Stevens SA1 25mm or CDT ES-1200iS

[spokey9]

I know I can't hear past ~12khz and don't really hear below ~30hz and I'd say my hearing is better than most. In a daily driver, I agree chasing "stats" isn't worthwhile. For competition, maybe that extension pays off.

Anything above 15khz falls off hard for me...below 30hz is hard to hear for me too but I can still feel it

 

[djdilliodon!]

Anything above 15khz falls off hard for me...below 30hz is hard to hear for me too but I can still feel it

Under 30, it’s the pressure that fills the space and makes your ears hurt is what I love . Maybe that is why I’m half deaf now

 

[Jimi77 5,000+ posts]

Under 30, it’s the pressure that fills the space and makes your ears hurt is what I love . Maybe that is why I’m half deaf now

I hate that feeling; feels like getting stabbed in the ear with a pencil to me.

 

[djdilliodon!]

I hate that feeling; feels like getting stabbed in the ear with a pencil to me.

I like that the best, I do like the notes 45 ish and up that blur the vision. Now I’m really starting to think this is why I’m half deaf .

 

[Jimi77 5,000+ posts]

I like that the best, I do like the notes 45 ish and up that blur the vision. Now I’m really starting to think this is why I’m half deaf .

Can't be good for the hearing. Glad I never got into the extreme SPL side of the hobby, so my hearing is still doing pretty good - can still tune a system by ear.

 

[djdilliodon!]

Can't be good for the hearing. Glad I never got into the extreme SPL side of the hobby, so my hearing is still doing pretty good - can still tune a system by ear.

I’ll always be an sq guy at heart it’s just I think over the years losing hearing little by little, I wanted to get louder and louder . Next setup I’m definitely going back to sealed, I miss it

 

[Jimi77 5,000+ posts]

I’ll always be an sq guy at heart it’s just I think over the years losing hearing little by little, I wanted to get louder and louder . Next setup I’m definitely going back to sealed, I miss it

I've only had one system that was ported and it just made the bass in rock n' roll sound "rappy." I guess I could have tuned super low, but then you end up with a giant enclosure.

 

[djdilliodon!]

I've only had one system that was ported and it just made the bass in rock n' roll sound "rappy." I guess I could have tuned super low, but then you end up with a giant enclosure.

Even when you tune super low you then need subs capable of getting low. These days everything that can take power uses insanely stiff suspensions making them sound like glorified midbass driver to me . In my car I built the subs to balance it as much as I can but still miss sealed. I miss the low end and just the way bass sounds in a sealed enclosure. I can also do the subs the way I like to get that type of sound I like.

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

I know I can't hear past ~12khz and don't really hear below ~30hz and I'd say my hearing is better than most. In a daily driver, I agree chasing "stats" isn't worthwhile. For competition, maybe that extension pays off.

I would argue that if both are capable of the same (meeting or exceeding that 30khz system capability) and priced within $15, why not? No harm no foul.

Seeing that the stevens is close just makes the choice a little harder actually. Then there is that pesky shipping and taxes at CDT raises the price to about $25 more than the Steven's. Anyone else see that the CDT is worth $25 more?

Seems like the consensus is that both are excellent tweeters.

 

[Clifff150 10+ year member]

I’d go Steven’s. I haven’t heard his newer stuff in person but all I see is good reviews. I’ve also been a big fan of Image Dynamics forever so I might be biased. Im thinking about grabbing a set but honestly don’t need them and I’m trying to control my addiction

 

[djdilliodon!]

I would argue that if both are capable of the same (meeting or exceeding that 30khz system capability) and priced within $15, why not? No harm no foul.

Seeing that the stevens is close just makes the choice a little harder actually. Then there is that pesky shipping and taxes at CDT raises the price to about $25 more than the Steven's. Anyone else see that the CDT is worth $25 more?

Seems like the consensus is that both are excellent tweeters.

The only way you will know which one is better for you, is to hear both for yourself. One can be built using better quality materials but that doesn’t mean it will sound better to your ears. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anything from tang band. If I ever went with budget raw drivers I always used the lpg tweeters which are really nice. I’m gonna make a crazy suggestion here, is there any way you could buy both and sell off the ones you don’t like . You may spend more doing this but you get to experience both in the same install. Back in the good old days I had a car just for this purpose. I did a lot of prototype testing for companies and when they sent me things, same install same everything and I could compare. I also would buy stuff and do this just to see what it was all about. Cost me money but what gained was worth it, i would find out exactly what my ears liked and what they didn’t.

 

[Jimi77 5,000+ posts]

Even when you tune super low you then need subs capable of getting low. These days everything that can take power uses insanely stiff suspensions making them sound like glorified midbass driver to me . In my car I built the subs to balance it as much as I can but still miss sealed. I miss the low end and just the way bass sounds in a sealed enclosure. I can also do the subs the way I like to get that type of sound I like.

It does seem like almost everything is designed to be ported. But I tend to go with lower powered substages (~500wrms), so there is more choices for sealed.

 

[Jimi77 5,000+ posts]

The only way you will know which one is better for you, is to hear both for yourself. One can be built using better quality materials but that doesn’t mean it will sound better to your ears. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anything from tang band. If I ever went with budget raw drivers I always used the lpg tweeters which are really nice. I’m gonna make a crazy suggestion here, is there any way you could buy both and sell off the ones you don’t like . You may spend more doing this but you get to experience both in the same install. Back in the good old days I had a car just for this purpose. I did a lot of prototype testing for companies and when they sent me things, same install same everything and I could compare. I also would buy stuff and do this just to see what it was all about. Cost me money but what gained was worth it, i would find out exactly what my ears liked and what they didn’t.

Wait, now we have to have a "spare" car for testing.... Damn this hobby is expensive.

 

[djdilliodon!]

Wait, now we have to have a "spare" car for testing.... Damn this hobby is expensive.

I use to . It was a Nissan Sentra I used just to do this stuff. I rarely even drove the thing cause I hated it . I did alot of prototype testing so I needed it but I also got a ton of free stuff cause of that so it was worth it .

 

[Doxquzme Premium Member]

The only way you will know which one is better for you, is to hear both for yourself. One can be built using better quality materials but that doesn’t mean it will sound better to your ears. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anything from tang band. If I ever went with budget raw drivers I always used the lpg tweeters which are really nice. I’m gonna make a crazy suggestion here, is there any way you could buy both and sell off the ones you don’t like . You may spend more doing this but you get to experience both in the same install. Back in the good old days I had a car just for this purpose. I did a lot of prototype testing for companies and when they sent me things, same install same everything and I could compare. I also would buy stuff and do this just to see what it was all about. Cost me money but what gained was worth it, i would find out exactly what my ears liked and what they didn’t.

Well, pretty sure I'll like them both, but yeah, getting both would solve that always naggin "what if" in the back of the mind. It might come down to the mounting depth and not wanting to add an additional 1/4" spacer. Can't hear esthetics but...