Topic: MarkAudio Extended Full Range drivers - Post your build here

[deist]

The new Markaudio CHN-70 driver. Estimated retail price is $25-$30 a piece. Now making waves in Japan, some pics of the driver & builds by Japanese DIYers.

[RXV]

Also saw this, very nice starter drivers.

For me, I'm waiting for the Alpair7P (paper) release and reviews. Looks very promising.

Although you can't expect big bass out of it, midrange and highs are to die for.

So many drivers, so little time (and money)

[RXV]

I wonder how the Markaudio CHN-70 compares to the Alpair 6P (an older driver, but higher class; both paper cones)

[deist]

@RXV - agree, aimed at DIYers who want to try FR drivers, at half the price of the Alpair 7.3 this is very good to experiment with. The surface mount design of the frame makes for easier build, mas madali magbutas ng baffle 
 
I'm also waiting for feedbacks on the 7P but I already have the 10P so i'm more interested in the Alpair 12PW(woofers) since I'm considering a F.A.S.T. build. One thing is for sure; with the release of several new MA drivers, I know now what I want for christmas 

[deist]

Mark Fenlon said that the CHN-70 is designed to reproduce neutral/natural sound. More or less a laid back or mellow sound. Bob Brines even said basing on the frequency response of these drivers it will go well with T-amps which naturally produce some harshness at the top.

I wonder how the Markaudio CHN-70 compares to the Alpair 6P (an older driver, but higher class; both paper cones)

[RXV]

@RXV - agree, aimed at DIYers who want to try FR drivers, at half the price of the Alpair 7.3 this is very good to experiment with. The surface mount design of the frame makes for easier build, mas madali magbutas ng baffle 
 
I'm also waiting for feedbacks on the 7P but I already have the 10P so i'm more interested in the Alpair 12BW(woofers) since I'm considering a F.A.S.T. build. One thing is for sure; with the release of several new MA drivers, I know now what I want for christmas 

Yun na rin naisip ko, F.A.S.T. build. Naku gastos na naman yan. At bagong enclosure na naman, hindi ko pa nga tapos yung isa

[deist]

hahaha correct!!!!

Yun na rin naisip ko, F.A.S.T. build. Naku gastos na naman yan. At bagong enclosure na naman, hindi ko pa nga tapos yung isa

[Gino]

Magandang project ito. Looks like a good candidate for a small bookshelf. Ok din pang Frugel box.

[obsi]

Oks lang Sir...pero talagang nakatayo na lang tayo lahat..haha!

Ok na sanay na kami mag kandungan

[deist]

Agreed...swak to pang-computer desktop & casual listening. Pang-hasa na rin ng enclosure building skills 

Magandang project ito. Looks like a good candidate for a small bookshelf. Ok din pang Frugel box.

[Gino]

Mababa pala sensitivity. Almost 87db/1w/1m. No can do with my tube amps.

[RXV]

Mababa pala sensitivity. Almost 87db/1w/1m. No can do with my tube amps.

Kaya naman sir Gino. My Alpair 7 is only 85db sensitivity, ok naman siya for my bedroom use with my 3.5w tubey. But casual/critical listening lang siyempre (at 2 meters away listening distance). But you're right: A beefier amp will be needed for better dynamics.

IMO, recommended for near field/computer desktop listening, especially when paired with a sub for the lows.

[deist]

Exactly! Like what I said it will make for a very good computer/desktop speakers for casual listening, you can even pair it with your extra amp idling around like a T-amp, Class D amp & even a Gainclone amp. Tipid sa kuryente & you get to enjoy the MA signature sound.

Kaya naman sir Gino. My Alpair 7 is only 85db sensitivity, ok naman siya for my bedroom use with my 3.5w tubey. But casual/critical listening lang siyempre (at 2 meters away listening distance). But you're right: A beefier amp will be needed for better dynamics.

IMO, recommended for near field/computer desktop listening, especially when paired with a sub for the lows.

[Gino]

My experience is different. My 88db Denons are so so with my 10W T-amp and 3.5W Appj tube amp. Mas bagay yung 93db Fostex 4"er ko.

[deist]

Gino, are your Denons FRs?

My experience is different. My 88db Denons are so so with my 10W T-amp and 3.5W Appj tube amp. Mas bagay yung 93db Fostex 4"er ko.

[Gino]

No they are not. 4" plus a tweeter.

