Tang Band W5-1685 Underhung 5″ Mid-woofer


Tang Band W5-1685

When I first chanced upon this Tang Band 5″ mid-woofer, I didn’t know what to make of it. The magnet is massive for a 5″ mid-woofer. More than that, it is designed with an “underhung” voice coil. This is unusual for most are “overhung”. An underhung voice coil has an advantage that the entire coil is immersed in the magnetic field during it’s travel. This translates to less distortion when playing loud.

Eventually, my curiosity got the better of me and I bought a pair. I was determined to see whether this driver lives up to its potential.

Tang Band W5-1685 Published SpecsTANG BAND W5-1685 SPECS

Tang Band W5-1685 RAW Frequency Response
TANG BAND W5-1685 RAW FREQUENCY RESPONSE

Baffle Width=9.5″ • 25 liters Ported Box
Mic at 36ins, on axis. Impulse Window=5msec. No Smoothing.

Thiele & Small Parameters (before Break-in)TANG BAND W5-1685 THIELE SMALL

Ported Box=10 liters • Fb=50Hz • System Q=0.69 (Manufacturer’s T/S)
Ported Box=13 liters • Fb=42Hz • System Q=0.65 (Manufacturer’s T/S)

Ported Box=18 liters • Fb=45Hz • System Q=0.60 (Manufacturer’s T/S)

Ported Box=22 liters • Fb=39Hz • System Q=0.58 (Manufacturer’s T/S)
Ported Box=27 liters • Fb=40Hz • System Q=0.56 (Manufacturer’s T/S)

Updated on Mar 5, 2024