Fostex FE206E 8" Full-Range

[alexperl]

I have a pair of AR bookshelf speakers, the kit coast me 175+$.
Fostex FE206E 8" Full-Range is the same price and they do not need any crossovers?!
Haw are this drivers compare to peerless(AR kit)
Had any one listened to this drivers?

[squeegy200]

I've seen a few Fostex fullrange speakers in backloaded horn cabinet designs. No crossovers. The cabinetry however, can be complex.

I built a pair using the smaller 4" Fostex drivers. They are efficient and the group that was endorsing them used small powered analog amplifiers where efficiency is important. The backloaded horn designs definitely make for efficient speakers. It is hard to imagine such sounds coming from such a tiny driver.

Based on my own subjective experience and meager cabinet making skills, this is my opnion.

The sound is interesting. The speaker designs I completed were based on designs posted on the Madisound Speaker website. The finished speakers have an open and airy sound to them. The low end bass response is astonishingly good from such a small speaker. But the listening position I found to be very focused. If I was not sitting in the exact center, there was a definite loss in upper or lower frequency range. I found placement away from any walls to be the best.

I experimented with them because the drivers weren't expensive and I had the tools to fabricate the cabinets. However, unlike others in DIY forums, I did not find them pleasing enough to become my main speakers. However, there are entire full-range forums dedicated to these designs and I am confident, the participants in those forums would disagree with my assessment entirely.

[Arturo7]

I'm considering a build project with a 6.5" Fostex. Check out this site:

http://melhuish.org/audio/index.html

[alexperl]

Thank you for your replay guys.

[Timn8ter]

The larger Fostex full range drivers tend to have a forward mid-range and excellent imaging. They will require bass support from a horn or TL type cabinet. The FE167E is very popular. The 206/207 drivers will provide more bass but you may want to add a super tweeter. Here are some excellent designs for those two drivers.
http://www.geocities.com/rbrines1/Pages/FT-1600_MkII/Main.html
http://www.quarter-wave.com/Project05/Project05.html

[MCH]

I've built many sets of the AR.diys. I think they sound great with a good subwoofer like a Tempest, which I also build. I'm in the process of building a full range speaker using the CSS FR125S drivers in a mini Onken cabinet. I'm very curious to hear how they will compare to my AR.diys. My project has been hung up until I receive my drivers. Foiled by Vancouver port strike.
You can see my version of the AR.diys in the Gallery section. They are not the usual box cabinets. If the full range speakers work out, I'll try to come up with something compareable to the cabinet designs of my AR.diys.
When I've finished the project and have listened and compared, I'll post back here. Stay tuned.

[kexodusc]

One thing I've found with the few full range speakers I've heard is that bigger is NOT better.
I haven't heard the 8" Fostex, but I've heard others...
I find the larger ones sacrifice high end detail, air, and timbre, but the smaller ones give up bass and power handling.
Given an option, I prefer the 3" and 4" full ranges, only because bass can be augmented other ways, treble requires a tweeter and crossover.
Several full-range speakers I"ve heard have compensation networks of one-type or another, and in some cases they're as complex as a crossover anyway...so why bother?

Fostex is a no-nonesense company though, I'd like to hear their 8" full-range unit.
You could always buy an inexpensive tweeter to add to it later...with a high XO point, the cost of a solid performing tweeter should be quite reasonable.