Galeons - SB13 MTM

[PRS259]

Thanks for the reply

I am having a little trouble in gauging where the Galeons stand relative to other speakers.
Can you give any subjective opinions/comparisons to any commercial speaker or some
popular DIY speaker? It is very hard to know how good they sound without actually listening
to them ao any listening impressions (relative) will help.
Also, what are your views regarding the SB13PFC? I believe it is a better woofer than Dayton ND.
How do you think it compares to the Dayton RS series?

Thanks

[Geoff Millar]

Thanks for the reply

I am having a little trouble in gauging where the Galeons stand relative to other speakers.
Can you give any subjective opinions/comparisons to any commercial speaker or some
popular DIY speaker? It is very hard to know how good they sound without actually listening
to them ao any listening impressions (relative) will help.
Also, what are your views regarding the SB13PFC? I believe it is a better woofer than Dayton ND.
How do you think it compares to the Dayton RS series?

Thanks

Sorry to step in, I haven't made these speakers but this may help you.

I haven't used the SB13 but have used its big brother the SB16PFC, in a two way: it sounds very good. Very nice sounding mids and bass, at least with the crossover and cabinet I'm using (not my design).

Curt Campbell uses the SB13PFC in his "Uluwatu" speakers: http://speakerdesignworks.com/SB6pakproject_2.html

Also, there's a driver test on YouTube which rates the SB13 highly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFww7iA0Xpc

In terms of Dayton drivers, I have the DC130s, DC160s and RS180Ps with which to compare it. Again, the crossovers for those speakers are other's designs. The SB pretty much seems to combine the bass of the 160 with the nice mids of the 130, although I've tested it in a MLTL cabinet which enhances the bass response. The RS180P has a higher level of detail, and looks pretty cool too.


In Oz the PFC range is relatively cheap compared with the RS drivers - less than half the price, so I'm a fan.

The frame shape is the only negative issue about the SB, if that bothers you, but Don's solution to that is really neat.

I surface mounted - the SB16 and others in the PFC series have the same frame shape - as I don't have the skill to flush mount the frames, still sounds OK to me.

Don really knows his stuff and he has helped me out on several occasions, too.


Geoff

[donradick]

Geoff Millar - thanks for the shoutout!
PRS259 - well, opinions vary widely, but my feeling is that the SB13PFC driver is a nice bargain driver. I would use it again in a heartbeat if it
met the criteria for a design. The Dayton ND drivers are a bit of a "freak" driver, you can get very low bass at pretty good levels in a very small box,
but I think the SB13PFC sounds much better in the midrange, and will play louder without distortion.
The RS series (I've used the metal cone versions in several builds) are clearly better, if the price is not a problem.
I have not used or heard the RS paper cones.
Hope this helps!
Really, on this board (and elsewhere), there are many, many great sounding DIY speakers.
The primary decision points are price (how much do you want to spend), size (how big will your wife or girlfriend tolerate) and what you listen to (rock, pop, rap, classical)
Once you can put that down on paper, the field narrows to just a few designs. DIY can give you very, very good sound quality for just a little money usually.

[Derekj]

The frame shape is the only negative issue about the SB, if that bothers you, but Don's solution to that is really neat.

I surface mounted - the SB16 and others in the PFC series have the same frame shape - as I don't have the skill to flush mount the frames, still sounds OK to me.

Don really knows his stuff and he has helped me out on several occasions, too.


Geoff

The new versions of the PFC drivers now have round frames so much easier to mount! I have done a few builds with the odd shaped frame drivers - great driver for the money👍

[Geoff Millar]

The new versions of the PFC drivers now have round frames so much easier to mount! I have done a few builds with the odd shaped frame drivers - great driver for the money👍

Correct, the SB website shows that the 'square' shaped drivers have been discontinued and replaced with round, but the specs are the same as before.

Still, it's kind of cool to make something which looks a bit different. I hope to use the SB20s one day in a 'FAST/WAW' build with a VIFA TC-9.

Geoff

[donradick]

Correct, the SB website shows that the 'square' shaped drivers have been discontinued and replaced with round, but the specs are the same as before.

Still, it's kind of cool to make something which looks a bit different. I hope to use the SB20s one day in a 'FAST/WAW' build with a VIFA TC-9.

Geoff

Lots and lots of folks love that little TC9, but I could never get them "dialed in" to my satisfaction. Got a pair of the little Fountek alu cone full rangers that
I plan to use instead. YMMV, of course.

[Geoff Millar]

Lots and lots of folks love that little TC9, but I could never get them "dialed in" to my satisfaction. Got a pair of the little Fountek alu cone full rangers that
I plan to use instead. YMMV, of course.

Thanks Don, do you mean the FE85?

As usual with drivers in Oz, if the company doesn't have a local distributor, they end up being very costly as the US to A exchanger rate is poor and post from the US is horrendous. The VIFA will cost me A$50, the Founteks about A$90 and there might be some other options around at that price from SB or Peerless, perhaps.

The main drawback of the TC9 seems to be that it's not very efficient; the TC7 4 ohm is a bit more efficient but would be harder to cross as low as the TC9.

Cheers

Geoff

[donradick]

It was the 2 inch FR59exe. Those full range Founteks are not so special to warrant the large import duty you'd have to pay.
There are plenty of great drivers between the Dayton and SB product lines.

[Geoff Millar]

It was the 2 inch FR59exe. Those full range Founteks are not so special to warrant the large import duty you'd have to pay.
There are plenty of great drivers between the Dayton and SB product lines.

Thanks Don: luckily for Oz purchasers, the local Parts Express/Dayton distributor carries SB and VIFA/Tymphany drivers.

Geoff