# A different direction... Aura NS6-255-8A



## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Here's the deal, this driver has had my interest piqued since it was posted here not too long ago. I'm slowly making some changes and actually stepping backwards at a price point level.

The other deal, this driver is NOT INSTALLED, I don't know how it sounds, what I put here is EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT IT! Please do not PM/e-mail the hell out of me regarding the install or how I like it, I just don't know yet. I plan to install them in a month or two, I have more goods to collect before I do so such as acoustic treatment and mounting materials, I also need to procure time, which is a rather rare commodity at this time.

Spec sheet:

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF/ns6-255-8a.pdf

Note the sensitivity 

What it does in comparison to my installed Seas CA18RNX with 2.83V input... ON PAPER...










The magenta trace is the Seas, yellow is the Aura.

Pics of the actual driver...






































Notes thus far:

First off they are LIGHT, very cool! You cannot stick a screwdriver to the magnet, the gap must be huge because you really have to press on one side to get any rubbing and it skews the cone like a mutha, from pushing on it I HIGHLY doubt they will ever bottom out, so the gap is "like throwing a hot-dog down a hallway." As long as there is a ton of flux in that gap I see no issues with this or possibly a benefit for a door that could/will flex or people that don't believe in even mounting surfaces. The basket DOES ring at about 630Hz in free-air (I call in 1/3 octaves) when pressed to the bench there's an ever so slight ting that would easily be taken care of with spare deadening and not much of it. The cone is less flimsy than the Seas CA18RNX but that does not mean it's stout, the CA18 is pretty damn flimsy. It is NOT 6.5" it's a 6" driver plain and simple, it's kinda spooking me but they ARE going in, popping them with a 9V battery does indicate a strong resonance but under amplifier damping it should be fine, they DO NOT ring with a shorted coil and a tap.

I think they will be fine as long as their sensitivity figures don't lie, however I feel that I will have the highest sub crossover of all-ya-allz, there is just not much cone there.

I put power to them free-air just to see what they will take, that was impressive, they won't bottom out Fed them 200W at 8 ohms with house music off of XM, full range, that cone was MOVING and I could tell when it had enough but it made no foul mechanical sounds.

One thing that's concerning me is the pressed paper gasket, I may dilute some glue and coat the edges or remove it all-together, it seems that it will de-laminate easily and buzz. 


That's all I know at the moment, I don't know the OEM application (it's from Aura's OEM division.) I plan to mount them in my doors just as the seas are at first then possibly work on an angled mounting approach because my door panel allows it, that will come much later. I want to see if they can take the heat first.

Chad


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## tcguy85 (Oct 29, 2007)

nice! waiting for results.


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## MuTT (Apr 4, 2007)

Couple of months is up, how are they?


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Resting peacefully in the box 

Got garage/shop cleaned and ready for fab work this weekend. I have a project to do for work then i can start. I need to get a barrier stuffs and some acoustic treatment before I tear into it tho.


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## MuTT (Apr 4, 2007)

Cool, lemme know, I have a friend who...well you know.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

These are in the car, amazing for under 60 bucks a pair. No EQ on them unlike the seas which had some pretty heavy EQ. They are crossed at 80/12 and 2.5/12.

Not nearly as bloated sounding as the Seas, rather transparent and open. They sound MUCH more substantial than they look, they take **** that the seas did not like level wise. I don't feel as I have to be as careful with them although I need to forget how they looked so I can rip into them a bit more. I have a gutted one I ruined while testing on the bench, I'll post up pics of the motor and coil. Neat little speakers, would make a first choice for me in a DIY budget rig.


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## blamus (Mar 9, 2009)

yeah!! can't wait to hear the detailed comparo against the seas. So far you make it sound like they are just as good if not better at a cheaper price. I'm looking for mid drivers in a 2way for a first install, and as always on a budget. This is looking promising! 

thx chad


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## blamus (Mar 9, 2009)

yeah!! can't wait to hear the detailed comparo against the seas. So far you make it sound like they are just as good if not better at a cheaper price. I'm looking for mid drivers in a 2way for a first install, and as always on a budget. This is looking promising! 

thx chad


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

blamus said:


> yeah!! can't wait to hear the detailed comparo against the seas. So far you make it sound like they are just as good if not better at a cheaper price. I'm looking for mid drivers in a 2way for a first install, and as always on a budget. This is looking promising!
> 
> thx chad


WAY, WAY, WAY cheaper, way better sounding from the get-go IN MY APPLICATION. The seas MAY make more 63-100 if pushed but are were also problematic there in my install. I hate audiophile terminology but they are very "fresh" sounding. Drums sound awesome, stick on skin, whereas the seas were a tad "darker" and required more EQ. Like I said, I am using NO filters of EQ currently and I may need ONE SLIGHT notch in the 2K5 to 4K area. I have yet to come across something so damn cheap (even cheap feeling) that just works so well...


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

cajunner said:


> the "squish" factor, where the distortion tells you to cut the power back, is nice and broad, no sudden pop goes the weasel's....


EXACTLY!

I did, however, nuke one on the bench but I was playing VERY dynamic material and the driver was seeing in excess of 250W at the moment it "popped" merely knocked the bottom coil off the VC and it made a ratting sound wen it rubbed int he gap, still worked. Pics in a bit of that.


