GPA "Classic" alnico's to tame highs on Synergy horn

[Audiomind]

I moved this post from the "1803B plans available?" thread because it was so long and off topic but I think it deserves more talk on its own.

Anyone replying please don't take offense to my passionate late night rant below but tell me your thoughts on alnico versus ceramic and if you think they would tame the highs on the Synergy horn with those who might have experience using alnico on the Synergy/Unity horns.

By the way GPA is making almost all the Altec drivers in alnico again with the "Classic Series" and for what I think are very reasonable prices lets talk about those too versus other new drivers available today.

but for me the three way DSL Synergy horn is in a league of its own except for its too bright/sharp HF; so yes, I’ve auditioned most of the DSL products since I’m only ~45 min. away.
GM

Now the harshness on the HF of the Synergy touches on a much larger problem and really gets to me because I think I may know what some of the problem is.

I am going to high jack my own 1803 thread for a few paragraphs but I want
to get this off my chest

I would love to hear the Synergy with crossovers tuned up for a good new alnico GPA 802, I believe that is all they need (plus some tiny alnico mid drivers) they would be the cherry on the cake.

I hate to be a snob about this and this may sound really harsh to some but what I am about to say below really needs to be said more so the manufacturers get the message and some people get the hearing aid they need.

So now, the people that can't hear the difference an alnico magnet makes stop reading now, go to a doctor and let the doctor tell you how much of your hearing is gone. I am not joking, at least put on some high frequency test tones (found on web or test cd, tone generator ,etc.) through some head phones and see if you can't get over 12K.

If you can get out to 18K+ like me (not bragging just a fact) maybe there is something else I am not understanding but I still feel sorry for you because for as long as I have been in the hobby alnico has always sounded better, usually smoother and more detailed to me with great tone all at once. Alnico magnets are a thing of beauty in the sound world and for those that say they can't hear it does make me a little sad, I feel they are missing out.

For years I worked at a speaker reconer and constantly tested equivalent alnico/ceramic drivers with the same diaphragm, never once...ever did I choose a ceramic driver over an alnico version of anything, woofers included

So after testing and listening to over maybe $30,000 worth of compression drivers (no GOTO, ALE or super exotics just normal stuff) both new and old I can safely say I Hate (with a capital "H") nearly every last one of the pieces of crap that I have heard made today (a few exceptions should be the GPA alnico classic series alnico drivers (virtually same as old Altec production) and maybe one or two I don't love but don't hate either)....did you hear that people, I am saying virtually all compression drivers made today are lame big time, especially those extra harsh no low end neo magnet ones those tone deaf engineers try to pawn off on us spouting their rocket science credentials as proof the newer drivers are better.

Well my ears say no way, where the hell did the tone go? Forget all your silly etched detail give me back the real sound of something like a good alnico 802 with charged mags and fresh 10 watt aluminum diaphragms over anything I have yet heard in current production.

This even includes alnico TAD's and their fake sound. That also means plastic diaphragm garbage any other driver with plastic in or around the diaphragm driver (you need better horn, crossover and electronics to tame the harshness not any weird sounding plastic crap).

BMS is worst offender to me, some people seem to like the junk though, not exciting at all, even if you like the plastic diaphragm stuff, I warn everyone not to buy that pricey BMS coaxial, it sounds just plain wrong...I had such high hopes for it too.

Ok, I will calm down for a second and say I kind of like some of the progress that has been made making cheap drivers good with shorting rings, fancy diaphragm patterns, finite element analysis, etc., a Selenium D220ti for only $50 makes a great super tweeter on a short horn crossed above 5K!

D220ti doesn't really need eq from 5K up, yes it is virtually flat from 5K to 20K on almost any horn! it embarrassed some way more pricey drivers from around 3K-4K on up but this 1" driver does not solve the Synergy "edginess" problem in fact I would guess it would even sound a little more edgy than what ever Tom D. is using these days and D220ti has a sorry sounding tone below 4-5K.

But anyway the D220ti is a great bargain and it really is a good $50 driver if it is all you can afford but the GPA alnico Classic series 802 is only about $250 brand new, alnico magnets and everything!

A new GPA 802 will out class the D220ti by a large margin if it is exactly like or even similar to the original Altec 802 alnico (I'm pretty sure it is exactly the same and looks a little nicer too, as most readers here know the original Altec engineers are making it with original machines, etc, etc.)

Wow! I really apologize folks for my rant, hope I only pissed of corporate peddlers of substandard sound products please tell me to shut the hell up if you so desire.