Test Bench: Wavecor SW168WA01 Subwoofer

This Test Bench focuses on a new Wavecor 6.5” subwoofer, the SW168WA01. This subwoofer has a generous feature set that includes a proprietary four-spoke stamped steel frame that is substantially open below the spider mounting shelf due to the eight 15×8 mm rectangular vents, and as part of Wavecor’s Balanced Drive motor format, the SW168WA01 further incorporates an aluminum shorting ring. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2017.

The compression driver I examined here came from B&C Speakers and is the “little brother” to the titanium diaphragm DE1090TN compression driver featured in the August 2016 issue of Voice Coil magazine. As with the DE1090TN, the DE990TN was coupled with B&C Speakers’ ME90 80° × 60° constant directivity horn. The DE990TN has a 36 mm (1.4”) throat diameter and is driven by a titanium diaphragm with a 86 mm (3.4”) diameter voice coil wound with aluminum wire. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2017.

The driver featured in this Test Bench is the new E0060-08/06 6.5 “King Coax” from SEAS. Recognized for several years for its high-performance coaxial midrange/tweeter drivers, SEAS developed this new driver at the request of a studio monitor customer who wanted a compact three-way monitor and asked SEAS to develop a midrange + tweeter coax. The King Coax received its name from the copper ring under the tweeter, which resembled the look of a crown. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, June 2017.

This year we thought our readers would like to know which of the topics and stories published online in 2017 were the most popular for our community. We looked at the most-read articles of 2017 in audioXpress.com (which also includes selected articles from Voice Coil magazine), and we created this Top 10 list of news stories and online articles. Here are the results!

For this Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterizes an Eminence N151M-8 1” throat ring radiator compression driver coupled with the Eminence STI1 90° × 40° constant directivity horn. The N151M-8 includes a mylar diaphragm driven by a 1.5” voice coil wound on a polyimide former and cast aluminum body, neodymium ring magnet motor, and field-replaceable diaphragm. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, June 2017.

In this Test Bench, Voice Coil characterizes the second of two new compression drivers from Brazilian pro sound OEM PRV Audio. Following the Test Bench of the D4400Ti-Nd, in this characterization Vance Dickason looks at the D4000Ph compression driver, a ferrite version. The D4400TiPh is part of a series of 2” throat 4” diameter voice coil compression drivers, in this case complemented with PRV Audio’s WGP22-50 2” bolt on 60° × 60° waveguide. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, May 2017.

Voice Coil characterizes a new compression driver from Brazilian pro sound OEM PRV Audio, a company that started operations in 2006, created by a group of former executives and engineers from one of Brazil’s most prestigious loudspeaker manufacturers, and which has not stopped producing high quality products. This edition of Test Bench looks at the D4400Ti-Nd compression driver, complemented with PRV Audio’s WGP22-50 2” bolt on 60° × 60° waveguide. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, May 2017.

These Test Bench samples came from Germany. From Eton I received the 29HD2, its neodymium motor tweeter, with a fairly rich feature set that includes an aluminum faceplate, a 28 mm diameter magnesium diaphragm with a ceramic coating on both sides protected by a cosmetically attractive grill/phase plug, and driven by an aluminum former wound with round copper-clad aluminum wire (CCAW). This article was originally published in Voice Coil, April 2017.

The samples for this Test Bench came from respected German home/car audio OEM transducer manufacturer Accuton. I received the Accuton C30-6-358, its new “Cell Concept” neodymium motor ceramic diaphragm 30 mm tweeter. The Accuton C30-6-358 is an interesting tweeter for several reasons. The mounting system, which is part of the “Cell Concept,” is definitely unique, with its proprietary clapping mechanism. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, April 2017.

This Test Bench is about Celestion's CDX1-1447 1” ferrite motor compression driver coupled with Celestion’s H1-7050 ‘No Bell’ 70° × 50° horn. Features for the CDX1-1447 include a one piece polyimide diaphragm and surround, with an exit (throat) diameter of 25.4 mm (1.0”). The horn is a new and rather innovative design. The H1-7050 “No Bell” is a cast-aluminum exponential flare-type horn with a 70° × 50° radiation pattern. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, March 2017.