Can you actually find an Exclusive 5"? Most of the Exclusive line is now discontinued, so finding them can be a major biatch (I gave up looking for the Exclusive 4").

I'd go the HDS 5" out of those. 30 deg off axis they show a nice smooth response up to just under 2.5k, at which point it starts to lightly drop off. The Exclusive plays flat to 2.5k, after which there is a soft rise. I think the drop would be more tuner-friendly then the rise, so personally I'd go the HDS.

Must it be a 5" though? For dedicated midrange duties, I'd be going for a HDS 4" over all of them.

i been speaking to matt and with my car the 5 with have more dynamics......i had 4" focal's and they not even seem like they were there.

id love to stick with 4" just cause they smaller but a 5.25 would sound nice i think:)
and the exclusive 5" sounds like a good pick. cheaper then the revs

also what hds is it....

poly or nomex or sandwitch phase plug

I'll chuck a couple more in,
Seas CA15RLY http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF/seas/h1216.pdf just under $70 USD this is actually a woofer 10mm linear xmax
Seas MCA15RCY http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF/seas/h1262.pdf just under $70 USD and this seas claim as a midrange 3.4m linear xmax
and then there is the Nextel cone Seas excel driver a 5" and 5.5" $160 and $150 USD
http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF/seas/e0044.pdf
http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF/seas/e0041.pdf

The thing about Seas is there response graphs are probably the most revealing and in most cases the drivers are measured in a box close to what there final useage size would be so you get to see how they'll respond real world in an enclosure vs just free air. They also don't smooth out any baffle step response.

Why on earth would the 5" have more dynamics??? :S

The 4" plays flatter, higher. It'll play smooth as hell up to 5khz if you get the angles right, while the 5" starts losing compusure above 2khz. The better extension on the 4" allows you to cross your mids (and thus your tweeter) hgher which means your tweeters will play cleaner (less distortion) and longer (increased power handling) while also potentially improving imaging and blending by permitting your mids to handle a greater degree of information (via higher crossover point, where youre ears aren't quite as sensitive). I'd also be willing to bet that the 4" will have better midrange distortion characteristics then the 5" versions as well.

The only advantages I can possibly see in the 5" is that it will play slightly cleaner in the lower midbass (<250hz) and be slightly more senstive (by maybe 1dB, which is insignificant). I don't understand how these will benifit you in the intended application though.

As for the Scanspeak 5", I'd agree with you that it's not worth it. I'm probably one of the few people who have owned the Revelators, HDS and Exclusives (or at least my brother had the Exclusives). I've heard the Exclusive 7" back to back with the Revelator 7", and can tell you right away that the Peerless has a cleaner, more defined, and less coloured midrange. The same will be the case for the 5" versions, and I'd be confident to say the 4" HDS would slaughter both in midrange. Hell the 4" Exclusive would be better again, but these are pretty much impossible to find now days.

As a midbass driver different story - the Revelators slaughter the HDS mids in the bottom end, playing lower, stronger, and with less distortion. You aren't using them for midbass though, so that's really not of any benefit to you (not if you have to sacrifice midrange to get it).

Don't get me wrong, they are all truly brilliant drivers and I'm sure you'll be impressed either way, I just think (with high confidence) that the 4" Peerless will sound the best of all in your application.

thats what will be on order 2moro....exclusive 4"
i hope:)

Just for you muzzy. got this email about the exclusives



Hi Matt

Peerless P831882 72.50EA +GST
They are the 4" Exclusives and they are in stock

I'm gessing thats through WES, a lot of people forget about the local suppliers, they go straight to the big name suppliers OS and forget the Aussie importers or smaller groups, which really when your looking for rarer bits these are the first places you should go because they turn over much less stock so tend to have a lot of old stock lying around which most places sold out of a while back. Another company worth looking at for rarer drivers is www.speakerbits.com , they tend to have alot of older drivers in stock.

they had the sls in stock to....if muzzy wants some he should let me know:)

Best off to call WES also, because they often have it omitted from the catalogue also.

That better be a quip, because if its a serious toned response, I honestly dont understand how anyone can take you seriously. That is the most uninformed and ridiculous statement I've ever seen.


Getting angles right, to give you smooth extension? What angles? Aiming? WTF?! Response in a car is environmentally related. Changing aiming angles will not result in a smoother response, for either unit.

When it comes to crossover points, blending is more effective at lower points, not higher ones. Power response due to beaming will make it pretty much impossible at higher points, unless you utilise waveguides. Higher points will mean you get point source imaging, but in Keepitreals car, that will be a secondary metric.

There is more to acoustics then reading a squiggle on a white background.

yo matt ill never toss your opinion aside mate.......relax.

i am the man....peerless exclusive drivers are on there way to me