6.5 vs 8 vs 10 woofer


IMHO I think the 8 is the ideal size cone for mid/small sized listening rooms. Even for large size listening rooms. 
The lower mid hz's seem cleaner/clearer. And  there is so little fq's in 905+ of the music we listen to, it seems to me the 8  driver is the most perfect size cone.
A 10 size cone  has the potential to become overwheling, aggressive, attacking when amp gain is pushed just a  tad too much, = Better  volume  control with a  8 vs a 10. 
The 6.5 misses some of that lower bass which a  8 can voice superior. 
After listening to several YT vids with a  10 FR, I had considered going 10, but i think  staying with a  8 avoids regrets. 
I listen at low/mid volume. 

mozartfan
I have efficient speakers, 100-104dB.  Not sure.  It can become an issue if, between amplifier and preamplifier, you have too much gain. 
There has been a small revival in higher efficiency speakers and lower-powered amps, but, it remains a boutique community

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Guess what?
I just brought both low and high db efficiency together. 
~~How is that even remotely possible??~~ 
You ask.
Well I got to thinkin. 
I have so much cash invested in the Thors,,pondering while listening to the Single 8 wide band 94db, + Vifa tweet,,and started making some possibilites in my mind,,what if,,hummm as i stared at the Thors collecting dust in the corner,,what if,,,so I disconnected the Vifa from 1 pair of speaker cabels,,,,,and yep hooked up only the dual 6.5 bass section of the Thors, + the other speaker cabel going to the FR8. 
BINGO!
Now i am a  very  happer camper.
Thought a  bit more,,and I figured there is yet another FR 6.5 m that will outperform the FR8.
Not going to make a  new face panel on the Thors to add the FR 6.5, instead wlll just do what i am doing right now, the 12x12x12 cabinet housing the FR8,  sits right next to Thors, and sounds absoluetly seamless and just drop dead gorgeous.
Dual 6.5's blow any 8,10,12 single bass away at least in the 50hz-100hz. 
I'm not so sure the Excel 6.5 goes below 50hz,..lets ck...be right back....
says 40hz, but i bet its more like 50hz at 80db. 
Still thats a  very nice full 50hz  fora  cello section, timpini, or jazz drum set. 

So now i can salvage some of the Seas Thor,,which I was not prepared to toss away  for a  few $'s on ebay. + The huge Mundorf 8.2 silver gold cap on the W18 xover. + a massive Gertz copper foil coil.
And btw, there is no dome, midarange in the world that will voice mids likea  FR, none, The Millenial Excel tweet is absolute trash, garbage vs a FR 6.5 in the mids. 

So finally its all comming together.
WE just had to use our imaginative powers.
If we all work together as a team, we can bring our systems up to The New 21st C High Fidelity.
6.5 will order when i get some paypal debt down. The mods in my system past year has run into the $$$$$.
madea  few mistakes like Vishay Zfoil Resistors , cost me $550 + $150 labor = $700, Vishay zfoils are for the Hubble Space tele and other  orbital satellites. Not for amplifiers as some might recommend. 
Takman Metal Rey's are the finest. 

I have efficient speakers, 100-104dB. Not sure. It can become an issue if, between amplifier and preamplifier, you have too much gain.

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wow 100+ db eff. Thats super sens. 
My 8 Fr is like 94 the Thor 6.5 duals are 87db, 
Both have paired just beautifully.
The FR 8 has limpy bass, but super rich mids, some highs. 
The dual Seas Excel 6.5's have nice solid bass, with the massive Mundorf 8.2 Gold Silver Oil cap in the xover.
I now have the very best of both worlds, 
The Excel W18 is the worlds finest midwoofer in production.
And a FR 8 voices the most gorgeous rich, full mids and some high roll off.
I am hearing things in the percussion upper fq's,  which i have  faintly heard with the Millenium tweeter.
Try puttinga  large orchestra through a  1 inch dome mid-tweet,,,You can't. 
The 8 FR has this capacity to voicea  large orchestra, with ease and richness. 

Richard is right, dome tweeters are trash/garbage. 
If you skip all ported options, you will probably notice that you like a larger driver. Have you listened to a dipole 15' or a sealed 15'?
My Barefoot monitors for instance uses 2*10' and yes, these are monitors.

Okay here’s may take, don’t be mean. I agree that an 8” driver is just about ideal for most music, vocals and instruments. But you do need a couple subwoofers to fill out the bottom end. I have found single full range coaxial drivers sound best to me. Multiple drivers tend to fracture the sound and you lose clarity of vocals and instruments if they are not aligned vertically AND horizontally . This is true if you are NOT trying to achieve concert volume levels! I have yet to hear a multiple driver system that does not have aligned point source drivers, match the clarity in the critical listening frequency range of say 70 Hz. to 5 kHz. I personally like Altec 601’s for the clarity and efficiency, they are what I want to afford. That being said, I would love to hear some Voxativ. You ABSOLUTELY need analog electronic crossovers and multiple amplifiers because passive crossovers I've heard sound bad. Started making my own electronic crossovers 45 years ago. So, Altec 601’s for the critical range, subwoofers below 45 Hz. and JBL 2405’s without the horns pointing straight up for highs above 8 kHz. with ANALOG ELECTRONIC crossovers and 3 stereo amplifiers. My ears have told me over the years that more is not better, just louder.