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Advice and help understanding, choosing a Widebander / Single Full Range Driver speaker?

I'm considering a second set of speakers for my primary system.

I'm satisfied and very happy with my current primary speakers (Tekton Design SEs), so this isn't about a replacement speaker, but I have been looking for something that is different enough from my Tektons, in terms of speaker type and design, etc.

My current top choices being Sound Labs or Cube Audio. Horns, maybe.

Srajan Ebaen's review of the Bliss C a year ago was what first exposed me to Cube Audio and his more recent review of the Nenuphar is stellar. Both reviews are copied in my follow-up post below.

I've been 'somewhat' exposed to full range drivers (or nearly so, with augmentation) as I've owned Zu Audio and Vaughn Loudspeakers and have been exposed to Teresonic speakers and Voxativ drivers. Still, I'm a neophyte with regards to this speaker type (single full-range driver).

Would love to learn more about the pros and cons of owning a true wide-bander and issues, pitfalls, etc. I should consider before moving forward.

Leaving this very general and open. Let's keep budget out of this also (I don't want to complicate the discussion). 

More on my system and room and preferences in subsequent posts.

Thanks!

(BTW - I did search the forums and there is 1 wide bander thread and 6 full range driver threads. None apply directly, but I will review each to see what I can pull out that may be relevant).
david_ten
david_ten OP
5,480 posts
 
@mlsstl  Good points. The speaker first approach is clearly preferred by most folks. In this case I did and do have a speaker in mind, though I am not sure it will end up being the final choice. 

I also know full well that this amp limits speaker choices. As you point out, this is about experimenting with a different chain and learning from it and seeing where it leads.

With respect to the Cube Audio Nenuphar, I have been in touch with the designer and he feels very comfortable pairing a 2A3 amp with it. He presented the Nenuphar at the Munich Show paired to Tektron (Italy) 2A3 and 45 amps.

I've been in touch with @almarg and Al has recommended more power, for obvious and valid reasons. Something along the lines of an 845 or 211 amp (with respect to the Nenuphar). In the case of the Found Music 2A3 amp, it is an all out effort from the designer and he feels confident that it will perform extremely well with the Nenuphar.

Whether the Nenuphar is my final choice is still unknown and up in the air.

My choice of Sound Lab (as stated in the OP) is no longer a viable option.

Horns were a maybe a month and a half ago when I started the thread...now they are a very likely option.
seanheis1
624 posts
 
I think I know what you are looking for. A purist single driver system driven by a SET amp with no negative feedback. That means no crossover and no whizzer, as a whizzer is basically a mechanical crossover. You are okay without a super tweeter, as extension and linearity above 5k is less important than maintaining coherence in the treble and upper mid-range.

To get this done, a 3 inch wide-band driver may be just about ideal for mids and treble. A Tabaq transmission line quarter wave type design or for bigger bass, a Frugel Horn XL back loaded horn type of design using the Alpair 10 driver.    

These are well engineered designs and are available for DIY. The commercial designers often times borrow from the DIY community...but in doing so they normally get away from the purist approach and add things like super tweeters, whizzers, baffle step correction, bass woofers, resistors, etc. 


bache's avatar
bache
521 posts
 
The purist single driver is a dream, the have big  issues . If you ok 
without   super tweeter  , no whizzer cone. 10-12 khz is good enough.
. good without  good bass, or want to get sub, another big issues will
make sound  not good.   midbass lack, make sound thinner them need to be. i explain already in different treads,  -baffle  step https://www.trueaudio.com/st_diff1.htm, 
seanheis1
624 posts
 
Midbass doesnt have to be thin. They do need a backloaded horn or transmission line for fuller sound. 

Where they actually lack is with complex music. Too much going on and they will trip over themselves.

With jazz, folk, girl and guitar, they are just about perfect. Add a SET amp, it is spooky real, band is playing in the room sounding.

But if you want a great all around jack of all trades master of none speaker that is also beautiful, buy the Sonus Faber speaker in your price range. 
david_ten OP
5,480 posts
 
With jazz, folk, girl and guitar, they are just about perfect. Add a SET amp, it is spooky real, band is playing in the room sounding.

@seanheis1 Thanks. What I am looking for!
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