# Best Sounding Tweeters?



## podog44 (May 4, 2010)

Looking for opinions on who makes the best tweeters, looking for loud without getting too harsh sounding?


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## BadSS (Feb 2, 2008)

You might want to share how much you're willing to spend, where it is going, and how large it can be.


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## rc10mike (Mar 27, 2008)

These


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## maxxis (Jun 10, 2008)

As with anything audio this is up to the listener.

Best you go out and listen to as many systems as possible. I can recomment the DLS Scadinavia 1 because I like it but it doesn't mean you will.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

podog44 said:


> Looking for opinions on who makes the best tweeters, looking for loud without getting too harsh sounding?


*Silk domes* would be my first choice for beating harshness


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## Mooble (Oct 21, 2007)

Undoubtedly the best tweeters in the world are Beyma AST 09

Beyma AST-09 (ast09) - Tweeters - Sonic Electronix

I don't think you will have any trouble with them getting loud.


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## chrisb33 (May 13, 2010)

depends also on what amp you're going to use and if youre going to go full active or using the passive xover.

top of my list would be:

seas
morel supremo/piccolo
focal 
german maestro
boston pro
dls Scandinavia

chris b


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## Nicks84 (Jun 30, 2010)

Silk is likely what you want to go with in most cases. As for best, that is going to be too audible subjective.

Rainbow
Morel Elate series
DLS (maybe Irridium series)
focal
Dynaudio (likely the best of this bunch)


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## kyheng (Jan 31, 2007)

I will get titanium tweeters...
Anyway please define "best"....


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## Nicks84 (Jun 30, 2010)

kyheng said:


> I will get titanium tweeters...


Titanium is considered very harsh by most audiophiles, however, I will say MB Quart makes some really nice ones. Now, in truth, Titanium is excellent if you have a great source (which most people don't), otherwise they will sound way too harsh as it is just going to bring out people's overly compressed transcoded sources :-/


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## 60ndown (Feb 8, 2007)

podog44 said:


> Looking for opinions on who makes the best tweeters, looking for loud without getting too harsh sounding?


Zaph|Audio


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## sn95chico (May 10, 2010)

FOCAL PERIOD 

there is not a tweeter in the world as good.....................


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## kyheng (Jan 31, 2007)

Nicks84 said:


> Titanium is considered very harsh by most audiophiles, however, I will say MB Quart makes some really nice one. Now, in truth, Titanium is excellent if you have a great source (which most people don't), otherwise they will sound way too harsh as it it simple going to bring out people's overly compressed transcoded sources.


It is mainly because you never came accross a good pair of them. Next will be they crossed too low, that's another reason why you say it sound harsh. But once you cross them higher >6300Hz, it sounds better.


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## Nicks84 (Jun 30, 2010)

kyheng said:


> It is mainly because you never came accross a good pair of them. Next will be they crossed too low, that's another reason why you say it sound harsh. But once you cross them higher >6300Hz, it sounds better.


Oh, my tweeters sound fantastic. I have great ones. I do not have any issues with harsh sound. But I have heard tons of others claim the issue (not with mine, just in general). But it's usually something else that what they realize it to be.


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## Nicks84 (Jun 30, 2010)

sn95chico said:


> FOCAL PERIOD
> 
> there is not a tweeter in the world as good.....................


 Hahahaha ! I beg to differ my friend. In my humble opinion, the Utopia series is the only thing that is balls to the wall awesome. Even then, I would hardly say best. Anything from Dynaudio will sound way better than focal, and that is pretty much a fact.


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

Nicks84 said:


> Hahahaha ! I beg to differ my friend. In my humble opinion, they Utopia series is the only thing that is balls to the wall awesome. Even then, I would hardly say best. Anything from Dynaudio will sound way better than focal, and that is pretty much a fact.


The problem with the best Morel or Dynaudio is that it's BIG. Not many people are willing to fit those in the pillars (people don't even want to lose their kick space) 

Kelvin 

PS: not to mention price


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## dch828 (Jun 6, 2010)

Scanspeak air circs.


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## Nicks84 (Jun 30, 2010)

subwoofery said:


> The problem with the best Morel or Dynaudio is that it's BIG. Not many people are willing to fit those in the pillars (people don't even want to lose their kick space)
> 
> Kelvin
> 
> PS: not to mention price


I will not disagree with anything you are stating. In addition, I do not believe a price range was mentioned.


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## snaimpally (Mar 5, 2008)

Look. I'm a tweeteraholic. I've tried many a tweeter (Seas, Scanspeak, Morel, Vifa, Dynaudio etc). I think one of the best tweeters out there at any price is the Scan Speak Illuminator D2004 or D3004. I have a review posted I am pretty sure. The Scans are as good as the Seas RT27F, which I had for a while, which cost 3 times as much. For $250/pair a real bargain for top of the line tweeters. And they will fit in a car because they don't have a big flange.


