Test Bench: A Redesigned DE990TN-8 1.4” Compression Driver from B&C Speakers

The compression driver/horn that I received for testing in this edition of Test Bench was the redesigned B&C Speakers DE990TN-8, a 1.4” neodymium motor compression driver with a titanium diaphragm coupled with the ME90 horn. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, September 2016.

The driver I received for testing in this edition of Test Bench came from Tymphany, and is a patent-pending thin profile 5.25” aluminum cone mid-woofer from the company’s GBS line of thin profile woofers and midranges. Features for the GBS-135F25AL02-04 include a four-spoke stamped steel frame with a mere 27.4 mm (1.08”) total depth. The depth is significant as the motor assembly is obviously housed inside the frame. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, September 2016.

The transducer I examined in this edition of Test Bench came from Italian Pro Sound OEM manufacturer B&C Speakers, who sent the neodymium motor 21DS115, a 21” high power handling woofer. The B&C 21DS115-8 is rated at 1,700 WRMS with a continuous power handling rated at 3,400 WRMS. The 21DS115-8 weighs in at a modest (for an 21” woofer!) 32.8 lb. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, August 2016.

The transducer I examined this month came from Italian Pro Sound OEM manufacturer B&C Speakers, who sent the DE1090TN, a 1.4” neodymium motor compression driver with a titanium diaphragm. The DE1090TN compression driver is coupled with B&C Speakers’ ME90 80° × 60° constant directivity horn. At this time, the DE1090TN, with a 36 mm (1.4”) throat diameter, is the highest power handling model (120 W) in the brand's line. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, August 2016.

The driver in this Test Bench is not so much an OEM product as an installer product, but it is a very interesting transducer: the Revolution Acoustics SSP6 actuator, which transforms nearly any panel structure into an audio speaker. As promised, I am doing a brief review of the this driver, primarily marketed to Custom Electronic Design & Installation (CEDIA)-type installers. However, that said, it is definitely an interesting transducer.

Now available for download, Voice Coil June 2017 features a report on new earphone and headphone technology developments, compiled by Mike Klasco (Menlo Scientific); a directory of manufacturers; and a summary of recommended related trade shows. James Croft reviews a patent for a passive radiator with dynamically adjustable resonant frequency, while Vance Dickason tests Eminence’s new 1” compression driver and SEAS’ 6.5” “King Coax.”

The 8” 8NSM64 is a rather unique new pro sound midrange driver from B&C Speakers. It’s a closed-back midrange! Closed-back midranges are often associated with cheap speakers because by using a frame with no relief holes in the back, you don’t have to build a midrange chamber. In this case, the 8NSM64 is a very high-power handling (500 W continuous) 8” midrange for professional PA applications, with a reasonable volume that can be damped with absorption material. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2016.

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The new Tang Band Speaker 25-2176S 1” dome tweeter features a 25 mm wide surround coated fabric diaphragm optimized for high-frequency cutoff above 20 kHz, a unique aluminum assembly that is both self-shielding and acts as a heatsink, a unique aluminum mounting ring for screw down mounting up to 0.5” mounting depth, ferrofluid voice coil cooling and resonance damping, plus gold-plated terminals. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2016.

The transducer I characterized in this Test Bench is a high-end ribbon tweeter from a Shanghai, China-based company, Fountek Electronics Co., Ltd. Fountek was founded in April 2003 with a mission statement to supply strictly high-end two-channel products. We received its new third-generation ribbon tweeter, the NeoX 3.0, with an 80 mm × 12 mm × 0.15 mm thick reinforced sandwich (960 mm2 radiating area), closed-back injection-molded rear cavity with two aluminum heatsinks and a built-in transformer. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2016.