Erland Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 This may be a well covered subject, but I still allow myself to ask you guys; My speakers are DIY Khorns with Alkeng ES400/5800 xo's, trachorns and recently upgraded with the Fostex T500AmkII tweeters. They sound magnificent and I am very pleased with the way the system present any kind of music. So, why this question? The tweeter upgrade made a huge difference, and I can not help myself from asking; Is there a midband compression driver out there that will cover 400hz-5800khz better than the K55V? I have for a while considered the insanely prized GOTO drivers, but neither of them can cover this particular frequency range, so I would have to rebuild the entire system from the bass bins and up. And then it would not be a complete Khorn anymore. So - is there such driver with sensitivity >104 db and known to be significantly better than the K55V - I would like to know - cost no object! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 I'd speculate you'd like Greg's Vtrac upgrades then? http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/t/118944.aspx You might already have some upgrades that would make this a bit redundant (??) but to me, the key thing is you are moving up to a 2" driver and in my opinion that step alone allows you to make a (potential) quantum leap forward. Just a thought. If you liked it, you could perhaps sell some of your redundant items to recoup some of your expense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 I guess the ultimate no holds barred mid driver is the TAD 4001. I'm running a pair of JBL 2441s (newer 275) which I think are awesome. There are others including the driver Greg is using with his upgrades.I notice they recommend crossing at 600hz with a 12db/oct. slope. With your steeper 24db slope you should be able to go lower than that. I grabbed these specs. for the TAD off the net: They are kinda pricey though. SPECIFICATIONS TD-4001 Nominal Impedance 16 Ohm Frequency Range 600~20000 Hz Rated Input Power 30 Watt Maximum Input Power 60 Watt Sound Pressure Level 110 dB/W (1m) Total Magnetic Flux 228.000 Mx Magnetic Flux Density 20.000 G Recommended Crossover > 600Hz, 12db/oct Voice Coil Diameter 101,0 mm Phasing Plug 5-slit type Throat Hole Size 49,4 mm / 2" Mounting Dimensions 101.6mm (4 Holes) Weight 13,5 kg / 30 lbs Dimensions (diameter x depth) 178x156mm / 7x6" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 The K55V with solder terminals is better than the K55V with the "push and release to trap the wire" terminal. Reportedly, PWK had a two-piece phase plug put in the last of the K55V series (I say reportedly because I have not taken on apart.) This led to better h.f. extension. The marker for telling them apart is only the different terminals. Wm McD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nola Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Erland I don't remember if it was you or someone else posting about some very expensive horn drivers recently. Suffice it to say that the obscure object of your desire might be horn loaded, but also might clearly be in the DIY realm. Although you have self made KH bins, for bass bins, check out Steve Deckers corner horns via ?decware.com. He also makes some tube amps that have a following. These can also be self made or made to order. Quite a wide range of driver or drivers too. Seems a higher end wood worker set of skills and tools would be required - but you might have these. BTW, I know of no one that has directly compared these 2 bass bins. For horns, I think the Avant gards (?spelling) are the coolest looking. I heard the 2" throat mid ranges last week. Nice indeed. ALK does not recc the 2" horn at non loud levels. I was not present when my friend compared the 2" throat wooden horn to the K400 stock mid horn. I was not blown away by the changes made by the ALK 1" throat horn vs the K400. However, I did not do the comparison with the same drivers. (I will be playing with Altec 511 multicellular mid/tweeter next week, I hope. Altec 902 drivers. There are convertor adapters for Klipsch series horn use too. I think you are looking for something beyond this.) Tweeters: pls understand this my opinion only. Have you done any test tones on your gear? Well, above 400 Hz or so, they start getting very directional, above a 1000 Hz or so, the sound is very, very directional. So be aware that even a few inches change in position can make a huge difference in the sound pressure level (SPL), etc. Others willhave to chime in how much difference any different tweeters really make beyond the "sweet spot" area of your room. Lastly, and perhaps most ghastly, will you really be able to appreciate the differences and do you own source material that can bring a system to life - as if the band is truly in your room? For most of us the answer to the former is maybe yes, and to the latter, probably no. We had a 3-5 piece band playing at our local audio club GTG last month. Even with really nice gear, there was absolutely no doubt as to which room had the band and which rooms had the spkrs. Hope this helps a bit.......NOLA.....an all that Jazz..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I'd look at these: http://www.greatplainsaudio.com/downloads/390series.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blvdre Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I'd look at these: http://www.greatplainsaudio.com/downloads/390series.pdf Have you heard this driver, John? I've never seen anyone recommend it before, but it seems like it would be a good match for a KHorn or LaScala three-way set-up. I think phenolics get a bad rap from some - The JBL's I've heard sound very natural. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bliss53 Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 I preferred the K52/K57 over the K55 in my last two projects with alk es networks. The difference is not big and it may not be the level of upgrade you are seeking. But I thought I would put it out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erland Posted August 31, 2009 Author Share Posted August 31, 2009 Thank you all for interesting and valid inputs. Yes, it was me who posted some details of installing the Fostex T500AmkII tweeters. They really made a difference by giving more "air" to the performance. I believe that I have found the compression driver that I am looking for: The GOTO SG-505DX http://www.dirac-france.com/page.asp?content=goto/drivermodel.asp&model=lowmid The only problem: I can not afford it.....yet. All data and spec says: "Match made in heaven", and they will work with the trachorn. Just need to save up some cash! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 hard to beat altec mid drivers....288? 290, 291? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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