Vendor guidelines - Audax:

Since starting the LDSG, Audax has completely revamped its driver lines. This change has come on the heels of numerous enhancement's in Audax's technology. For one thing, the HD-A cone material now appears to be more completely tamed and now truly represents the top of the Audax line. Long time LDSG readers may recall how HD-A had been considered a problematic technology with breakup modes comparable to some metal cones. The TPX and Kevlar cone materials seem to have been completely dropped, and there are also fewer of their woven carbon fiber cones in evidence. Also significant is that Audax has in many cases gone from straight-sided cones to curved cone profiles.

Audax's measuring methodology has apprently also been revised, with the current published data and curves being much more indicative of performance than using their previous techniques. Again, long time LDSG readers may well recall complaints that Audax's drivers often didn't meet spec (or rather, their spec du jour) and the FR graphs showed a variety of bizarre shapes which often bore little relation to the perceived sound of the driver.

Even chassis and baskets have been changed. The odler HD series now is represented by only a few drivers. The first new chassis to supplant these was the AP series, using polymer (plastic) chassis. To these has been added new die-cast metal chasis in the shielded AM series.

Their tweeter lines have remained mostly unchanged since the introduction of the highly praised TM series.

Current Audax drivers receiving recommendations include:

1. TM025F1 shielded 1" fabric dome tweeter. Although the Xmax looks too small on paper, here's what one highly respected respondent stated, "The Audax TM025F1 tweeter is a phenomenal shielded tweeter! I'd highly recommend it - $19.10 from Madisound, very well shielded, and quite smooth (the pair I have measure +/- 2.2 dB from 2 kHz to 20 kHz). Capable of quite a bit of output, too. view response waterfall
2. TM025F7 shielded 1" titanium dome tweeter. A close cousin to the TM025F1, this metal dome unit is identical in most significant respects. view response waterfall
3. HM130C0, a 5.25" woven carbon fiber mid/bass. This driver was used as a midrange in the highly regarded Von Schweikert Research speakers. view response
4. HM170C0, a 6.5" woven carbon fiber mid/bass. More expensive than its paper-coned cousin, this was praised by one respondent as offering, "The best midbass sound I've heard. Really warm and full." Certainly, it offers some of the cleanest high end extension (to ~5 kHz) of any 6.5" driver. view response
5. HM100Z2, an 4" HD-A cone mid/bass. This new 4" has been recommended by several people and is clearly indicative of Audax's accomplishments in taming the HD-A cone material. Also available shielded as the AM100Z0, arguably the best multimedia driver on the market. HM100Z2 view AM100Z0 view response
6. HM170Z18, a 6.5" HD-A cone mid/bass. As with 4" HD-A drivers, this 18th generation 6.5" suffers few of the FR problems of its predecessors. Also available shielded as the AM170Z2. HM170z18 view aM170z2 view response
7. HM210Z12, an 8" HD-A cone mid/bass. The 210Zx drivers were always among Audax's best behaved with HD-A cones, and the model 12 keeps on improving the breed. Also available shielded as the AM210Z2. HM210Z12 view AM210Z2 view response