RS52 BF special......M in a WMTMW?

[Mayhem13]

I use this mid in a center channel now and love the way it handles vocals. Clarity and tone are simply amazing.

That being said, wondering how the RS52 would do in an MTM config with say a ribbon tweeter. Surely fairly efficient in it's passband but a modest impedance dip with a parallel pair. Still for $120 for 4 of these might make for an interesting design. Any thoughts?

[fjhuerta]

The RS52 is a strange driver, IMHO.

It's the only one I can think of right now that I never liked its sound. It was always just too... aggressive. Metallic. I don't know.

It's probably personal preference. I just never found out what a) I was doing wrong, or b) what I disliked about it.

[Paul Ebert]

Seems like people either love it or hate it. I would think it would work well in a WMTMW. Finding a pair of woofers with commensurate high efficiency might be a challenge.

Me, I like it.

[Pete Schumacher ®]

I'm one who likes it too. The key is not pushing it below 700Hz, and using a 2nd order HP if possible, to keep excursion linear. If you do that, it's a very smooth and revealing driver. But, being a small radiator, it will have pronounced baffle diffraction, so you really need to pay attention to that part too. If you're putting it on a flat baffle with say, 7 or 8" woofers, the diffraction hump around 800Hz can be quite significant on that 9-10" wide baffle. Crossing around that point really helps control things.

It is aggressive, and can easily overwhelm the sound, so pay attention to the padding, and err it on the recessed side of flat.

[Silversmoky]

I also enjoy the RS52's but as others said I have found they do need to be used correctly. I am using a pair in a large 4 way WMTMWWW tower that I have been working on for a while. On first couple of crossover attempts it did sound rather "harsh" or bright in the midrange. After some adjustments, LR4 at 950 and LR2 around 2500,they have seemed very nice to my ears and very detailed in the midrange. I paired them with a Fountek 3.0 Ribbon, a pair of SB17's for the mid-bass, and a pair of SB23's on the bottom. Definitely a challenge, at least for me, but I have been very happy with the combination of drivers and have really enjoyed the RS52's.

[Mayhem13]

I'm one who likes it too. The key is not pushing it below 700Hz, and using a 2nd order HP if possible, to keep excursion linear. If you do that, it's a very smooth and revealing driver. But, being a small radiator, it will have pronounced baffle diffraction, so you really need to pay attention to that part too. If you're putting it on a flat baffle with say, 7 or 8" woofers, the diffraction hump around 800Hz can be quite significant on that 9-10" wide baffle. Crossing around that point really helps control things.

It is aggressive, and can easily overwhelm the sound, so pay attention to the padding, and err it on the recessed side of flat.

So you suggest a wider baffle Pete?.....or maybe slight loading via a waveguide type recess in the baffle?

[Pete Schumacher ®]

So you suggest a wider baffle Pete?.....or maybe slight loading via a waveguide type recess in the baffle?

No, narrow baffle is OK, especially if you don't plan on crossing it below 700Hz.

As for recessing it in a shallow waveguide, I have no idea how that might work. I kind of have a feeling, not too well. To really benefit from one, you'd need a guide at least 15" wide and at least 2" deep to properly add some loading and diffraction control down to 500Hz.

[Mayhem13]

Any other mechanical ways of controlling the diffraction that you can think of?

[maynardg]

To my ears, I've heard it pretty good, and I've heard it pretty bad, but never great.

[maynardg]

To my ears, I've heard it pretty good, and I've heard it pretty bad, but never great. I think Pete's advice is on target. Be thoughtful and conservative.

[Erich H]

No, narrow baffle is OK, especially if you don't plan on crossing it below 700Hz.

As for recessing it in a shallow waveguide, I have no idea how that might work. I kind of have a feeling, not too well. To really benefit from one, you'd need a guide at least 15" wide and at least 2" deep to properly add some loading and diffraction control down to 500Hz.

On the last horn/waveguide group buy from Poland, there were some tractrix horns made for 2" drivers. I wonder how the RS52 would sound in one of those.

[Pete Schumacher ®]

On the last horn/waveguide group buy from Poland, there were some tractrix horns made for 2" drivers. I wonder how the RS52 would sound in one of those.

In a sizable guide, they should have great potential. No reason that they couldn't reach 500Hz cleanly. And if its large enough, you should see a reasonable boost in sensitivity over a range that would allow a higher sensitivity tweeter to finish off the design.

It's a great little driver from the objective standpoints (response, distortion), but it has it's challenges in implementation and blending with other drivers. The big flange hinders higher crossover points if you want to maintain a wider vertical pattern.

[Taterworks]

I wonder if they're clearing out the RS52 in order to sell the Usher ferrite aluminum dome mid under their Reference series, since the tweeters appear to be Usher-made as well. Wolf's Attitudes use that mid, and they sound phenomenal.

[50 watt head]

I wonder if they're clearing out the RS52 in order to sell the Usher ferrite aluminum dome mid under their Reference series, since the tweeters appear to be Usher-made as well. Wolf's Attitudes use that mid, and they sound phenomenal.

I really want to build a 3-way with a dome midrange -- all but for the overall balance of positive/negative opinions regarding the RS52, I would love to use the RS52.

Does PE carry this Usher dome mid? -- I couldn't find it.

[Shonver]

...the Usher ferrite aluminum dome mid...

Could you point me to that mid, please?

[Wolf]

PE used to carry the Usher 9845 textile mid, but it's now NLA. The 'Beryllium deposited Aluminum dome' Tater speaks of is not on the market to DIYers as yet either.

I keep hoping they'll bring back the 9845....
Later,
Wolf