New Vifa NE Line

[drab]

New drivers from Vifa are on the Tymphany site. Nice looking. :T

Tweeter

Woofers

Midwoofer

Mike

[Jonasz]

Wow, the inductance seems very, very low and the impedance plots looks really good too!

Will be interesting to see some measurements of these drivers... :P

[myspk]

The tweeter is very good. It is no obvious high-frequency resonance peaks.

[5th element]

I thought something was up with the Tymphany website and now I know why.

I've been waiting for these to be released for some time now, after having seen them months ago on Zaph's website.

From memory there was also a 5.5 and 4" version.

It's going to be interesting to see where these are priced and how they perform.

The new metal cone Peerless drivers are available at Europe Audio (formerly BMM Loudspeakers) for very reasonable prices.

[dsrviola]

Vifa NE tweeters

Has anybody had a chance to play with these? Any information on the performance differences between the the various materials used for the domes?

http://www.tymphany.com/categories/vifa/tweeter

[5th element]

Has anybody had a chance to play with these? Any information on the performance differences between the the various materials used for the domes?

http://www.tymphany.com/categories/vifa/tweeter

I think overall availability is the main problem with the NE line. I know a few of the big shots here have shown interest and have perhaps ordered some units to test, but are yet to receive them.

Generally though, if the motor is of sound design, then either dome material will provide good results. Pick your poison.

[JonMarsh]

Biggest differences appear to be HF breakup and dispersion. And fully trusting published preliminary curves can be a naive thing to do, of course.

I have a pair of the 3/4" titanium's on the way for evaluation as a replacement in the Neo D CC three way.

[villastrangiato]

At $137, the 8 inch woofer seems a little pricey - especially considering the challenges you have to face incorporating it into a two way. If the posted data is correct, the seven db peak at around 2500 hz is unfortunate. The basket looks really nice, it has apparently low inductance, reasonable mass, and a fairly strong NEO magnet - but for nearly a buck and a half - I'd expect that stuff.

[JonMarsh]

I agree you have to be careful evaluating the value proposition. For now I'm just looking at a few specific drivers that could be interesting for projects- both of the titanium tweeters, the 149 mm "full range", and the 180 mm "full range". That's exhausting my budget for new driver testing for the next quarter!

A lot depends on how the HD tests out- the motor concepts and impedance curves look promising, and the 180 mm ought to be a natural in a dipole, of course. I'm thinking the 149 for a budget three way, possibly- again, depends on how it tests out. Vifa has done some things with midwoofers in the past that resulted in very low midrange distortion even though there were other problem areas. We'll just have to see...

Go ahead and get that 220 mm part... :W might as well have more people testing the new parts than just me!

[villastrangiato]

I agree you have to be careful evaluating the value proposition. For now I'm just looking at a few specific drivers that could be interesting for projects- both of the titanium tweeters, the 149 mm "full range", and the 180 mm "full range". That's exhausting my budget for new driver testing for the next quarter!

A lot depends on how the HD tests out- the motor concepts and impedance curves look promising, and the 180 mm ought to be a natural in a dipole, of course. I'm thinking the 149 for a budget three way, possibly- again, depends on how it tests out. Vifa has done some things with midwoofers in the past that resulted in very low midrange distortion even though there were other problem areas. We'll just have to see...

Go ahead and get that 220 mm part... :W might as well have more people testing the new parts than just me!

But that's one of the main reasons I visit this site - I get to live ( read : spend) vicariously through others. I wouldn't cross an eight inch woofer higher than 1800 hz anyway in order to avoid dispersion matching problems, so I'm guessing the 2500hz peak wouldn't mean very much in the final analysis. If it were audible with a shallow crossover, a high q shunt should handle it for a few bucks with an el cheapo cap and coil. For what I'd do with it, I'm curious to see how it stands up to the ER18NRX in terms of power handling and dynamics. If it can deliver a good deal more output with 1.5mm more travel, it might be worth spending nearly double what the SEAS unit costs.