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## blamus (Mar 9, 2009)

After reading around for months to find a good budget midbass this might just be the ticket then. Everyone focus on the importance of the lower mid bass performance on 7"s because most people are 3-way active here, and most 6.5" raved about here need a large format tweet to cross low if its used in a 2way. And if I really want a good 6.5" that can play well in the mids as well as midbass, then I'd have to pay w18nx prices (no way!)

I have a DIYMA R12 sub so I can cross high, and don't mind doing so. And my old school Vifa D26NC55 is probably fine considering how high these Aura can play. ME LIKES!

If these Auras are really that great then maybe they're the new best value setup to date? Cheaper than a set of dayton rs180! which, can't play high. The only thing is, out of all the drivers I have looked at, these Auras have the lowest power handling. But specs are specs, and you say they can play loud so thats cool. Whats the xmax? Can't see it on the pdf?


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

blamus said:


> After reading around for months to find a good budget midbass this might just be the ticket then. Everyone focus on the importance of the lower mid bass performance on 7"s because most people are 3-way active here, and most 6.5" raved about here need a large format tweet to cross low if its used in a 2way. And if I really want a good 6.5" that can play well in the mids as well as midbass, then I'd have to pay w18nx prices (no way!)
> 
> I have a DIYMA R12 sub so I can cross high, and don't mind doing so. And my old school Vifa D26NC55 is probably fine considering how high these Aura can play. ME LIKES!
> 
> If these Auras are really that great then maybe they're the new best value setup to date? Cheaper than a set of dayton rs180! which, can't play high. The only thing is, out of all the drivers I have looked at, these Auras have the lowest power handling. But specs are specs, and you say they can play loud so thats cool. Whats the xmax? Can't see it on the pdf?



Actually they are more of a 6"! if you can cross high then go nuts, you can hammer them hard at 80/12 I can say that, 63/12 is pushing it for high volume playback. They can take some power but may and will go into power compression, the coil is small. it's NOT an SPL driver but still has the snap and impact for me to say that I can make them sound like one of my live rigs. AND, AND! I have no door treatment, none, nada.

The paper gasket...... dilute white glue in a small amount of water and paint it all over the paper, this will prevent it from de-laminating and buzzing. You will see that in the guts pics coming up.


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## blamus (Mar 9, 2009)

" if you can cross high then go nuts, you can hammer them hard at 80/12 I can say that, 63/12 is pushing it for high volume playback"

interesting that you say that, I was just looking into the rainbow profi kickbass and they fueled a bit of a debate here because of their recommended 80/12 cross point which people deemed high - yet those who use it claim thats the perfect point to cross and have good results as that relieves the midbass from hard low freq duty.

And the rainbows are $200 used, shouldn't even be compared here.......or CAN IT!?

So I'm down to:
$200 range: Usher 8945p, ER18rnx, rainbow profi kick
$100 range: Aura NS6-255-8A, ID OEM,
even the Vifa BC18SG69-08

Looks like the higher priced options only yield improvements in the sub 100Hz area, which my sub can take care of. GOGO AURA NS6!

"I have no door treatment, none, nada."

LOL how can u say that out loud and not get flamed over here?


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

blamus said:


> interesting that you say that, I was just looking into the rainbow profi kickbass and they fueled a bit of a debate here because of their recommended 80/12 cross point which people deemed high - yet those who use it claim thats the perfect point to cross and have good results as that relieves the midbass from hard low freq duty.


probably because they are capable of taking more power thus yielding more output 



blamus said:


> And the rainbows are $200 used, shouldn't even be compared here.......or CAN IT!?


It absolutely can if you need the level, from what I have heard those things can really belt it out!



blamus said:


> So I'm down to:
> $200 range: Usher 8945p, ER18rnx, rainbow profi kick


Certainly a good group of drivers, all of them, you would not go wrong as long as the rainbow will play high enough for you.



blamus said:


> $100 range: Aura NS6-255-8A, ID OEM,
> even the Vifa BC18SG69-08


The IDOEM is a more substantial driver, it can handle more power, i don't doubt that, but I don't know how it sounds, some have said that it makes a great mid-bass in a 3-way because it can be a bit hairy to integrate to the tweet. My auras don't sound like they are in the lower door, they sound like they are coming from up much higher. FWIW the seas also did this but the auras disappear MORE. This was basically an experiment to see how dirt cheap I could go and the sensitivity number really turned me on.



blamus said:


> Looks like the higher priced options only yield improvements in the sub 100Hz area, which my sub can take care of. GOGO AURA NS6!


Yes and as stated above power handling. I'm not saying it's the perfect driver, but it's certainly kickass for the price if someone wanted an inexpensive rig that sounds great and does not have to satisfy Tommy Lee in level.




blamus said:


> LOL how can u say that out loud and not get flamed over here?


they know better


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Well hell, what kind of review can you have without a dead soldier?

Here's the basket under 2 different lighting conditions....



















You can see the 8 magnets around the outside of the gap, there is little magnetic field outside this, in fact if I remove it (the magnet assembly) from the frame it will make a VERY ****ty fridge magnet.

