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What 3" mid to add, if any?

1K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  alachua 
#1 · (Edited)
Which 3" mid to add, if any?

Current setup:

Vifa xt25 small format ring radiator in sail panels.
Polk SR6500 woofers in fairly well damped/sealed doors

JBL MS8
JL 450/4

Problem: I just cannot get the stage height I want. Snares seem to hang right around the middle of the dash and guitars pull down to the doors at times.

Possible solution: add a small midrange driver on the A-pillars.

I have a car with a fair amount of road noise (Subaru Impreza STi) and tend to listen to pretty aggressive music (metal, punk) at fairly high levels. This is introducing two problems. First, the Vifas work well crossed low, but I worry about overdriving them at the volumes I need to overcome the road noise. Second is the aforementioned staging problem. I have a 300/4 sitting around that I could move the tweeters and mids onto, since they will be close enough to not need time alignment between them.

So, should I add a mid to try and improve the system, and if so which and over what frequency range? I'm thinking something like 600-3500 give or take 100hz at the end and 500hz at the top end. Obviously, I like cheap, but I also prefer to do things right the first time. Also, it seems the prices on most neo magnet based drivers has really climbed over the past few months.

Here are the drivers I am considering:

HiVi B3N: Zaph's favorite, super cheap, really flat frequency response in the potential range

Fountek FR88EX: Higher output than the B3N, shallow depth, slightly more expensive.

RS52n: Highest output of the three. Seems tailor made for the frequency range I am considering. Most expensive of the three. Biggest of the three (about a half inch larger around).

The rest. Most of these have limited info or are expensive enough require a REALLY compelling reason to choose them over the top three choices.

RS75
TB W3-881SJ
TB W31364SA
TB W3-881SI

To start off, I will most likely mount in a PVC setup to dial in the aiming, but will eventually move to a more permanent mounting in the pillars.

Any one use any of the drivers above on the dash? How about the second tier of choices, any feedback on these compared to the top three?
 
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#2 · (Edited)
While I love home audio drivers, keep in mind that most home audio midranges handle very small amounts of power. I don't think the RS52 will be very good in a dash because I think it will have too wide a dispersion and cause reflection issues off of, well, just about everything. That said, I haven't TRIED it in a dash, so I could be completely off base there.

I've used the HiVi B and M series drivers and I like both. My HT speakers are MTMWs using 2 M4Ns each. I have blown them before. I need to cross to them at about 450Hz which is higher than my original idea - just to keep the power I have running to them down. I don't think I'd use any of these in a car for that reason. I think I would be blowing them left and right.

And keep in mind that the higher a driver is able to play up to, the lower the moving mass has to be. And lowering the moving mass means using a small voice coil which means lower power handling. Thus the higher a speaker plays, the less power it can handle, generally. Of course, they can still differ between each other with how they are vented, with certain materials used, motor heatsinking, etc.... But in general, super wide range = low power handling.

Basically, for a midrange, I'd probably stick to something meant for a car that has perhaps a voice coil bigger than the home audio midranges tend to.
 
#3 ·
I'm not finding many car specific mid ranges that are smaller than 4" and aren't priced way too high. I had briefly considered the reflection issue with the dome mid, thinking about it more, you are probably right about it.

Any other suggestions? I wonder if the 2.5" PPI would make for a good choice? Seems a bit on the small side, but it is a dedicated mid for the car environment...if only it was actually available to buy.
 
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