[Rick Craig]

But that's one of the main reasons I visit this site - I get to live ( read : spend) vicariously through others. I wouldn't cross an eight inch woofer higher than 1800 hz anyway in order to avoid dispersion matching problems, so I'm guessing the 2500hz peak wouldn't mean very much in the final analysis. If it were audible with a shallow crossover, a high q shunt should handle it for a few bucks with an el cheapo cap and coil. For what I'd do with it, I'm curious to see how it stands up to the ER18NRX in terms of power handling and dynamics. If it can deliver a good deal more output with 1.5mm more travel, it might be worth spending nearly double what the SEAS unit costs.

Unfortunately the 5.25" and 8" suffer from suspension limiting which makes the extra x-max of no value.

[JonMarsh]

I figures as much looking at the 5", but since I really figure I only need about 2mm to use it as a midrange, aw, what the heck, might as well test it.

[dsrviola]

Vifa NE tweeters

A pair of the titanium 3/4" tweeters on the way....

They will (hopefully) enjoy the company of:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=264-842

and

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=296-600

as my new computer speakers

[JonMarsh]

A pair of the titanium 3/4" tweeters on the way....

You too? :W I've also got a pair of the 1" titanium. Curious to see for my self how they test out differently in dispersion and distortion.

[augerpro]

Jon what was your reasoning for picking the Ti ones? I ordered the non-anodized aluminum, if I remember right, because of the smoothest response of teh metal domes. I figured the anodized one would be smoother, but it doesn't appear so for Vifa's graphs. Don't really remember the Ti responses. I also have the fabric ones on order. Both sizes.

[JonMarsh]

I like titanium... have titanium watches... like the strength to weight ratio.

I had mixed feelings about all the tweeters in this series, but I figured I'd start by trying a couple and seeing what happens. The 1" look easier to work with, but the off axis of 3/4" can be special. I don't like having to massage the frequency response a lot, but maybe it's something I have to consider. I'm looking for a new tweeter for the Neo D CC three way, so distortion from 2 kHz up, and dispersion and small size are the big priorities.

Heck, the Vifa SQ25 with the phase shield clipped off may wind up being the winner...

It's a crap shoot, I figure- measure and see.

[cjd]

I have a titanium wedding band... :P

[JonMarsh]

I have a titanium wedding band... :P

There you go! For me, any watch other than Titanium irritates my skin.

I had no idea they mad titanium wedding bands, though.

[savage25xtreme]

I have a titanium wedding band... :P

That's the most expensive piece of titanium you will every wear :rofl:

[evilskillit]

Heh, I need to replace my gold band. Was going to get titanium but I think I'm going to get tungsten carbide instead.

http://www.google.com/products?q=tungsten+carbide+wedding+band&oe=utf-8&rls=com.ubuntu:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=TZ-CS_OsG8-KnQeSp8DABw&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDIQrQQwAw

Assuming my fingers size doesn't change (and I don't lose it) it'll be the last one I ever have to buy. I don't think they can be resized tho, so I'll have to watch my weight

[Jonasz]

There you go! For me, any watch other than Titanium irritates my skin.

I had no idea they mad titanium wedding bands, though.

I have several titanium watches and used to have a wedding band in the same material. The wedding band seem to like scratches so I changed it to one made of tungsten, not a hint of scratches after three years of heavy use. :B

[JonMarsh]

What constitutes three years of "heavy use of a wedding band" ... ??

Maybe I've been out of circulation too long to know what that means... :W

[augerpro]

A buddy of mine has a Ti wedding band. I told him he better hope to hell he never smashes that finger because they'll probably have to just cut the finger off . Kinda freaked him out so he asked a nurse about and apparently they have a snipper that can remove the Ti bands.

[cjd]

Yeah, when my finger had a swift meeting with a piece of ply-wood (middle finger, ring finger just got nicked) we discussed whether or not they would have been able to get the band off. They assured me they would, but suggested I never wear it while working in the shop (they actually always recommend that as ANY ring on a damaged finger can cause more damage than anything if it swells). Made sense to me.

On the other hand, it got caught between an engine on a hoist and the firewall in my car and saved me a bad bruise...

