I believe the panels themselves are 8 or 9 inches wide by 48 inches long... If you remove the socks, you will see exactly how they are made. Obviously you can't cut the panel and leave it functional. Some have wood bases that add a couple of feet and other models use stacked panels. The model number you list is for the electronic interface, so I have no clue which model speaker you have or whether or not it could be made shorter. |
The Acoustat that I have is 7'10" tall and is about 20" wide....If I remove the base can the sock be pulled off from the bottom or does it come down from the top....Will |
You have a pair of 2+2's, which are (2) panels side-by-side and another set on top of those. You could take off the top panels and would have a pair of Model 2's. The link below will answer most if not all of your questions.
http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/etv.mpl?forum=mug
Just post your questions there and search the archives.
Here's another about tweaks:
http://www.integracoustics.com/MUG/MUG/tweaks/acoustat/ |
To add to Mofimadness' post, you can easily transform these into a pair of Model two's as you suggest by removing the panels and cutting the frame down. I would suggest two things:
1) Cut the frames to about 60" tall and re-mount two panels in each frame near the top. You want the panels to be about 12" off the floor for most rooms. Of course it would be easy to experiment and well worth it.
2) Inside the interface, you'll see a terminal strip with a wire clip. This is the input the the bass transformer. You need to move the wire clip the the correct transformer tap for a two-panel speaker. You want the Red wire. There are three - Yellow is for 4-panel speakers (Model 4 or 2+2), Orange is for 3-panel speakers (Model 3), and Red is for 2-panel speakers (Model 2 or 1+1).
Also if you can do some more frame construction you may want to consider putting together a set of threes (three panels side-by-side) and using the orange tap. IMO, it is better to go wider with Acoustats before going taller - I very much prefer the sound of threes to 2+2s. Better yet, make some fours if your room is wide enough!
Good luck with your project. |
Some old Acoustat freaks will think you are criminally insane just to think to bring them down. You will loose some bass impact by reducing the number of panels and curiously, increase the load on your amp. In any event, if you can, keep the same number of panels.
I've done the contrary, had Model 3s (3 panel wide)and transformed them into 2+2. Celestial improvement on imaging although a diminution of the WAF factor. |
You guys are bringing back some Acoustat memories. I had the 1+1's, 2+2's, and Monitor 3's. Basically, the more narrow the panel, the better it will image. That said, using more panels gives you more impact and efficiency.
The 2+2's and Monitor 3's were my favorites and I could live happily with either model. The 2+2's may have imaged slightly better, but the 3's had a bit more midbass impact.
Fire_bottle's idea of cutting the frames so that 2 panels would stand about 5 feet tall (holding the panels 12" off the floor) seems like a good one.
The Monitor 4's had the worst imaging of the lot and you need the right room for those as they are very wide and bass heavy. |
Since the 2+2's generally sell faster and for more money than the shorter side by side configurations, you might post them for trade here and ask for paid shipping. |
Agreed with Samujohn, you may want to just find the model that fits your room best and sell off the 2+2s, especially if you can do both locally.
Plato, in my experience the Monitor 4s can actually sound downright magical in the right room. I've displaced Model 3s in fairly narrow rooms twice now. With Acoustats it's always a matter of just setting them up and seeing what happens... which is why I tend to keep a stock of various models handy.
Fortunately for me I have low ceilings so it's down to three models - the 2, 3, and 4. Right now the Monitor 4s are winning out to my surprise! |
HI, I just can't see why you would want to do such a thing...I loved the 3's...I hated the lil 2's, which I guess is what you're ending up with. No bass, little things not worth messing with. If you played flute music all day, maybe....don't do it. Get a different speaker and let it live.... |
I would rather have a short Acoustat than no Acoustat at all....They won't fit in my house right now.....They do sound good in my shop along with my Altec A-5....I think that Mr. Fire-bottles has most of the problem figured out.....THANKS |
The two's are the hardest model to place, but I've heard them sound very, very good. In fact, my first Acoustat listening experience was with Model 2s in a room that was about 14 by 22. They were powered with a Crown Macro Reference. There were no issues with bass or volume... and they soundstaged beautifully. That setup did involve quite a bit of tweaking but eventually sounded incredible. |
Mr. Fire_bottle To remove the sock do you remove the bottom plate and pull the sock over the top or over the bottom ?? |
Autospec, I find it best to remove all staples on both ends of the speaker and slide the sock off without turning it inside out. You'll find that Acoustat appearantly paid their sock staplers by the staple - there are a billion of 'em! If you are going to reuse the sock you just gotta bite the bullet and pry out all the staples with a small screwdrier and a pair of pliers. When you reinstall, you can use way less staples...
You can also wash the socks. I washed my tan ones and they looked much better. You don't need to dry them - they are low enough density that they come out of the washer almost dry after the spin cycle. Just hang 'em up or lay them on a sweater drying rack for an hour and they'll be bone dry. |
