A question we get asked often from those inquiring about PSE-144 is this:
'Can I use my own drivers?'
Often it's put this way:
'What is the price of PSE-144 if I supply my own drivers?'
This post is my answer to that question that keeps coming up.
About the drivers used
The drivers included in the kit are not available for separate purchase. They are included in the product as they perform better than the alternatives that people are likely to have in mind. They are purchased in large quantities and attract a better price than a single customer could purchase off the shelf. It's more than likely that if you are considering DIY favourites like B&C, BMS, JBL that we have actually tested the driver you are considering or something similar.
CD: CD144-08K
The high frequency compression driver matches a 44mm diaphragm to a 25mm exit. The kapton diaphragm achieves an ideal combination of damping and high frequency extension. This driver is carefully matched to the horn.
The vast majority of compression drivers fail to meet out standards and requirements. Setting aside specific requirements to match our horn, many of them cause listener fatigue and lack treble extension and detail. This speaker is designed to perform well with good quality solid state or valve amplification. There is no requirement to tame the sound with a mellow sounding amplifier.
Midrange: M425-08P
The mounting holes on this driver are machined into the horn baffles. For this reason alone, it's a problem to use other drivers as they are not likely to fit. The horn also has a mounting ring that precisely fits the driver.
The small matter of the crossover
Assuming that you are actually able to find drivers that will fit, an even bigger problem emerges - the crossover. Using your own drivers means that you are paying for a set of parts and developing your own crossover. Most DIY enthusiasts intending to "whip up their own crossover" have no idea about the size of the challenge they are taking on. It's an advanced design challenge and it's unlikely that most who are considering taking it on will actually appreciate all that they need to know in order to do it right.
When you buy PSE-144, you aren't getting a series of parts. You are getting a well resolved product with years of development behind it. We understand the horn itself is a highly desirable one and many want to take this on as a DIY project but we don't recommend changing the drivers.
"Can you redesign the crossover for my drivers?"
If you have drivers that have the potential to work in this horn, we may consider this on a case by case basis. This would firstly involve a fee to test your drivers to ensure they have a chance of working. If they pass initial testing there would be a design fee to develop a crossover for your specific drivers. You would need to be ready to pay significantly more than the normal price, without promise of better performance.
"Can I buy the horn without the drivers?"
Yes, but you will need more than just the horn shell. PSE-144 includes a custom machined CD mounting plate, without which you will not be able to mount the tweeter. The plate is machined to keep the throat smooth. It also includes fixing points for the custom machined aluminium stand.
The horn itself is a work of art, nothing like other horn shells available. It has a smooth durable gel coat finish on all sides - including the rear. Where the mids mount to the horn, it is filled with foam that provides mechanical damping. Where the CD plate mounts to the throat, cap screws fix it into metal inserts that have been embedded into the horn.
The price without drivers is not much less than buying complete.
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