B.Flat Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Can anyone advise me if there are any commercially available 12” drivers with a performance comparable to those used in BAREFACED enclosures, for home-build? I am assuming the BAREFACED type drivers are superior to the EMINENCE DELTALITEs specified for the GREENBOY builds. If I am wrong about this, or there is any advice on high performance hi power enclosures and drivers, I would be grateful to hear from anyone with experience in this quest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkin Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 There's a thread in this very forum on a 12" cab build. Well worth a read. The current (G3) barefaced 12" driver is, AIUI, a tweaked Eminence Kappalite. Previous Barefaced 12's used an off-the-shelf Kappalite 3012HO I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 Yeah the kappalite is an 'upgrade' compared with the deltalite and pretty much as good as it gets with current technology. Most manufacturers offer similar spec speakers with a decent excursion well designed cone and suspension and a decent sized Neo magnet. There are lots of tweaks you could design in to improve in one area or another but eventually as you improve one area of a speakers performance you start to compromise others. 'Better' then becomes a relative term defined by what your design spec is, lower frequency roll off, better excursion, less cone break up, higher efficiency, better power handling, lighter weight, it's hard to get them all. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I for one wouldn't ever argue that any particular driver is the 'best' but the Basschat two way design is very comparable with the best commercial designs. Having been involved in the early stages of the design (though the credit is all Stevie's) I know that there was little, if anything to be gained by using the Kappalite for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 5 hours ago, B.Flat said: Can anyone advise me if there are any commercially available 12” drivers with a performance comparable to those used in BAREFACED enclosures, for home-build? I am assuming the BAREFACED type drivers are superior to the EMINENCE DELTALITEs specified for the GREENBOY builds. If I am wrong about this, or there is any advice on high performance hi power enclosures and drivers, I would be grateful to hear from anyone with experience in this quest. Greenboy’s Fearful cabs use the LF varieties of a Kappalite crossed over to a mid driver. They came out at a similar time and from similar design goals as the first generation barefaced cabs - the Barefaced “big one” and a fearful 15/6 being comparible using the 3015 LF and chasing the massive big bottom. Both the gen 3 barefaced and the Fearless stuff isn’t tuned for as much bottom and gets more performance out of their drivers because of this. So it depends what you are chasing rig wise. Kappalite HO in a BFM Simplexx, Kappalite LF in a Fearful and the basschat cab are the first three designs that spring to mind - but they are all designed with different goals in mind - so it depends what your goal is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 5 hours ago, B.Flat said: Can anyone advise me if there are any commercially available 12” drivers with a performance comparable to those used in BAREFACED enclosures, for home-build? My guess is at least thirty, give or take. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.Flat Posted February 3, 2019 Author Share Posted February 3, 2019 16 hours ago, Phil Starr said: Yeah the kappalite is an 'upgrade' compared with the deltalite and pretty much as good as it gets with current technology. Most manufacturers offer similar spec speakers with a decent excursion well designed cone and suspension and a decent sized Neo magnet. There are lots of tweaks you could design in to improve in one area or another but eventually as you improve one area of a speakers performance you start to compromise others. 'Better' then becomes a relative term defined by what your design spec is, lower frequency roll off, better excursion, less cone break up, higher efficiency, better power handling, lighter weight, it's hard to get them all. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I for one wouldn't ever argue that any particular driver is the 'best' but the Basschat two way design is very comparable with the best commercial designs. Having been involved in the early stages of the design (though the credit is all Stevie's) I know that there was little, if anything to be gained by using the Kappalite for example. Hi Phil, Bill, Luke, Barkin, Thanks for the useful replies. If one of you gentlemen could help an old duffer to find the Basschat 12" design that would be great. I have searched the site for it but obviously not well enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/299546-12-cab-diary-continued/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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