What's the best 7" & 8" woofers available?

Tweekerman,

Your project speaker sounds like it could be pretty darn good. Is it doable? ; I don't see why not. I would concentrate on getting the crossover right though, as this can make or break a speakers' sound (regardless of the drivers used). My favorite crossovers are:

1. The new Av Reality design (it's free to use, just go to his website for the circuit details).

2. Quasi-second order (time alignment like a 1st order with steeper slopes, that don't tax the drivers nearly as much as first order XO's).

3. First order.

I also suggest using INDIVIDUALIZED zobel networks for each and every driver in your speakers. These are a no-brainer circuit to implement that only has upside improvements. The point of individualozed networks is to correct the phase angle shift that occurs due to the inherent inductance in the voice coil of each driver. Once this is corrected, your amplifer's output devices will better control the speaker's drivers, and the resulting sound is cleaner and obviously better controlled.

I've been posting details about INDIVIDUALIZED zobels on Audiogon for the last two years ever since I heard the difference on Dunlavy Althenas, IVa's, V's, Pipedreams, Mirages, Infinity IRS's and Montanas which were zobeled by their owners. The difference is NOT subtle, and makes you wonder if the whole speaker design world fell on their heads! These circuits cost less than $40 to implement and offer a more significant sonic difference than the differnce between cheap interconnects and muti-thousand dollar interconnects! I guess nobody really cares, but I'll keep preaching to the choir and maybe someone will wake up. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!

In regard to the Eton question; I think they are not nearly in the same league as the other drivers that were currently mentioned. It's like discussing Ferraris and Porsches then asking: "What do you think of Mustangs and Camaros?" Not that Etons are horrible, they just don't hold their own when compared to the "best of the best".

These are the absolute "BEST", but at $500 ea. they better be.

8" custom Flex units from Audio Technology (Skaaning)founder of DynAudio and Scan Speak (think like buying a "over the top" custom designed Ferrari, with state of the art materials, from the Ferrari design team). The Flex units have bass output similar to a high quality 15" woofer, and can accelerate at twice the speed of other similarly sized "over the top" 8" drivers (the BEST of both worlds!). According Skaaning in-room response will be down to 18Hz.

A more reasonably priced "over the top" woofer to consider the 8" Revelator woofer. It has the second fastest impulse response of any woofer that I know of, and is similar in response to a 10-12" woofer by other manufacturers. Very uncolored and extremely well dampened. I'll put this woofer up against anything else (except for the Scanning).

You may be able to buy either of these drivers directly from Peter Thompsen at http://www.av-reality.com/ as he uses both of the Scanning and the Revelator in his premium speaker lines. Since he offers kits for his other speakers, I think he may be willing to sell these drivers too. Good luck on your quest for the "BEST".

Tweekerman,

No argument with your advice regarding the SEAS, but this guy is building a three-way, i.e. my secondary recomendation for the Scanspeak Revelator, since it is having to play less upper midbass in a three way application than in a two-way design. I do think both of these woofers offer interesting trade-offs though.

Myraj,

Like I said before, if you want "the best" , go get the Scanning. The power of this woofer, with it's ultra control and speed will SCARE you on drum beats, etc. It's that good! (BTW: If you do buy the Scanning, I don't want to know which bank you're going to rob to get the money...HE,HE)

Tweekerman,

Thanks so much for the complement. I've been writing here for the last two years not to stroke my ego, or push what I own on others, but to help others with their quest to find great sound, without all the hype or non-sense. Lately I've about given up because these forums are dominated by others who want to prove that their current equipment purchases are the best for everyone (There are some good posters, but there are more product pushing posters IMHO). I really appreciate when someone realizes that I'm passing EXTREMELY valuable information on to them.

I've spent over 20 years in high end audio, getting to know many of the big name desingers personally and getting on the "inside" of some high end reviewers. Unfortunately, these guys are a big part of the problem. The reviewers are just propenciating the idea that you have to spend stupid money to get "over the top" sound. Most of the circuit designers are re-circulating existing circuit designs, and are constantly finding new ways to charge a fortune for their so-called "best of the best" products.

I find it hillarious that my custom little pre-amplifier is cleaner sounding that all the AR, Krell, Pass, Rowland, Spectral, CJ, Levinson and other pricy gear I've compared it to. What's so hillarious is that it only cost $750.00 to build. Imagine the reactions at various high-end dealers when this little tiny box beats their $10,000.00+ top of the line pre-amplifiers. It's become a truly sad state of affairs in high end. Everybody thinks you have to spend thousands and thousands, just to get great sound. Oh well, enough said on this subject...

In regard to your posting regarding active crossovers, you are dead on man! This is the wave of the future, yet nobody is paying attention yet. Active XO's allow each amplifer to couple to that particular driver better, which in turn will give you greater detail extraction. If done properly, it is the TRUE "state of the art" way to properly integrate speakers and amplifers. We will shortly see this happen as the newest wave of digital amplifers make their way into silicon chipsets by the Japanese manufacturers, in the next couple of years. Analog amplification is truly doomed in the long run.

I'm telling everyone I know to aquire the new AV Reality digital amplifier (while they are cheap, before the patent royalties on the ICE patent starts charging more to use this design). Every reviewer in Europe who has heard it, has purchased one. They are selling like ice-cream on a warm summer day in Europe. Last week an ultra high end magazine editor who used Gryphon mono-blocks (way more pricy than a Levinson or Krell, but definately a top conteder for the best of the best in anlog amplification) was shocked that the AV Reality digital amp was better sounding in every respect. (He bought one also).

We have entered a paradigm shift in amplification technology, yet no one is raving about this breakthrough??. I guess there are too may Krell type owners who just love their big expensive mono-blocks, and have egos to satisfy.

Thanks again for the kudos!

Bob,

There are currently 8 select audiophiles who are involved in building the latest dual mono version of the pre-amp that I mentioned. It will have DACT controllers, Jensen caps, the works. The cost will come in at around $1000 and the wait is 4-6 months. If you are interested in getting one, you'll have to be willing to annie up the money without hearing it first. Let me know if you are interested, becuase after all the parts, chassis, etc.. are ordered, that will be it for this small build.

I will be selling my little pre-amp for around $600 after this deluxe version is finished, so there is another option for you too. It will be sold with a guarantee that it will sonically crush any other pre-amp under $3000, and hold it's own against ANY pre-amp period in terms of detail retrieval and harmonic preservation. There will be no guarantees on the amount of bass, or treble sweetness though, because these things can be colorations of certain circuits and tubes. I also think that the $8500.00 Blowtorch pre-amp may have a little better bass preservation than my little pre-amp (based on my study of it's design). We are talking about a $7900 difference in price though!