burdette
08-09-2003, 01:18 AM
I built a center channel speaker using the crossover from a Polk RTA 8T acquired from Russman. The 8T utilizes an SL2000 and two 6510 6.5" drivers. I tried to duplicate the interior volume of the 8T, but substituted 6502 drivers for the 6510s because 6502s were what I had. I was pretty happy with the results, but noticed a bit.. just a bit... of boominess in the midrange compared to my Monitor 7Cs. I chalked it up to having not quite the right cabinet volume. However, HBombToo gave me his 'old' 6510 drivers yesterday and I attached bucking magnets and replaced the 6502s I'd been using.
The boominess is gone. HBomb commented that he liked my center.. using the 6502s... but it is now even better than it was. Whatever the "minor" differences between the two Polk drivers, the difference was enough that I easily heard the improvement from using the drivers for which the crossover was designed.
We've discussed here before how important a crossover is, and how is is designed for *specific* drivers. I now have first-hand sonic experience of this truth. I don't know how much difference I would have heard - if any - between the original SL2000 (classic clear Silver Dome) and the 'new' one, with the black dome. I replaced the black SL2000 with an 'old' clear one at the same time I changed out the 6.5inchers. But overall, I can clearly.. clear being the important word - hear the difference between what I had and what I have.
I could have and would have defended previously the fact that a crossover is designed for SPECIFIC drivers.. thus the problem in buying an off-the-shelf crossover. I now have first-hand, in-my-system, experience of this fact.
A substitute driver may serve, it may get you by, as the 6502s did for me. But don't ever underestimate the importance of the crossover as part of the overall "system" that is a loudspeaker.
The boominess is gone. HBomb commented that he liked my center.. using the 6502s... but it is now even better than it was. Whatever the "minor" differences between the two Polk drivers, the difference was enough that I easily heard the improvement from using the drivers for which the crossover was designed.
We've discussed here before how important a crossover is, and how is is designed for *specific* drivers. I now have first-hand sonic experience of this truth. I don't know how much difference I would have heard - if any - between the original SL2000 (classic clear Silver Dome) and the 'new' one, with the black dome. I replaced the black SL2000 with an 'old' clear one at the same time I changed out the 6.5inchers. But overall, I can clearly.. clear being the important word - hear the difference between what I had and what I have.
I could have and would have defended previously the fact that a crossover is designed for SPECIFIC drivers.. thus the problem in buying an off-the-shelf crossover. I now have first-hand, in-my-system, experience of this fact.
A substitute driver may serve, it may get you by, as the 6502s did for me. But don't ever underestimate the importance of the crossover as part of the overall "system" that is a loudspeaker.