[chobint]

As the title hints, I am looking for a small full range driver for my latest DIY project, posted here in the DIY forums. So, it doesn't need to be high powered, but it does need to be able to hit down to ~100hz to cross with my sub.
For the sake of exploring all options, I haven't set a price limit yet...which is why I posted it in this forum

I'm currently using these drivers I got on sale for $5 per:
Tang Band 2"

I've looked at these as potential upgrades:
Tang Band Bamboo 3"
Tang Band 3"
CSS FR125
JX92S
JXR6HD

The JXR6HD seems to be the "ultimate" driver for my application, with it's sickeningly flat response graph. Unfortunately they're not available atm, with no projected release date. Has anyone had any experience with the drivers listed? Or perhaps there are other full range drivers I should consider?
Thanks

 

[Uncle Erik]

If I recall, Jordan changed hands recently. A new company is handling things, so we'll see if they're going to put out the JXR6HD or not. Still, the JX92S is on sale for $300 per pair with free shipping. Not bad for a classic speaker.

Another company you might want to keep an eye on is Eddie Current. I think Craig is soon planning to put out another Cicada or something similar.

 

[ironbut]

I really like your idea. I don't really have a driver suggestion per se but I own a pair of Magnepan 1.6qr's. I've owned plannar speakers of one kind or another since 1980. These take a lot of tweaking of placement to get a balanced sound in a given room and a technique that I've used over the years is to stand in between the two speakers (so the speakers are at 90 degree angles to the sides of my head) and listen to them like a pair of K1000's. That effectively eliminates any room interaction and I can hear the difference when I move back to the listening area. With a pair of dipoles (which radiate the same in front and rear) it is just shocking how good they sound like this. The soundstage is incredibly real. If you have a chance, go to your local Magnepan dealer and listen to them wearing them like cans. It might just send you looking for a pair of the smaller Magnepans (like the ones used for home theater) for this project. Here's a link to the smallest and cheapest ones;
Magnepan > Models > MMGW and MMGC

 

[recstar24]

Random question, how do those jordan's sound? The specs look great. I would probably never get to use them as they are not really high efficient for my 2a3's or 45 tubes.

 

[chobint]

Thanks for the suggestions. I had discounted planars because all the full range ones seemed too big to set on my chair...but I will add EC to my list of stuff to keep my eye on, along with Jordan.

 

[jamesbos]

Quote:

Thanks for the suggestions. I had discounted planars because all the full range ones seemed too big to set on my chair...but I will add EC to my list of stuff to keep my eye on, along with Jordan.

I have built A4 size full range planars using 45 x 6 x 1.5 mm neos which sound very good and have good bass as well and could be easily driven by small valve amps.

 

[Nick 214]

I have built a pair of transmission lines using the Fostex FE167e, which, sadly, is not longer produced, modified with hand-turned Planet 10 Hi-Fi phase plugs. 
 
 

 
I kept them toed-in by about 15* for dispersion purposes. Really great sound, every single person that stopped by to hear them would ask "where's the sub?" Some car audio guys would say "what's in the crossover?" I would answer that I basically had them corner-loaded for 1-2db of bass reinforcement, and that they ran wide open from the terminals. Great, great speakers. Do excuse the "finish," as I wanted to paint them, but just started to enjoy the bare MDF. Here's a shot of them in my sophomore dorm room in 2009:
 
 

 
The amp is ultralinear, so it didn't sound all that "tubey," and I liked it that way: the inverted surround had very little excursion but those TLs with the corner loaded placement would hit 45hz all day (and did!). 
 
If you can find a pair, I would jump on them. They were not all that expensive, maybe $60 each IIRC. 
 
My junior year I got into the JX92s, and I would highly recommend that you do, too. These were built and traded to me by a master woodworker who makes ultra-high end furniture in NYC:
 

 
They are absolute stunners. Flush-mounted in MDF with a thick veneer of grain-matched Macassar Ebony, coated in Tung oil. Running wide open, of course. They're an MLTL design, and I love them dearly. The Jordan drivers are really technical achievements, I urge you to jump at them as soon as you are ready. For about three months I had these coupled to a pair of 15" drivers, running open baffle in an H-frame mount. They turned out to be really muddy to my ears, and I gave them away to some high school kid on Craigslist so that he could have the coolest truck in town... 

 
Oh, and remeber, there is an established deisgn that utilizes a ribbon tweeter in conjunction with the 92s, which I bet sounds quite good. 
 
I used the JX92s set from about four-to-five feet out, and was very satisfied. I found that the Fostex set needed maybe seven-or-so feet to come into their own, perhaps due to the whizzer cone.
 
[I still have both pairs, with the drivers boxed should you be interested, BTW] 
 
To recap, I think that the JX92s is the way to go. The only drivers I would take before them would be some crazy exotic field coils, or maybe some ribbon co-ax designs. 
 
NK

 

[Nick 214]

I culled those shots from my Facebook... I'll look for some more when I get back home. 
 
NK
 
I did not realize how old this thread is! Whoops... 

 
I'll leave the previous post, as some may find it useful.
 
NK