Compression drivers?

[DanielT]

How common are Compression drivers for Hifi speakers, for home use, home hifi that is? I do not see them that often. How is it that? Too expensive? Difficult to design good speakers with?

What about Compression drivers regarding FR, directivity and distortion?

They have a high sensitivity, I suspect that you put suitable resistors in the crossover filter (in case of passive ditto) to match in a sensible way with bass, bass / midrange elements?

Compression driver - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[tomtoo]

It makes not much sense to put a expensive high efficient driver in a system and then castrade them with resistors. At least not for me.

 

[BDWoody]

I know they are the driver of choice in my JBL 705's and 708's. Seems to work well in that application.

 

[tomtoo]

I know they are the driver of choice in my JBL 705's and 708's. Seems to work well in that application.

The 708p would be my dream speakers.

 

[DanielT]

It makes not much sense to put a expensive high efficient driver in a system and then castrade them with resistors. At least not for me.

Then you have a point, undeniably to throw the high efficient/sensitivity money into the lake. If it may not be the case that, well what do I know, the distortion in this way decreases compared to other types of tweeters? Although new modern tweeters are probably so good nowadays so there is no point in doing so.

Note I'm just speculating now. I have no experience or knowledge of compression drivers.Therefore, out of sheer curiosity, I created this thread.

 

[Jim Matthews]

I have lived "Happily ever after" with mine, for two years now.

I'm slowly selling off the more expensive, fussy gear they displaced.

While they are expensive, they represent a potent value.

The 708p would be my dream speakers.

 

[voodooless]

I guess it's mostly because:
- Most home hifi is still passive, small and low efficiency. Amp power is cheap! Integrating a high-efficiency driver is rather oddball.
- They need a horn or waveguide, that usually rules out a smaller design. Also the lower they need to go the larger the waveguide is, and the worse the HF response will be (usually due to the larger throat diameter)
- A good dome will be just as good distortion wise, or better at reasonable levels, but a compression driver will go way louder than is safe in a home environment
- They are not super cheap if you want a good one.

Directivity is mostly dedicated by the horn or waveguide that is attached to it. Some drivers can be very linear, while others are not. A lot has to do with the phase plug design inside of the driver.

 

[tomtoo]

I have lived "Happily ever after" with mine, for two years now.

I'm slowly selling off the more expensive, fussy gear they displaced.

While they are expensive, they represent a potent value.

I love there look, i love there build. If i win in a lottery i need two of them, and two 15" subis, thats it, endgame for me.

 

[DanielT]

I guess it's mostly because:
- Most home hifi is still passive, small and low efficiency. Amp power is cheap! Integrating a high-efficiency driver is rather oddball.
- They need a horn or waveguide, that usually rules out a smaller design. Also the lower they need to go the larger the waveguide is, and the worse the HF response will be (usually due to the larger throat diameter)
- A good dome will be just as good distortion wise, or better at reasonable levels, but a compression driver will go way louder than is safe in a home environment
- They are not super cheap if you want a good one.

Directivity is mostly dedicated by the horn or waveguide that is attached to it. Some drivers can be very linear, while others are not. A lot has to do with the phase plug design inside of the driver.

They seem to cost a penny. No, they are probably mostly for PA I imagine. Also, as you say, as I mentioned, modern (dome) tweeters are so good these days. Plus amp power, pure watts, does not cost much. However, a few hundred sensible amp watts cost a penny per se.

Home

B&C DCX462-8 2" Neodymium Coaxial Compression Driver 8 Ohm 4-BoltAfter years of work, B&C engineers have developed a family of next generation high frequency devices. The DCX462-8 coaxial compression driver combines a midrange and high frequency driver into a single package that gives you...

www.parts-express.com

 

[BDWoody]

While they are expensive, they represent a potent value

I was lucky enough to get all NINE on B-Stock sale (half price) as well. 3x708 across the front, 6x705 spread around. It's hard to get excited about further upgrades, although a digital processor for less than stupid money might be nice. Haven't convinced myself to get the Trinnov yet...

 

[voodooless]

View attachment 177388

Home

B&C DCX462-8 2" Neodymium Coaxial Compression Driver 8 Ohm 4-BoltAfter years of work, B&C engineers have developed a family of next generation high frequency devices. The DCX462-8 coaxial compression driver combines a midrange and high frequency driver into a single package that gives you...

www.parts-express.com

No dome tweeter can do 300 Hz though

 

[DanielT]

No dome tweeter can do 300 Hz though

You have a point there.

