Figured we could all use some picture refreshers. All of these were taken on my iPhone yesterday (not the best but it's all that I had at the moment) in a shop that I worked for in when I was in my teens and early twenties. Some of the pics are very easy. See if you can guess what we're looking at...bonus points for the equipment on the rack.
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I guess Don has been spending more time on this page:
Audio Artistry
But his original personal page works for me too:
The Official website of D.B.(Don) Keele, Jr.
Hehehehe not quite. DAC is Synthesis Matrix 24bit dual mono tube dac (two 12ax7 per side) out of Italy. Interstage amplifier is a rare Mccurdy AM-405 (circa 1948), for those who like Western gear this is extremely close sounding without commanding the same price, can also be used to drive western amps like we have it set up. The two mono amps on top on the left of the screen are silver WE 124b, and below them are the Northern Electric (WE manufacturing arm for Canada) versions of the 124b which sound better for whatever reason IMO. Not sure what the CD player is to be honest. Oh well looks like I won't be giving out any bonus points today 
Hi,
Doesnt seem to be really difficult:
We22a mid horn
Ks6368 monitor horn in paper for projection booth
GIP tweeter replica from japan
We 124 amplifier ( dont know which version from 124A to 124J??)
On the right and back, some PSU and premplifier obviously...
Julien
Pano the man who runs this site is named Aldo and lives in Italy currently making 15a horn reproductions. I'm very good friends with him and he should be coming to the states shortly, or at least that's what he told me last time we spoke. I could try to get him to make some measurements for you, but all of his equipment is made voicing by ear so I'm not sure how willing he'll be (hence the rough measurements on his site). He's a self taught engineer that makes "Western" equipment from pieces of Western gear, not to mention the best 15a horn replicas I've ever heard (even the paint used is a Western copy). I know at least three people that have 15a's (either replicas or the real deal) and could certainly take measurements if someone was to lend me the measuring gear haha, I don't have any of that equipment myself. They also back their systems will all Western gear so it would be an interesting measurement for you guys. I live in Northern Virginia if anyone is close by.
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there is a variety of decent freeware for computers that does FFT measurements, all you need is a mic. That can be had by a behringer measurement mic or one like it... and of course the old DIY Panasonic WM element, modified per Linkwitz and a straw for a mic body.
that will get you close enough especially given the bandwidth the horns + drivers. jes fine!
_-_-bear
that will get you close enough especially given the bandwidth the horns + drivers. jes fine!
_-_-bear
where? oh northern virgina, hmmm... wish I was free to travel. I'd go for it. think maybe Joe Roberts is currently within striking distance, not sure exactly.
Well you could ask about how to do the measurements...
...somebody might know.
But if you did all the same way there would at least be a comparison between them...
_-_-bear
Well you could ask about how to do the measurements...
...somebody might know.
But if you did all the same way there would at least be a comparison between them...
_-_-bear
Western Electric 1928 is not the path conventional path.
It is simple to know why conventional box based speakers dominate the world and its size, not sound quality or price.
As for the future I feel sure that digital active cross over systems will make more and more of an impact in speakers and hope that people go open source with their speaker compensation algorithms, as otherwise when digital tech takes 3 turns (about 10 years) these will be irreparable and the companies producing them will look like fools, I also wont consider their products. Still for now these systems will beat most systems from before (as universal speakers), especially when they move up to 192Khz 24 bit resolution or higher.
I have never heard these Western Electric 1928 horn systems, but am a firm believer that lots of speakers, if not most HiFi speakers have a terrible sound. Some of the better and some of the worst I have ever heard have been based on a horn principle. I would not be surprised if the Western Electric 1928 horn systems within bandwidth constraints can easily outclass most conventional speakers, exponential and then tuned horns can sound wonderful, and the shape has always existed.
In my opinion loud speaker distortion is terribly high, and I actually wonder how HiFi systems can possibly cause the stereo illusion. I can only assume that the brain wants to be fooled. I was first amassed by the stereo illusion by Castle Speakers, Richmond 3 from the 1970's which used measured and matched drivers for each speaker. I am not sure this if this matching process is not an important issue for most DIY designs. It is to me not surprising that both the Quad ESL 57 and the Quad ESL 63 fully reconditioned is the most vivid stereo illusion I have ever heard for a lady singing.
Speakers are a set of compromises, I have read and from my understanding believe that as a system at domestic volumes, Electrostatic speakers can produce less distortion than a moving coil speaker possibly can, but with a cost of greater directional behavior and limited bass, unless partnered. Horns can produce the highest SPL, and theoretically closer to the distortion of electrostatics but often suffer from size issues much worse than electrostatics.
Conventional speakers are small and suit environments where size is the main factor often above price, they also make great universal speakers, so only one set of speakers are needed. Having 50 square meters per person is a luxury for most people in the Netherlands or the UK, and that means even electrostatics are too big for most people.
Electrostatics do spoil me to the distortion in most speakers though.
Regards
Owen
It is simple to know why conventional box based speakers dominate the world and its size, not sound quality or price.
