All systems go !
All systems go !
DRIVE UNITS BY MANUFACTURER:
SB20FRPC30-8
UK STOCK ITEM
The SB20FRPC30-8 from SB Acoustics is an 8 inch 8 ohm full range loudspeaker drive unit that offers an exceptional frequency response with high sensitivity. This new drive unit is ideal for low powered class A amplifiers and offers a level of performance unheard of at this price point. A very well considered design with a pleasingly full bass response.
Resonant frequency (fs) | 39.4 Hz | Nominal impedance (Zn) | 8 Ω |
Mechanical Q factor (Qms) | 10.1 |
DC resistance (Re) | 6.0 Ω |
Electrical Q factor (Qes) | 0.47 |
Max power handling | 40 W |
Total Q factor (Qts) | 0.45 |
Sensitivity (2.83V/1m) |
92dB |
Equivalent volume (Vas) | 66.3L | Chassis diameter |
218mm |
Firstly I would like to thank Willy Hifi for the superb service. To explain, one of the drivers had a fault (which is very rare in my experience) but a quick phone call to Will explaining what the issue seemed to be, and it was replaced straight away. Thank you.
The fault in the driver caused the top end to get very harsh and aggressive at times, however now I have two working drivers, the sound from these Voigt pipes is just fantastic.
For those interested, I had to tweak the BSC circuit and increase the capacitor from 1uF to 2uF. This brought up the top end and made these drivers really sing. Open, airy and detailed and the sound stage has become even more defined than it was before.
The BSC gives these a slightly relaxed sound that is non fatiguing, but if you want more upper mid presence, lower the 6.8R. I wouldn't go much below 4.7 though as this makes the drivers sound a bit nasally and bright.
I can highly recommend these drivers to anyone wanting a single point-source unit.
The cab for the 8" is just over 1m tall (folded Voigt pipe), can't wait to see if SB release smaller versions of this driver (6.5 / 5.25).......??
Thanks again Will.
Thanks for the follow up - glad things are now sorted. ;0)
Will
I bought these a while back with the idea of making a Voigt pipe speaker, finally got round to doing it. I ended up with a folded duct version to keep the height down to it would actually fit in my room!
The end result was mildly surprising. With a bit of baffle step compensation (1.5mH coil + 16.8R resistor (10+6.8) + 1uf cap (to lift the top end back up), I got a pretty good response.
One thing I will say, out of the box these sound a bit harsh but give them a few days to 'burn in' and the sound becomes a lot smoother. They are capable of huge bass and a very detailed top end considering that they have a simple whizzer cone.
The response image is nearfield in room, so it will be a bit lumpier than when measured outside or in an anechoic chamber (like I have one of those available!) The slight dip between 1.8k & 3.2k is not really noticeable and actually makes these pretty forgiving and non fatiguing. They also cope with poor recordings quite well.
The imaging is very accurate, but I do have a well setup/treated room, so most speakers tend to image well in my room.
I have provided a link to a YouTube video that I based my design on. I added some additional bracing and made the cab from 18mm MDF. A bit more stuffing was needed (compared to the video) and I ended up adding some stuffing to the port and some 'dodo mat' to some areas to tame the midrange and resonances.
All I would say is, don't think you can get away with putting these is the corners of a room, they need to able out in the room at least a .5 metre, preferably 1m to get the most balanced sound, so a reasonably large room is required to get the best from them.
These drivers are well worth the price, but make sure you don't skimp on the cabinet!
Thanks for the comprehensive review. Full range drive units often have very little real bass response, the SB20FRPC30-8 bucks that trend & as you rightly say the cabinet design is imperative to get the best from it. At the price we think these are an absolute bargain.
Kind regards, Will
Friendly technical support
40+ years in the trade
UK family run business
Excellent customer service
Quick dispatch
Used in a DIY LS3/5a project, with Morel CAT 298 tweeters and custom crossovers using ClarityCap CSAs. Super pleased with these woofers! I think they synergize well with the “live” thin-wall LS3/5a cabinets. The sound is neither bloated, nor thin, just revealing, spacious, and with very lifelike tone. I’m so happy with the results of this project and had a great buying experience with Willy’s. Thank you!!
I used this in custom LS3/5a speaker enclosures along with Monacor SPH-135AD woofers and custom crossovers using ClarityCap CSAs. The tweeters have a very pure sound, revealing microdetails and having a naturally smooth, response. The sound is never peaky or rough. I’m very happy with my purchase and with the service from Willys. Would buy from again for a future project!
I bought a pair of Acoustic Research AR28LS speakers back in 1985 for £129 ! After about 15 years the foam suspension had started to perish and completely failed in 2006 following a rather loud teenage party. I was never happy with the Eminence Beta-8A replacements bought from a local shop at the time, as the bass resonance was far too high. Finally decided to replace them with Monacor SPH-8M and the speakers now sound as good as new. Arrived quickly and no problems fitting. Many thanks.
Absolutely first class service again brilliant advice as i always get from Will. Bought some Morel CAT 328-110 Tweeters and they sound sublime and the detail is incredible. Not harsh at all and very airy performs well beyond its price point im so glad Will advised me on this as the perfomance is fantastic. In fact Will has saved me thousands as replacing drivers has saved me investing in new speakers first class service once again.
Very happy customer thansk again.
Up and running again exactly what I needed. Great job Willys. 10/10👊🏻🫵🏻. From start to finish will be use again in near future for crossover upgrade. 1st time using. 100% will use again