| Seas Lotus RW165/1 |
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Cost: $275
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Comments: (discontinued) This is a car audio specific version of the magnesium Seas Excel. Similar magnesium controlled cone breakup. Well built cast metal frame, sized for 6.5" openings. Very stiff suspension and very high Qts would only be acceptable in a car door. Like the standard Excel, it's best crossed over very low to avoid the 3rd order peak in harmonic distortion. Very expensive for this level of performance. Tested December 2006. |
| Scan-Speak 18W8531G |
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Cost: $225
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Comments: Exceptionally well engineered driver in all areas. Uses Scan Speak's proprietary slit cone construction to control breakup nodes. Strong and well ventilated frame. Very low harmonic distortion and smooth, extended frequency response. Lots of copper in the motor is reflected in the impedance curve and overall performance. Not a whole lot to complain about here except for the high price. Needs a slightly larger enclosure than one could hope for. Tested June 2006. |
| Seas Excel W18EX001 |
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Cost: $200
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Comments: This is Seas definitive high end driver with the familiar magnesium cone and copper phase plug. Typically excellent Seas Build quality. Excellent performance in the midbass and lower midrange. Upper end usability is somewhat limited by the breakup induced 3rd order harmonic distortion at 1700hz. Most people claim to hear this if the system is crossed over too high. Overall it's a reasonable value and can sound great depending on it's careful usage. LR4 or an elliptical crossover around 1600 would work great. Tested December 2006. |
| Seas Excel W18NX |
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Cost: $197
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Comments: This driver is similar to the W18EX001 with a few notable differences: There is a Nextel coated paper cone, a new type of internally damped surround and a higher Xmax. There is a breakup node, but it is easily controlled and does not influence the harmonic distortion as much as the magnesium driver. While the midbass performance is not as clean as the mag cone version, the midrange is much better and easily worked into a more normal crossover point. This driver is a little pricey but generally worth it. Tested October 2005. |
| Fostex FE166ES-R |
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Cost: $120
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Comments: (discontinued) Very sensitive wide range driver. Like the FF165, it doesn't exactly fit in with this group because it's designed to operate without a tweeter. This is a solid 95 dB driver. Response is relatively smooth in the midrange but a little ragged in the range a normal tweeter would cover. Below average harmonic distortion performance in the midrange and lower treble. Very low maximum output due to a limited Xmax. Tested October 2005. |
| Usher 8945P |
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Cost: $110
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Comments: Class leading harmonic distortion numbers. Excellent build quality. Well ventilated motor with a fabric dust guard. Machined phase plug with tight gap tolerances. Well engineered motor with an undercut pole piece and copper sleeve. Not a whole lot to complain about except for a 4dB dip in the response curve at 1200 hz. Good cost/performance ratio. Tested December 2006. |
| Usher 8945A |
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Cost: $110
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Comments: This woofer was considered by many to be a clone of the Scan Speak 8545. The cone and surround are similar but there are some differences internally. This has a slightly smoother response than the 8945P version, but slightly higher harmonic distortion also. The motor has shorting rings above and below the gap but not through it like the P version. Still, distortion is excellent by any standard. Very clean low end. Tested December 2006. |
| Morel MW166 |
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Cost: $107
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Comments: The response is smooth enough to work with, but this driver is plagued by highish tall order distortion through the midrange. It has a huge voice coil (3") but a tiny spider supporting it. I don't recommend this driver as it's non-linear distortion of all types is pretty obvious with most music. Tested October 2005. |
| Adire Extremis 6.8 |
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Cost: $99
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Comments: (discontinued) The Adire Extremis 6.8 uses Adire's XBL^2 motor design. It is essentially a dual-gap with a single short coil of a precise length that moves from one gap to the other during high excursion. At low excursion, it straddles partway into both gaps. It is a design that does indeed provide high output and a linear BL curve. This driver also has a thick copper sleeve through the motor which improves harmonic distortion but reduces sensitivity due to the larger gap required. Excursion is more suspension limited than motor limited. Response is relatively smooth, midrange HD excellent and low end HD average. Tested October 2005. |
| Seas L18 (H1224) |
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Cost: $86
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Comments: The Seas L18 is an aluminum cone driver from their standard line. Response is very smooth, aside from the expected metal cone breakup. Harmonic distortion is good in the midrange and low end while being average near the top of it's range. Seas put extra effort into the cone profile of this version (H1224) and as a result the breakup node is relatively high and controlled for a 7" aluminum driver, making for a good 2-way system. Tested October 2005. |
