excursion to maintain SPL for every octave lower.
Now, entering the area of drivers that actually are well built, available, and would perform acceptably in an IB. One finds everything from the very inexpensive IB specific 15" from Dayton, the outstanding and well built design like the 15" Titanic from Dayton, to offerings such as Fi's 18", and higher priced JBL, and the stratospheric TC Sounds drivers.
I've phoned both AE, and IST Mach 5 this afternoon because I was uncertain as to their currently available line-up. Neither business answered and I believe Mach 5 has a 15 available, their 18 is listed out of stock. AE isn't offering any IB specific drives that I'm aware of. I remember John posting regarding some very limited availability, but that was months ago and none are available online.
$ Dayton
$$ Dayton Titanic
$$$ Mach 5
$$$ Fi
$$$$ JBL
$$$$$$$$$$ TC Sounds
what exactly would they hear that the IB3/EP4K owners would not? I think we should be told.
I don't know. Theoretically, a better design would have increased sensitivity at lower frequencies, higher Xmax and higher Pmax, all the above resulting in greater maximum output and lower -3db point all while lowering all forms of compression. Then, reduction in all forms of distortions and non-linearities by addressing the various driver issues Klippel has identified. This is precisely what JBL and TC, have set out to do. They claim success in many areas of concern.
I believe Thomas is right, more expensive drivers are a waste. However, as an enthusiast, I'm certainly curious what characteristics an IB built with the higher end drivers would sound like. The one point I intended to convey when this discussion began, is that employing multiples, and lessening the load of each driver and allowing it to operate largely within it's linear envelope, mitigates many of the inherent limitations of any given design.
Wouldn't the more expensive drivers, properly powered, when compared (4)18's vs. (4)18's,... wouldn't they be somewhat better? The goal being flat, deep, linear, and loud. I don't know Chrisbee, they'd certainly not be commensurately as good as the price of admission would indicate. I'd estimate at least $1k per driver difference, if you powered each with their own EP4K. You'd need to get more dedicated circuits for the amplifiers,..and that'd push the per drive cost up significantly. So at least $5K more to achieve this little exercise.
Of course everyone is different. But in my opinion, again I believe Thomas is right, waste of money.
Thanks
btw; pendant? ...really?
Had to Merriam Webster that one. That's the problem with traveling to countries with foreign languages,..it's like they've got a different word for everything-Steve Martin.