I put the frame face down on the concrete floor... and jumped up and down on it and it still appears to be straight, I'm around 200#.. The mag assembly is epoxied to the frame as seen in the earlier pics then they crimped the hell out of it, I've seen much worse.

2 layer VC, one up, one down (lead wires attach at the top of the coil on both ends) kapton former I would guess. Again the cone and most of the surround is quite light in weight!



















And this is the issue. Now, I was holding it in my hand when i did this free-air and it was receiving well over 200W, it smacked something hard because it was LOUD. Knocked part of the coil off the bottom  I guess that's part of "testing" a driver


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## xcoldricex (Apr 28, 2007)

since they are small - do you think a dual 6"s in the door would be feasible with these? 12" of cone area for midbass would be pretty sweet!

since you mentioned house - how do they sound playing house installed in your system?


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

It's less than the cone area of 1X12" driver, it's only 12" one way 

it would be very feasible especially if you rolled one off as to only play lower while the other played up to the tweet (to avoid lobing/combing of high freqs) it would also yield a 4 ohm final impedance in the passband where both are playing since they are 8 ohm drivers.


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## blamus (Mar 9, 2009)

alright, you have me sold. They are cheap enough to even just 'try'. I'll just wait for your sexy pics  

This is my plan, I'll grab these auras for $60. I am confident that they will sound good enough for my application - based on what you are saying. The only thing that concerns me is the power handling - I do want to play things loud, but we will see.

If it turns out they can't play loud enough for me, I exile them to the rear for my passengers, and get myself the ER18nx - which I think I can get for $100 used. (But this make me wonder if I should just pay the $40 extra and get the ER18 in the first place...)

I just don't think I have the money to just 'play' with the usher or the rainbows right now...they are double to triple the price to the above, and I doubt they are even 20% 'better'

more pics! and more review! more speaker PORN!


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## blamus (Mar 9, 2009)

blamus said:


> more pics! and more review! more speaker PORN!


lol u just did as i was posting


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## blamus (Mar 9, 2009)

"This was basically an experiment to see how dirt cheap I could go"


then try these next and tell me if they are worth it 

Vifa BC18SG69-08 Woofer, truncated from Madisound

not as sensitive though....


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## mvw2 (Oct 2, 2005)

You should grab a pair of Mach 5 MLI-65 woofers and play with those too. As for bargain woofers, it's one I really liked. I do kind of wish they were as cheap as they were when new though.  I would be curious to see a comparison.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

blamus said:


> "This was basically an experiment to see how dirt cheap I could go"
> 
> 
> then try these next and tell me if they are worth it
> ...


those are good looking speakers but I'd be more apt to use them in a quieter seting. the aura's are so much more efficient and handle 20W more


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

mvw2 said:


> You should grab a pair of Mach 5 MLI-65 woofers and play with those too. As for bargain woofers, it's one I really liked. I do kind of wish they were as cheap as they were when new though.  I would be curious to see a comparison.


They may just have to go on the list, have to be under 35 bucks each as a personal goal, will they hit that?


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## blamus (Mar 9, 2009)

> "those are good looking speakers but I'd be more apt to use them in a quieter seting. the aura's are so much more efficient and handle 20W more"


yeah that makes sense.




> "You should grab a pair of Mach 5 MLI-65"


Super suggestion. I just did a search and read a load, I'll have to include these in my decision. Looks like you can get them for $50 used. How you got yours for $19(!?) each is beyond me. I'll keep an eye out for them in the FS section. The only thing I'm not sure about is its mid range clarity as described by most people being rounded and laid back. Again, if I don't like them I can exile them to the rear  So its [email protected]$100(used), [email protected]$70(new), or [email protected]$60(used) shipped.



> it would be very feasible especially if you rolled one off as to only play lower while the other played up to the tweet (to avoid lobing/combing of high freqs) it would also yield a 4 ohm final impedance in the passband where both are playing since they are 8 ohm drivers.


I actually had a similar idea but then got shot down very quickly due to all the mentioned lobing/combing effects. Didn't occur to me at the time to limit one driver to be rolled off early though, makes perfect sense, kind of like a 2.5way setup. I'd have to build my own passive crossover for that don't I? And the resultant 4ohms will be perfect. At what frequency would you cut the second driver? And what if I pair up different drivers but have them play the same freq, yet have the second one roll off early to play only the lows? So, e.g. instead of 2 Auras, I can have 1 Aura next to a Mach5, I'd then have the mach5 rolled off to play the lows only i guess.


Thank you so much for these golden suggestions, all this might worth me starting a new thread to investigate, I feel guilty for diverting this thread a little. But it has helped me out alot. sorry! I will certainly add my own thoughts once I get my hands on them.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

driver spacing would dictate the "crossover" and you can use a simple but good coil to provide a 6dB/Oct LPF on one of them


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## mvw2 (Oct 2, 2005)

$3*6*. ...$36 is the price per. So close...

but free shipping. 

Mach5Audio MLI-65 [M5A-MLI65] - $36.00 : SoundSolutionsAudio.com!, Car Audio at its Best!


