Dual ring radiator tweeters are one of my favorites, particularly the VIFA XT25 series and their derivatives. They just sound so good and they're competent enough to give you quite a bit of leeway when designing your crossover network.
@@ImpulseAudioSpeakers I used a pair of the neodymium model to build some small adjustable tweeter pods using PVC end caps and a small amount of PVC pipe chemically welded into it to provide a mounting flange. Since they don't really require much volume behind them, this works out quite well and they sound amazing. Installed them into my friend's VW Jetta using some track-light hinges and some fiberglass reinforced bondo on the back of the A-pillar covers.
Just in case you're interested, my current and learning project uses the Scan Speak 18W-8545 alongside the Revelator 2905, it's a tough one to cross too but I'm working on it!
Thy nipple is there as phase plug , so that opposite sides of the dome dont see each other acoustically of course . Because at high frequency's , one side will be up the other down, thats how it goes , its like waving , its not all out at the same time , it vibrates , so without the nipple youll get more cancelation and summing or more distortion , so that's the phase plug . important to say , looks ugly but it works .
I used a 1st order on this same version and there's indeed a bump somewhere around 2kHz on on the overall. Think I need to change to a 2nd order to roll it off steeper.
Are those the original version made in Denmark? I have a pair I used with the Peerless 831735 in MTM format. I really love these tweeters even if off axis is lacking. I have the TG30 version as well, and feel ( without measuring) these sound slightly better
I was very interested in this tweeter. I had a few designs around this tweeter, but haven't actually built anything yet. I'm looking forward to your build!
123Toid if you use it you won't be dissapointed I'm sure. Although I gotta say the SB29 would probably beat it, but costs a lot more. Both are ring radiators though. I've order the little version and I'll probably start with that, but would be interested in hearing what people think. If people prefer I try the big one, I'll go for it. It is a pretty killer tweeter.
Fantastic channel, would you include distortion plots? The XT25 looks nice but always wondered what 2nd and 3rd order looked like. Zaph audio used to measure and post plots on a huge variety of drivers but hasn't been active
Tarek Z I get a lot of requests for distortion. And I was a huge fan or Zaph. So I get it. But they are really hard to do justice and can be misleading. Especially for what good distortion measurements are. In my next video I do distortion measurements because I am comparing two tweeters back to back so it's possible to do. But if they aren't SPL matched they really don't count. I am starting to get more comfortable with the idea so I may do it more and more with a huge disclaimer, but not sure yet.
Impulse Audio thank you for the comment. Indeed they can be misleading if all variables are not consistently the same, it's also time consuming. Thanks for considering it as my funds don't allow me the exposure to as many drivers as you have come across :). All the best
Tarek Z glad the reviews are working for people and yourself. Hopefully I'll build an inventory over then next while where people can get some data to back up blind purchases.
Personal preference to cross at 4500 Hz. I used a miniDSP as my electronic crossover. At the recommended starting x-over point of 2500 Hz, I found the overall sound to be a bit too harsh.
I used a Dayton Audio DSP-408 and combined mine with a Swan 6.5 Mg-Al woofer in an active two-way. Both of these drivers can be a bit harsh but I found the best XO at about 2800 Hz using a 4th order slope. These are better for far-field listening becasue close proximity can be a bit fatiguing over time but in a wide open space like a gameroom or garage, it helps to have a bit more aggressive tweeter performance. Overall, I'm happy with the sound. Nice to see another active designer weigh in.
it would be amazing to make an series with an diy ''competitor'' of the SVS Ultra Bookshelves or Elac Debut B6(ps:i own elac b6 & i also think i know what drivers SVS uses)
i raul that's actually a really good idea and I'd like to do that. Only issue is I'd need a pair of the speakers being competed against to be able to really do the comparison justice. Last thing I need to buy right now is another pair of speakers :o I'm hoping a friend or something I know will buy a pair of really good popular speakers one day and I can do something like that. I would probably say a lot of positive things about both the SVS and ELAC if they wanted to send me a review pair :D There's a lot to be said about opening a box and listening right away. And a lot of people can't build very good looking speakers. Myself included. I get decent results but not like the pros.
