# Dayton RS180 + Seas 27TAFNC/G



## X Ray (Oct 29, 2007)

I've been playing with this combo in my apartment for a little over a week now. I can't find my jigsaw, so I haven't been able to make the adapters/spacers for the Daytons to fit in my car doors yet. 

To give you an idea of what I normally listen to, I have a 4000 Watt PA system in my apartment. Two 18" JBL subs. Two 15" Differential Drive JBL mids. Two ring radiator JBL horns. I've basically disconnected the pro audio drivers, and hooked up the Dayton's and Seas tweets. The amp that normally would power the subs is powering the Daytons. The amp that pushed the 15" mids and horns is pushing the Seas tweets.

It should be obvious that they're receiving STUPID amounts of power! I'm using rack mounted pro audio amplifiers to push them, so I have to be VERY careful. All drivers are wired to receive somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 watts RMS each. 

Crossed at 2K 24db per octave slopes (haven't experimented here at all)

I do have an older Behringer 31 band digital EQ, but haven't used it. I'm just using the 4 band parametric EQ in my Behringer digital mixer. 

So after EQ'ing the crap out of them for about a week and a half, I can say that I'm VERY happy with them. 

*My experience: (Keep in mind, this is in my apartment. This could all change in my car)

1) Low end is strong. No complaints here.
2) Low midrange is lacking in terms of output. I had to boost the crap out of the 150 hz to 550 hz range. 
3) Clarity is GREAT!! I love how clean and detailed they sound. This is a HUGE plus for me.
4) The tweets are crisp and clean yet not harsh like my MB Quarts.
5) No noticeable issues when crossed at 2K 24db.

Pros: Great low end. Incredibly clean sounding. AMAZING value for the money.

Cons: Low midrange is lacking. Total output isn't as loud as I like. *

I'll give another review when I get them in the car. This will give me a much better idea of how they sound against the Quarts that are currently in my car.


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## kappa546 (Apr 11, 2005)

This thread is worthless without pics! i want to see the JBL's


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## kappa546 (Apr 11, 2005)

double post


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## GenPac (Oct 29, 2007)

2 - 18s and 4kw in an apartment?  Your neighbors must love you! I am considering the RS180s for 63-200Hz duty... sounds like they might need a bump towards the higher side of that range. Very interested to hear your thoughts on them once in the car environment!


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## X Ray (Oct 29, 2007)

kappa546 said:


> This thread is worthless without pics! i want to see the JBL's


Hahahha!! At first glance, I thought someone was calling BS. I'm actually kinda surprised no one has.

Here's an old one from the last apartment I was in. This is a cropped pic of all the furniture pushed over to one side of the living room when the plumbing backed up in the kitchen, and flooded the apartment. 










The rackmount equipment on top of the subs are from top to bottom:
Carvin 3-way 24db per octave crossover
Behringer 31 band digital EQ, 6 band parametric, Time Alignment, RTA, etc...
Behringer 2400 watt amp
American Audio 1500 watt amp

If you look at the floor just in front of the subs, you can see the mixer.
It's a Behringer DDX3216


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## Dr.Telepathy SQ (Nov 17, 2007)

X Ray said:


> Hahahha!! At first glance, I thought someone was calling BS. I'm actually kinda surprised no one has.
> 
> Here's an old one from the last apartment I was in. This is a cropped pic of all the furniture pushed over to one side of the living room when the plumbing backed up in the kitchen, and flooded the apartment.
> 
> ...


If I need to move into an apt at any point, remind me not to move close to you


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Wait till you get the RS180's in the car, I imagine you won't have that lack of lower mids. 

Remember, you are used to a driver that can create a substantial amount of energy in that region


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## 300Z (Mar 20, 2005)

GenPac said:


> I am considering the RS180s for 63-200Hz duty...


I would look into something else if you only need a driver to play midbass.
I have used the RS180's for a long time (in fact I think I was the first to get it) and while they sound great in the midrange I don't really care about them for anything below ~300hz.

Look into into the Peerless SLS 7 for midbass instead.

Leo


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## X Ray (Oct 29, 2007)

*Re: Dayton RS180 + Seas 27TAFNC/G+Dayton HO 10"*

Ok guys. I'm reviving an old dead thread. 

Because of our current economy fiasco, I've been very low on cash for the past year and a half. I've finally ordered my sub, so this stereo install will get finished very soon. I've been running the RS180's and Seas neo's off the factory deck. They're crossed over with some old Eclipse passive crossovers, and it sounds horrible.  But hey, what can I expect? The crossover frequency is way to high, and I don't even have the passive notch filters hooked up yet to keep the Dayton's from misbehaving. This is obviously FAR from optimal. 

MISSION STATEMENT for this install: 

*I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to change the appearance of my Jag's factory interior. NO aftermarket deck in the dash. NO modification of the door panels. NO aftermarket ANYTHING will be visible ANYWHERE other than in the trunk.* Being I can't go "all out", I refused to spend alot of money if I have to start from the get go with compromises. This is why I've chosen a simple, and inexpensive 3 way setup. 

The Dayton RS180's sound incredible when used properly in a home stereo. I'll go as far as saying that this is the best mid/woofer I've ever heard in a home stereo. They fit easily in my doors with the addition of a simple 3/4" MDF spacer. The spacer is required anyway for the RS180's to clear my windows. The RS180's were on sale for $28 each through PE. 

The Seas 27TAFNC/G has good harmonic distortion performance, is small, can easily play down to 2000 Hz, and is cheap. This made it an obvious choice for this install. It's hard to find small tweets that can play low, which is absolutely necessary if using an aluminum or magnesium midrange. 

LISTENING IMPRESSIONS: Keep in mind, this is with the factory deck, and some passive crossovers designed for a different set of speakers.

RS180 : It's apparent that the RS180's don't like to work in an IB (car door) type setup. The midbass is lacking. My old MB Quarts spank them in the midbass department. So with a little investigation, I realized that the Quarts sound horrible when mounted in the ported enclosures that the Daytons sound fantastic in. It's obvious that the MB Quarts were specifically designed to work in a car door, while the Daytons were not. 

27TANFC'G : The response in my car is bad. Some serious EQ work is required.

I'll post some pics tonight if possible. I'll keep you guys updated.


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