If you are on a budget, the smaller XT25s at $50/pair are hard to beat. Frequency response is flat from 1khz to 40khz. They work well on-axis so look into doing tweeter pods (see the tutorial I posted).

https://www.madisound.com/store/pro...=1679&osCsid=604e9bfa3b32e213493614b150cd3c75


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## snaimpally (Mar 5, 2008)

subwoofery said:


> The problem with the best Morel or Dynaudio is that it's BIG. Not many people are willing to fit those in the pillars (people don't even want to lose their kick space)
> 
> Kelvin
> 
> PS: not to mention price


Tell me you are kidding! The Dyn MD100/MD102s are not that big. In fact, I had mine in the stock locations in my car (Stock left, Dyn on the right):










As for price, I got my Dyns for $90/pair shipped used on the forum. Perhaps you should take a look at the Classifieds section - lots of top notch tweeters selling at a fraction of their original price. I picked up Seas RT27F tweeters for $225/pair on this forum. Used Morels and Dyns show up all the time.


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## snaimpally (Mar 5, 2008)

dch828 said:


> Scanspeak air circs.


Not everyone can accomodate a large format tweeter. And Scan has smaller models more suitable for autosound available.


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

snaimpally said:


> Tell me you are kidding! The Dyn MD100/MD102s are not that big. In fact, I had mine in the stock locations in my car (Stock left, Dyn on the right):
> 
> 
> 
> ...


lol, I know the MD102 exist and having heard them, they are quite nice and mellow. But when I said "BEST", I meant Supremo and Esotar tweeters. Even the Picollo are too big for some people. 

Kelvin


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

okay, i'm just gonna say it .... HLCD


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## Mooble (Oct 21, 2007)

kyheng said:


> It is mainly because you never came accross a good pair of them. Next will be they crossed too low, that's another reason why you say it sound harsh. But once you cross them higher >6300Hz, it sounds better.


Anything will sound okay when passed above 6300Hz. There's no "music" above 6300hz, it's just noise. It's like playing a sub below 20hz (not entirely the same thing, but not a good indicator of a driver's performance). 

I can't see why anyone would spend good money on a tweeter that's only good for one octave of audible sound. I pass my tweeters at 2k with a 12 dB slope. I do need a good tweeter because they are responsible for a huge amount of the sound I hear. If you plan to pass them that high, forget about them. Spend all your money on a good mid and get a cheap $30 Seas aluminum tweeter for the ultra highs.


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## kyheng (Jan 31, 2007)

^Well, I'll have to agree with you 10% on your statements, basically. Unless my doctor proofs my ears have problem on listening >6300Hz or all my CDs are crap recordings.
Or my Pioneer DEQ-P9's manual is misleading me.
Oh, BTW, how do you define "noise"? For me, I define "noise" as something I don't like to hear or listen. Example, my boss nagging at me, that I will call it as noise.


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## podog44 (May 4, 2010)

kyheng said:


> I will get titanium tweeters...
> Anyway please define "best"....


really? alright.... that which no other can rival, in this case, the tweeter that produces a sound that is superior to all others


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## emin007 (May 7, 2010)

Hiquphon are one of the smoothest sounding tweeters you can buy!!! I've tried most of the tweeters that were mentioned in this thread and ended up with the Hiquphon OWIII gold plated series. Incredible detail with no harshness what so ever! You are going to pay over 250 or so and they are huge framed tweeters so if you have the space and the budget then these are the ones for you.


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## redcalimp5 (Sep 10, 2007)

I personally am a big fan of Rainbow's CAL27VOF silk tweeters. Very smooth, yet they are crisp and detailed at the same time.


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## jimbno1 (Apr 14, 2008)

Wow no mention of Ribbon Tweeters yet.

I have Rainbow Cal28 Scan D3004/602000, and the Alpine F1 Rev (R2904/700000 based).

I have not installed them in a vehicle yet, but listening to them this is my opinion.

The F1 is just wonderful on axis say within 15-20 deg. It is the best I have listened to. Airy and extended with great detail. But it has 2 big issues. It is huge ~3" diameter and it sucks off axis.

The Scan D3004/602000 is probably my favorite right now. It is smooth yet still has a lot of detail. Doesn't sound nearly as extended as the F1s. But it is very compact which makes install easier and it is way better off axis. Doesn't seem to mind being crossed at 2.5 KHz but I did not push it too hard yet.

The Rainbow Cal 28 is smmothness personified. Not a ton of detail but I wonder if I am getting a false sense of detail from the Scans. It just flat out disappears and does not call attention to itself. I seem to prefer the more lively and detailed sound of the Scans but I could easily live with this tweeter. Does everything well, but does not seem to stand out. Handled 2.5 KHz without any issues. Natural and smooth without calling attention to itself. And I wonder if in the long run it might be the least fatiguing and the easiest to live with. 

Are these the best? Probably not but the difference in these and the best is probably <2%. And I agree with the previous post that at ~ $250 shipped the Scan D3004 is tough to argue with.


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## eviling (Apr 14, 2010)

i like titanium, but silk is better. titanium is sharper if you ask me, but meh, i like the JBL c608gti MKII titanium tweeters, unfortuantly you can't get them out of the kit.


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