|
In February of this year, I tested out the 8″ HiVi F8. Bass was good but she required a 35 liters bass reflex box. According to my box simulation, this HiVi F6 only needs a compact 13 liters. Even if I parallel two F6, it’s only 26 liters, still less than 35 liters.
In my 13 liters test box, the port is a 2″ diameter PVC tube cut to a length of 5″. The closest bass alignment is in Fig 1. System Q is 0.526 which is my preferred Q. The -3dB (F3) point is at 51Hz. That’s good enough for music. If I want the lower octaves, I can always use my Toucan-SF bandpass sub.
After 5 days of breaking-in, I’m ready for some serious listening. The F6 attack is not as fast as the Seas U18 but what impresses me is the amount of detail in the bass notes. Obviously, that also means there’s clarity and the bass is not one blob of mush.
Compared to the Dayton SIG150 and SIG180, this HiVi F6 is refreshing to listen to. It was agonizing to work with the SIG woofers. It’s like eating cheap cheese burger plastered with tomato ketchup. At only $47, the HiVi F6 is a bargain. Her nearest rival is SB Acoustics SB17NRX2C35-4 that cost $71. Performance wise, I can’t justify the SB cost. Musically, I prefer the HiVi F6. In keeping with the other tests, I retained the 10mH inductor. The F6 integrated perfectly with the HiVi C3N-III with this value. Of all the 6-1/2″ woofers, the HiVi F6 has the best price / performance ratio. I have yet to test her in a conventional 2-way with a tweeter but I’m confident she’ll do quite well. Unless otherwise stated, all measurements were made in Full Space (4pi). Mic at 36 ins, tweeter axis. Impulse Window=5ms. No smoothing applied. |
April 14, 2024HIFI DRIVERS, Projects
Fig 1 – Manufacturer’s T/S