@@ImpulseAudioSpeakers It's all about cabinet proportions, the spacing of the drivers, the chosen finish and how well you can apply said finish. Most manufactured speakers also employ trim rings to cover up the flange, which DIY builders would find difficult to match. If you have a large enough 3D printer and were willing to use some automotive body filler to make them very smooth then you could still make some attractive trim rings and stick them on with a ring of foam tape. One recommendation I have for driver selection for a very budget-friendly combo with the XT25 is the Silver Flute 8" woofer. It isn't the highest clarity woofer but the sound and build quality is remarkable for the price. They're, like, $45 a woofer and you can put them in a simple enclosure and get them to play very low without a whole lot of effort. According to the graph on Madisound they play pretty flat down from where you would cross them over all the way down to 50Hz and then you can use the cabinet to get them down to to their F0 without needing anything complicated like a transmission line or special internally baffled enclosure. Plus, their sensitivity is quite good at nearly 91dB for the 8ohm version, which matches quite well with the neodymium 8-ohm XT25 that MeloDavid has on his AliExpress store. Some links for convenience: www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832644194581.html?spm=a2g0o.store_pc_groupList.8148356.64.3df81972Sw4Ood&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%21US%20%2421.27%21US%20%2420.00%21%21%21%21%21%40210318d116802394314697490e9ccf%2165022730852%21sh&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/approx-8-woofers/silver-flute-w20rc38-08-8-wool-cone/
Just bought a pair of the smaller neo versions and I love them! Now I just have to find out what woofer to use with it. Trying to make some nice bookshelf speakers. Also got a pair of Cerwin Vega V6-F towers with dead woofers. Maybe I could do something with those cabs. Any thoughts?
FreshLemunz nice tweeter. If you check out my latest video "Life S5 Part 1: The Build" I will be using that tweeter. The test video will be coming after the weekend. I'll be matching it with the SB Acoustics SB13PFC25-04 which is looking very promising. Only issue is it wouldn't be a good match for those Cerwin Vega cabs. If you follow that Life S5 series I'm going to be going into a lot of detail about crossover design and how to use that tweeter. It'll be worth watching.
François, did you tried the D2604/833000 eventually ? Need something that doesn't scream and can be crossed around 2k's. I play around with 27TDFC and it's not my kind of sound - too bright for my taste even with heavy top end compensation.
@@pliedtka I bought those driver to repair my old Yamaha tower speaker. They have two 8 inch driver for the bass and a tweeter. My first impression is that the sound is very good for high frequency but I miss some medium (around 4khz to 10 khz) by hear. I feel that I am never completely satisfy with my speaker but maybe I have to tune the crossover. I don't like studio sound. I'm more the the guy who like old amplifier with loundness feature. For me, a Good speaker is not a speaker who reproduce perfectly the frequency. I prefer sound with more bass and more high. Lastly, I bought bowers & wilkins 683 s2 but still not satisfy, they sound fade for me. I really want to build own speaker. If I decide to make them, I will uses one 10inch, one 8 inch, one 4 inch for medium and a tweeter. Thank for your video, you inspire me :)
vassilis1984 well if used right this one might sound very slightly better. Hard to tell. But the SB is much more capable to use bigger mids and woofers and allow for a better sounding speaker overall.
Hi from way south México (if you know were cancun, the mayan riviera and playa del carmen are, i live just a 4-5 hour drive from there). I have a question regarding the frd and zma data from the drivers and even rta mesurements, does wire gauge and terminal type can change the readings? For example, if i use some aligator clips with 22 awg wire instead of 12 awg soldered to the speaker terminals, whats to be expected? I´m planing to purchase dayton audio dats v2 system but wont be able to get it until december ar january. Can´t wait! Anyway, i´m a big fan of your work and i find you information very clear and helpfull. Keep up the good work!
Impulse Audio oh i see, not worth the extra work or trouble. Thanks for the quick responce. Any email or other way i could show you some of my builts? I'' wont anoy you asking for advices, just wanna share some of my work with some who actually likes DIY speaker building, non of my friends or family does. Thanks again.
