From TalkBass Wiki
Any of these small/mid-sized Waveguides will represent treble more accurately than conventional horn flares and "bullets" found in commercial bass cabs - and surpass what's heard in a lot of otherwise nice club PA boxes as well (though more SR companies daily are doing waveguides because of their advantages).
First, the JBL PT-B99HF-1, part number 364914-001 - $12.50 shipped:
This is by far my favorite. It's 6" x 6", has a 90° x 90° dispersion pattern. That means that it spreads the same tonal content you'd hear directly in front of it over a very wide, controlled vertical and horizontal area. It also closely matches the dispersion pattern of a cone driver. Very natural and detailed, yet it can be as loud as you want it without brittle harshness. With even a mid-quality compression driver on it it sounds like a million bucks. It's heavenly for lovers of sheen, yet sizzle is easy to come by if it's there to begin with. Especially for enclosures that are short and on the floor, this is the best choice.
Next, the 18 Sound XD125, available at LoudspeakersPlus:
This one measures about 8" wide by 6" tall and looks ultra-sexy dead-on. I haven't heard this one, but a real pro who's worked with all of these assures me it's in the same league as the others here, and I've seen graphs that seem to indicate this. It's kind of a sweetheart deal because it's available with an exceptional compression driver on it for a good price (or without, if desired). Its pattern is 60° vertical so you'll need to be a bit further out from the enclosure to hear every bit of the treble. Like the JBL it features a 90° horizontal pattern.
Last, the H07E 6" x 6" Elliptical Waveguide:
This one also sounds incredible. When I got one Dayton/Parts Express was still selling old stock that was 7" x 7" at the same time they were shipping new units that were 6" x 6". But they appear to be done with that. It's got a tighter vertical pattern (50°) so you can not hear the same balance of treble if you are too close and too far above. But a little further out and it represents very nicely indeed! The horizontal is also a little narrower at 80°, but that's still fairly wide. Passinwind and xbassmanx have this one.
To summarize, these Waveguides trounce just about anything around and are so affordable that there is no good reason to settle for conventional horn flares - most of which are considerably more expensive anyway.
[edit] Compression Drivers for JBL PT-B99HF-1 or Dayton HO7E Waveguides
Use 8-ohm "screw-on" drivers. Shown in order of increasing cost, and usually SPL. Until you get into two-woofer cabs SPL is of little consequence since all are sensitive and efficient enough so don't use sensitivity as an indicator of good sound quality or matched output potential:
- P.Audio BM-D26S
- Eminence ASD:1001
- Selenium D220Ti-8 - for 1515/66 this is preferable to the above drivers if you want matched output (some don't; if so the BM-D26S or ASD:1001 will be nicer than what is found in commercial bass enclosures)
For even better audio quality and a little weight savings, but mainly of interest when using lower crossover points than the LeJeune highpass:
For the best quality possible look to these annular-ring drivers which use mylar diaphragms for a more natural extension without harshness that titanium is often prone to. Smaller and lighter than any alternatives due to neodymium magnet structure and annular ring structuring, they also reach above 20KHz which sounds beautifully detailed.
- BMS 4540ND
- JBL 2407H (JBL-licensed equivalent to BMS 4540ND; I found mine on eBay for $62.50 shipped)
[edit] Compresssion Driver for 18 Sound XT120 Waveguide
Use 8-ohm bolt-on drivers. The most excellent 18 Sound HD125 can be purchased along with the XT120 waveguide, a bargain package called the XD125. This combination is not for fEarful 12/6 or 12/6cube due to baffle restrictions.
HD125 datasheet
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