Can you live with your current speaker until you die?

kennymacc

"Like you, in my current home, in my current room"

.............................................

I just read every post, what an amazing collection of speaker designs.

I am thinking, for each person, their listening space is a big part of their thorough happiness with their chosen speaker. Of course budget is involved regarding which models are auditioned, and the budget does reflect in the size of the spaces that permit/restrict what essentially fits.

Room treatments, some, more, finally darn good for the space probably progresses along with various auditions, i.e. final choice is speakers auditioned in a successfully treated space.

Without my beloved level controls, there is NO WAY my speakers would sound great in this space. I would probably still be listening to my other favorite: JSE Infinite Slope Model II's. Their 'balance' was outstanding in the audio show, (a rare thing as many have mentioned), and simply/luckily sounded great in this space with no level controls.

As good as the JSE's are, I missed these, part sound signature, part looks, part emotional i.e. their origin/memories of my uncle/my personal involvement with designing new enclosures/repairing the woofers myself, acquiring spare parts, i.e. when listening, I cannot separate all that from their sound.

When I look at the lack of internal bracing (I thought I would have to add some), and the lack of cabinet vibrations, I shake my head at my woodworker's skill and just plain luck. 

Great stories from so many members here, thanks to OP for this thread.

Elliott

shkong78

Your pockets are much deeper than mine.

The Lansche are gorgeous, small enough to fit many people’s spaces, the Altec’s need a converted barn or aircraft hanger, I would love to hear both.

DONE. Hmmmmmm, I think I’m done too, just messing with cartridges which doesn’t count as change does it?

Level Controls: What controls are on the back of the Lansches? I cannot find a photo that shows the back enlarged. The Altec’s probably have some way to adjust their output, correct?

Oh Yeah. Done, with Spare Vintage Parts downstairs. Die with them, none too soon please!

It was the sound of these speakers/drivers that got me thoroughly hooked in 1971. Came in a 1958 Fisher Console, President II, I inherited from my uncle.

8" high bronze base, 15" woofers faced down.

I’ve moved the drivers/level controls/crossover into a few different enclosures over the years, now their final: Custom Rosewood.

My Woodworker had been saving a small flitch of matched Brazilian Rosewood, just enough to do the job. New Import of Brazilian Rosewood was banned by then.

Original design, no ports. For open space, no wall behind (prior location) I open the tuned rear port (Enclosure and tuned rear port designed with the help of Electro-voice Engineers). Current space, I plugged the rear ports.

Here is a shot face down, back off. No special bracing, but no vibration. Tops are slightly slanted and I put many of Donna’s precious things on top. I verify the drivers are tight annually.

The Horn’s drivers are linen, phenolic coated, essentially indestructible, and the 15" woofer paper cone has vintage cloth surround, hard to find, I re-coned them twice myself and have spare cones and full set of spare drivers for the future. All drivers are Electro-Voice 16 ohm

The Original Electro-Voice 3 way crossover is components in tar in a sealed metal can. Custom Crossover builders tell me to leave them alone.

I put new 16 ohm L-Pads Level Controls recently.

Incredibly efficient, came with Fisher 30 wpc mono tube amps, I have driven them with 8 wpc tubes; fisher 500c 35wpc tubes; McIntosh 300 wpc SS, now Cayin 45 wpc tubes, AT88 version one with 16 ohm taps (sadly bias adjust is internal).

Balancing the speaker’s in the room with the level controls, sound pressure meter, tripod, test tracks is hard, tedious, but very rewarding when done right.

Everybody knows by now that I think speakers should come with level controls, to adjust the speakers IN THE SPACE they will be heard. Precise stepped L-Pads would be easier than my step-less rotary ones.