Best High frequency transducer

[tesla]

I know we all have our opinions, but, (regardless of brand or age), what is your favorite tweeter?


And, what is your favorite design?



Why?

[frank23]

I always come back to the combination of the 2420 and 2344 horn. Have tried many other compression drivers and some tweeters, but in the end, the 2420/2344 combo from 1600Hz is what does it for me.

[rudy sesztak]

The JBL077 is fantastic, might be as good ,as the much more expensive JBL Be tweeters.They are more efficient to. Many people on this forum love the 077.- RUDY

[Mannermusic]

The JBL077 is fantastic, might be as good ,as the much more expensive JBL Be tweeters.They are more efficient to. Many people on this forum love the 077.- RUDY

Yep! Ideal for DIY.

[4313B]

Yep! Ideal for DIY.

True enough.

might be as good ,as the much more expensive JBL Be tweeters.

For sound reinforcement definitely.

For home hi-fidelity Prenta's 045 design sporting the Ti, Mg, and Be diaphragms is quite superior. But then, that was the intent.

[SEAWOLF97]

I know we all have our opinions, but, (regardless of brand or age), what is your favorite tweeter?


And, what is your favorite design?



Why?

I have some yamahas with Be tweets that are quite good ....have had 077's and they did very well. Current favorite is the ESS AMT (it does mid work too)

[HCSGuy]

For home hi-fidelity Prenta's 045 design sporting the Ti, Mg, and Be diaphragms is quite superior. But then, that was intent.

I'll agree - I was blown away when I heard the HF detail in my 800 Arrays - much better than any of the other horn loaded JBL's I've had (too bad the bottom can't keep up with either of the horns on my Arrays).

I've also been really impressed with the tweeter in the TiK series (025Ti) - It's my favorite JBL dome, and really blows away the 035tia, which makes me wish I could retrofit it into my dad's 250Ti's...

Non-JBL, I do most of my listening through Sonos Faber Auditor Monitors, and their ring-radiator is really good, though they implement it better in some models than in others.

[Mannermusic]

True enough.
For sound reinforcement definitely.

For home hi-fidelity Prenta's 045 design sporting the Ti, Mg, and Be diaphragms is quite superior. But then, that was intent.

You know, the biggest improvement I've ever experienced with those old rings was to get 'em on a separate amp (had a tri-amp years ago). Timbers worked up a scheme for this using a hybrid passive input into a small chip amp. Much simpler approach. Remember that?

[4313B]

Current favorite is the ESS AMT (it does mid work too)

I want to order a pair of those soon.

Remember that?

Yes I do.

[SEAWOLF97]

I want to order a pair of those soon.

hope you are serious. Have read that since the patents expired, they are in production again and featured in some higher priced speakers .

Mine are the large silver ones in the 2 way 10b. the sweet spot is huge. mellow, but can be rather sharp depending on settings. I prefer them to the 077. People who have heard them all have the same question ....
"how much do you want for 'em " ???

I've always been fond of L26's, but these (2 way , 10 inch w/10 inch PR just blow those JBL's away) ..the drivers are all cast .. nice quality.

old original AMT* drivers still sell for abt $300 pr. (*air motion transformers)

[BMWCCA]

hope you are serious. Have read that since the patents expired, they are in production again and featured in some higher priced speakers . . . old original AMT* drivers still sell for abt $300 pr. (*air motion transformers)

Check Parts Unlimited: http://www.parts-express.com/term/heil?srch=heil

[SEAWOLF97]

Check Parts Unlimited: http://www.parts-express.com/term/heil?srch=heil

OKAY..they are on sale for abt $350 each ..

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...64-600#Reviews

I had some old Jantzen electrostats ...the HF was incredible, BUT the sweet spot was like an inch wide ...the AMTs is very wide. Don't know how they stayed off my radar for so long ..

[tesla]

I too have some ESS tweets. They sound nice with my AMT-1's.
But, like anything else, the design is flawed. My L65's have superior bass. The later ESS's attempted to fix the problem by adding a passive woofer, haven't heard one, so I don't know how it went.



QUOTE=SEAWOLF97;341511]I have some yamahas with Be tweets that are quite good ....have had 077's and they did very well. Current favorite is the ESS AMT (it does mid work too)[/QUOTE]

[MikeBrewster77]

The later ESS's attempted to fix the problem by adding a passive woofer, haven't heard one, so I don't know how it went.

It went fairly well if memory serves. I had a pair of the PS-5s with a 10" LF driver and the rear passive radiator in the 90's; I recall them being quite nice, and still count them among the few I kick myself in the ass for letting go. Picked 'em up for $8.00 at an annual charity sale in a rather affluent neighborhood. Replaced the blown passive rads, and was on my way. That said, my frame of reference for quality sound was a lot different then than it is today and I'm working from a nearly 20 year old memory; if I heard them today I might feel differently. Agree that the tweeter was pretty amazing though - that much I do solidly recall.

[SEAWOLF97]

I too have some ESS tweets. They sound nice with my AMT-1's.
But, like anything else, the design is flawed. My L65's have superior bass. The later ESS's attempted to fix the problem by adding a passive woofer, haven't heard one, so I don't know how it went.

did not care for the L65 bass ... on stands or on the floor,
it never sounded right TO ME

Yeah JBL tried to get the bass right on that model three different times. It never really worked out. It's unrealistic to expect a driver with that kind of bottom end to sound very good with that much boundary reinforcement (close to the floor).

Like others have said, get them up off the floor so the slot is near ear level and they start to sound more normal.

Coupled with the grille I think it is a very nice looking box. The boxes make great subwoofer boxes with the right drivers.

the ESS AMT 10b has a 10 inch passive on the rear and the bass seems more realistic to me ....one forum member was telling me abt an ESS college tour in the 70's where they had blind testing between the 10b (bigger cab, but smaller LF driver) and L100's. The story goes that the AMT was the clear winner.

from Wiki:

Nelson Pass, currently of Passlabs (an amplifier builder) was employed by ESS during the production of the early amt-loaded speaker designs incorporating 10-inch woofers

5 separate patents for the production and licensing of the Air-Motion Transformer (including any and all upgrades to its pleated membrane) expired sequentially in:
Jan. 1, 2002 Aug. 2, 2007 Nov. 1, 2007 Aug. 15, 2008 Jul. 10, 2009

There are a couple of companies producing Air-Motion Transformer style systems: Precide (Switzerland) who calls their version the AVT (Air Velocity Transformer), ELAC (Germany) who calls their version of the transducer JET or PI, ADAM (Germany), FAL (Japan), or ETON.

Agree that the tweeter was pretty amazing though - that much I do solidly recall.

“SOUND AS CLEAR AS LIGHT”

and still made in USA

http://www.essspeakersusa.com/