Ti "scratches" but it balances to a happy finish IMHO. My wife started out with hers "satin" and mine came polished - they now have exactly the same finish.

Yes, they can not be resized (nor can the carbide, which is far more brittle, but more scratch resistant).

[HareBrained]

Since this has transitioned into wedding band stories ... I only wear my ring when I know I'm no going to be using my hands. 20 years ago (and one wife earlier), I was asked to always wear my ring. I was playing basketball and went up for a rebound and my ring got caught on the doohickey that holds the net, just under the rim. Instinctively, I grabbed the rim with my hand. HARD. That was enough to elevate the ring off the hook. It took a chunk out of the ring and a nasty bruise on my finger. Fortunately, I still got it. BTW, I'm left handed and I now wear the new ring on my right hand.

[numberoneoppa]

Since this has transitioned into wedding band stories ... I only wear my ring when I know I'm no going to be using my hands. 20 years ago (and one wife earlier), I was asked to always wear my ring. I was playing basketball and went up for a rebound and my ring got caught on the doohickey that holds the net, just under the rim. Instinctively, I grabbed the rim with my hand. HARD. That was enough to elevate the ring off the hook. It took a chunk out of the ring and a nasty bruise on my finger. Fortunately, I still got it. BTW, I'm left handed and I now wear the new ring on my right hand.

This sounds horribly painful.

[ch83575]

My ring is white gold and worth almost 2x as much as when I got married. How much does titanium appreciate? :W

Of course that's by weight... even after the golds appreciation it isn't worth half what I paid for it. Those damn jewelers... probably capitalists or something. :rofl:

-Chad

[villastrangiato]

I lost my gold wedding band while offloading some cars from a nine car carrier in Del Rio Texas back in the mid nineties when I had a transport business. I should have taken that as a sign and filed for divorce instead of waiting 10 years to further screw up my life......live and learn..... :duh:

[Kevin Haskins]

I ordered a pair of the Ti 1" domes. Part Number: NE25VTT-04


I think the Ti dome looks cool... at least in the picture. :T

[brent_s]

To stay OT for a moment while we "...take a moment to talk about shop safety...". Rings/watches/etc. should never be worn in an environment where they might catch on something, such as the examples cited...it's just like remembering any other PPE. I won't even wear my ring to the gym or while mowing the yard; SWMBO completely understands, YMMV. :-)

-Brent

[cjd]

I ordered a pair of the Ti 1" domes. Part Number: NE25VTT-04


I think the Ti dome looks cool... at least in the picture. :T

mail order brides so rarely work out...

er... am I getting my Ti stories mixed up now?

[Kevin Haskins]

mail order brides so rarely work out...

er... am I getting my Ti stories mixed up now?

I don't know... I've not tried a mail order bride. I somehow think my wife wouldn't approve.

I'll have the tweeters soon so I'll give my completely unbiased opinion on their cosmetic appeal soon.

[JonMarsh]

But Kevin, a biased opinion on cosmetic appeal is normally expected- and expected to be subjective!

I'm expecting a delivery today with some Vifa parts...

The thing I've always heard about mail order brides is that it doesn't work very well these days with the rough handling of packages that USPS normally gives... they wind up being pretty cranky by the time they get here, especially if from a different continental system (like Europe or Asia), and things don't generally get off to a good start...

[Kevin Haskins]

But Kevin, a biased opinion on cosmetic appeal is normally expected- and expected to be subjective!

I'm expecting a delivery today with some Vifa parts...

The thing I've always heard about mail order brides is that it doesn't work very well these days with the rough handling of packages that USPS normally gives... they wind up being pretty cranky by the time they get here, especially if from a different continental system (like Europe or Asia), and things don't generally get off to a good start...

Well...... PE sent me the wrong tweeters. I ordered the Ti & received the aluminum. I guess I'll get measurements on both.

Yea... I wouldn't trust my luck with a mail order bride. PE cannot even get my tweeter order right so something as complicated as a female has to be highly fraught with peril. Imagine ordering a slim attractive Asian women and you get a large mentally ill Ogre from the Ukraine. Women are best bought at the local brick and mortar shop where you can return them if necessary.

