Single driver/full range/wide band speakers

[DRCope]

i've just returned to the land of full range/wide and/single driver speakers. While I found Radio Shack and Foster based speakers interesting and a bi-amped Lowther silver PM6A/slot-loaded woofer quite entertaining, nothing in this category prepared me for the Auditorium 23 Hommage 755a I'm currently breaking in and evaluating.

What single driver speakers have you enjoyed most?

[tom_hankins]

I like the Voxativ speakers pretty much every time I hear them at shows. I would really enjoy matching some nice 211, 300b or some other amps with a pr.

[Nattt]

Many years ago I built a Lowther Acousta from plans in Sound Practices magazine. Originally with PM6A, and now with EX3 drivers. Love it to bits, and it's a sound you can just enjoy especially with good tube amplification. I'd advise against the older Lowther drivers as they would sometimes rub and need re-centering, which is a right pain, and not something I've needed to do on the EX3.

[david k]

Not sure if you consider Tannoy Monitor speakers single driver or not but I have a soft spot for GRFs and Autographs. I lived with Goodman's Axiom 80 drivers, probably the best full range driver ever made in various cabinets before moving on to horns. Your Auditorium 23 Hommage 755a looks interesting, keep us posted as you spend more time with them.

david

[Steve Lefkowicz]

The only true single driver speakers I've had at home have been the Cain & Cain Abbey (a Voight pipe with a 5 inch Fostex driver) and the Moth Audio Cicada (their own proprietary 7 inch driver in a bass reflex cabinet). Both were extremely enjoyable, though the Cain & Cain (for three times the price) was clearly better.

My Tekton Lores are not quite a single driver speaker, as the 10 inch Eminence driver is crossed over at about 6 to 8 KHz to an Audax Gold tweeter. My buddy Russ Stratten's custom Zu Audio speakers are pretty wonderful, and their 10 inch driver is driven full range, though he uses a RAAL ribbon tweeter (don't know what range he blends them in at).

The best single driver speakers I've heard have been the RL Acoustique Lammhorn, the Carfrae Little Big Horn (though that uses a powered sub) and the Second Rethm. The bigger Voxativs are pretty amazing, but their price keeps them out of mind for me.

[Hawk]

These look pretty sweet. They are the largest Exemplar speaker. 100 db efficiency. Altec 604 drivers. 230 lbs each. The much smaller and far less costly Exemplar speaker featuring a 10 inch driver(about $9K) received very positive reviews at RMAF a while back. I always wondered about dynamics with a single driver speaker. With no cross-over and a nice SET, I bet they would sound great in a small space. The big speaker posted is pretty expensive. Around $30K

[Rob]

the Voxativ are good, then when you find out they're $100k my schmeckle goes limp...my second reaction is what's the point and whos buying these(?). I've tried to wrap my mind around the Lowther/feastrex sound and never 'got it'. if someone can point me to a specific brand/model that's representative of the best in class, I'm all ears. Maybe this: http://www.rethm.com/

[Rob]

I heard the Ampeggio Duo at Newport, I went back a few times when I could get the sweet spot. what impressed was how well a single driver can cover the essential freq. range w/o a crossover and multiple drivers. you do notice the perfect phase response, recreation of space and 'directness' ultimately its too compromised (no 'air' on top or weight to lower octaves) especially for the price of admission.

[MylesBAstor]

Silly question. If you want a single driver, then why not just go to electrostatics?

[Rob]

the single driver aficionados are usually low power SET enthusiast for which these types of speakers are a good match electrically. i can think of only one ESL that thrives on 15 watts and they're a cruel load for SETs.

[Joe Pittman]

These look pretty sweet. They are the largest Exemplar speaker. 100 db efficiency. Altec 604 drivers. 230 lbs each. The much smaller and far less costly Exemplar speaker featuring a 10 inch driver(about $9K) received very positive reviews at RMAF a while back. I always wondered about dynamics with a single driver speaker. With no cross-over and a nice SET, I bet they would sound great in a small space. The big speaker posted is pretty expensive. Around $30K

John Tucker's speakers are awesome. His big speaker the Model XL-IV, which uses the coaxial 604 driver is really good (great even). The smaller and much less expensive full range driver versions sound really good but cannot match the bass power and slam.

I've never heard any full range driver in any cabinet at any price that I did not think was compromised in some way and ultimately not suitable for a "no compromise system". Coaxial drivers like the 604 are a different story and worth consideration... High efficiency is a big plus.

[Joe Pittman]

The Feastrex full range drivers, especially the Type III field coil versions are amazing but CRAZY expensive. If I had to listen to a system in a room the size of a closet (like in Japan), I could live with them. Kind of like giant headphones.

[Rust]

On the one hand, I've had a very small JVC (of all things) wood pulp single driver speaker resolve some things I'd never heard another speaker capable of. Including larger single driver speakers...

On the other hand single driver speakers do not do big dynamics with both ends of the frequency extremes.

So it's sort of pick your particular poison. For myself, when listening to "large music" as in full orchestral bombast or powerful rock full frequency range and big dynamic swings are a must have. This even applies to realistic reproduction of piano if using the entire keyboard.

[MylesBAstor]

I thought the Reference 3As with Merrill electronics sounded very good at Axpona last year. Very palpable, smooth and easy to listen to.

[Rob]

I wouldn't mention Reference 3a and the word "smooth" in the same sentence, that was my impression of the original model. I know its been improved a few times. I did hear lots of potential in it, and to only have one cap in series with the tweeter eliminates all sorts of problems with xovers but as you know, finding the 'perfect driver' that doesn't exhibit bad behavior somewhere in the pass band is well neigh impossible.

[Kingrex]

I have never heard these, but someone who helped me with my system loves them:

http://www.rethm.com/

I should say he loves the driver. Finds the midrange and high exceptional. He does not like the bass response as designed in the enclosure. They are expensive.

[Rob]

I have never heard these, but someone who helped me with my system loves them:

http://www.rethm.com/

I should say he loves the driver. Finds the midrange and high exceptional. He does not like the bass response as designed in the enclosure. They are expensive.

Rethm showed the Bhaava at Axpona, anyone hear it? its around $3900. in order to meet that price point they used an off the self ADS driver and added a whizzer cone to extend the highs.

[Mortsnets]

I experimented with Omega Super 3XRS with RS5 driver and original Airtight MSM-1 Bonsai. In both cases I respected what they did well but moved on. Would love to hear those A23s or the Line Magnetic single driver speakers.

[Dr.Ears]

Kim Song, owner of song audio.com carries 3 different single driver speakers ranging at 3 price points (Canadian dollars) $990, $2990, & $7990.
Kim is a well established audio equipment designer and straight shooter.