| Seas P18RNXP |
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Cost: $78
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Comments: Very similar to the L18 in frame and motor design, but with a poly cone and an improved surround. This has a very smooth and extended top end with no breakup whatsoever. Harmonic distortion is excellent on the low end but a little high above 800hz. Overall, a very usable driver that should be easy to cross over to just about any tweeter. Tested April 2006. |
| ER18RNX |
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Cost: $78
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This is a new reed cone woofer from Seas. Construction is very similar to the older CA18 coated paper woofers, with one exception: the motor has a single copper sleeve mounted on the T-shaped pole piece below the gap. This is reflected in it's improved harmonic distortion performance in the midbass and lower midrange. HD seems to be somewhere between Seas Excel and standard line. Since this woofer is priced clearly within the rest of the standard line, value is very high. The response curve is relatively smooth with a mild breakup at 4.5kHz, which may need to be dealt with depending on how high it's crossed over. Tested June 2007. |
| Peerless HDS 830883 |
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Cost: $76
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Comments: This is a midwoofer from Peerless' Exclusive line. Performance is generally excellent throughout, with low distortion of all types, a smooth response and mild breakup. Off center phase plugs have been visible on some HDS drivers but not bad enough to rub or affect performance. This driver's near flat impedance curve is a result of the great motor design with lots of copper is the right places. Overall a great driver. Tested December 2006. |
| Seas CA18RNX |
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Cost: $75
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Comments: This Seas standard line paper cone driver has one of the flattest and most extended response curves in the group. T/S parameters are optimal for medium size vented enclosures. Excellent bass performance. Slightly higher 2nd and 3rd order HD in the midrange, but low tall order harmonics. Overall a well balanced and sensitive paper driver. Tested October 2005. |
| Vifa XT18WH09 |
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Cost: $71
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Comments: This is the wood composite cone version of Vifa's top of the line woofer. The WH has a smaller magnet than the WO version and is best used in a sealed enclosure. Performance is generally good in both linear and non-linear distortion, better in the mids/highs and a little worse in the bass/midbass. The bass distortion profile lends this driver a somewhat warmer sound. A little more expensive than the XG18 Glass fiber version but performance is a little lower. Great build quality and a unique frame design. Tested January 2006. |
| Seas CA18RLY |
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Cost: $68
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Comments: Very closely related to the RNX version, but with a smaller diameter voice coil and a smaller magnet give the driver a higher Qts. This makes it suitable for sealed enclosures. It has the same smooth and extended response as the RNX version. Tested October 2005. |
| Fostex FF165 |
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Cost: $64
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Comments: Very sensitive wide range driver. Like the FE166ES-R, it doesn't exactly fit in with this group because it's designed to operate without a tweeter. Unlike the FE166ES-R, harmonic distortion levels are acceptable but the frequency response is not. There is a very large dip at 1kHz that was present in both samples. Very low maximum output due to a limited Xmax. Tested October 2005. |
| Hi-Vi D6.8 |
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Cost: $63
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Comments: This Hi-Vi poly cone driver has a 3" voice coil with an inset magnet similar to Morel and Dynaudio woofers. The difference is that, while they perform similarly, the Hi-Vi outperforms them in the harmonic distortion department. If I were going to use this style of inset magnet woofer, I would choose the Hi-Vi over Morel or Dynaudio. I hope you like screwing, because the Hi-Vi has 12 mounting holes which is a bit excessive. Tested December 2006. |
| Vifa XG18 |
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Cost: $63
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Comments: This is the glass fiber version of Vifa's high end woofer. It generally performs better than the wood cone version. Response is relatively smooth except for some minor roughness in the 4kHz area. It has extremely low upper midrange harmonic distortion, among the best in the group. HD on the low end is a little higher that normal however, and Xmax is rather limited. Would make a great midrange driver, and also works well in MTM's to help lower driver excursion for a given output level. This has a unique frame design. Tested October 2005. |
| SB Acoustics SB17NRX35 |
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Cost: $53
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Comments: First and foremost, the build quality of this woofer is excellent. It looks like a $200 woofer. Harmonic distortion is excellent due to the thick copper sleeve over the pole piece. Particularly clean through the midrange, though higher distortion in the bass. Response is a little ragged with an odd shaped breakup node that will need special crossover work. The highish Qts means this is best used in a sealed enclosure. Overall, a great value for the price. Tested April 2008. |
