802-D guass rating relative to others

[robertbartsch]

This is one of the sweetest sounding drivers of all time. I thought I read somewhere that the mag strength for these drivers was relatively low compared with other Altec compression drivers but their motor weight for small format drivers is relatively high.

Therefore, I was surprised.

What are the ratings?

Thx.

[bfish]

...What are the ratings?

Seek and ye shall find...

[Old Guy]

802D 804A COMPRESSION DRIVERS

[GM]

Greets!

'Gauss' is a marketing numbers game, like car engine 'HP' ratings, but WRT charging, then all else being equal, the bigger the magnet, the higher its gauss potential with the 802/808 having the highest potential of the Altec 1" format AlNiCo drivers.

Since the later ferrite magnets are much larger, so is their gauss potential, but all things aren't equal when comparing the two magnet materials and their associated motor design requirements. What really matters then is the driver's effective motor strength (Qes) and here we find that loaded on a 511 the higher gauss rated 900 series is 'weaker' than the 802/808 series with a response more like the 804/806.

Not that this is necessarily a bad thing since by then all audio apps were dominated by very low output impedance sources, so was necessary to reduce the 'honk'/extend the ~flat HF response of existing horns optimized for a more current controlled one. Bottom line, for best overall performance use 802 for high output impedance systems and 804/806/900 series for low ones as this makes audibly more difference than the seemingly endless AlNiCo Vs ferrite debate with the 802G the 'best of both worlds' choice for SS power/passive filters or similar medium output impedance couplings and why they will probably always be highly prized.

GM