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## blamus (Mar 9, 2009)

Parts-Express.comeerless 830875 HDS 6.5" Woofer | Peerless 830875 HDS woofer 6.5" Woofer bass mid midbass mtm nomex cone shorting ring

There you go chad, this one is less than $35! Should go on the list too! I wonder how they will compare... especially to those mach 5s...


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Wow, that is an option. Not the worst or greatest in efficiency ut they sure can take some power apparently!


Chad


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

fekin annoying I tell you. Damn auto dupes.


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## pjc (May 3, 2009)

i am assuming this is the same brand/company... i had 2 aura 12s about 5 years ago. white cone with aura in teal in the middle.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

pjc said:


> i am assuming this is the same brand/company... i had 2 aura 12s about 5 years ago. white cone with aura in teal in the middle.


Yes, BUT aura is a large scale driver facility, they do OEM and their own "brand" These were OEM for SOMETHING, what? I dunno 

I really let them have it all last week in the volume department and am rather happy with them.


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## miztahsparklez (Jan 11, 2006)

im debating whether or not to jump on these..

ive been itching to replace my dls iridium 6.5's with something that offers a little more kick in the midbass area. 

I'm actually running the aura NT1 tweeters, 8 NSW2 (4per side), and thinking to grab the ns6 to complete the set. My current xover for the iridium 6.5 is about 80-300hz. Seems to get a little muddy and funky sounding. I suppose if i were running all DLS drivers, it would go along with the "smooth" DLS sound, but with the addition of metal drivers, im thinking the two are starting to sound very different. I'm feeding everything from multiple 4.150 alpine PDX, midrange and midbass get their own PDX each (300w x2).

or would i be better off going with a DD W6.5, that Mach5 audio driver above, or other high power driver?

i do listen loud.. very loud. i like the impact from the snare and the kick in the butt from a kick drum. but i think my current midbass driver selection has finally hit the limit and tuning/power cannot get me what I want at the volume I'd like.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Well, Very loud is dependent on your background and as to what you perceive as loud. It's like saying "fast."

BUT if your Very loud is what I know as very loud, i would not recommend it, it's got a pretty small voice coil and may have a hard time shagging off the heat.

But they DO indeed have a kickass snap on the snare.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

auto dupe


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## miztahsparklez (Jan 11, 2006)

chad said:


> Well, Very loud is dependent on your background and as to what you perceive as loud. It's like saying "fast."
> 
> BUT if your Very loud is what I know as very loud, i would not recommend it, it's got a pretty small voice coil and may have a hard time shagging off the heat.
> 
> But they DO indeed have a kickass snap on the snare.


hmm very true. id say loud enough to feel, but that doesnt really say much.

the iridium 6.5's i have now have a massive 3" coil, so cooling isnt a problem now, but i do know the auras are tiny.. ill have to rethink this. maybe ill order a couple for fun and see how they do. if i smell glue.. then i probably wont run them  thanks.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Well, damage wise I think you would see overheating first. The one pictured that I dmamged was done free-air (as in holding it in my hand) and being fed with a LOT of power (in excess of 250W) with raw, un-mastered, VERY dynamic music.

One good thing about them is that they will not GENERALLY bottom out but yet gracefully let you know that they have had enough.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Ok.. I'll play.. if it wasn't already mentioned.. PE buyout (gotta love 'em):
Peerless 851123 CSX 6-1/2" Woofer 4 Ohm

Specifications: *Power handling: 150 watts RMS/210 watts max *VCdia: 1-1/4" *Le: 0.63 mH *Impedance: 4 ohms *Re: 3.07 ohms *Frequency response: 50-5,000 Hz *Fs: 49.8 Hz *SPL: 87.3 dB 2.83V/1m *Vas: 0.53 cu. ft. *Qms: 3.24 *Qes: 0.53 *Qts: 0.46 *Xmax: 5.5 mm *Dimensions: A: 6-7/8", B: 5-5/8", C: 3-1/8".


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## miztahsparklez (Jan 11, 2006)

chad said:


> Well, damage wise I think you would see overheating first. The one pictured that I dmamged was done free-air (as in holding it in my hand) and being fed with a LOT of power (in excess of 250W) with raw, un-mastered, VERY dynamic music.
> 
> One good thing about them is that they will not GENERALLY bottom out but yet gracefully let you know that they have had enough.


Just got them in.

they sound... well neat! they do lack a little in the low end, but the midrange is where these things shine. unfortunately, that's not exactly what im looking for, as they dont provide enough oomph to wow me over, but they are pretty amazing speakers. Would work well on a budget 2 way system.

i have them in my doors, my doors are sealed shut. they are eating about 150wrms @8ohms each. I do think ive reached their "limit." Though not obvious, the sound does change ever so slightly going up into the higher volume. (this is VERY loud for some people). It just barely misses the level I'd want to reach.

Compared to my dls iridium 6.5.. these are definately more airy and natural sounding. i would describe the dls as dark, muddy, bleh. 

however.. i bought another set.. the peerless.. id love to hear that thing, but it requires me to cut new baffles and holes in my car to get it to fit, so it may not be as soon as I hoped. but free air.. the peerless has TONS of midbass output. I'd love to hear the rest of it, however. 

but.. going back to the aura.. great speaker. would make some nice home speakers if you add a sub to the mix. Perhaps porting would give you that low end. Stick it with a nice little tweeter and youve got yourself a pretty sweet system.


