# CDT 07 RE XXX and Seas G18RNX/P Review



## npdang (Jul 29, 2005)

CDT 07 - Lightest driver out of the three. Cast frame has a cheap, plasticky feel to it. Pole vent in the rear, no venting under the spider. Claims to have a copper faraday ring atop the pole piece. Straight profile fiberglass cone, with a soft, dome shaped poly dustcap. This driver has very noticeably the least amount of physical excursion, but is a good ~3mm shorter than the Seas G18RNX/P. (Driver provided courtesy of Ken)

RE XXX - Heavy driver. Cast frame feels like a heavy aluminum cooking pot. Huge tapered chrome top plate. Ventilation under the spider. Rear pole vent. A good amount of physical excursion, but surprisingly seems a tad bit under the Seas G18. Soft poly cone with inverted poly dustcap, feels like tupperware. Would be nice to see more than 4 mounting holes for such a heavy driver. Depth is a good 10mm+ or more than both the other drivers. Don't drop this one on your foot.

Seas G18RNX/P - Very solid, heavy open cast basket with wide open ventilation under the spider and rear pole vent with bumped backplate. Without bump on the backplate this would be the shortest depth driver. Physical excursion is the best of the three. Straight profile fiberglass cone with hard plastic phaseplug. Would be nice to see copper, but only on the Excel I guess  8 mounting holes on the frame, vs. 6 for the CDT and 4 for the RE. 

How do they sound? I'm still listening.... I will say this though. My first impression is that NONE of them can touch the Seas W18 Excel 

The CDT and the Seas G18RNX sound identical to me. Which is to say pretty good. Not the absolute best midrange like what you'd expect from a stiff cone driver with a top notch motor, but definitely at the top of the class with respect to conventional overhung drivers. Sound was lively, fairly open, smooth, and without hint of cone breakup or coloration. And btw, the Seas just killed the CDT's in mid/bass. Although they were fairly punchy, they began to show definite signs of strain well before the Seas. Also, with about half the power available the 8ohm Seas driver was roughly about the same loudness and headroom as the CDT.

The XXX was the worst performer of the bunch. Good bass, just perhaps a bit less than the Seas. Tonally very good in that respect, as least for IB door applications. Midrange sounded much like a Hi-Vi poly cone I tested earlier this year... which is to say not that great. Details were very "mushy" and confused sounding, and overall "congested".

Here are the frequency response plots. Keep in mind that the nearfield response is only good up to 500hz, and the farfield plots are good only down to 500hz. The idea behind this is to measure the driver very close to the cone, where the driver's own response won't be affected by the room or baffle. However, it's only useful up until a certain frequency (4311hz / driver diameter in inches per D'appolito). The farfield response is taken at 1m away and gated... that is information recorded beyond a set amount of time is disregarded... that keeps room reflections from interfering with your measurements. Merging both the nearfield and farfield plots therefore gives you a reasonably accurate overall frequency response measurement.

Note - 1/3rd octave smoothing applied

Measurements include spreading loss (drop in response below 1khz, due to mounting on a small baffle)


























Comparison of relative efficiency:










I'd say they're more or less the same, with perhaps the CDT being slightly more efficient.

Waterfall plot:










Distortion:

Scale is 10db per line. I don't know the drive voltage or actual dbspl. Taken at 1m, decently loud. (Save the pics and zoom in to distinguish better)










At 80hz the XXX leads, followed closely by the Seas G18, and lastly the CDT07 which has a significant amount of higher order products.










At 200hz, the Seas G18 has significantly higher 2nd order distortion, but otherwise very low on higher order distortion. XXX has lower 2nd order, but more serious higher order distortion. CDT07 just performed terribly with significant 3rd, 4th, and 5th order distortion. I'd have to rank from best to worst Seas, XXX, and CDT.










800hz is really a tie. XXX has higher 2nd order distortion, but lower 3rd. Seas G18 has pretty decent results all around. Cdt did OK as well. No real winner here.

Listening with just pure sine waves, I prefer XXX < 1khz, Seas above 1khz, and CDT not at all. CDT showed the most obvious coloration with test tones. XXX above 1khz began to sound "shrill" and raspy, otherwise good performance.

I also did a high power sine sweep from 20hz to 80hz. Significant rubb and buzz with the XXX. Driver was nowhere near xmax at ~60hz, and the thing was buzzing like an angry bee's nest. CDT was bad too, but not nearly as bad as the XXX. Seas showed poor performance, but was the quietest of the 3 by a noticeable amount.