MARIO MEDINA my email is ryan at impulseaudio dot ca. I don’t check it often or respond even less. You should check out the Facebook group speaker project pad. I go there once in a while and you can post pictures for lots of people to see. It’s a good spot for diy builders. None of our families like our builds either!! ;)
Perhaps someone has already asked this question, but unfortunately I couldn't find it. I have doubts about whether this tweeter can be installed in the same enclosure as a midwoofer. I was confused by the hole in the tweeter; I thought it was for ventilation.
Hi! Recently found your channel. Love it. I have some old DIY speakers i built 20 or so years ago that use the old Vifa D25AG-35-06. I am wanted to build at least 4 surround speakers (probably also height for Dolby Atmos etc) to match the front 3 that don't break the bank. I can get some off Aliexpress but was wondering how the XT25BG60-04 or XT25TG30-04 would compare.
Mark B I guess that depends on a few things. This first I wonder about is whether the D25s from Ali Express would be factory rejects that don’t sound very good. The second is how much you’ll care about sound quality for surrounds. You have at least 4 speakers to build so the costs add up. But if your budget permits, get something solid you’ll never question if it’s good.
@@ImpulseAudioSpeakers Thanks. Good point about potentially being dodgy. Any idea how the XT25BGs would match timbre wise with the D25AGs? I believe the D25AGs are aluminum alloy dome tweeter with ferrofluid cooling. Do you know if the XT25BGs would be considered better than the old D25s? If anything I want to us the same or better quality than the D25s. I would probably end up replacing them all to match at some stage anyway.
Mark B the xt25 is highly regarded and I would say it’s better. As for a timber match? No I don’t think they would match. XT25 is very smooth easy flat and natural with a polar pattern that’s a little different than most domes because of the ring radiation.
@@ImpulseAudioSpeakers Thanks mate. Sound quality wise do you know how the XT25 would compare to the kind of tweeters used in B&W 684 S2s? I have some of these speakers? If you are not familiar with those what kind of price level of speakers would use the XT25? Trying to gauge the quality to help decide what to do.
Mark B I don’t know those speakers. The XT25 (or variants of) have been used in $X000 speakers many times. Possibly higher. Its very good. Even if my review is matter of fact telling every little problem with it, it is amongst the high end for sure.
Maybe someone else asked this question already. But I haven't seen it. How do you make the measurements inside with the wall reflections interfering with the measurement?
Psilodjan I trim the impulse response the time of the reflection. So the data is not useful below about 300hz because the length of the wavelength matches the distance of the reflection. The ground is usually the closest reflection.
Phase is directly related to the frequency response for a raw unfiltered driver. So just simply look at the response. If the response is flat the phase is flat. The phase is not a very useful graph.
@@ImpulseAudioSpeakers I wondered why one two or more band acoustics plays music forming a sound image aerated, that is, dissolving in a room without localization, and the other just emits a set of sounds, as I understand it, so that the acoustics could form a single image, the speakers must be properly phased in it , and the phase can vary considerably, the speakers have a generally even phase, for example, like this one www.parts-express.com/pedocs/specs/275-095s.pdf and with decent phase turns, And your opinion is a phase turn is a certain angle by one of the speakers or several speakers and the time delay in miles seconds is the same thing?
@@ImpulseAudioSpeakers I am writing to you through a translator as I speak Russian, so I came across an article there it says about what I mean www.linkwitzlab.com/Attributes_Of_Linear_Phase_Loudspeakers.pdf
Hi, im very new to this and planning to build a front pair and centre channel for my new tv setup, im looking at ideas for speakers and plan to build my own cabs, with 1x tweeter and 2 x woofer in each, why doesnt it matter about 4ohm tweeter with 8ohn woofer?
cristian .perte well there’s lots of options that work with this tweeter. I like the SB woofers myself. Also peerless. And if your budget allows then scanspeak revelator are sure nice.
Johannes Deigaard well that was a number of years ago. I believe it was 4th order acoustic. Probably only took a 2nd order electrical to do it. The frequency was about 2200hz. Thats from memory. Unfortunately I can't remember the specific details.