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## blamus (Mar 9, 2009)

which peerless did u get?


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## miztahsparklez (Jan 11, 2006)

Peerless PPB 830874 

basically the poly version of the 830875.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

miztahsparklez said:


> but.. going back to the aura.. great speaker. would make some nice home speakers if you add a sub to the mix. Perhaps porting would give you that low end. Stick it with a nice little tweeter and youve got yourself a pretty sweet system.



Yeah, I have found the mids rather amazing, very open and allows a recording to breathe. Where are you high passing them?


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## miztahsparklez (Jan 11, 2006)

chad said:


> Yeah, I have found the mids rather amazing, very open and allows a recording to breathe. Where are you high passing them?


i have mine at 75hz.. then sub kicks in around 65ish. these were xover settings left over from my dls, havent really had a change to fool with it much, as it actually sounded petty decent as is. however, i also was afraid to lower it any more as the magnets were getting a teeny bit warm


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

I would not go lower than that, I've done 63 but prefer 80.


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## cpr (May 21, 2009)

....


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## miztahsparklez (Jan 11, 2006)

what kind of slope are you using? i believe ive got a 12 or 16db slope.

id still have to say, the looks of these things look like factory crap speakers. but their sound will amaze you completely. might have to get another pair for some rear fill.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

miztahsparklez said:


> what kind of slope are you using? i believe ive got a 12 or 16db slope.
> 
> id still have to say, the looks of these things look like factory crap speakers. but their sound will amaze you completely. might have to get another pair for some rear fill.


12dB/Oct @ 80Hz. Yeah they sure do feel cheap but I really had to keep an open mind and go in blind. FWIW the frame is VERY rigid. I took my cashed one and jumped on it and it did not give, and I'm not a lightweight.

Another thing I did was take diluted white glue and painted the paper gasket so it would not de-laminate, pay attention to the screw-holes and edges. it will make the paper gasket VERY tough.


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## kappa546 (Apr 11, 2005)

miztahsparklez said:


> Just got them in.
> 
> they sound... well neat! they do lack a little in the low end, but the midrange is where these things shine. unfortunately, that's not exactly what im looking for, as they dont provide enough oomph to wow me over, but they are pretty amazing speakers. Would work well on a budget 2 way system.
> 
> ...


I think you're asking too much of the driver. Crossing it over around 100hz will give you a lot more snap and you're sub can do a helluva lot better job giving you the deep impact... assuming you're subs are up to par. As an added bonus, it should help clean up the midrange a bit more as well... food for thought.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

One thing to keep in mind is the fact that it IS a 6" driver


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## kappa546 (Apr 11, 2005)

all the more reason to cross higher


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## miztahsparklez (Jan 11, 2006)

id cross higher, but then thats where things start sounding a bit funky. im sure most people would be surprised what i have in my doors 

I'll have to try that glue thing. The gasket seemed to be coming apart just a little. Im sure the glue thing would help the frame become a tad more rigid due to its layering scheme.


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## splicer (Oct 4, 2008)

chad said:


> Note the sensitivity
> Chad


91dB nominal, but I don't know if I believe it. It doesn't seem much if any different than the 84dB drivers I replaced. It is not NEARLY as loud as the dayton RS52 I have been playing with, also supposedly 91dB. I had to pad them down a ton to get them to work with the NS6.

On the plus side, it's a great, lightweight and cheap driver.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

I noticed a MARKED level increase when swapping them out with the Seas CA18RNX. AND even for having a smaller coil they don't seem to get as mushy as quickly when you throw down on them.... only downside I noticed was a bit less low end (below where I play my sub) when testing full range......


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## Steak (Mar 16, 2006)

$11.50 each on PE!!!
Aura NS6-255-8A 6" Paper Cone Woofer


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## critofur (Jan 6, 2008)

Heh, even cheaper ($9.00 ea!!!) if you get 4 or more.

I ordered 50 of them :surprised:


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

still running mine, have yet to damage one. In fact I was REALLY close to switching them out to something MUCH more beefy... then decided, ifit ain't broke........


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## miztahsparklez (Jan 11, 2006)

chad said:


> still running mine, have yet to damage one. In fact I was REALLY close to switching them out to something MUCH more beefy... then decided, ifit ain't broke........


i'm pretty much in the same boat. I'm throwing gobs of power at them, but they aren't dead! I would have been sure I'd have blown them by now..

I'd have to agree about the low end, I wish there was just a tiny bit more, but it works well enough as-is. I did pick up a couple of the NS8s to see if I can get what I want with those, but they're huge compared to the NS6s.


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## Patrick Bateman (Sep 11, 2006)

A few months ago I managed to come up with a fairly nice tapped horn design using these woofers. Tapped horns "like" woofers with a fairly high FS, because they're tuned quite a bit below the FS. For instance, if you want a 40hz tapped horn, you probably want to use a woofer with an FS in the neighborhood of 55hz.

This is kind of an oddball requirement, and it makes it hard to use conventional drivers in tapped horns (you end up with TOO MUCH low bass :O )

The MCM 55-2421 will walk all over the Aurasound as far as maximum output goes, but I love those underhung motors, they sound SO clean. I'll bet the Aura would be great for a moderate output sub.