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## newtitan (Mar 7, 2005)

hmm I cant wait to see this review especially with all the test equipment you have 

Ive owned two of the three 

and I swear man I need to hear on of these darn seas drivers lol 

all I can fit now would be the little one the little w12 since im 3 wayd now


one day


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## daitrong (May 12, 2005)

*Re: Quick Impressions of several popular 7" mids*



npdang said:


> My first impression is that NONE of them can touch the Seas W18 Excel


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## tokyofist (Jun 16, 2005)

*Re: Quick Impressions of several popular 7" mids*



npdang said:


> 8 mounting holes on the frame, vs. 6 for the CDT and 4 for the RE.


is it just me, or are there only 6 on the seas :?:


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## MIAaron (May 10, 2005)

^^^It's called the dewalt mod. :mrgreen:


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## npdang (Jul 29, 2005)

I never learned to count


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## 10K2HVN (Mar 8, 2005)

npdang said:


> I never learned to count


lol! :lol: 

Npdang needs a break.. :wink: 

This thread is a TEASE!  

looking forward for more.......


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## Stupify (May 30, 2005)

How much power are you giving the 07's


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## Derek (Jun 4, 2005)

those 07's honestly look like cheap crap for as expensive as they are....


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## 10K2HVN (Mar 8, 2005)

Derek said:


> those 07's honestly look like cheap crap for as expensive as they are....


lol..almost as bad as Adire drivers..!?


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## ksin291 (May 25, 2005)

Derek said:


> those 07's honestly look like cheap crap for as expensive as they are....


Honestly I don't feel that they are cheap at all and to tell you the truth I think that the XXX's feel cheaper. Yes I have owned both and to me the XXX mid's just did not live up to the hype. For the price that RE is charging I expected the mid to have a sturdier look and feel to it. Not to mention that it's a beast to work with, freaking thing is huge, heavy and deep. I'm going to have to try one of the Seas driver eventually but I'm pretty happy with the 07's now. BTW the set that npdang is testing is mine, there an extra set.


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## racerraul (Jun 8, 2005)

10K2HVN said:


> Derek said:
> 
> 
> > those 07's honestly look like cheap crap for as expensive as they are....
> ...


:thumbsup:  :thumbsup:

Come on guys... if you have not priced the cost of orange paint lately, then you have no room to comment... :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:


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## Stupify (May 30, 2005)

ksin291 said:


> Derek said:
> 
> 
> > those 07's honestly look like cheap crap for as expensive as they are....
> ...


You should install all 4 of them. Then you would have some crazy midbass


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## 99StangGT (Jun 12, 2005)

ksin291 said:


> Derek said:
> 
> 
> > those 07's honestly look like cheap crap for as expensive as they are....
> ...


I agree with ksin on those XXXs.


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## newtitan (Mar 7, 2005)

me three  on the XXX's--I had similiar feelings about them


I really liked them when I first got them in, but after listening and tuning for awhile I was left with a lacking feeling to them in the midrange. I kept wanting the soudn of the k2p mid and they werent doing ti, 

then i got the 07's ................

I dont know guys the orange paint on the 07's is a little blah, but IMO the overall construction is top notch 

they sound sweeeet if you ask me (SUUURE wish I could have found some 04's the 5")

but yes I know I need to tyr the seas drivers---soon lol

I bet if they priced the 2-way at 500 (400 online) and the way at 700 (600 online)

folks would be jumping all over them and CDT would REALLY change their companies SQ image website suggested retail is utterly ridiculous for any speaker


but this is DIY, anything over 60 buckes per driver is sacriledge
:lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Kali77 (May 28, 2005)

Thanks for all the great reviews :wink:


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## Stupify (May 30, 2005)

npdang just wondering how many watts is each speaker getting?


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## 10K2HVN (Mar 8, 2005)

Bump for the new graphs!

Looks like the CDT 07 and SEAS G18RNX are very similar!

..but with the lower price and better bass response, the G18 seems like a clear winner... 

^edit: ..or _perhaps_ i spoke too soon.. we should wait for distortion graphs tomorrow..


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## ksin291 (May 25, 2005)

You know I'm just goint to have to order a pair of SEAS G18RNX's. If they kill the 07's in mid bass then I have to hear them. My 07's put out a ridiculous amount of midbass in my door's so I'm curious on what the SEAS will do.


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## npdang (Jul 29, 2005)

Updated with more data.


