Test Bench: Two 28 mm Dome Tweeters from Dayton Audio: RST28A-4 and the RST28F-4

In this Test Bench, I characterized two new 28 mm dome tweeters from Dayton Audio — the RST28A-4 and the RST28F-4 from the Dayton Reference Series. Both are similar tweeters that share pretty much the same platform with the primary difference being the RST28A-4 uses an 30 mm aluminum dome and the RST28F-4 has a 30 mm coated silk dome. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, September 2018.

This Test Bench characterizes the new Dayton Audio Epique E160CF-8 midbass driver, from the company’s new Epique high-end transducer line. This new 5.25” midwoofer is Dayton’s entry into the ultra-high-end driver market. Dayton built it with the intention of competing with the likes of SEAS, Scan-Speak, Eton, Accuton, and Morel. Applications for the E160CF-8 include use as a midrange in a multi-way speaker or as a woofer in a two-way speaker. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, September 2018.

For this test bench article, I characterized the DE780TN, a 1.4" exit titanium diaphragm pro sound compression driver from B&C Speakers. This compression driver is one of the latest additions to B&C Speakers’ extensive 17-model ferrite and neodymium motor 1.4" exit compression drivers. B&C Speakers supplied the ME90 horn for use with the DE780TN-8. This constant directivity horn has a 1.4" exit bolton type made from cast aluminum, and provides an 80° × 60° coverage pattern and a 900 Hz cut-off frequency. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, August 2018.

The TPL75 is one of the Air Motion Transformers (AMT, aka Air Velocity Transformer) that Acustica Beyma has developed for pro sound applications. Part of the success of Beyma’s AMTs for pro sound comes from its proprietary X-Bow technology, which opens as much as possible the mechanical constraint in the diaphragm, allowing it to manage higher temperatures, increasing the limit of the power the diaphragm can handle. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, August 2018.

For this test bench article, I characterized the New Eminence Alpha-5-8 5” line array/column array midbass driver. This a new 5” midwoofer from the American Standard Series, a 24-model transducer line of epoxy-acrylic finished stamped frame woofers and midranges. Applications for the Alpha 5-8 include use as a midrange in a multi-way speaker, as multiples in a line array, or as a compact column PA speaker. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, August 2018.

This a Test Bench of Tang Band's W3-2088SOF, a high XMAX 3.5" home audio RBM Micro subwoofer. The W3-2088SOF is built on an injection-molded eight-spoke frame that supports an unusual rectangular housing. The really unusual feature is that the W3-2088SOF does not use a spider. Instead it gets its compliance from two surrounds like a dual spider configuration. The voice coil former is vented below the inside diaphragm and also vented between the two diaphragm. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, January 2014.

In this Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterized a pro sound 18" ferrite woofer that quickly became one of FaitalPRO's best-sellers. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, January 2014 and it was missing from the online publications that we regularly post on the audioXpress.com website. As Vance Dickason noted at the time, the 18HW1070 is a carefully designed and crafted driver, with an impressive power handling capacity for PA applications.

In this Test Bench, Vance Dickason looks at an interesting new high-frequency transducer: the 951PB, a 1.4” exit pro sound compression driver from Radian Audio Engineering, based in Orange, CA. The 951PB shares an almost identical feature set with the existing 950PB. Both have neodymium ring magnet motors, high temperature 101.6 mm (4”) diameter polyimide voice coil formers wound with copper-clad aluminum-edge wound ribbon wire voice coils. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, July 2018.

This was the first time Test Bench featured a product from the highly respected Radian Audio Engineering. Radian sent the 950PB and the 760NEOPB, two of the company’s flagship compression drivers. The 950PB and the 760NEOPB share several features. They are both 2” exit compression drivers, with a useful response above 10 kHz. The 950PB and the 760NEOPB use neodymium motor structures and pure aluminum diaphragms with a proprietary mylar suspension that greatly reduces second- and third-order harmonic distortion. The two transducers mainly differ with regard to their voice coil diameters. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, November 2014.

The transducer I examined in this Test Bench came from Italian OEM manufacturer B&C Speakers. The DE680TN-8 compression driver is the latest addition to B&C Speakers’ extensive ferrite and neodymium motor 1.4” exit compression drivers. In terms of features, the titanium diaphragm has been redesigned and incorporates a new bent-edge former along with a new dome and surrounds geometry. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, June 2018.