[RXV]

My experience is different. My 88db Denons are so so with my 10W T-amp and 3.5W Appj tube amp. Mas bagay yung 93db Fostex 4"er ko.

Haha defintiely mas bagay yung Fostex, other than the higher sensitivity, hindi kasi dumadaan sa crossover yung fullrange driver e, so walang power/signal degradation.

But narinig ko na Denon mo ah, and it also sounds sweet. Pero sa dynamics nga baka mabitin especially when listening far away from your speakers.

Also, have you tried tube-rolling your 12AX7? Sarap magtube-rolling. If you thought your stock APPJ is already sweet, wait 'till you put in a NOS tube..

@Deist
Sir Gino's Denons are 2-way bookshelves

[Gino]

The stock APPJ and Fostex setup has the headroom and impact that I want. Mabilog. It has a decent scaled down sound stage. For now it meets the minimum performance I require to appreciate music and movies.

This CHN70 I think will match the 100W class D amps on ebay. Indeed Hi-Fi Labs has an interesting one. I was about to buy one until I decided to build around the APPJ tube amp instead.

[deist]

The CHN-70 is 18watts nominal, 100watter amps would be an overkill I think. One thing I've learned about full range drivers is; efficiency, though critical in considering the amps to pair your speakers with, it is just 1 line item in the T/S parameters containing data which gives meaning to the behavior of a driver.

[JojoD818]

The CHN-70 is 18watts nominal, 100watter amps would be an overkill I think. One thing I've learned about full range drivers is; efficiency, though critical in considering the amps to pair your speakers with, it is just 1 line item in the T/S parameters containing data which gives meaning to the behavior of a driver.

I thought so too, but we tried a small, conservatively rated 200W version of the honey badger amp with the hopes of destroying a CHR-70 and it somehow survived. 

[tony]

The CHN-70 is 18watts nominal, 100watter amps would be an overkill I think. One thing I've learned about full range drivers is; efficiency, though critical in considering the amps to pair your speakers with, it is just 1 line item in the T/S parameters containing data which gives meaning to the behavior of a driver.

as long as the sound does not break up/distort,
a higher powered amp would not be a problem...
like i always say, i stopped counting the amplifier watts a long time ago...

[deist]

Sirs, there's someone in the world.wide.web who did destroy his CHR-70, you will see him bashing MA drivers in every forum he's registered in, calling the drivers "flimsy" & will only give "a hint of hifi". He started his barrage of criticisms in diyaudio a few years back. But it was clear that the case was more of a user defect rather than the product's

Pinoydvd is still predominantly an HT forum where most members buy off the shelf items, some might not even know what "clipping" is, some doesn't have a dedicated listening room and kids can easily access the setup, most doesn't know what a full range driver is or never heard of one. And when they do decide to try FRs, it will more than likely to be used in HT as well, and we all know when watching movies the louder it goes the better the impact esp with our favorite action/superhero/sci-fi flicks. The risk of mishandling the drivers is higher. I wouldn't want to be quoted as someone who said "these drivers can take a beating"  baka sabihin pa yan pag nagdecide mag-claim ng warranty hehe

[RXV]

Sirs, there's someone in the world.wide.web who did destroy his CHR-70, you will see him bashing MA drivers in every forum he's registered in, calling the drivers "flimsy" & will only give "a hint of hifi". He started his barrage of criticisms in diyaudio a few years back. But it was clear that the case was more of a user defect rather than the product's

Pinoydvd is still predominantly an HT forum where most members buy off the shelf items, some might not even know what "clipping" is, some doesn't have a dedicated listening room and kids can easily access the setup, most doesn't know what a full range driver is or never heard of one. And when they do decide to try FRs, it will more than likely to be used in HT as well, and we all know when watching movies the louder it goes the better the impact esp with our favorite action/superhero/sci-fi flicks. The risk of mishandling the drivers is higher. I wouldn't want to be quoted as someone who said "these drivers can take a beating"  baka sabihin pa yan pag nagdecide mag-claim ng warranty hehe

You're right, based on the forums, that's the reason why Mark Fenlon put arrestor modules into his current and new drivers (as seen in the spec sheets) , to protect against any over-excursion if the need arises.