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## newtitan (Mar 7, 2005)

I dont get it, since that g18 is a "older model" right ?? wonder why they stopped making them

man I wish they had a 8" midbass and a 11-13cm midrange


[or maybe I surry hurry the heck up and finish my doors/pillars to get the vifa pl's and peerless xls in before I start going off to think about new stuff already lol]


those things sound awesome

I really dug the 07's in subjective tests( for me they were waaay better than the XXX and anyting else I have had so far), but it seems overall that the g18 is the better woofer

hmmmm


very very interesting


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## 10K2HVN (Mar 8, 2005)

i remember my friend was looking into the older ones too..

the older ones were Excel-class drivers (pretty copper everywhere!)...


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## npdang (Jul 29, 2005)

I miss those mids... they were very nice! My dream speaker would be a Focal utopia w cone with Seas motor... sigh


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## Drumah (May 18, 2005)

Now all you need to do is test the Extrwemis :wink:


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## 300Z (Mar 20, 2005)

npdang said:


> I miss those mids... they were very nice! My dream speaker would be a Focal utopia w cone with Seas motor... sigh


I thought you said the motor on the Dayton RS was better than the Seas Excel and the Excel had the better cone... or am i delusional...  :?: if i'm correct, why would you want the Seas motor instead of the Dayton?

Leo


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## 300Z (Mar 20, 2005)

Drumah said:


> Now all you need to do is test the Extrwemis :wink:


The Extremis has already been tested...


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## npdang (Jul 29, 2005)

300Z said:


> npdang said:
> 
> 
> > I miss those mids... they were very nice! My dream speaker would be a Focal utopia w cone with Seas motor... sigh
> ...


I don't remember saying that? Although they should be quite similar. I have the most experience with the 5", and I did prefer the w15 excel to that one. The 8" though I've heard is better than the w22.


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## npdang (Jul 29, 2005)

300Z said:


> Drumah said:
> 
> 
> > Now all you need to do is test the Extrwemis :wink:
> ...


It can be tested again...  I'm actually looking at it right now and debating lol.


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## Derek (Jun 4, 2005)

npdang said:


> 300Z said:
> 
> 
> > Drumah said:
> ...


i just finished my extremis/morel center channel for HT.....sucker needs some power.....but that thing can dig down deep....


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## 300Z (Mar 20, 2005)

Why use the extremis for a center channel? I would think you can do better since the center channel wouldnt benefit from the low end and displacement the extremis have... i would have put more effort on something with better midrange perhaps...

Leo


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## Derek (Jun 4, 2005)

300Z said:


> Why use the extremis for a center channel? I would think you can do better since the center channel wouldnt benefit from the low end and displacement the extremis have... i would have put more effort on something with better midrange perhaps...
> 
> Leo


because i had it laying around, and dan designed the crossover for free for me....

my only complaint so far is the efficiency....just need a larger mono for it...


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## daitrong (May 12, 2005)

300Z said:


> npdang said:
> 
> 
> > I miss those mids... they were very nice! My dream speaker would be a Focal utopia w cone with Seas motor... sigh
> ...


i beleive that was Mr Ds-21 who said that the Dayton ref motor was better than the basic Seas line motor... i don't think they beat out the Excel line.


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2005)

Seas Excel : copper above & below pole piece, to reduce inductance & improve linearity

Seas Basic : no copper

Dayton RS : has copper ... don't know where (in relation to pole), how much


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## npdang (Jul 29, 2005)

werewolf said:


> Seas Excel : copper above & below pole piece, to reduce inductance & improve linearity
> 
> Seas Basic : no copper
> 
> Dayton RS : has copper ... don't know where (in relation to pole), how much


Stole this one from Vinh


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## ahboy (Jul 20, 2005)

Great review npdang, big clap. I will try out the 18rnx n later to excel. Thanks for ur advice bro.

regards,
ahboy


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## hzfreq (Jul 5, 2005)

300Z said:


> Why use the extremis for a center channel? I would think you can do better since the center channel wouldnt benefit from the low end and displacement the extremis have... i would have put more effort on something with better midrange perhaps...
> 
> Leo


I think the exact opposite. my home theatre does benefit form the low end extension the center channel is crossed over between 40-50hz and up.there is alot of low stuff in the center channel and my set up sounds F'n awesome


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## MIAaron (May 10, 2005)

^^^I agree. A very large amount of information goes through the center channel. Unless you have a sub for each channel, your center channel needs to cover the same spectrum as your mains. Otherwise you have a gap from the sub xover to where the center channel comes in, and it is right smack dab in the middle of your sound stage.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

bump for the real info


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