sootshe Posted October 2, 2010 Share Posted October 2, 2010 Thoughts? Anyone heard one of these? http://www.greatplainsaudio.com/downloads/390series.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest " " Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 it doesnt go as low as a pd5hv (k-55), but I'd like to hear one on an higher order xover (AK-3/AL-3, AK-4/AL-4, etc) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy81 Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 During my upgradeitis, I considered this driver as a good alternative, but IIRC the price was more than I wanted to spend at the time. Just as well since I ended up going to 2" drivers later on. I beleive those drivers have good reviews in the various comments I read when researching them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 could be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 It would be an oustanding, lower distortion alternative! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sootshe Posted October 7, 2010 Author Share Posted October 7, 2010 It would be an oustanding, lower distortion alternative! My thoughts exactly John.............for the time being I'm going to try the dual phase plug K55.......& I've started saving up for the Altec driver & some appropriate horns to match......In my opinion you can't beat the sound of the original Altec drivers, their quality is second to none. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sootshe Posted October 8, 2010 Author Share Posted October 8, 2010 What sort of horn would you run with these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted October 10, 2010 Share Posted October 10, 2010 Don't overlook the Selenium D250X as a good, cost effective alternative to the K55. Generally clear crisp sound, good build quality and an excellent price from parst-express. [H] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jambandfan Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Wouldn't the selenuim dreiver cause problems in that it doesnt roll off at 6K like the k55? Just trying to get me head wrapped around all this stuff. -marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sootshe Posted October 11, 2010 Author Share Posted October 11, 2010 Well I think I've cleared up most of the problems I've been experiencing with my K55's & now have no need to go to a larger format driver............ Last night I popped in an Ayre Acoustics V3 power amp & the difference is astounding. .............Who would have thought that the old K55 could produce such clarity & subtlety........and it's not as if I was using inferior equipment before......an Audio Research D240.......must be a better match with the Ayre........Still going to go ahead with the Dual Phase Plug drivers for another improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Wouldn't the selenuim dreiver cause problems in that it doesnt roll off at 6K like the k55? Just trying to get me head wrapped around all this stuff. -marc It's used with an 8W resistor to knock it down to correct sensitivity. When used with the CT-125 tweeter which goes lower in freq response, it works very well. That said, I generally use it with an A/4500 or an E/4500 crossover to take advantage of the CT-125. By itself, and with the resistor, however, it does work quite well. I'll admit that it's not a super high end mid range, but for "normal" uses, it is very close to the K-55. A little "brighter" some say, but I like that type of clarity with voices in the mid ranges. Check with Bob Crites (BEC) in regards to the uses, tests he made, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sootshe Posted November 16, 2010 Author Share Posted November 16, 2010 Well, Bob's dual phase plug drivers have arrived & I have to say that I'm thoroughly impressed. No more peakiness in the mids or nasty resonances, just smooth, clear sound. Bob also sent me some Sonicaps for replacements for the Solens in my ALK uni kit crossovers. When I originally built these I was told that I wouldn't hear any difference between the Solens used in the kit & the Sonicaps used in the pre built model. All I can say is if you have Solens in your uni then you need to change them out for a better quality cap. My JBL 2405 slots have always sounded very sibilant & "spitty", but not anymore. These caps have a smoothness & clarity that must be heard. I'm not saying they're the best you can get, but they make the Solens sound like 30 year old caps. With the combination of dual phase plug drivers & the new upgraded caps the sound is really something special & after 18 months of experimenting I can finally leave well enough alone & simply enjoy the music. I certainly have no desire to go the larger format route now & that has saved me a bundle of money. Although I haven't had the large format drivers & horns in my system, I have heard quite a few systems running JBL & similar 2 inch drivers & I don't believe that my current set up is in any way lacking. A great result all around....thanks again Bob!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Klappenberger Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 That driver has a 1.4 inch throat. None of the horns we talk about here will fit it. You would need to do some looking to find a 1.4 inch horn. Maybe Dave GetHover might make one if you want to try it. The specifications look perfect for the Khorn with an upgraded crossover. The stock crossovers depend on the 6 KHz upper limit of the K55 to work. As to the Solen FastCap versus Sonicap comparison, you best check the price tag! The Sonicaps BETTER sound better! Remember that I put them in the Universals I build and in the signal path of every other high-end network I build. The Solen caps are only used to make the price tag reasonable for the more economical stuff, like the kit and the AP12 series. Be sure too of what you are hearing. The placebo effect is never far from any of us. If you spend more money on something it WILL sound better even if it isn't! Nobody is immune, and that includes me! AL K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sootshe Posted November 16, 2010 Author Share Posted November 16, 2010 That driver has a 1.4 inch throat. None of the horns we talk about here will fit it. You would need to do some looking to find a 1.4 inch horn. Maybe Dave GetHover might make one if you want to try it. The specifications look perfect for the Khorn with an upgraded crossover. The stock crossovers depend on the 6 KHz upper limit of the K55 to work. As to the Solen FastCap versus Sonicap comparison, you best check the price tag! The Sonicaps BETTER sound better! Remember that I put them in the Universals I build and in the signal path of every other high-end network I build. The Solen caps are only used to make the price tag reasonable for the more economical stuff, like the kit and the AP12 series. Be sure too of what you are hearing. The placebo effect is never far from any of us. If you spend more money on something it WILL sound better even if it isn't! Nobody is immune, and that includes me! AL K. At the time I was considering going to Altec 805 multicells which would mate to the 288's beautifully....however now I feel I don't need to.....................Yes, I agree the Sonicaps should sound better, as they are more expensive.......& fine, use the Solens in the more economical stuff, but don't tell customers to use the Solens because they won't hear a difference with the Sonicaps...........I can only tell you what my ears hear & there is a night & day difference.......this would have saved me a lot of heartache if I had just used the Sonicaps in the first place.......they mate beautifully with your uni's & Trachorn's & the dual phase plug drivers.[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Klappenberger Posted November 17, 2010 Share Posted November 17, 2010 I have had several customers do exchanges with various brands of caps. Most perople hear very little difference. I really believe most people will not hear a difference. It is normal human nature to hear what they expect to hear and believe what they expect to believe. That is why double-blind studies are always employed to make serious comparisons of anything that would otherwise require subjective judgments. Remember too that I only use the Solen caps in the kits for the 24+24 uF pair. All the other caps are Sonicaps. A single 24 uF Sonicap costs me $22 in quantity of 25. That's $88! Is it worth if for a kit? They are $31.60 each retail! Of course, if a customer wants to upgrade the caps and believes it's a good Idea, that's all it takes to actually MAKE it a good idea. To tell a customer there is definitely an improvement with the high priced caps even if you can't hear it is selling him something he might not need just to make more money in markup for myself. I prefer to be honest. I believe most people will not hear a difference. Al K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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