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## DS-21 (Apr 16, 2005)

What's the efficiency and usable upper bandwidth of that TH?


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Patrick, are you talking about the aura 8" or 6" that you did your build with?


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## Patrick Bateman (Sep 11, 2006)

DS-21 said:


> What's the efficiency and usable upper bandwidth of that TH?


That's up to you!

Here's why. When you build a vented box, you're getting output from the cone of the woofer, and you're getting output from the vent. The output from the vent is one hundred and eighty degrees out-of-phase with the output from the cone. That's why vented boxes can sound sluggish and unnatural a lot of the time. (not all of the time) A vented box is basically producing two bass notes 'smeared' in time.

In a tapped horn, we've basically taken the output from the vent, and replaced it with a quarter wave resonator. *That's why we don't need a rear or a front chamber in a tapped horn.* A pipe generates output from standing waves, not from a helmholtz resonance.

That has a couple of big benefits if you're into SQL. First of all, a big fat pipe is a lot more efficient than a puny lil' port. (In audio, size matters.)

The really cool part is that a quarter wave resonator is only *ninety* degrees out of phase. So your bass notes are still 'smeared' in time, but the group delay is about half as much as a vented box.

*This is a really long winded way of saying, just use a vented box calculator when you build a tapped horn.* They work fine. If you can get your woofer to play to 40hz in a vented box, it will play that low or lower in a TH.

There's a link on my forum which shows how to design a TH the same way you'd design a vented box.


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## DS-21 (Apr 16, 2005)

It's not the low-end that I'm that interested in, though. I asked about top-end bandwidth because the application I'm thinking about is for midbass in a 3-way (midbass + 8" Dual Concentric) home speaker.

I have a box design in my head that will on paper work for what I want (four 8" woofers in a 4th order BP of under a cubic foot, giving me 70-200Hz corners and ~94dB/W/m sensitivity), but a TH with fewer drivers would be interesting. Even though to be honest the TH scares me a bit because I've always had trouble integrating midbasses with 4th order rolloffs and subs. The 4th order BP presents no such problems, of course.

And your website is a treasure trove, BTW.


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## ocuriel (Oct 7, 2005)

splicer said:


> 91dB nominal, but I don't know if I believe it. It doesn't seem much if any different than the 84dB drivers I replaced. It is not NEARLY as loud as the dayton RS52 I have been playing with, also supposedly 91dB. I had to pad them down a ton to get them to work with the NS6.
> 
> On the plus side, it's a great, lightweight and cheap driver.


Got mine. Running off the head unit. They get plenty loud. I do not doubt the 91db sensitivity one bit.

This driver sounds pretty good. Better than normal resolution. Pretty good snap. So much that I had to turn it down with the EQ. Behaves very well IB too.


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## allstock (Jan 11, 2009)

does anyone know how these drivers sound compared to the aura mr62/6.1 mids? i'm thinking about trying a set of these NS6-255's...


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

who cares? They are sooo flippin cheap you can try them out and let the rest of us know


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## Patrick Bateman (Sep 11, 2006)

DS-21 said:


> It's not the low-end that I'm that interested in, though. I asked about top-end bandwidth because the application I'm thinking about is for midbass in a 3-way (midbass + 8" Dual Concentric) home speaker.
> 
> I have a box design in my head that will on paper work for what I want (four 8" woofers in a 4th order BP of under a cubic foot, giving me 70-200Hz corners and ~94dB/W/m sensitivity), but a TH with fewer drivers would be interesting. Even though to be honest the TH scares me a bit because I've always had trouble integrating midbasses with 4th order rolloffs and subs. The 4th order BP presents no such problems, of course.
> 
> And your website is a treasure trove, BTW.


At this point I'm convinced it's all about group delay. That's why it's hard to get vented systems (both bandpass and reflex) to blend with midranges.

I've built a pile of subs, and only three types of subs have been easy to blend with mains. Those types are sealed, tapped horns, and horns. Bandpass and vented enclosures are tough to blend. And those last two types are the ones where there's a ton of group delay in the passband.


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## allstock (Jan 11, 2009)

chad said:


> who cares? They are sooo flippin cheap you can try them out and let the rest of us know


true dat! i'm gonna order a pair before they're gone...in fact, i think shipping is gonna cost me more than the speakers themselves!


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## DS-21 (Apr 16, 2005)

Patrick Bateman said:


> At this point I'm convinced it's all about group delay. That's why it's hard to get vented systems (both bandpass and reflex) to blend with midranges.


Just to clarify, are you talking about 4th order BP as well as 6th order BP systems here? Curious because one of the experiments I have planned for when I move in July is to do a blind comparison between a multisub system using three elite-level drivers (Aura NS15+2x Aura NS12) in sealed cabs vs. a multisub system using excellent but much cheaper drivers (4x XLS12, arrayed with two in one cab and one each in the other two) in 4th order BPs.



Patrick Bateman said:


> I've built a pile of subs, and only three types of subs have been easy to blend with mains. Those types are sealed, tapped horns, and horns.


