SB Acoustics info posted at Madisound

[ch83575]

They are not in stock yet, but it looks as though the guys at Madisound have started putting in the SB Acoustics drivers into their website. (http://www.madisound.com/catalog/ind...cturers_id=147) The spec sheets are posted, and the results look mixed to me. The cone looks fairly stiff, but with a workable breakup (ie. not quite as bad as metal), they have a vanishingly low Le rise, and pretty usable looking TS specs. Then there is that cone mode... right in the crossover region. Both of the mid-woofers have it, same place. Easily visible in FR and Imp plots. My question to the experts: is that a deal breaker? What do others think of these fairly well hyped new drivers?

-Chad

[cjd]

Looks like even the 5" is requiring a fairly low crossover point and/or steep(er) slopes, and that's the best story in the bunch. Nice low Fs on the round-face tweeter. The truncated frame tweeter, not sure WHAT that's about. Breakup looks worse than metal, as it's not a peak but a broad shelf. Similar to the issues in Dayton's RS line, where you can't really notch it out but have to simply knock the whole response down by that point. We'll have to see if distortion numbers make these worth the cost over the Peerless line.

C

[TacoD]

I want to try one of those units, Dayton is nice but not my cup of tea.

[Jed]

Taco,

Have you heard the Jantzen 5" driver yet or Max Fidelity? I wonder how well they do with distortion as well. SB Acoustics looks interesting but the published FR is a bit underwhelming.

Jed

[Nemophyle]

common guys, the breakup starts at 5khz on the 5", AND it does looks like a very workable breakup.

more annoying for me is that dip around 1.2khz, with this wiggle in the impedance curve. looks like a cone flap, or maybe a cone to surround mode. In both situations it is in fact boring. You wont see Jon using this driver that's for sure

Anyway you gotta keep in mind the mic distance : 31,6 cm, pretty closer than in other datasheets. the dip may even out at further distance, even if it is still annoying for some people.

OTOH a 1,4khz LR4 would work perfectly, and moreover the tweeter of the line seems quite suited to that application, so lets cross fingers. I dont like to crossover a lot higher than that thoses days anyway.

We'll have to see if distortion numbers make these worth the cost over the Peerless line.

i'm not sure what you're saying , but thoses are actually cheaper than peerless

IMO the most interresting item here is the tweeter, it's darn cheap, has a very nice frequency response, and if distortions follows, this 1,2 mm xmax is gonna be yummy. We'll have to see nonlinear distortion, but if it's around peerless levels ,all of theses may be interresting. Cones are not every bit as good but usable, and price is sensibly lower. Oh and frame design looks dope : :P

EDIT: After further verification, the 7" peerless doesn't look that better conewise. Same dip around 1.4 khz, same kind of mild 10db breakup, although lower for the peerless.

[dlr]

Interesting for the price

They are not in stock yet, but it looks as though the guys at Madisound have started putting in the SB Acoustics drivers into their website. (http://www.madisound.com/catalog/ind...cturers_id=147) The spec sheets are posted, and the results look mixed to me. The cone looks fairly stiff, but with a workable breakup (ie. not quite as bad as metal), they have a vanishingly low Le rise, and pretty usable looking TS specs. Then there is that cone mode... right in the crossover region. Both of the mid-woofers have it, same place. Easily visible in FR and Imp plots. My question to the experts: is that a deal breaker? What do others think of these fairly well hyped new drivers?

-Chad

The tweeter is what interests me most. If they measure as shown, then they can be tweaked a bit. The dip in the 2-3.5K area is from less then ideal damping in the pole-piece vent and/or a chamber too small and not fully damped. My lamb's wool tweak should help that. I'll have to buy one to test when they're available.

The hump in the impedance at 1.5K is also related to the chamber and damping. The older Morel MDT-30 had this. The pole-piece damping they installed was less then adequate. Better damping drops this a bit.

If you want to DIY a bit more, replace the small "chamber" with a larger one, well damped. The Fs will drop a bit and the impedance should take on a more typical Q-shape.

A tweeter at that price with a Faraday ring looks like a good deal.

[cjd]

Yup. Tweeter has potential.

Actually, all the drivers have potential.

[TacoD]

Taco,

Have you heard the Jantzen 5" driver yet or Max Fidelity? I wonder how well they do with distortion as well. SB Acoustics looks interesting but the published FR is a bit underwhelming.

Jed

I did not heard the Jantzen woofers. I doubt it's better sounding than Audiotechnology, those are my favorite woofers. The 15H is really nice. (Jantzen is as far as I know not made in Denmark, and I don't pay that much money for Audiotechnology ripoffs)

[Jed]

How long does it take to get a custom Audiotechnology driver though? And what would you recommend in a 4-5" size?

Can you have them do a faraday ring/rings in the motor?

Jed

[TacoD]

As mid a would recommend an 15H with overhung motor and kapton voice coil, these have the most detail and the flattest response. The SD motor has a full copper sleeve in the gap.

Production takes a couple of weeks it they are not to busy making drivers for Sonus Faber, Verity Audio or Rockport. If you only buy one pair they sometimes squeeze your order in between.

[Nemophyle]

btw , jantzen audio drivers are made in denmark , for what it's worth