In search for the best midrange driver.
My recent experience with midrange drives is growing. I started from midwoofers, then shifting more and more into dedicated midrange speaker. Why – to address the most important bandwidth with the best quality. This is also justified with age: right now I am careful with everything below 50Hz (as it damages the hearing capability) and above 14kHz I probably cannot hear much.
So let’s take care of bandwidth between 200Hz till 3kHz.
Tested drivers + my personal feeling about the sound in the midrange section:
- Scan Speak 18W/8545K00 https://www.scan-speak.dk/product/18w-8545k00/
- Good speaker but not the best in the midrange section. There is not description of the construction I did with this speaker on my webpage yet.
- Scan Speak 18W/8531G00 https://www.scan-speak.dk/product/18w-8531g00/
- Great speaker linear up to 3kHz. My preferable cut off is 1,8 – 2,2kHz. Men voice sounds full and bold. See more details in my BlockuDoku construction.
- Scan Speak 15W/8531K00 https://www.scan-speak.dk/product/15w-8531k00/
- Neutral, nice to my ear. Up to 2,5 – 2,8kHz. I am sorry I have not bought M version for midrange. See more details in my SmallBigSexy construction (coming soon).
- SB Acoustics 12MNRX https://sbacoustics.com/product/4-sb12mnrx2-25-4-norex/
- Great. Just great. Neutral and linear up to 5kHz. Significant performance for the price. I would really recommend this driver. See more details in SBA Mini construction.
- SB Acoustics 13MRP-8 https://sbacoustics.com/product/5-satori-mr13p-8/
- Never ever again for the midrange section. Colored and not natural midrange section.
- Fostex FE126N https://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/speaker_components/FE-NVSeries.shtml
- Transparency and clarity is amazing. But if you will give it bass to play everything is gone and is too nasty. Over 5kHz it becomes directivity driver. You can hear high frequencies only sitting in one location. For more details I will make description of my 92dB design.
- Scan Speak 12MU 8731T00 https://www.scan-speak.dk/product/12mu-8731t00/
- Wow on my list. Nice and pleasant sound up to 3,5kHz. With good directivity up to 3,3kHz you get significant mid section. For some it be be boring. For more details go to BlockuDoku design.
- Kartesian WOM120_vMS
Link to Kartesian Acoustic Driver spec – Kartesian Acoustic- I bought it just out of curiosity. Interesting design and very clever engineers speaking on youtube. Somehow good and reliable. Good matching drivers when measured. Give good midrange but I was not amazed. For more go to Dot Active design.