| Hi-Vi F6 |
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Cost: $46
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Comments: Beautiful looking yellow kevlar cone and cast frame. Acceptable harmonic distortion but some raggedness in the 3-4kHz range complicates the crossover and/or pushes the crossover point lower than most other drivers in this group. Tested October 2005. |
| GR Research M-165X |
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Cost: $45
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Comments: This is a paper cone woofer with a well ventilated plastic frame and Adire's XBL^2 dual-gap, short coil motor design. The response curve is smooth with some mild breakup starting at 3kHz. Harmonic distortion is on the high side, and it's obvious that this motor doesn't have a copper sleeve over the pole piece like the Extremis or AA 6.5 poly. Sensitivity is relatively high, and the motor will remain linear at high output. The suspension is a bit too small to fully support the excursion the motor is capable of. Tested December 2006. |
| Mach 5 MLI-65 |
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Cost: $36
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Comments: This woofer has a very good build quality however price has doubled since it was tested. There is a cast metal frame and a nice coated pulp fiber cone. The harmonic distortion isn't going to win any awards, but it's usable enough and the response curve is relatively smooth. This is a higher Qts, 4 ohm driver and will probably need to be in a larger sealed box for home use. It would work well in infinite baffle situations, including car doors. Consider aperiodic damping if you need to use it in a smaller sealed box. Tested December 2006. |
| Ascendant Audio Poly 6.5 |
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Cost: $35
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Comments: (discontinued) This woofer uses Ascendant's dual-coil single gap motor design which is effectively the opposite of Adire's XBL^2 but serves the same purpose of allowing more excursion. It may also linearize the BL curve, but I'm unsure of that. The response curve is very smooth and extended. The harmonic distortion performance of this woofer is very low and it's the leader in this price range, thanks to a thick copper sleeve. Slightly higher 2nd order below 200Hz, but the low tall order HD should still allow this to sound good at the bottom of it's range. Like all the higher Xmax woofers in this group, the suspension will lock up hard before the motor runs out of Xmax. Somewhat highish Qts make this more suitable for a sealed box or very large vented. Tested December 2006. |
| Dayton RS180 |
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Cost: $35
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Comments: This Parts Express woofer has an anodized aluminum cone and black phase plug. It gives this woofer stealth fighter looks, but it does have the performance to back it up. Respectable harmonic distortion for this price range, and a very clean sounding low end. The response curve is very smooth, but the breakup has twin peaks that may be harder to manage in the crossover depending on how high you cross over. The low price, build quality and level of performance put this driver near the top of the value chart. Tested October 2005. |
| Dayton DA175-8 |
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Cost: $21
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Comments: This aluminum cone woofer from PE is the value leader in this group and we really couldn't ask for more at this price. The harmonic distortion is good for a driver with a simple motor like this. The response curve is relatively smooth while the breakup node is benign and controlled enough that a notch filter might not be needed if you cross over low enough. The stamped frame surely helps keep the price low but doesn't impact performance too much. Tested October 2005. |
| MCM 55-1860 |
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Cost: $21
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Comments: Same cone and surround as the DA175, but a different shielded magnet, a different spider and lower Xmax. The response curve is a little more ragged at the top end and harmonic distortion is a tiny bit higher throughout it's range. Overall, there's not a whole lot of reason to buy this over the DA175 unless it goes on sale and you need to save money. It does go on sale often. The frame is a poor design, requiring tiny screws to avoid mashing the edges. Tested October 2005. |
| Dayton DC160 |
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Cost: $19
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Comments: This woofer does not perform very well, with horrible tall order harmonic distortion right smack in the midrange. The response curve between 1 and 2kHz is pretty rough also. Bass response is deep for a reasonable size enclosure, but there's not a whole lot of reason to pick this driver over some of the other under $20 woofers. Tested December 2006. |
| MCM 55-1185 |
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Cost: $14
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Comments: This is a basic no frills poly driver from MCM with very low pricing. Harmonic distortion is not too bad for the price. The response curve does have a breakup at 4.7kHz that will require a notch to control. The same breakup causes a peak in 3rd order HD at 1700hz, which might ask for a crossover below that point. That rules out a cheap tweeter. High Qts requires a large sealed box and probably aperiodic damping. This is the cheapest woofer in this group, but you have to look at what you can get for a few bucks more. Tested December 2006. | | |