 

[sarumbear]

No dome tweeter can do 300 Hz though

It is a coaxial unit with a tweeter and a midrange transducer feeding the same horn.

 

[tomtoo]

They seem to cost a penny. No, they are probably mostly for PA I imagine. Also, as you say, as I mentioned, modern (dome) tweeters are so good these days. Plus amp power, pure watts, does not cost much. However, a few hundred sensible amp watts cost a penny per se.

View attachment 177388

View attachment 177389

Home

B&C DCX462-8 2" Neodymium Coaxial Compression Driver 8 Ohm 4-BoltAfter years of work, B&C engineers have developed a family of next generation high frequency devices. The DCX462-8 coaxial compression driver combines a midrange and high frequency driver into a single package that gives you...

www.parts-express.com

A good compression stays relaxed at levels, where every dome driver shows the white flag.

 

[DanielT]

It is a coaxial unit with a tweeter and a midrange transducer feeding the same horn.

I see it now. I'm taking another ...

"Celestion's revolutionary Axi2050 compression driver can deliver a near full-range response of 300 to 20,000 Hz with extremely high output and incredibly low distortion. Thanks to the single heavily sculpted, nearly 7 "diameter, titanium diaphragm, this wide bandwidth response is achieved without a midband crossover. The innovative Axi2050 delivers unrivaled intelligibility and perceived audio performance making it suitable for high efficiency audiophile systems or high output professional 2- way designs."

Home

Celestion Axi2050 AxiPerodic 2" Wide Bandwidth Compression Driver 4-BoltPerforming the role of two speakers in one, Celestion's Axi2050 is a high power, high output compression driver delivering a frequency range of 300Hz-20,000Hz without the need for a mid-band crossover. This results in an...

www.parts-express.com

Hell what a straight FR (100 Hz-3 kHz). Then it goes well below 100 Hz. I guess that just can not be true? Or should one interpret the data in some special way?

Of course even more expensive than the one I showed example of earlier.

 

[tomtoo]

@DanielT

Did you see the spl level? 140dB?

Thats where a dome not even would show the white flag anymore. No it would go happylie to Valhalla surounded by blue smoke.

 

[voodooless]

It is a coaxial unit with a tweeter and a midrange transducer feeding the same horn.

Yes it is. Find me a coaxial dome then BMS also has some coax compression driver.

Or try Faital HF1440 or Celestial Axi2050, it wont make 300 Hz, but for Hifi will come close.

 

[DanielT]

@DanielT

Did you see the spl level? 140dB?

Thats where a dome not even would show the white flag anymore. No it would go happylie to Vallhalla surounded by blue smoke.

Insane! 140dB!

 

[Katji]

No, they are probably mostly for PA I imagine.

My pro audio speakers have compression drivers but i think of them in the context of horn speakers, because that is where I first read [much] about them. (Horn speakers as in the original, "non-folded" horn speakers, cinema, not pro audio as in live music performances.)

 

[voodooless]

I see it now. I'm taking another ...

"Celestion's revolutionary Axi2050 compression driver can deliver a near full-range response of 300 to 20,000 Hz with extremely high output and incredibly low distortion. Thanks to the single heavily sculpted, nearly 7 "diameter, titanium diaphragm, this wide bandwidth response is achieved without a midband crossover. The innovative Axi2050 delivers unrivaled intelligibility and perceived audio performance making it suitable for high efficiency audiophile systems or high output professional 2- way designs."

Home

Celestion Axi2050 AxiPerodic 2" Wide Bandwidth Compression Driver 4-BoltPerforming the role of two speakers in one, Celestion's Axi2050 is a high power, high output compression driver delivering a frequency range of 300Hz-20,000Hz without the need for a mid-band crossover. This results in an...

www.parts-express.com

Hell what a straight FR (100 Hz-3 kHz). Then it goes well below 100 Hz. I guess that just can not be true? Or should one interpret the data in some special way?

Of course even more expensive than the one I showed example of earlier.

View attachment 177391

Note that this is not the response on a horn, but rather on a standardized tube.