As for the future I feel sure that digital active cross over systems will make more and more of an impact in speakers and hope that people go open source with their speaker compensation algorithms, as otherwise when digital tech takes 3 turns (about 10 years) these will be irreparable and the companies producing them will look like fools, I also wont consider their products. Still for now these systems will beat most systems from before (as universal speakers), especially when they move up to 192Khz 24 bit resolution or higher.
I have never heard these Western Electric 1928 horn systems, but am a firm believer that lots of speakers, if not most HiFi speakers have a terrible sound. Some of the better and some of the worst I have ever heard have been based on a horn principle. I would not be surprised if the Western Electric 1928 horn systems within bandwidth constraints can easily outclass most conventional speakers, exponential and then tuned horns can sound wonderful, and the shape has always existed.
In my opinion loud speaker distortion is terribly high, and I actually wonder how HiFi systems can possibly cause the stereo illusion. I can only assume that the brain wants to be fooled. I was first amassed by the stereo illusion by Castle Speakers, Richmond 3 from the 1970's which used measured and matched drivers for each speaker. I am not sure this if this matching process is not an important issue for most DIY designs. It is to me not surprising that both the Quad ESL 57 and the Quad ESL 63 fully reconditioned is the most vivid stereo illusion I have ever heard for a lady singing.
Speakers are a set of compromises, I have read and from my understanding believe that as a system at domestic volumes, Electrostatic speakers can produce less distortion than a moving coil speaker possibly can, but with a cost of greater directional behavior and limited bass, unless partnered. Horns can produce the highest SPL, and theoretically closer to the distortion of electrostatics but often suffer from size issues much worse than electrostatics.
Conventional speakers are small and suit environments where size is the main factor often above price, they also make great universal speakers, so only one set of speakers are needed. Having 50 square meters per person is a luxury for most people in the Netherlands or the UK, and that means even electrostatics are too big for most people.
Electrostatics do spoil me to the distortion in most speakers though.
Regards
Owen
hi guys
here two Western Electric systems, i heard last week :
Aldo's system, in italy :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbH8s2sJRog&list=UUextX9TKovfSe9cO76Kn_xA&index=1&feature=plcp
and Tim's system in Paris, france :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbiUzD9dVtY&feature=autoplay&list=UUextX9TKovfSe9cO76Kn_xA&playnext=1
Angelo
here two Western Electric systems, i heard last week :
Aldo's system, in italy :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbH8s2sJRog&list=UUextX9TKovfSe9cO76Kn_xA&index=1&feature=plcp
and Tim's system in Paris, france :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbiUzD9dVtY&feature=autoplay&list=UUextX9TKovfSe9cO76Kn_xA&playnext=1
Angelo
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yes western electrics made some fantasic speakers i own a pair of A7 Altec Lansing and a pair of model 18's made by Altec Lansing using the 16inch 604-8h mataray duplex driver
Don't laugh until you've tried it...
30-inch mouth diameter, 6 1/2 ft path length 85 Hz cut-off Atlas or University re-entrant horns from days of yore. Of course, it's too ridiculous to contemplate -;could never work! Except for the fact that I am foolish enough to enjoy them tri-amped with the Big 36" Yamaha organ woofs JA6002 on big open baffles w/ RR supertweets 5K and up. 101db and fabulous dynamics.. no X-over until 5kHz. No bass horn required. Yamaha bass o.b.s about 1 ft deep. Look like my double KLH Nines with different cover. Mid horns tuck nicely into the corners on the floor tilted up slightly. Only one approach of course, but for me, it solves the coherency problem. Big RCA/Simplex 300Hz horns did not blend with the 7 ft. tall double15" front-loaded bass horns which sounded weird much above 150-200 Hz so I tried the re-entrants as described, and they did the trick for me. Not on all music of course.. still got my old quads and Brit TLs and etc, and etc, and etc...
30-inch mouth diameter, 6 1/2 ft path length 85 Hz cut-off Atlas or University re-entrant horns from days of yore. Of course, it's too ridiculous to contemplate -;could never work! Except for the fact that I am foolish enough to enjoy them tri-amped with the Big 36" Yamaha organ woofs JA6002 on big open baffles w/ RR supertweets 5K and up. 101db and fabulous dynamics.. no X-over until 5kHz. No bass horn required. Yamaha bass o.b.s about 1 ft deep. Look like my double KLH Nines with different cover. Mid horns tuck nicely into the corners on the floor tilted up slightly. Only one approach of course, but for me, it solves the coherency problem. Big RCA/Simplex 300Hz horns did not blend with the 7 ft. tall double15" front-loaded bass horns which sounded weird much above 150-200 Hz so I tried the re-entrants as described, and they did the trick for me. Not on all music of course.. still got my old quads and Brit TLs and etc, and etc, and etc...
JA6002, seems interesting
What I found on the net: aspect ???So-net???
From another site:
http://xps.jp/~nodachi/newpage36.htm
(scroll down and you'll see it, quite some interesting stuff)
The 'ribs' on diaphragm remind me those on piano's sound board...
What I found on the net: aspect ???So-net???
From another site:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
http://xps.jp/~nodachi/newpage36.htm
(scroll down and you'll see it, quite some interesting stuff
)The 'ribs' on diaphragm remind me those on piano's sound board...
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