I have some trouble calculating crossover and choosing what type I should use. How would you recommend me to calculate and what things should I look out for? I heard something about 4*Fs on the tweeters (6dB crossover) and 2*Fs on the tweeters (12dB crossover)
Johannes Deigaard those rules of thumb aren't very good, but I suppose they're a starting point. Finding the limit of a tweeter involves testing and listening. It is also highly dependent upon the SPL you want to listen at. Figuring it out will come with experience. There's no silver bullet unfortunately.
Can i simply replace my bookshelf speaker tweeter with the XT25? My bookshelves are the Edifier R1900T3 (or sometimes written as R1900Tiii). Will I hear an improvement?
@ImpulseAudioSpeakers How far down should the mid range be from the tweeter and also what should my woofer be spaced from the midrange be I’m putting the midrange and tweeter slightly off centre from the woofer due to the port running up the out side side of the midrange enclosure to have a back firing port on the top rear left or right or do you think front firing port up top left / right would be better cheers Ricky
Fran T I don't think the faceplate can be removed from the XT25 series. Foggy memory but I tried before without luck. The faceplate is glued to the diaphragm if I recall correctly. Otherwise if possible, it will change the response but shouldn't make it sound bad. Just that the response will need to be corrected in the design. Good luck.
Impulse Audio Hi and thanks for your response! Actually i will be adding dx25tg09 in my car and not 100% sure but i beleive plate comes off. So that said if i take off faceplate and flush mount to my pillar or door doesnt that give it a even bigger "faceplate". But bigger plate would mean more difraction?
Fran T the faceplate, pillar, speaker box, test panel, etc. are all just different shape and sizes of baffles. The baffle shape and size will change the response and can cause diffraction. So yes it will change the response, but not necessarily for the worse. You will need to measure it to know how it changes it, for better or worse.
I am thinking about using these tweeter in a home theater. Thinking to crossover beteeen 3,5-4 kHz and use dayton rs125p as bas and midrange. Do you think that will be a good match?
Fear Wolf Brewery yes those should play well together. I would maybe cross more like 3000hz but it’s up to you. For home theatre you might want their larger woofer. Rs150.
Fear Wolf Brewery Id cross over a little lower because the power handling of a high XO won’t be very necessary with a small woofer like the rs125 and the lower XO will sound better.
Yes, In the last few days I read a lot about DIY. I have the XT25 on my Elipson and this tweeter uses by many brands, sonus faber use it its scanspeak version which the same but the logo. Are you happy with the results?
hi!!! I'm from Argentina, I saw your video and decided to buy a pair. I am seeing that the dome on my xt25 moves when the woofer plays low notes, is this normal? did it happen to you?
who cares someone worked out a XO for that combination and discusses it here: techtalk.parts-express.com/forum/tech-talk-forum/1328189-forbidden-rs180-vifa-xt25-build-thread But they didn’t post the crossover details. Maybe you could register and ask them.
Have you ever purchased a horn from a Polish company named Horns by Auto-Tech? They have the most beautiful products in the world but I am not sure how to order them.
Dharminder Kalsi for the fountek ribbon I used a cap and I included that value in the video. For this tweeter (and all domes) I didn't use any protection. I should have mentioned that. Good catch, thanks!
Impulse Audio Thanks for the prompt response. I would like to practice taking measurements and hope to use freeware until I understand what I should be buying. I was hoping to take measurements utilizing REW. Was curious if I should be using white noise? Pink noise? Sine sweep for measurements - any thoughts? Also, just to confirm is the any risk of damaging the tweeter without a protective cap? I apologize if some of the questions are too elementary for your channel.
