Several FullRange Philips units
Listening panel of 4 "addicts":
- Frans "Vacuum Cleaner" van Dam,
- Rob "High-end-wood" Hoogenbosch,
- Cees "Silver Express" Piet,
- myself.
Music used:
- Silje Nergaard; Japanese Blue (At first Light 014 748-2),
- Mich en Scene: J'arrive & Deux fois(Songs of Jacques Brel ctc2990322/bns01003),
- Magna Carta: Airport Song (Seasons 846 447-2) en
- Patricia Barber: Alfie (Nightclub 7243 5 27290 2 9).
Units in test:
- Philips 9762M,
- Philips 9710M,
- Philips AD12202 and
- Philips/Norelco 9762/05 (thanks Christer!)
typenumber unknown, so being referred to as "Unknown" in this test.(if anybody recognises the unit: Please let me know!)
Description of the Units:
- Philips 9762M: 30cm unit, double cone (whizzer), alnico magnet, 7ohm, plm 99dB.
- Philips 9710M: 20cm unit, double cone (whizzer), alnico magnet, 7ohm, plm 97dB.
- Philips AD12202: 30cm unit, double cone (whizzer), ferroflux magnet, 7ohm, plm 101dB
- Philips "Unknown": 30cm unit, one cone, with bakelite phase-plug mounted on chassis, alnico magneet, 7ohm, plm 99dB.
There where four sessions, each session comprised the four musicfragments. Thoughts were noted during listening (each apart). Afterwards we discussed the different units and their "sounds". Equipment used is: CyrusDiscmaster, modified CyrusDacmaster (modified analogue part only), pre-amp with Siemens Aa choke-load (Lundahl) Ultra-tone 0.1mF out, power amps with UX171A insterstage coupled (Tamura SS351) to TJ300B Mesh using Plitron OPT's (5K). Interlinks are home-made, silver-foil with cotton braid insulation and speaker cable are PHY's (pure copper/silver plated, cotton insulated).
Results:
-
9762M: This unit sounds "nosy", "tunnel-like".Lots of stage and detail with two faces: sometimes open and cleansounding, other times harsh and "tunnel-like". Also: too much highs, seems like low-end is not coming along woth the highs. Sounds maybe better in a horn or in a enclosure. Sounds a little grey.
-
Unknown: Same character as 9762M, somewhat more open, more warmth (colour) with better low-end response. Better detail than 9762M. Although at certain times highs seem to be uncontrolled and when a voice drops in, it sounds like phase-inverting. Less dynamic compared to 9762M, very relaxed sounding. Maybe this unit needs more time to break-in..
-
AD12202: This unit "may not be taken out again of the open baffle". This one has no negative sides... All it does seems to be right. Fast, transparent, extreme pinpointing, large soundstage etc...
-
9710M: The only 20cm unit in test: This one has a somewhat shifted tone-balance: the lowest base-lines are not audible. Everything is presented clean and precise. Someone even thinks that this unit is best in everything it does. The highs can be at the edge...
Conclusion:
- AD12202
- 9710M
- "Unknown"
- 9762M
Received following e-mail:
"Dear DHT_Rob,
The unit in question is also a 9762, of course without the M of the other 9762M you used in your test.
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Units in test:
* Philips 9762M,
* Philips 9710M,
* Philips AD12202 and
* Philips typenumber unknown, so being referred to as "Unknown" in this test.(if anybody recognises the unit: Please let me know!)
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It is a pitty that you couldn't use an AD5200M - the successor of the 9762M, same dimensions, same magnet, same high efficiency, but an amasingly good wideband speaker from the sixties.
Philips continued that line towards the AD12202, which was able to handle a much larger power (100W as opposed to 20W) and may well be the best driver ever made by Philips.
Greetings,
Lodie Vote.
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