That's really interesting, and unexpected because of the the limited top-end BW (except for sealed). My rule of thumb of late has been that the sub should to have smooth to at least an octave over the nominal highpass, and preferably more.


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## Joe0428 (Oct 8, 2010)

So for a somewhat long term use you guys would recommend the Aura NS6-255-8A. Well for a 10 buck price tag, what the hell I'm getting a bunch.


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

These are going in my doors soon. Gotta glue the gasket, and I'm going to mass-load around the baffle a little bit. I can feel the low vocals in my arm-rest, and that non-sense has got to stop.


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

Hey chad, what was your mix on the glue:water ratio? I used about 1:4, and it didn't seem to mix well. I have no idea whether it is helping or not, but the gasket changed color slightly, so it did absorb _something..._


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Put a big bloop of glue in something small, start adding water and mixing with the brush till it looks like it will brush on and soak in nicely....


How that for a pinch of this and a touch of that recipe?


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

chad said:


> Put a big bloop of glue in something small, start adding water and mixing with the brush till it looks like it will brush on and soak in nicely....
> 
> How that for a pinch of this and a touch of that recipe?


I hate you chad :laugh:

I will try that on the spare set and see how it does. I started with water and added glue the first time, and I think that's how I got it backwards. Reciprocal should work better. Thanks!


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## ocuriel (Oct 7, 2005)

Any updates on how they sound broken in?


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

I have yet to break one  It's tough to say because they will vary greatly on install. I would say that they don't have a specific color quite neutral, they blend nicely.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

That driver is an anomaly. It's $11 per. Crazy. If had an easy way to bandpass a couple, I'd have to try them.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


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## The A Train (Jun 26, 2007)

Im ordering some to build me a portable 'jambox'


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## corcraft (Nov 16, 2010)

Any1 tried the ns6-255-4a? The 4 ohm version of these?


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## 94VG30DE (Nov 28, 2007)

corcraft said:


> Any1 tried the ns6-255-4a? The 4 ohm version of these?


why not just use the 8 ohm? 
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...no-question-dumb/106288-4-ohms-vs-8-ohms.html 

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...d-our-members/31-real-deal-8-ohm-drivers.html 

\AutoDupe across two threads


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## corcraft (Nov 16, 2010)

splicer said:


> 91dB nominal, but I don't know if I believe it. It doesn't seem much if any different than the 84dB drivers I replaced. It is not NEARLY as loud as the dayton RS52 I have been playing with, also supposedly 91dB. I had to pad them down a ton to get them to work with the NS6.
> 
> On the plus side, it's a great, lightweight and cheap driver.



Because I have a feeling that this may be why the 91db didnt sound as loud as the RS52. I don't mind using 8ohm drivers but I prefer 4 ohm. This is why company's like ID make 4ohm and 2ohm- the 2 ohm is 3db louder, twice as loud. Now, I do think there is some truth to those links but in my experience I prefer a 4ohm driver if it's available. I'm curious as to if anyone has tried the ns6 4ohm and if it's as clean of a driver.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

corcraft said:


> Because I have a feeling that this may be why the 91db didnt sound as loud as the RS52.


The sensitivity is pretty close to spec on the auras



corcraft said:


> I don't mind using 8ohm drivers but I prefer 4 ohm. This is why company's like ID make 4ohm and 2ohm- the 2 ohm is 3db louder,


No it's not, it's 3dB louder at a constant input VOLTAGE, but at 1 watt... it's not  the whole 2.83V /VS/ 1 watt thing can be misleading.




corcraft said:


> twice as loud.


 It's not twice as loud, it takes 2X the power to gain 3dB but 2X the power does not equate to a doubling in loudness.


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## corcraft (Nov 16, 2010)

Hey chad, thanks writing up this review, I'm def gonna try these in both 4 and 8 ohm probably. Would have never dreamed about trying them if it wasn't for this review. Btw, 1 qstn. I think u x'd them over around 2.5k if I remember correctly but then u said they may need a little eq 2-4k. Did you try them at 4k? If so how were they off axis to 4k? That's my main concern because I want to xover around 4 and that's my concern on any 6-7" due to beaming. I have x65's now which are amazing but I'm wanting to sale out and see how "cheap" I can go. Anyway, here's some replies on my thoughts of your last replies (sorry, too hard to quote with my phone, lol).

As far as the sensitivity, I wasn't saying that they wasn't to spec (91db) but if the poster that said they didn't seem as loud switched out his 4ohm for these 8ohm then that could explain some of it because that would be like a 3db drop (88db). 

I agree with the 3db not being twice as loud, that was a wrong choice of words but 3db is like doubling the power or doubling the speakers and you can hear the difference considerably. Like a tweeter selector on a passive xover, big difference in 3db or more to the 4ohm/ 8ohm point. Try switching a sub out from 4ohm to 8ohm and see the difference (same sub diff vc) its quite large imho. I used to have to do that at the shop I used to work at for warranty replacement when we were out of the lower impedance I would switch it out for higher until they came in and and was a significant difference. Or 200w x2 to your mids vs 100w X2. That should be equivalent to switching out a 4ohm for an 8ohm.

