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Hiquphon is a boutique manufacturer of OEM 3/4" dome tweeters and custom air core
inductors. Like Skaaning, this is a labor of love for one dedicated and talented
designer. Unlike Skaaning, Hiquphon's tweeters are priced within the reach of the
average DIY'er. Despite being an OEM selling to such prestigious high-end vendors
such as Fried and ProAc, Hiquphon does offer a limited number of "standard"
tweeters. Each model comes in matched (+/- 0.5 dB) pairs with individual (and
extremely accurate) curves and design data for each driver. Common characteristics
include an outrageously high 0.9 mm Xmax (2.2 mm pk-pk physical excursion), 8 ohm
impedance, and advertised distortion under 0.2%. Bucking current practice, but
similar to the Scan-Speak Revelator, Hiquphon eschews the use of ferrofluid.
- The OWI (D2094-8708-03) is a
lower sensitivity (87 dB/W/m) tweeter with, quite literally, ruler flat response
on-axis from 2 kHz out past 20 kHz. Response at 20 kHz is only 5 dB down at 30
degrees off-axis. The design goal of the OWI is extreme smoothness and
listenability.
response
waterfall
- The OWII (D2094-9008-03) has
slightly higher sensitivity (90 dB/W/m) than the OWI with slightly less flat
response. This is deliberate. A small "shelf" in the response from 2-5
kHz is designed to complement midrange or bid/bass drivers with a slightly
rising high end response. Even with this FR contouring, for any other tweeter,
this would considered excellent performance! Off-axis Performance is actually
better than the OWI, being only 3 dB down at 20 kHz. The design goal of the OWII
is analytically precise transient response.
response
waterfall
- The OWIII (D2094-8908-G3) "gold
dome" tweeter is essentially the OWII with a gold dome. Modified versions of
this unit can be ordered to match the Bud Fried designs, including the use of
ferrofluid.
| Note: |
The Hiquphon OW I/II/III, along with the
AccutonC223/6,
Human 002,
Scan-Speak R2904/7000,
Morel MDM33, and the
Alison Acoustics 4010203
(available only as a replacement part for Allison loudspeakers) are
considered by many to be the ultimate electrodynamic tweeters.
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