[JonMarsh]

Well...... PE sent me the wrong tweeters. I ordered the Ti & received the aluminum. I guess I'll get measurements on both.

Yea... I wouldn't trust my luck with a mail order bride. PE cannot even get my tweeter order right so something as complicated as a female has to be highly fraught with peril. Imagine ordering a slim attractive Asian women and you get a large mentally ill Ogre from the Ukraine. Women are best bought at the local brick and mortar shop where you can return them if necessary.

I'm in violent agreement with you on this one, Kevin! :T

[JonMarsh]

Vifa NE180W 6.5" Midrange? Pretty pictures...

Of course, everyone is going to have their own take on these NE180W. I'm thinking in a couple of projects as using them more like a midrange. No more disclosure than that for now other than what's otherwise been posted.

Most of you guys are probably fond of full frontals, so here's one to start:



For those more fond of the backside, well, you'll have your day, too.



Looks like there's been some selective cost down in the final product versus prototype pictures- no fancy finning on the magnet assemblies.

The profile view is illustrative of the open construction and here we see the titanium VC former and coil out of the gap- unlike some Neodymium drivers, this is a compact magnetic system not using an underhung voice coil approach- undoubtedly a factor in hitting this price target.



Though the small magnet and unusual frame design look fairly open, if you want to avoid the masking effects of the spider, some significant baffle bevel will still be required, I think. Still, it's going to be interesting to see how this design performs at this price point in the midrange.

Last, putting a little deflection on the cone, we can see that there's a pretty serious amount of copper in the total gap area... undoubtedly a big factor in the flat impedance curve, and one which hopefully will results in some nice midrange distortion numbers. Given what Tymphany achieved in the Peerless Exclusive 6-1/2" drivers, I'm expecting some great things... but will they go higher than 2 kHz before running into trouble?

[villastrangiato]

Thanks for the juicy centerfold and in-depth analysis Jon. Looks like a great driver - playmate of the month material? :brunette:

[JonMarsh]

Thanks for the juicy centerfold and in-depth analysis Jon. Looks like a great driver - playmate of the month material? :brunette:

Could be- should know by this weekend.

[augerpro]

Well...... PE sent me the wrong tweeters. I ordered the Ti & received the aluminum.

I ordered the aluminum and got the Ti. If you just ordered one 1" I'll trade you

[cjd]

That sounds like something in their system has the model numbers mixed...

[JonMarsh]

If true, I'll be getting some aluminum ones shortly... probably tomorrow.

[Kevin Haskins]

I ordered the aluminum and got the Ti. If you just ordered one 1" I'll trade you

I ordered a pair and they are already on their way back. I'm hoping the Ti are a little darker so they match my midwoofer better. Call me silly but I like the drivers to match in color.

[JonMarsh]

PE not having a good week...

Well, they shipped 1" AL instead of TI tweeters, AND all the tweeters received were messed up because of the packing- the boxes were fine, but the tweeters were wrapped in bubble wrap face to face. So the plastic grille loops easily slip through and mangle the dome.




Hope they can get the hang of dealing with bulk product from Vifa and shipping them properly.

[savage25xtreme]

what a bummer, like getting a toy for xmas and not having any batteries for it, and you cant get any for 2 weeks :M

guess thats part of being the first guy on the block with a new toy

[Kevin Haskins]

PE not having a good week...

Well, they shipped 1" AL instead of TI tweeters, AND all the tweeters received were messed up because of the packing- the boxes were fine, but the tweeters were wrapped in bubble wrap face to face. So the plastic grille loops easily slip through and mangle the dome.




Hope they can get the hang of dealing with bulk product from Vifa and shipping them properly.

Those are nice.....

I've seen this with Madisound and PE. They buy the things with OEM packaging (in lots of 50-100) and they kludge together some crude method of shipping them that results in a lot of damaged product.

They should have ordered them with a retail package where the tweeters are individually packaged in a way to prevent damage. I bet a high proportion of this first order is literally wasted because they didn't square away the shipping details. You would think a company like PE would have this figured out.