Now, that being said, I do not have a problem using an 8ohm driver, there are advantages but imho the advantages of a 4ohm out weigh them (IF) the driver is available in that configuration. In this circumstance they are available but with slightly different parameters and different response curve. I just wanted to see if anyone has tried them so I could decide 1 way or the other. For the price I may just buy 2 of each and compare because by your review I don't want to miss out by not getting the speaker that u described but also don't want to use half power if I don't have too. 

Thanks again for your review! And the 1 on the dayton ho10 as well. I almost bought that sub too because of that 1, lol and still may down the road.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

I have mine at 2.5K IIRC, and there is little to no EQ involved, I have not taken them out to 4K yet.


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## matt62485 (Jun 7, 2008)

can someone recommend a good tweeter to pair with these in an active 2-way setup? i want something warm, not very bright, but able to keep up and pick up where the aura drops off.


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

matt62485 said:


> can someone recommend a good tweeter to pair with these in an active 2-way setup? i want something warm, not very bright, but able to keep up and pick up where the aura drops off.


Lot's of threads comparing tweeters if you search a bit in the review subforum. 

Kelvin


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## matt62485 (Jun 7, 2008)

yea, i know, ive been searching my ass off and im still up in the air, lol.


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

matt62485 said:


> yea, i know, ive been searching my ass off and im still up in the air, lol.


The problem is that tweeters are more difficult to suggest than a midbass or a subwoofer. 
I like Focal tweeters, 70%-80% on this website hate them. 

You have to read a lot and make your own judgement. People will usually suggest what they own or like. Tweeters are more a hit or a miss so you need to either listen for yourself or... read... 

Kelvin


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

I'm a big fan of vifa tweets. many poo-poo rings but I run the XT25SC90-04 currently and love them.

I also have run various Vifa domes, along with Morel and Seas. I always go back to Vifa. It must be a personal thing.


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## matt62485 (Jun 7, 2008)

i think chad just made up my mind, bc i found a killer deal on a set of them yesterday and they were along the specs i was lookin for, and funny u mention them. $23 for some midwoofers and $27 for tweets. yes please.

cant wait to get started on this build, but for now itll just be piecing it all together until sometime first-mid of next year. 

hopefully a $50 dollar 2-way front stage will wow some people, lol. i liked the way my seas neo textiles sounded when i had them in my old car, but i want to try something new. 


i was really considering a passive setup, the alpine spx-17ref/pro were on my radar, but for $200-350 bucks, i could get the H100 to add to the CDA-117 I'm going to get, and run active with a budget setup like mentioned above. No brainer.


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## douggiestyle (Apr 29, 2008)

Chad, do you think these Focal OEMs would be a better option? Similar sensitivity and FS, higher QTS for door install, and more cone area to boot. They're even cheaper.

Focal 6M115 6-1/2" Midbass Speaker 299-155
Aurasound NS6-255-4A 6" Paper Cone Woofer 4 ohm: Madisound Speaker Store


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Dunno, I thought about it but then decided it was not worth tearing into my door. what I have works great for me.


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

Big Daddy, would a trio of these satisfy someone who loves pro audio driver's snap and pop?


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

I believe so, there was a cat on PE's site I think, he used a bunch of them in a DIY project. but for 66 bucks in drivers it sure as hell is worth a try.


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## cnut334 (Oct 17, 2009)

Good article! I was going to give the dayton rs180s a go but after reading this I'm going to order the 4 ohm version and some seas tweets. I hope it will produce some good sound.


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## aztec1 (Jun 13, 2008)

These sound like a much better idea than the "use a coax for midbass" idea I was tossing around, thanks.


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

Chad, or anyone else for this question I have...

The 4 ohm version has a lower Qts (.44) than the 8 ohm (.55). Which would you suggest to behave better in a kickpanel mount with the back opened up slightly to more airspace somewhere within the vehicle?

Aurasound NS6-255-4A 6" Paper Cone Woofer 4 ohm: Madisound Speaker Store

Aurasound NS6-255-8A Paper Cone Woofer - 8 ohm: Madisound Speaker Store

The 8 ohm also has a 1db higher sensitivity & slightly lower Mms.


I should also mention these will be used as a midrange in a 3-way front, where the lowest high-pass it would ever see is 160hz... probably more like 200hz.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

I'd go with the 8 ohm at that point.

Between 4 and 8 hom it's a matter of how much power you want to put in the gap, understanding power compression.

As a midrange, I think you will be fine, albeit Qts at that point is not going to make a difference, time to whip out the calculator.


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

I glanced over your posts in this thread. You said you put in excess of 200 watts to one of these. The 8 ohm would see approximately 75 watts, where the 4 ohm would get about 150.

I'll read up more on power compression, but where in your opinion did you start to notice this?


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

fish said:


> I glanced over your posts in this thread. You said you put in excess of 200 watts to one of these. The 8 ohm would see approximately 75 watts, where the 4 ohm would get about 150.
> 
> I'll read up more on power compression, but where in your opinion did you start to notice this?


depends on how much low end you are trying to get out of it... It's not the most linear thing at 200W though


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

chad said:


> depends on how much low end you are trying to get out of it... It's not the most linear thing at 200W though



More of a midrange... high-passed somewhere around 160-315hz, with 24-36db slopes.


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