Listening
Test
With
the Synergy crossover
switched to 2.5KHz, I sat down to listen to the PDS221 supported
by the W5-704s.
I
went through a range of music, from instrumental to vocals.
After a while, I found I was suffering from listener fatigue,
in particular, acoustic guitars and brass (saxaphone).
It
then occurred to me that the cause is the rising response
of the PDS221. It resulted in too much emphasis in the highs.
It didn't come across as glare or brightness, just tiring
to listen to.
Back
to my trusted LMS. Inserted a 0.33mH, did a sweep and voila,
I got a flat response from 2KHz-5KHz. Now, that looks promising.
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Though
the PDS221 rolls off at 7KHz, I'm not too unduly concerned.The
critical crossover is between the woofer to the compression
driver. If that's not right, everything falls apart. A super
tweeter can always be inserted later if desired.
With
a 0.33mH in place, it sounds perfect now. After a day of
music, no fatigue. Would
I recommend the PDS221?
Yes,
without hesitation. Great value for money. Just remember
to cross at 2.5KHz (18-24dB/oct) and insert a 0.33mH air
core inductor in series. It's still cheaper than a Peavey
RX14.
A
word of caution. Take the 300W power rating of the PDS221
with a large pinch of salt. I would not use this driver
in a rock band sound system. Pay more and use a RX14 instead.
Mike |