FaitalPRO 2FE24 Pro Sound 2.5" Full-Range

The focus for this Test Bench is the 2FE24 2.5” full-range driver from FaitalPRO, an interesting small diameter full-range design suitable for pro audio applications such as PA line source speakers. The 2FE24 is built on a proprietary injection-molded polycarbonate four-spoke frame, and the cone assembly consists of an uncoated paper cone and dust cap, low loss half-roll NBR surround, and elevated cloth spider. Powering the cone assembly is a neodymium ring magnet and a milled return cup fitted to a 19mm diameter voice coil wound with aluminum wire on a Kapton former. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, May 2022.

Kemper announced availability of a new Kemper Kone NEO replacement speaker for its 12" guitar cabinets. This is the same speaker manufactured for the German company by Celestion and used in the Kemper Kabinets, now with a new lightweight neodymium magnet. Also available for a wider range of cabinet designs, these speakers were designed for guitar tone monitoring with a choice of 19 classic guitar speaker imprints activated by Kemper Profile PowerRacks and PowerHeads.

When a speaker development project is initiated, one of the first decisions is usually the magnet type — ferrite or neodymium — each one with its associated benefits, and problems. This article introduces the most promising alternative based on Iron Nitride (FeN), soon be available from Niron Magnetics, and offering the best characteristics of neo, without the supply chain drama, at a price point that rests somewhere between ferrite and neodymium. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, January 2022.

The October 2021 edition of Voice Coil discusses "The State of Loudspeaker Magnetics," with an annual overview of these critical industry components and materials for loudspeakers, complemented with an updated industry directory focused on Integrated Electronics. James Croft covers a patent awarded to Coastal Source for the variable waveguide speaker control, while Vance Dickason characterizes the powerful 15DS100 professional subwoofer from B&C Speakers, and Eighteen Sound's latest ND2T 1.4” neodymium compression driver. Now available in print, immediate online access or download.

This article characterizes a cutting-edge product from BDNC, a patented “race track” shaped driver, and the first of its kind to use a glass diaphragm composite made up of two layers of “Schott AS87 Glass” with an internal layer of viscoelastomic damping material and aluminum alloy foil. The motor structure uses two neodymium bar magnets driving a two-layer race track-shaped voice coil wound with round copper wire on an aluminum former. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, June 2021.

British manufacturer of professional audio transducers Precision Devices announced the release of two large-sized sub bass drivers. The new PD.24603BR and PD.2155-1N were developed with the support of the latest Klippel KA3 measurement systems and further ongoing research into performance optimized magnetic assembly design, cone geometry and suspension technology. The result is defined by Precision Devices as a dynamic and powerful line-up of new flagship products.

Scan-Speak has saved some last minutes surprises to end the year of the company's 50th anniversary in full force. The Danish engineering team just unveiled a new Ellipticor driver, expanding the rapidly growing family with the new Ellipticor D2404/552000 dome tweeter. This latest addition offers an impressive set of specifications according to the released datasheet, and should strongly motivate many speaker designers targeting high-end designs.

For this Test Bench, Vance Dickason characterized the LT2 Ribbon Transducer and corresponding waveguide from Radian Audio Engineering. This is effectively a smaller version of the LT6 ribbon transducer reviewed in the July 2020 issue of Voice Coil, but offering much more diverse possibilities, as Vance Dickason discovers. And as the compact LT2 shows, this was designed to be more of a hi-fi or home theater substitute for any high frequency driver. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, August 2020.

Celestion announced that their highly-anticipated Axi2050 Axiperiodic driver is now available for purchase at Parts Express. Performing the role of two speakers in one, the Axi2050 is a high power, high-output driver which reproduces a frequency range of 300Hz-20,000Hz without the need for a midband crossover. This Celestion innovation with a 2-inch exit throat and standard mounting delivers superior intelligibility and perceived audio performance.

Vance Dickason characterizes a very high power handling 18" woofer from Eminence’s recently announced Tour Grade pro sound product line, the NSW4018-8. The Tour Grade family consists of two 18" options, including the ferrite magnet FSW4018-8, the neodymium magnet NSW4018-8, and the massive neodymium magnet 21” NSW6021-6, and was developed over two years to support the undisputed growth of professional audio. Applications for the new Eminence NSW4018-8 include use as a bass driver in multiway systems, or as a dedicated subwoofer in bass reflex designs. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, May 2020.