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 Specs

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.

Tang Band W5-1685 Measured Thiele & Small

Ported Box=10 liters • F3=43Hz

Ported Box=13 liters • F3=40Hz

Sealed Box=10 liters • F3=60Hz • Q=0.87

Sealed Box=18 liters • F3=60Hz • Q=0.79

Ported Box=27 liters. F3=30Hz

Bandpass Box=25 liters. F3=40Hz-100Hz

Updated on Feb 24, 2021