Another New Full Range Speaker Design

[Ammonite Audio]

http://www.tnt-audio.com/casse/cube_bliss_e.html

I've never heard of Cube Audio (https://www.cubeaudio.eu/) before but this article caught my eye because of a growing itch to try some modern full range, single driver speakers driven by a really simple low-powered amplifier. These Cube Audio floor standing speakers are quite expensive, but the drive units are certainly interesting and are available separately - they seem to be priced to be relatively affordable for the DIY builder, although still not exactly cheap. They even give plans for a floor standing reflex loaded cabinet.

http://www.tnt-audio.com/jpg/fa8.jpg

A name to watch, methinks, and an interesting alternative to Omega, Audio Nirvana etc.

[paulf-2007]

Thanks Hugo for posting these interesting drivers. I wish I could say the same about the reviewer. The usual willy waving r.e. his kit list and constantly banging on about his speakers in both rooms. Jeez I gave up. If I was a manufacturer I would avoid these arseholes as they don't really help sell anything. What we need now is for you or someone else to get a pair of these drivers and try them. Single driver speakers do some things very well and sometimes better than multi driver speakers and if you can live with their limitations and the inevitable laws of physics, great. Music genre choice can work well with single driver speakers and for some who like vocals and one instrument accompaniment happy days.
Back to our reviewer, he banged on about his speakers and what he thought they would cost now and then said he underpins them with a sub, laughable.
Just to say, I use single driver speakers with a ribbon tweeter in my office set up and couldn't see a time when I would change them. Note I haven't referred to these drivers as " full range "

[Ammonite Audio]

I'd say that this particular TNT reviewer is better than most - at least he can articulate what he actually hears, as well as properly describing the products under review. Most TNT reviews are in comparison cursory and amateurish.

Sadly, there's no chance that I will be getting any built speakers at this price level, but I would consider a DIY option with the bare drive units if my DIY skills weren't so bad. These are interesting times for modern, full range single driver speakers and it was exposure to the Omega Compact Alnico Monitors last year that turned my preconceptions about such things upside down - no quacking, honking, papery and cuppy colourations - just a lovely sound that was musically utterly absorbing. VertexAQ have produced an interesting, if pricey, floorstander using an expensive full range Alnico 8" driver from Audio Nirvana, who seems to get good press. The new Heco Direkt Einklang is something that I will definitely be looking at since it marries the promise of single driver musical coherence with a small and rather natty floorstanding cabinet, so hopefully it will sound pretty 'normal' with all sorts of music, not just female vocals and plinky plonk stuff. As ever, the proof is in the listening and I shall be using Beethoven symphonies and quartets as my yardsticks.

[Pharos]

I haven't been to a Hi-Fi show since '97, but I assume that single driver speakers are still not represented at them, but maybe they are now.

If they are now serious contenders for the best sound, why do multi driver speakers still predominate?

[walpurgis]

If they are now serious contenders for the best sound, why do multi driver speakers still predominate?

:) Like these do you mean?

http://i63.tinypic.com/abhxtf.jpg

I guess, being smaller, specialised makers, single full range speaker manufacturers rely more on reputation and personal demo's than shows.

[ianlenco]

I'm a big fan of full-range drivers and this is a new one to me also. Couldn't see anywhere what the driver only costs though. I expect it's very expensive. Still, I'm really enjoying the Jordan Eikonas in VTL cabinets - the reviewer could almost have been describing these :)

[Ammonite Audio]

I haven't been to a Hi-Fi show since '97, but I assume that single driver speakers are still not represented at them, but maybe they are now.

If they are now serious contenders for the best sound, why do multi driver speakers still predominate?

My feeling is that, by and large, single full range driver speakers have generally imposed certain compromises on the listener, even if they tend to have positive characteristics that make them inherently 'musical'. Going back a few years, does anyone remember Redehko speakers - easily for me the most horrible things that I've ever heard, but for many their strengths overcame the somewhat 'characteristic' sonic presentation. I have never heard a Lowther based speaker that I could live with, either and apologies to Ines Adler and John Howes, but Voxativ aren't much nicer to my ears. There now seems to be a minor groundswell of new full range designs that promise to sound pretty 'normal' so maybe there's no need to compromise on 'nice sound' vs 'musically articulate'. Certainly, a full range speaker will typically not have the musically destructive phase and timing anomalies that crossovers and separate drivers bring to the party. Yes, I know that it's possible to design a theoretically phase coherent crossover, but why use many additional components when none will do? Interestingly, the Heco Direkt Einklang design uses some sort of equalisation network feeding its single driver, so it will be interesting to hear them and to find out whether that network imposes any appreciable penalty of musical enjoyment.

So, for me multi-driver systems have predominated because, on the whole, they sound 'nicer' and tend to be much less intrusive in our living rooms and are therefore easier to live with; also many single driver speakers have at best sounded odd, and at worst unpleasant, so they have occupied a niche of the market.

One thing that most of these single-driver newcomers share is being designed for reflex loaded enclosures, which I think is a sensible compromise, allowing decent depth of sound even if there is a theoretical compromise when it comes to bass alignment etc.

Single driver speakers won't alter the speaker market, but it's nice to see some determined and clever new design expertise being applied to them. Although I've mentioned Cube Audio, Omega, Audio Nirvana and Heco, Mark Audio also produce some interesting and very affordable full range drive units.

[Ammonite Audio]

I'm a big fan of full-range drivers and this is a new one to me also. Couldn't see anywhere what the driver only costs though. I expect it's very expensive. Still, I'm really enjoying the Jordan Eikonas in VTL cabinets - the reviewer could almost have been describing these :)

I found a price in Norway, equating to around £750 each for the top-spec Cube driver, so not cheap.

[walpurgis]

I found a price in Norway, equating to around £750 each for the top-spec Cube driver, so not cheap.

Somewhat cheaper than Feastrex products. These 5" Feastrex Makoto field coil drivers will set you back $69,500!

http://i64.tinypic.com/b5fazn.jpg

The rest of their range is interesting too.

[walpurgis]

These (amongst others) are mine. Not Feastrex I might add.

http://i67.tinypic.com/10p23uv.jpg

5" full range Chinese units. Bought them a year or two back. Not tried them yet.

[struth]

Lol.. only?


I will stick with these

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170710/61f570d32134e065583363731291b84f.jpg

[YNWaN]

I haven't been to a Hi-Fi show since '97, but I assume that single driver speakers are still not represented at them, but maybe they are now.

If they are now serious contenders for the best sound, why do multi driver speakers still predominate?

I'm pleased to say that you assume incorrectly and it is rare that a speaker (or number of) of this type is not to be found at a show. At present the Mark Audio drivers are exhibiting at most shows.

[paulf-2007]

I do know of someone across the pond that has feastrex drivers and although very good are still a compromise according to him, I haven't heard them. Voxativ are very good depending on cabinet used. The ampeggio due are excellent and should be at £75000 but a a couple of thousand pounds of DIY horns were a match for them. Lowthers in BD design horns are so good I defy anyone to dislike them if they put their preconceptions aside. A friend has DX2 ( I think ) in those horns with 15"" bass drivers in folded horns and I always enjoy them. Most often its room treatment that's required not box swapping but many cannot accept that. A dedicated treated room comes before any kit choice IMO

[Yomanze]

Oh no, another whizzer cone...

[walpurgis]

Oh no, another whizzer cone...

Those only exist in America on dual cone drivers. Here they are parasitic tweeter cones on twin cone drive units. :)

[struth]

Oh no, another whizzer cone...

got a set of fanes with those and they are the best wizzers ive found so far