Best HF drivers for movies @ PartsExpress (1 Viewer)

[Scott Simonian]

Ive been thinking about this this week and have stumbled myself. When I look around at drivers @ PartsExpress, I see things that seem good and that have pretty decent specs...
...but how do you know if they are actually good?
Right now Im looking at HF drivers. Something specificaly for movie soundtracks. Something that has great dynamics (for a tweeter/midrange anyway) and that, of course, sounds good.
I can never really tell whats good and whats not. Somethings look too good to be true. Are there reviews for these kinds of speakers on the web?
Im looking into compression horns really, I have a thing for em'. I look at some and see great specs and GREAT prices. Uh oh. They are piezo based.

I was taught from all mah buds here that piezo tweeters/mids are not good sounding. Or did I hear wrong?
Well, anyone know of any good horns or just great domes that have a nice presense for movies. Like HF drivers in the cinema environment, except ones that sound good.

EDIT: If it matters, I really like the Klipsch sound. Im not sure what that may mean but I know that i liked their natural sound. Yet, they have the "snap" that I am looking for.
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Yes, these are bruises from fighting. Yes, I am comfortable with that. I am enlightened.
[Edited last by Scott Simonian on October 24, 2001 at 11:33 PM]

 

[Peter Johnson]

If you can afford it....but I also dont know if its what your after..
The Scanspeak 9900 is a semi-horn design. Many would call it the best soft dome tweeter in the world.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...=264-555&DID=7
I personally prefer the sound of the 9500 better, but the 9900, at least in every implementation I have heard is more "klipsch-like" than the 9500. The 9900 is better in all the audiophile things, such as imaging, soundstage etc, but the 9500 is smoother.

 

[Chris_Brunhaver]

Well, Partsexpress carries a huge variety of drivers. You should check out Bob Stout's LDSG for information on anything from kits, driver materials and tech to detialed information on specific units. http://www.snippets.org/ldsg/intro.php3
Anyway, Scan-speak tweeters are some of the best but are also priced accordingly. Are you planning on building a kit, acutally designing a loudspeaker, or just upgrading existing speakers that you already have?
-Chris

 

[James Mudler]

Here is another option for you. Adire makes a nit compression driver kit.
http://www.adireaudio.com/cd/he10_1.htm
Also Wayne does a lot with Parts Express drivers.
http://www.speakerbuilder.net/web_files/
Good luck
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Luke, I'm your father

 

[Scott Simonian]

Thanks guys. I can now check all these out.
Peter: That looks quite nice. Pretty much something that I was looking for. It is a bit expensive but I was preparing to see something at about that price. It would have been nice of course to see piezo-based tweeter prices.

A nice $3.99 would be welcome.

Chris: I have seen that site before, I need to read it again though. I would like to eventually design my own oudspeakers but money is a problem for me at the moment. I might possibly upgrade my current speakers with new drivers.
James: The Adire site link didnt work. Ill just go to Adire and look around the site for the kit.
Thank you all again.
Keep em coming.
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Yes, these are bruises from fighting. Yes, I am comfortable with that. I am enlightened.

 

[James Mudler]

Weird works for me. It is the HE10.1
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Luke, I'm your father

 

[Scott Simonian]

That it?
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Yes, these are bruises from fighting. Yes, I am comfortable with that. I am enlightened.

 

[Greg Monfort]

WRT piezos, they can be made to sound decent, but ultimately won't be great. Since they're cheap, mod a pair and see if you like the them.
Listen to the horn a bit to familiarize yourself with the sound (shrill), then get some Damar Varish from a craft or art supply store and some turpentine to thin it 1:1. Remove the rear of chamber to gain access to the piezo. Brush a THIN coat on and let it dry for a day, then reassemble and listen again. Brush an unthinned coat on to the inside back of the chamber cover. You may need to add another coat or two, but only do one at a time, and once you hear no improvement, stop. Any more starts reducing efficiency/limiting BW.
Now brush an unthinned coat on the inside of the horn mouth, being careful not to let it run into the chamber.
Now Damp the entire outside of the horn with something lossy/massive (none on the flange of course), like oil modeling clay or my fav, self stick bituminous coated alum foil sold in the roofing/gutter/flashing section of your local home improvement/hardware store.
If after this you decide it is acceptable, use it with an XO at some point above its rolloff just like any other driver, though it's not necessary for protection purposes.
Then do the same with a piezo tweeter horn.
A bit of extra time for the tweaks, but combined with a wide BW HE driver, they can sound very 'theater' like in an HT, and more to my liking than cone/dome designs.
GM
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Loud is beautiful, if it's clean

 

[Scott Simonian]

Wow. Thanks Greg.
Unfortunatly that sounds like something difficult for me. Im not very crafty with "liquidy" stuff. Yeah, thats right. I said "liquidy", like paint. Im allways bad with that stuff. I know Id screw it up if I tried. Ill diffinetly think it over. I could allways get one of my "more-crafty" friends to do it.
But if I were to do this cool tweak, what difference would I hear? Most people have different opinions on what "theater-like" sound would be.
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Yes, these are bruises from fighting. Yes, I am comfortable with that. I am enlightened.
[Edited last by Scott Simonian on October 30, 2001 at 05:59 PM]

 

[Greg Monfort]

Well, the tweaks to a great extent cures the 'needle through your eardrum' sound of a piezo, and if you've gone to the movies then you already know the basic 'sound' of lower distortion at higher levels, the more forward presentation, etc., that horns do. Of course you can adjust it with EQ or acoustic treatment if it's too forward. In a word, they are 'livelier'.
GM
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Loud is beautiful, if it's clean

 

[Scott Simonian]

That sounds pretty decent. That is the sound I was looking for. Id rather have a too "in-your-face" sound than a "laid-back" sound. I like getting blown away.

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Yes, these are bruises from fighting. Yes, I am comfortable with that. I am enlightened.