Dharminder Kalsi definitely not to elementary. I'm really happy to get these kinds of enquiries. There is a void on RU-vid when it comes to solid speaker design principles and I hope people can feel free to ask these sorta of things and glean from my projects and videos. REW is very good. Very very good. I just never got into it. It's so good it shouldn't be free. I've always used Holm Impulse for free test software. I just found it more intuitive and easier to read the graphs. I'd normally use sine sweep but sound easy uses MLS. Sine sweep is perfectly good. As for the protective cap, that really depends. While you are learning maybe make a habit of using 20uF. Dome tweeters can handle 3V even down to 20hz. I've seriously abused some domes without any mechanical failure. But may as well be safe. Ribbons and AMTs and things like that can be fragile. Definitely use a cap to protect those.
@@ImpulseAudioSpeakers Hi, im very new to this and planning to build a front pair and centre channel for my new tv setup, im looking at ideas for speakers and plan to build my own cabs, with 1x tweeter and 2 x woofer in each, why doesnt it matter about 4ohm tweeter with 8ohn woofer?
I've tried these tweeters, and I just couldn't get them to sound good. I had 2 other pairs of Seas dome tweeters that sounded better to me (an Al dome and a textile dome). I ended up going with the Seas aluminum dome tweeter to match up with some 8" Focal woofers.... yes some very old Focal woofers, from back when they still sold raw drivers. These ring radiators just sounded really dry and lifeless to me. No life or sparkle to the music.
ARUN SUKUMARAN probably but it may sound different. If ever a component is changed it may change for the better or worse. You could adjust the crossover possibly to make it work.
That really depends on a lot of factors. For a living room speaker with a 2nd order electrical high pass I would suggest about 2500hz as a starting point assuming you're padding it down a few db.
Porkchop's Papi why are people using drivers to reproduce music. You can not get live real sound with drivers. You get driver sound. The reality is that a box improves efficiency so much more than the downsides of a box that it’s still the most common way to build a loudspeaker. Open baffle systems get rid of internal reflections and provide a figure 8 polar response, but they have such a narrow bandwidth that to get good sound you need multiple drivers and complex XOers. That’s why. Thanks for asking :)
Impulse Audio "you need multiple drivers & complex cross overs" I agree with you there. But to get realistic scale and sounding piano, horns & timpani, you need multiple drivers and complex crossovers no matter what type of speakers you build. Of course if all you listen to is synthetic pop pop snap snap Thump Thump sound, you can use really cheap simple stuff.
Porkchop's Papi ok we agree again. But then if dynamics and realistic scale are at stake, I gotta say open baffle is particularly bad at this. Especially at low frequencies. The best way to handle that I suppose is using a boxed speaker below about 200hz.
Impulse Audio Well, at the risk of being an argumentative Arnie, I have to disagree again. I'm guessing you've never heard 12 or 15" base drivers in a (for example) Dr. Linkwitz open baffle design. But you know just my opinion on sound. Not for everyone.
Porkchop's Papi no problem sounding argumentative. This is a channel that pushes hifi audio to the max. At least I hope. Not a channel to show off cute book boxes. I have heard big OB systems and they don’t have the bass efficiency that a boxed system does. I’ve heard it and the theory easily backs this up. The rear radiated sound is out of phase with the front, and, well, that kills a lot of output. If the baffle is made wider that helps, but you will introduce a dipole peak into the lower midrange will is problematic. Possible not as bad as losing bass efficiency but it’s an issue to consider. Personally I find using large horns/waveguides more effective at getting directivity and efficiency like Geddes and others. OB is more about directivity than being boxless. And horns tend to do it just as well and be efficient.
Impulse Audio thanks for the quick reply. I meant the cnc table router you use. Is it automated? I was looking at the one from Inventables, but am weighing other options is why I was asking you what you use. :)
Jon Doe oh sorry. Ya I sold that since my last video. It was an xcarve from inventables. CNCs are a waste of time. Don’t buy one. They don’t save you time. They can help with some small specific tasks but overall I’m very glad I sold it and lost $2000 on it.
@@ImpulseAudioSpeakers Old speaker reccomended by my audiophile friend bought for $100 willing to spend upto $200 Linear Design TS-600 (bookshelf) 140 watts response 28 - 20khz Sensitivity 94dB
Me mate was looking at some device to change theit to 4ohm so we can run the xt25's not sure if i should go that way aparently i should upgrade the crossovers anyway.