Until now, those men among speaker men have used drive-units from Lowther, Fostex, and the like. But a press release I received from SEAS a few days back indicates that the Norwegian OEM manufacturer, until now best-known for its high-tech conventional drive-units, is entering the full-range fray. Its new Exotic F8 X1-04 is optimized for full-range use. The low-mass paper cone, mounted in a 8", low-profile, diecast chassis, is impregnated with papyrus fibers to add stiffness and is fitted with a "whizzer" cone to extend the response to above 10kHz. An alnico ring magnet weighing 28 ounces (0.8kg) provides the motive force, and a copper ring on the pole-piece reduces distortion.
Key to the new design, says, SEAS, is a radically new suspension spider, made from an open-weave material impregnated with a new resin formulation, which is said to be quieter and more acoustically transparent to the cone's backwave. The half-roll surround is formed from foam rubber, to reduce mass, optimize damping, and increase sensitivity.
Details from www.seas.no. But I think I will ask Lowther Lover Art Dudley to get a pair of the new SEAS units to write about in his "Listening" column.
