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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

Showing 1 response by dmance

dmance's avatar
dmance
45 posts
 
I have Voxativ 5" AF2.6 in DIY enclosures - supplemented with a single REL S/5 SHO.  In an open (non treated) listening room, nearfield ...they are fantastic.  Over the past year, I matched the internal wiring to be same as my speaker leads (AP SilverOval2); I added Furutech 865 wirewound posts; I added BatPro2 super tweeters and GAIA footers.  Basically, I now have the artists in my room. 
Sure, i've heard what more linear speakers sound like (>$35k) and have (maybe) been convinced that whizzer cones color the sound ...but single drivers are magical for convincing staging and voxativ are unmatched for timbre and transparency.  And i only need 30watts to drive these.
If you dont want to go full DIY, Voxativ now has their FIT product (five inch tower) that can be optioned to have the AF2.6 driver for under $6k.  And you can buy a used REL for under $2k.  Cables, supertweeter and footers bring the price to about $10k.
If you dont need to fill a hall-sized room, this is the way to go, IMO. 
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