The Audio Equipment Corner

[NW-Bound]

Many modern loudspeakers are 20dB below that, so convert most of the amp power to heat (100X less efficient!). My vintage speakers are in the upper 90dB, and that's already loud.

However, modern speakers make up for that by having a flatter response. At least that's my experience. The famed AR speakers of the acoustic suspension design were known for their flat response as well as their inefficiency.

 

[jimbee]

Many modern loudspeakers are 20dB below that, so convert most of the amp power to heat (100X less efficient!). My vintage speakers were in the upper 90dB, and that's already loud.

However, modern speakers make up for that by having a flatter response. At least that's my experience. The famed AR speakers of the acoustic suspension design were known for their flat response as well as their inefficiency.

My Ohm Walsh 2 speakers are about 30dB below that, but I do like the soundstage. They need a lot of power to drive them decently. I bought them in the early '80s, and I don't plan to ever get rid of them.

 

[NW-Bound]

I'll post pictures and some additional details this weekend. But I will need to read up on noise ordinances before testing is complete.

If you want to drive the neighbors nuts, you need to do frequency sweep tests.

And of course it has to be done outside in open air, like in your backyard and not your garage, to avoid reflection from walls.

 

[Htown Harry]

Pictures of my La Scalas didn't work out, but imagine some big boxes of old plywood with some random paint smears, one missing nameplate and delaminations and chips on some of the edges. They will require either a nice paint job or a complete veneer job if they are ever to make it into a living room. All possible, but requiring an investment of dozens and dozens of hours. Might be a good project for my future retirement.

I did spend a couple of hours listening to them while working on the car yesterday. These are some great-sounding speakers.

During the week I did some research on the design, especially the unusual shape of the bass section. The guys on the Klipsch board call the angular baffle seen from the front "the doghouse". This picture from a hobbyist building a clone shows why. (The assembly is rotated 90 degrees, with the back panel of the speaker resting on the table.)

The 15" woofer is mounted up against the 3" slot and sealed, with the magnet facing towards the front of the speaker. There is a triangular "splitter" board that is mounted on the back panel immediately in front of the business end of the woofer, which combines with the upper and lower "chevron" pieces to direct low frequency sound sideways and out through two open slots facing the speakers side panels.

The concept is called a two-fold bass horn. With all three drivers being horns, the speaker is said to be "fully horn-loaded".

The efficiency benefits are significant. The rear-facing woofer is moving air through that 3" slot, but after taking two 90 degree turns through a path of increasing cross-section, the sonic effect is amplified at the front of the speaker.

Lots of technology in these plywood boxes...

 

[robnplunder]

And the verdict is...they work.

The S/N's show they were built in 1983. Other than the surface cosmetic issues expected for unfinished plywood boxes hung in a gym for 30 years, the first test in my garage suggests there are no missing parts, no crude repairs and no "must fix" items. They sound just great. .
< snip >

So the kid comes ambling across the street. I see he's empty-handed.

"Where's your CD?"

Answer: "I don't have any CD's."

Speakers hold up well in sound quality & built against new speakers. 30 years speakers sounding still great ... not so with other technology & products. My "audiophile" music system that I put together years ago has no sign of getting behind time. I guess I am stuck with it, and someday, DS will get it as a family heirloom.

So, did you play your CDs and was he impressed with the sound?

 

[robnplunder]

Oh boy! Those speakers of yours will not win any beauty contest. Still, let us know how they sound.

At first glance, I thought they were wooden storage boxes with the speakers inside .

 

[NW-Bound]

Speakers hold up well in sound quality & built against new speakers. 30 years speakers sounding still great ... not so with other technology & products...

True. Speaker technology matured quite early compared to electronics.

However, when you buy vintage speakers, watch out for foam surround rot. The foam suspension can be repaired if a replacement can be found. My vintage speakers have cloth suspension, and should last a long time.

 

[meierlde]

Actually the comment on speakers goes along with what I did. The cd player died (it was a combo phongraph/5 cd player, and the motor just gave out. So I took an older laptop, riped the cds to the computer, bought a USB turntable, and digitized the vinyl. So I now play music plugging the laptop into the amp using the CD slot. Works great, and you can set it to play for a very long time using playlists. I suspect you could do the same with an MP3 player as well.

 

[Htown Harry]

So, did you play your CDs and was he impressed with the sound?

Yes, I got a grin out of him when I gave the volume knob a turn, but not much more.

I guess it's a combination of the generational change and loud rock music being somewhat out of fashion. Given the same opportunity back in the 70's, I would have run over with a favorite cassette in a flash.

Something like Mississippi Queen, so I could scream for "more cowbell!"

 

[NW-Bound]

...I guess it's a combination of the generational change and loud rock music being somewhat out of fashion...

So, that explains why these geezers are all hard of hearing. And the young generation will retain their aural acuity.

You know, I try to remind myself to link anything I hear about to investment opportunities. In this case, is there any hearing aid pure-play company that I can watch out to short, if the above theory comes to pass?