Tangerine Phase Plug Questions?

[amandarae]

Hello guys, just want to ask a few questions regarding tangerine phase plugs.

Are they good, for say, compression drivers? I do not like plastics, in fact I am bias towards PIO caps for example. Is a little "extension" on the HF all they provide compared to those drivers without it?

I have an opportunity to buy 802-8G's with tangerine phase plugs. I do not need miniscule "extension" as a plus, in fact, on my 604-8G's, I refused buying a pair with these plugs and waited until I got my hands on a pair without it.

Pros and cons please?

Thank you very much!


Abe

[Old Guy]

Opinions are like....well you know.

Mine is very slightly improved highs. Honestly, I think an optimized crossover, especially along the lines of the later Alec with the HF EQ, makes way more difference. I would rather have older drivers with newer style xovers than newer drivers with older xovers.

Yer mileage may vary and all that jazz.

[bowtie427ss]

Opinions are like....well you know.

Valuable and respected are a couple words that come to mind.

FWIW, i've never had to glue an annular slit metal phase plug back in place.

[ZilchLab]

It's indeterminate, in my view.

Clearly, the design innovations incorporated into 802-8G (and the subsequent 902 series) permitted extension of the response to 20 kHz with HF comp, but whether that was entirely attributable to the radial "tangerine" phase plug or not, I do not believe anyone has analyzed in detail. I have read suggestions that the "lite" diaphragm was also an element, but nobody has confirmed this. In any case, tangerines with "standard" diaphragms get there, as well.

What I do know is that 806 with an annular-ring phase plug and "standard" diaphragm dies considerably lower, and the requisite ~20 dB of additional HF "boost" beyond Altec Model 19 HF comp well exceeds the realm of practicality.

Note that GPA's radial phase plug design is 9 slits as opposed to the original 11 slits. I have posted frequency response curves for a half-dozen 806s, two pair of 806-8G, and now, a new pair of GPA 902-8A for comparison. So long as we're willing to tolerate or ignore the fact that both the 811 and 511 sectorals beam the VHF, the tangerines used with the requisite HF comp are duly "worthy...."

[rontec]

While using an 808 8b/511b, (one with a phase plug and one without) I personally could hear a difference. The one with the phase plug to me, clearly has a higher extended range. However, could this be due to a stronger MF output of the the driver w/o the phase plug? (I always assumed the phase plug extended the HF range)
As suggested, I'll have to try some crossover EQ on the one w/o the phase plug and see what results.

[amandarae]

Thanks again guys! I appreciate all the inputs.


Abe

[ZilchLab]

However, could this be due to a stronger MF output of the the driver w/o the phase plug? (I always assumed the phase plug extended the HF range)

As suggested, I'll have to try some crossover EQ on the one w/o the phase plug and see what results.

Measure; post....