[JoeyGS]

Am currently running my chr-70a drivers with 150w/ch of amp power.  With proper power handling you can get the best sound .. no need to crank up the volume.  You would notice that the sound flows naturally  out of the speaker which makes its very musical.  The 150w/ch may seem too much, but just providing the right amount of gain, the speakers sings effortlessly.  I may not be running my amp to its maximum potential, but with the chr-70a drivers, I am able to make it sing without over doing it. 

I won't say that you need 150w/ch for these drivers. I am just lucky I can still handle the drivers with care even with a 150w/ch power amp by just not overdoing it.  I believe that 20 - 50 watts will be enough provided it has good damping factor for solid state amps.  Tube power amps will also do good at lower wattage since we all know that generally tubes amp provide good damping factor.

Just my opinion.... YMMV 

[joesat]

Any thoughts on 12P..i might purchase a pair soon..

[RXV]

12P has better bass extension than 10P. But overall reviews in the net favor the 10P in terms of balanced bass, mids and highs, that's why I chose the 10P. The 12P has softer highs which you may or may not like (depending on your taste)

[deist]

Like what RXV said, based on reviews; the 12P has a slight edge on details/clarity in mids (attributed to the bigger cone diameter) esp when enclosed in the super pensils but the 10P is a better all 'rounder. Either way, i'm sure you won't be disappointed 

But I suggest you wait a few months for the release of the new Alpair 7P or even the Alpair 8 and wait for reviews to come pouring in.

Any thoughts on 12P..i might purchase a pair soon..

+1 

12P has better bass extension than 10P. But overall reviews in the net favor the 10P in terms of balanced bass, mids and highs, that's why I chose the 10P. The 12P has softer highs which you may or may not like (depending on your taste)

[JojoD818]

Sirs, there's someone in the world.wide.web who did destroy his CHR-70, you will see him bashing MA drivers in every forum he's registered in, calling the drivers "flimsy" & will only give "a hint of hifi". He started his barrage of criticisms in diyaudio a few years back. But it was clear that the case was more of a user defect rather than the product's

Pinoydvd is still predominantly an HT forum where most members buy off the shelf items, some might not even know what "clipping" is, some doesn't have a dedicated listening room and kids can easily access the setup, most doesn't know what a full range driver is or never heard of one. And when they do decide to try FRs, it will more than likely to be used in HT as well, and we all know when watching movies the louder it goes the better the impact esp with our favorite action/superhero/sci-fi flicks. The risk of mishandling the drivers is higher. I wouldn't want to be quoted as someone who said "these drivers can take a beating"  baka sabihin pa yan pag nagdecide mag-claim ng warranty hehe

That's been taken cared of already, however, once it's out on the net it's there forever so...

Anyway, the MA drivers are intended for the home hi-fi scene rather than for HT. I wouldn't recommend these drivers for HT use, imho. But for the audio enthusiast, it's worth to try if going FR is a path one wants to take.

I'm not saying it is indestructible, but for our in-house testing it is necessary to try it out with amps whose output ranges from a measly Watt up to several hundreds.

I'm guessing I need to post a disclaimer too.

[joesat]

12P has better bass extension than 10P. But overall reviews in the net favor the 10P in terms of balanced bass, mids and highs, that's why I chose the 10P. The 12P has softer highs which you may or may not like (depending on your taste)

hehe ganun ba sir?kakabili ko lang from neo ng 12p..tingnan ko nlng kung anong dating ng SQ sakin. anyways nasa sis ko pa sa singapore so di ko pa matry sa ngayon..planning to build a BS enclosure for this and bi wire connect from my amp with my AN Floorstander...sana nga maganda kalabasan nito...AN+MA combo..

[RXV]

hehe ganun ba sir?kakabili ko lang from neo ng 12p..tingnan ko nlng kung anong dating ng SQ sakin. anyways nasa sis ko pa sa singapore so di ko pa matry sa ngayon..planning to build a BS enclosure for this and bi wire connect from my amp with my AN Floorstander...sana nga maganda kalabasan nito...AN+MA combo..

I recommend building a Pensil Floorstander for your 12P, sayang naman ang bass extension niya kung BS lang. Kung BS plan mo, sana Alpair7 na lang kinuha mo.

Do you plan on playing the AN and MA simultaneously? Although the AN is also very good, they have a different sound signature with MA, so it might not blend in nicely. Pero experiment mo na lang, it might be good to your ears.

I played an Alpair10P (paper) along with an Alpair7.3 (metal) when I was burning them in at the same time, and the sonics were different (but really, not bad at all )