Crites cast woofer OR eminence kappa 15c for cornwall type bass bin

[zobsky]

So I decided to take one for the team and bought both the crites cast woofers and the eminence kappa 15c to test out in my "belle" bins (optionally ported).

 

It's a bit of a wash between the two.

 

On the higher end of the spectrum (about 450 - 600 Hz) , I feel the kappa 15c is more articulate

On the lower end (around 35 - 45 Hz when I have the bin propertly EQ'd) , the crites has "more" bass, though not necessarily more articulate than the kappa.

 

To be clear, I could easily live with either of the drivers in this design. In any case, I personally feel a subwoofer is necessary/desirable - but that's a different topic.

 

That said,whichever way I go, I will have an extra unused pair of great drivers.

I could

1. sell a pair off 

2. Build something simpler and a bit "smaller" - relatively speaking - like a cornwall / cornscala . Has anyone compared the kappa 15c and the crites 15" in a cornwall (or similar) style enclosure?

 

Thanks

 

 

[jimjimbo]

I have the Kappa's in a pair of Cornwall's right now, and they are terrific.  Either way, you can't go wrong.  Your evaluations of the responses of each on the higher and lower ends is right on the money, and has been stated here numerous times by others as well.

[Stevenarrow]

I feel you should invest in the upper range of the response curve. Lower bass is very much influenced by the placement and room and the Belle will not get you much below 50Hz. And you're correct, it is a bit of a wash.

[jason str]

I say high pass the Eminence Kappa 15-C and use a subwoofer. Everybody always speaks about how low their mains can dig, you don't get nothing for nothing and end up losing midrange details. Every system should be using a subwoofer to get that deep bass accomplished weather it be 2 channel or home theater oriented.

[bcarey13]

i'm hoping to do  a similar test in the next week or so.  My brother in law has a brand new set of Kappa 15C's that came with some Chorus II's he bought as extras.   He says he has no real use for them so I am going to try them in my LaScalas which have K-33's in them.  I'd like to hear the mid-bass difference I keep reading about.  I also have a set of Crites cast that are going into my Khorns whenever I can wrap that project up.  I'm hoping I like the Kappa's

[zobsky]

It's settled then.

As I was contemplating, the lower end can benefit from a sub regardless of which woofer I choose

but

The midrange is where the kappa has a bit of an edge over the crites and that can't be fixed any other way.

 

For those running a sub and also have ported lascalas / belles , do they revert to a sealed rear chamber or run them ported (in order to lower the xover point) + sub ?

 

Thanks 

 

 

[zobsky]

36 minutes ago, bcarey13 said:

i'm hoping to do  a similar test in the next week or so.  My brother in law has a brand new set of Kappa 15C's that came with some Chorus II's he bought as extras.   He says he has no real use for them so I am going to try them in my LaScalas which have K-33's in them.  I'd like to hear the mid-bass difference I keep reading about.  I also have a set of Crites cast that are going into my Khorns whenever I can wrap that project up.  I'm hoping I like the Kappa's

I feel lascalas with kappa 15c are gonna want subwoofers. At least in my case, the crites woofers sound "fatter" on the low end  (less motor, more harmonic distortion?) and might be a bit easier to listen to without a subwoofer (though they too can benefit from some judicious subwoofage)

 

Let us know what you think.

[jason str]

The Kappa 15-C runs out of travel rather quickly running full range and ends up distorting if you throw much voltage at it, best used with high pass filter.