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DIY options for Fostex FE-166En

afroaudio

afroaudio

Active Member
I am interested in building some efficient full range speakers using the Fostex FE166En drivers.

I was considering the Fostex back loades horn cabinets but would prefer a more compact final product. I am unexperienced with full range drivers but from what I have read I shouldnt expect very extended bass but rather clean clear midrange and very accurate imaging.

I found this design the Helix AG220z, which seems to be a more compact relative of the Helix AG200.

http://spiralspeaker.web.fc2.com/aaaspeaker/extra/engag220z/eng-ag220z.html

Would love to hear from anyone that has experience with these drivers and what cabinet designs they feel are effective. I have a good friend who is a cabinet maker and is also in the market for a pair of speakers so I am going to buy the drivers and he will make up the cabinets.
 
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If you search "speaker box for Fostex FE166" there are some nice high quality pre-built enclosures on the bay. $220 shipped from Moldova.

I'd strongly recommend open baffles with pro woofers if size wasn't an issue.
 
Thanks Poultry..

I am really keen on making something up locally. Also I live at the tip of Africa so shipping MDF across continents is probably not the best idea.. I am not dead set on the Fostex FE166 but I have heard a pair of their full rangers and loved the imaging.
The amps I own are lower power vintage solid state and a 8WPC Pioneer Tube. I would like to build something efficient, fairly compact and excellent sounding.
 
Thanks for the Planet 10 link, I have sent Dave an email. Seems like there is not a lot of love here for the Fostex full rangers.. maybe I should be looking at some alternatives?
 
I am using Fostex FE126En full range drivers with bass assist, just one size smaller than what you are using. I just followed the open baffle guidelines, and I am happy how they turned out.
 
If you aren't sold on the larger Fostex, the FE126En in the Frugal Horn Mk3's are excellent. The giant build thread on DIYaudio has been going strong for several years. If you like great detail and imaging the Frugals deliver.


Fostex_FH_03.jpg
 
picture.php


As you can see the internals of the Frugals are not complicated compared to the maze of folds you find in most back loaded horns.
 
afroaudio said:
Seems like there is not a lot of love here for the Fostex full rangers.. maybe I should be looking at some alternatives?
Click to expand...

There's still lots of love for Fostex drivers, but some require extra effort for optimum performance, and the FE166 would fall into this category. They really need a large horn to get anything resembling bass from them. Fostex FF165WK might be worth experimenting with in a small BR enclosure, but will require bass support for the bottom two octaves.

For the FH3, I would pick the Mark Audio A7.3 driver. The only downside is it's lack of efficiency compared to the Fostex drivers.

Then there's the Pencil series...........

jeff
 
afroaudio said:
mhardy6647 what design are those in your pic? I am really keen on an efficient full range driver but would love a compact solution. Anyone try the bass reflex cab with a 166?
Click to expand...

Those are rear-ported BR cabinets and the drivers are FE-207E.
As I understand it, the Qts of the 166 and 206 is too low for a simple vented enclosure; the shielded 167 and 207 are -- barely -- suitable for BRs.

The original enclosure information is buried deep in the Bottlehead audio forum archives. I'll see if I can dig it up. It's very simple -- a 1 ft^3 box; I forget the tuning, though.

FWIW (and this isn't a very rigorous observation) the 166 and 206 are a little more aggressive than I'd prefer; I like the overall tone of the 207 just fine, however.
 
Yep I dream of a room like that! Seems like the FE167 and FE207 arent available anymore :(
Seems the options for full range Fostex I shoulkd consider:
1) build a relatively large and obtrusive BL horn for FE166En
2) get the FE206En in the double bass reflex enclosure this box
3) get a FF165WK driver and build its BR enclosure which is very compact .
but seems the FF series might not quite have the midrange detail and super high efficiency of the FE however...
Always some compromise I guess
 
vinylkid58 said:
There's still lots of love for Fostex drivers, but some require extra effort for optimum performance, and the FE166 would fall into this category. They really need a large horn to get anything resembling bass from them. Fostex FF165WK might be worth experimenting with in a small BR enclosure, but will require bass support for the bottom two octaves.

For the FH3, I would pick the Mark Audio A7.3 driver. The only downside is it's lack of efficiency compared to the Fostex drivers.

Then there's the Pencil series...........

jeff
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the Mark Audio A7.3 at 85 dbs is a poor match for flea amps.
 
The stand mounted speakers are FE126En Tektons. Most people will tell you that the FE126En should only be used in BL horns. Well the Zu's are history but I'd never part with the Tektons.


picture.php
 
26 x 26 feet (ca. 7.9 m x 7.9 m for those who've left the English system far behind). Not optimal but the 'cathedral' (sort of) ceiling helps.

Much more crap in there now than when the Fostex photo was taken :-(
 
Poultrygeist said:
Most people will tell you that the FE126En should only be used in BL horns.
Click to expand...

FWIW, the FExx6 series of Fostex drivers can work in BR cabs, generally by adding series resistance AFAIK. There were some threads over at DIY Audio about this a few years back.
 
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