Audio Nirvana 'Classic 15 Alnico' Full Range Drivers

Discussion in 'DIY' started by winders, Nov 11, 2018.

  1. winders

    winders boomer

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    Has anyone here had any experience with Audio Nirvana ‘Classic 15 Alnico’ full range drivers? I have a couple of friends that think they are great...better than any 2, 3, or 4 way speakers they have tried. They live too far away for me to go and listen to. One friend has ears I really trust so I am intrigued.
     
  2. k4rstar

    k4rstar Britney fan club president

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    I have a pair of the Super 12" coming some time this week. Finishing up the cabinets with the help of a local builder and I'll report back if they suck or not. AFAIK these are made in a Chinese factory to David Dick's specifications. I've read both good and bad, there's more info on DIYaudio forums.
     
  3. winders

    winders boomer

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    Thanks. I have done a fair bit of reading on DIYaudio and it seems the 12” and 15” drivers have very different feedback. The 15” drivers get a higher ratio of positive feedback. I don’t know anyone posting there so I am not really sure whose comments to trust.

    In the end, it is my ears that matter. So I want to hear them for myself. The question is can I get enough feedback to make me comfortable buying the drivers and cabinets to give them a listen in my house with my system.
     
  4. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    I've read about these awhile back while researching full range drivers. Reviews are kinda thin so definitely interested in what k4star has to say about the Audio Nirvana drivers.
     
  5. winders

    winders boomer

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    If I decide to try these drivers, this is what I could end up with if my local woodworking friend has the time:

    [​IMG]
     
  6. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I have heard not so great things about their smaller wide-banders from people I trust (cannot mention names). For a little bit more I can get Fostex, a much more known entity.

    It's hard to screw up a 15" paper driver for lows, but certain claims from the dude are charlatanism: almost full range from a 15" and "we are bestest".

    Bullshit and bold self serving claims turn me off. Bad signs, bad indicators. Good luck.
     
  7. winders

    winders boomer

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    Thanks for the feedback.

    While I understand what you are saying about the guy and what he has to say, I tend to ignore the marketing whether good, bad, or ugly and focus on the what the product actually delivers. He has been building and selling speakers for 20 years. He may be a tool and a boaster but he has been in business a good long time under one name. His drivers come with 100% money back guarantee.

    One friend that bought these drivers had such low expectations because of the claims on the web site that he put the drivers in unfinished MDF cabinets with no binding posts instead of plywood and veneer or solid wood. He was positive he was going to be sending the drivers back. He didn't. Now he is going to build proper cabinets.

    Again, I have no idea what these drivers actually sound like. I know the guy sounds like a charlatan...but I hope to hear more about how the drivers actually sound.
     
  8. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

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    How would a 15" driver do full range? Seems like it would be way too much Mass to move fast enough...
     
  9. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    I was thinking the same thing. 15” seems crazy to try to do anything close to high frequencies. Most wide-band speakers I’ve seen tend to have much smaller drivers, which limits the low end obviously, but makes reaching high-ish frequencies possible and passable sounding.

    I know Zu use 10” drivers that go up to ~12 Khz I believe, and a super tweeter above that. But 15” seems really big to move that quick with any accuracy.
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2018
  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    DIYaudio has turned to shit with bored old farts who can't hear above 10kHz. "Different and shittier", has become mistaken for "novel, but with limitations".

    I'll bet the cone starts to break up around 1 to 1.5kHz with jaggy crazy spikes from there to 10kHz. If we look at it in a perverted way, this linear distortion can be seen as "extension". I'm sure the Alnico magnets, with those special magickal qualities that so many audiophiles desire, will take the edge off.

    The large driver will beam like shit with zero dispersion. This will eliminate the need for any side wall treatments or carpet. Perfect for the rape dungeon.

    Wide band performance from good 8" drivers, Voxactiv, Fostex, TB, etc. is already challenging enough. Now we are talking about breaking the laws of physics. I haven't heard this 15" "full-ranger", but the Force speaks too loudly here.
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2018
  11. MrTeaRex

    MrTeaRex His head's not fat, he's my brother!

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    Audio Nirvana publishes their own measurements, but they're on tiny smoothed graphs with 120db scale. This DIY guy has measured several full range drivers in enclosures, including the AN Super 8 and Tang Band W8-1808 8" drivers.

    Audio Nirvana Super 8
    http://rutcho.com/speaker_drivers/audio_nirvana_super8_cast/audio_nirvana_super8_cast.html

    Tang Band W8-1808
    http://rutcho.com/speaker_drivers/tang_band_w8_1808/tang_band_w8-1808.html
     
  12. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

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    I didn't think about beaming. Wouldn't that start beaming at about 900hz and up?
    That's not good...
     
  13. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    Coincides with where you start hearing sound with the AN, perf
     
  14. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    Triple whizzer cones!!

    At this size though I think I'm better off using a coaxial driver.
     
  15. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    I did not know Diana Krall was popular on the dark web

    lol bruh those look like the 8" shitsnake version of avantones

    @winders these have similar extension and will blow the brains out of the Audio Nirvana for all but the loosest of size queens:
    https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...4.5-inch-passive-reference-monitor-pair-black
     
  16. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    15" and full range? I get that the dream is that for higher frequencies the diaphragm will brake up and effectively become smaller, but shit dude... That's not how speakers should work.
     
  17. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    That's how they work for horny diyer dudes Hrodulf. Then they gotta get outta the way of the Lowthers on bath salts, Death Star laser treble.
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2018
  18. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    Last edited: Nov 12, 2018
  19. winders

    winders boomer

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    Why do you guys always have to devolve to Junior High?
     
  20. rlow

    rlow A happy woofer

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    I was poking fun, but I honestly don’t understand the point. And to have to port such a giant driver as well? This just seems compromised from the start, and to what end?
     

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