# Review: Seas 27TFFNC/G neo tweeter



## Chaos (Oct 27, 2005)

For what it's worth, these are my thoughts (& 3rd raffle entry  ) regarding the Seas 27TFFNC/G textile dome neo tweeter.

The first thing that you might notice is that the model number of this tweeter is different than the other textile dome neo that was referenced in this thread -- a discrepancy that has been mentioned before. I don't know what's up with that, but I actually ordered the aluminum (H1397) domes from Madisound and they sent me the H1396 textile ones instead. Since I couldn't really make up my mind which ones to get in the first place, I went ahead it and tried them out anyway. The primary reasons I choose these was for the low Fs and compact size; the low cost was nice for what you get. I was mostly hoping that they would blend well with a pair of RS-180 for a nice 2way front stage. Out of the box, I immediately noticed the flimsy exposed wire pointed out in the other thread. Even though I knew about it in advance, I was suprised how delicate it was. I carefully soldered pigtails to the terminals and haven't had any trouble with them.

After about a month of listening, this is what I have to say:

These are installed slightly off-axis in the OEM sail panel locations, actively crossed at about 2.7kHz / 12db slope @ ~30 watts. 
When I first heard them, I was impressed by the overall resolution and clarity of these tweeters (at least for a small format neo design). They seemed to provide realtively decent accuracy and good midrange detail with the low power I have to give them. The high end is clean and crisp sounding, with a better "open" or "airy" quality than I normally associate with textile domes, and they were also very efficient - they get loud in a hurry. 
After I spent more time with them though, it was apparent that they were just too sensitive for the location I have them installed. I added 6db L-pads for attenuation to mellow them out for my tastes with most music. When I tried crossing them at 2kHz, they started to break up noticably at higher volumes, became very easy to localize, and sounded a bit nasally & spitty. Crossing closer to 3kHz they sounded much smoother, and after some more tuning with the RS-180 I ended up with a decent overall FR. Right now I have them at about 2.7kHz, which sounds OK but with just a touch of sibilance that I could do without. I think that this is about the best I can expect out of them without a good EQ at my disposal, so that is why I am posting this now.

Of course, they are still a great value and they are easy to fit in a tight install. IMHO, they sound considerably better than just about all of the mass-market autosound tweeters you would usually find in mid-grade component sets. Honestly, based on the comments & links already posted about these tweeters - as well as my own evaluation of them, I think I would still like to try the aluminum dome version after all. For a textile dome, I not would characterize them as a particularly smooth sounding driver. To me, they sound neutral and maybe even a bit sterile but certainly not bad. Just like anything else, they have their own unique sonic sugnature that really has to be heard to be judged. 

In the meantime, I am looking forward to my turn with the tweeter audition project that is circulating through the forum. Hopefully, that excercise will help put things into perspective and help me determine the right tweeter for my system.


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## placenta (Feb 2, 2008)

thanks for the review


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## AUr6 (Apr 10, 2007)

nvm... i'm an idiot.


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## elminster (Jan 9, 2007)

this is from a while ago, madisound probably discontinued it


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## Foglght (Aug 2, 2007)

I still have a pair...for sale too!


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## burakol (Apr 25, 2008)

elminster said:


> this is from a while ago, madisound probably discontinued it


they still have it for sale... same price with the Aluminum version...


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## Aaron Clinton (Oct 17, 2006)

*I have these installed, just need to swap in the new amp to test them out.*


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## netchris (Jul 18, 2008)

how low do you guys think i'd be able to cross these over with a 24 or even 48 dB/oct filter. i'm going active with computer software so i have a lot of options with my crossover.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

After I spent more time with them though, it was apparent that they were just too sensitive for the location I have them installed. I added 6db L-pads for attenuation to mellow them out for my tastes with most music. When I tried crossing them at 2kHz, they started to break up noticably at higher volumes, became very easy to localize, and sounded a bit nasally & spitty. Crossing closer to 3kHz they sounded much smoother, and after some more tuning with the RS-180 I ended up with a decent overall FR. Right now I have them at about 2.7kHz, which sounds OK but with just a touch of sibilance that I could do without. I think that this is about the best I can expect out of them without a good EQ at my disposal, so that is why I am posting this now.

I wouldn't go into subbass frequencies


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## mvw2 (Oct 2, 2005)

Yeah, there's a slight rise in response below 2kHz and a sharp drop off right after that. From about 1.2kHz on down, it's a 12dB/oct drop off. In terms of ability, they can play up to their thermal limit down to 3kHz before you start running out of xmax. However, it will still keep up with most midrange woofers down to 2kHz, depending on how low you're attempting to cross the woofer.

Anything above 2.3kHz on a steep slope seems to work well for me. At quieter volumes you can run a little lower. It just depends on staying below the excursion limits and dealing with the frequency response. But yeah, for ease, there's little you can do wrong crossing them at 3kHz or higher.


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## BEAVER (May 26, 2007)

Mine are at 2.5k and 24db, currently and I lean on 'em pretty hard, fwiw.


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## mike.s (Feb 2, 2009)

Fog, do you still have yours for sale? 

I'm looking for a small tweeter to complement a set of a/d/s midrange 5.25" with crossovers from a Al5 set. Would these be a good fit? Or should I look at something else?


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## $rEe (Jan 15, 2008)

Morel MDT12.


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## Foglght (Aug 2, 2007)

mike.s said:


> Fog, do you still have yours for sale?
> 
> I'm looking for a small tweeter to complement a set of a/d/s midrange 5.25" with crossovers from a Al5 set. Would these be a good fit? Or should I look at something else?


I do have them still, but they do have a small crack in the side, plus some glue still on them from when I had them mounted. 

I don't know what the x-over points are on those crossovers, or the type (BW or LR). these sounded good above 3500hz. Though the seas neo tweets were much better imo.


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## chofilena (Jul 21, 2012)

Is this a better tweeter compared to the CDT drt25? I'm thinking of paring this with the CDT es03 midrange and the CDT es600 mid/woofer (3way). What do you guys think, will this be an upgrade or a downgrade to my system?


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## legend94 (Mar 15, 2006)

chofilena said:


> Is this a better tweeter compared to the CDT drt25? I'm thinking of paring this with the CDT es03 midrange and the CDT es600 mid/woofer (3way). What do you guys think, will this be an upgrade or a downgrade to my system?


i have never been impressed with cdt tweeters until you get into their upper line. i would go with the seas all day over the drt25 model but i am partial to the seas neos.


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