I didn’t think much of this driver when I purchased it. It was listed in Parts Express as a 6″ midrange for the pro market. Even Dayton’s datasheet has it as a 6″ midrange. Crossing it at about 125Hz~250Hz to the woofer is not an issue. However, at the other end, it appears the PK165 suffers from an early cone breakup. Ringing is clearly visible at 4.5kHz onwards. Based on Dayton’s Frequency response in Fig 1, the optimal frequency to cross is at 2kHz. This is far too low for a midrange. It would be nice to have a smooth response up to 8kHz before cone breakup but for an offer price of $25, the temptation was just too great for me to resist. Dayton PK165-8 Published Frequency ResponseFig 1 – PK165-8 Frequency Response by Dayton Audio I loaded the PK165-8 to a 18 liters bass reflex test box just to get a feel of what this midrange sounds like. A quick sweep shows a response that’s very similar to Dayton’s specs. The first peak of the cone breakup is at 4kHz. After that, a series of four peaks are recorded. Disregard the measurements below 500Hz. Reflections in my room are affecting the plot. The deep notch at about 160Hz is a measurement anomaly. It is not from the PK165-8. Dayton PK165-8 RAW Frequency Response
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Outstanding Features | Suitable Applications |
• Excellent Vocal Separation • Vocal Clarity • Lively, Realistic Sounding • High Sensitivity • Good Tonal Balance • Tight Bass |
• Announcements/Background Music (BGM) • PA 2-way Satellite • Home Theater • HiFi |
Dayton PK165-8 Published Thiele & Small
Thiele & Small Parameters (before Break-in)
Sealed Box=20 liters • F3=95Hz • Q=0.82 (Manufacturer’s T/S)
Sealed Box=20 liters • F3=101Hz • Q=0.88 (DATS T/S)
Sealed Box=24 liters • F3=94Hz • Q=0.80 (Manufacturer’s T/S)
Sealed Box=24 liters • F3=101Hz • Q=0.86 (DATS T/S)
Sealed Box=35 liters • F3=93Hz • Q=0.77 (Manufacturer’s T/S)
Sealed Box=35 liters • F3=99Hz • Q=0.83 (DATS T/S)
Ported Box=18 liters • Fb=55Hz • Q=0.84 (Manufacturer’s T/S)
Ported Box=18 liters • Fb=68Hz • Q=0.88 (DATS T/S)
Updated on Dec 7, 2023