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Mark Audio Alpair 12P
I had a look through the PE Board and changed over to MAC/DIY. Almost everyone is here!
I've started a full range science project that may interest some.
During the 2025 InDIYana, we chatted a bit about FR drivers as they were they were part of the theme.
So I purchased some Alpair 12P's to play with from Mad.
This project has several goals.
1.) Do the full Mark Audio break-in and see if they sound better afterwards.
1a.) My opinion says not. However, opinions ain't scientific. So here we go!
2.) Measure them and build a nice project without fundamentally altering the character.
2a.) Don't force the driver! Maintain as much sensitivity as possible.
2b.) No SPL haircuts to get it flat.
3.) Try out a cool new enclosure finish (for me).
According to Mark Audio, these require a 500 hour break-in / burn-in period.
This is very carefully scripted. 
No artificial signals please, no pink noise, no one-hour excursions to Xmax with a signal at Fs.
Okay, but it sounds weird and painful and has been very slow.
Here is a Robert summary of the break-in period. Most fluff removed.
0-100 hours <= 1mm Xmax on driver at all times. Movement should not be constant.
Conduct 6 hour break-ins with 30 minute cooldown.
Avg volume low 70dB range for a single driver.
Minimal percussion, bass, and cone movement.
Level should be of background music you can easily talk over without raising your voice.
I've been using light jazz, string quartets, bluegrass, and Mozart.
The cats like Mozart.
100-300 hours
Max 1-2mm Xmax on driver at all times. No constant excursions or thump.
Same stuff as 0-100 hours with higher SPL. 4 hour break-ins with 30 minute cooldown.
Avg volume low 80dB range with 86dB peaks.
300 to 500 Hours
Volume: Continue using care and avoid excessive volume or bass loads, even though the drivers are reaching full optimization.
This one is dodgy. I decided to use the same 4-hour break-in period as 100-300 hours, with a little rock/pop.
Or a small amount of thump. I'll aim for occasional 3-3.5mm Xmax.
There is another break-in at 500-800, but it's more "at 800 it sounds best" than anything else.
I'm currently conducting the break-in and am at 63 hours. Sigh.
The drivers have CCAW voice coils - aluminum wire. So heating could be an issue at high SPL.
I checked temperature where the former meets the spider with a laser thermometer.
Room temp, as you would expect. No heat rise measured.
I'll continue to do this as SPL increases but I'm thinking it will only be an issue at 1W+.
Driver observations.
* These are marketed as 8 inch drivers. They ain't.
* They are a 6.5 in an 8-inch frame. Sd is 147cm2. Huge flange.
* Frame is plastic. This might be good for resonance suppression, but takes away from a "high-end" look.
* The driver motors are extremely frail-looking (see pic). Shawn called them "dainty." The spider is different.
* The rubber surrounds are air-thin - I MEAN THIN. Be careful picking them up by the flange.
* Qms is very low - 1.981. Cone mass is 10 grams. I've seen lighter cones, but only on top-line drivers like Scans. And they have way more Qms.
* Very sensitive driver - they play quite loud with the amp at -40dB.
* Running raw on the Hi-Fi stand in the living room, they are surprisingly listenable. Maybe Test 1 for a FR driver?
Subjective Stuff.
Note: I wash my ears with my Zaph Audio ZRT's regularly to ensure I am not acclimating to a sub-par driver.
Acclimation has been refused to keep this subjective stuff as objective as possible.
- They do a banjo sitting raw in the room like you are next to it. Subjectively, they sound fast. Plucked strings great.
- There are some FR issues that'll need to be addressed.
- Do they sound better at 63 hours than out of the box? I "think" so, but we'll wait to call that a ground truth.
- It's hard to judge a raw driver on a table. Cancellations/reflections/etc. Mozart sounded nice from them.
- When you put your ear to the cone, inside cancellation region, the bass sounds nice and clean.
Cheers / Robert (at 63 hours)
Comments
Pics
Good to see you here too, Robert!
I look fwd to your observations...
InDIYana Event Website
Maybe because my hearing is less than perfect, or maybe because they actually sound good, but I'm a fan of Mark Audio drivers. I've built a number of them and have enjoyed all of them. They have their limitations I'm sure, but the simplicity and whatever my ears are tickled by make them very pleasing to me. My latest build is a MA 12PW with a MA A7P in a large onken enclosure. I'm very happy with them. I've also recently built a large double mouth horn with a MA A10, which is very enjoyable.
Post pics, please! Let's make a Mark thread.
As I said, as a raw driver sitting on a table or the floor, they sound quite good, and have a quality of speed or snap to them that's nice to listen to - banjo and mandolin are good just plain from the cone. They are going to do bluegrass, acoustic jazz, and quartets nicely. Thick, multi-track studio music remains to be seen.
I took a break from the break-in because** I needed it** and will be using the latest DATS to measure drivers at the break-in milestones. Didn't have DATS when i unboxed them, so the first will be at 100 hours.
I got my old receiver out so that the break-in can be done in a back room. The process was intrusive and honking off Wendy. W loves bluegrass but can't stand broken rhythms like riffy jazz.
I looked at all of their drivers and IMHO, the standout was the CHN-110. I wanted to do a larger driver, though, and the 12P's were the newest.
Cheers / Robert
I used MA’s CHP90s (paper composite cone) in my 3-ways, ran them ~as 4-midables (extended midrange up to the slot super tweeter). As broad-rangers go, these have excellent Xmax, and handle the extended midrange nicely, imo.
Based on what we talked about earlier, I’ve gotten even more excited about these things. It’s made me think more than thrice about doing a full range design. Can’t afford Alpair 12s but I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for something less expensive.
shawn
Besides Markaudio, I’m a fan of Audio Nirvana, at least their 6.5s, which it looks like they don’t offer anymore ? And sorry, not necessarily less expensive than MA’s. But check out their website for a few ideas.
https://www.commonsenseaudio.com/nirvana.html
Maybe give consideration to a mass loaded transmission line design ?
Nice Looking and I love the grilles!