Just a couple of observations on the Coral Betas :
1. The magnets are really huge, chunky and heavy.
2. Coral used Cloth surrounds, quite rare these days...
3. The paper cones were stamped/processed to have annular rings...
4, No idea on the cone paper material but sure looks different from the Fostex range...
4. The frame is die-cast and really massive..
It's really a very magnificient driver to hold in your hands..
1. The magnets are really huge, chunky and heavy.
2. Coral used Cloth surrounds, quite rare these days...
3. The paper cones were stamped/processed to have annular rings...
4, No idea on the cone paper material but sure looks different from the Fostex range...
4. The frame is die-cast and really massive..
It's really a very magnificient driver to hold in your hands..
I guess the trick would be to find the people that were involved in making them back in the day, and relaunch them if all the knowledge of materials, tooling etc is still there and available.. Sort of like a GPA thing
Hmmm. Step 1 would obviously be to ascertain the actual events which lead to the closure, and so, try to identify who now owns the tooling. What was the name of the company that manufactured the Coral brand? Was it privately or publicly held? Was it bought out or did it fold and have the assets sold off?
Perhaps interested parties could commence a wikipedia entry on the history and fate of Coral. Then as we uncover more, add to it.
(Facts and references, pls - not supposition.)
???
cheers
Doug
Coral Beta 8 with Alnico's .. that's very intertesting.. The ones I have look like these, if I'm not wrong are not Alnico..
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
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As I´m getting deeper these days into the Coral history, I´ve learned som things about the drivers/company.
First of all: Coral ceased to exist as manufacturer because of age. As a former distributor told me that all managers/engineers have been well into their seventies, even eighties when they sold Coral. Few years later, the successors couldn´t hold up quality standards and finished Coral off.
For the Beta 8: It definitely is a extremely well made driver, very beautiful (or sexy ) for any speaker aficionado.
BUT: Corals sound fascination does NOT steem from perfection - they are far away from it - I´ve done some thourough measurements and wouldn´t recommend them.
Of course, there is no better sounding fullrange driver in this universe....
Regards
Thomas
First of all: Coral ceased to exist as manufacturer because of age. As a former distributor told me that all managers/engineers have been well into their seventies, even eighties when they sold Coral. Few years later, the successors couldn´t hold up quality standards and finished Coral off.
For the Beta 8: It definitely is a extremely well made driver, very beautiful (or sexy ) for any speaker aficionado.
BUT: Corals sound fascination does NOT steem from perfection - they are far away from it - I´ve done some thourough measurements and wouldn´t recommend them.
Of course, there is no better sounding fullrange driver in this universe....
Regards
Thomas
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Well - I don´t think so, but that´s just a guess. When I´m talking to this guy next time, I´ll ask him.
Beta drivers have been in stock as NOS quite a long time after Coral ceased to exist - I think, because these fullrange drivers with their large cabinets went out of style, replaced by multiway-speakers with their more "technical approach".
Regards
Thomas
P.S. To whom it may concern, I´ve done a complete set of measurements of my Coral Beta 8 pair - that´s the SPL curve in a DIN baffle.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26276628/Coral%20Beta%208%201%20frequenzgang.png
Beta drivers have been in stock as NOS quite a long time after Coral ceased to exist - I think, because these fullrange drivers with their large cabinets went out of style, replaced by multiway-speakers with their more "technical approach".
Regards
Thomas
P.S. To whom it may concern, I´ve done a complete set of measurements of my Coral Beta 8 pair - that´s the SPL curve in a DIN baffle.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26276628/Coral%20Beta%208%201%20frequenzgang.png
Here is how two at least 30 years old drivers match close to perfection.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Hi folks. Glad to see your interest in Coral Betas.
I bought my Beta-8's in Copenhagen, Denmark, Europe in 1974 at a price of 335 DKK each - but have no idea of the dollar price by then.
Unfortunately I blew both of them some month ago (aided by my 30 watts NAD C-730 receiver - at full power i'm afraid) - and am still looking for someone to repair them... :O(
Cheers from Bimmer in Scania, Sweden
Quite amazing, the €28 000 figure is not a typo ! Weight is 12 kg and you need a 12V supply for the field coil.
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I was told by my beloved wife that back in the 70's a Dollar cost at the most 10 DKK. So if inflation is about 6 times, the price of Coral Beta 8" today should equal 67*6=402 $ or 296 € (the pair) - and by then VAT was not even invented !! (another danish invention I'm afraid )
(Greetings from Bimmer (the Dane)
I was told by my beloved wife that back in the 70's a Dollar cost at the most 10 DKK. So if inflation is about 6 times, the price of Coral Beta 8" today should equal 67*6=402 $ or 296 € (the pair) - and by then VAT was not even invented !! (another danish invention I'm afraid )
Greetings from Bimmer (the Dane)
...your missing one 0
s...t never mind
stupid me, it was a long and hard day
The light cones of fullrange drivers are particulary sensitive to reflections through the cone be it from the driver itself or the box. The Coral driver have a very open basket with the "legs" sideways minimizing reflection. Alnico magnets are usually deeper but with smaller diameter than current ones, this also reduce reflection.
Coral had sound engineering behind them not patents and if they had they would have run out by now (the patents).
I am sure that Seas, Peerless, Eminence and other competent manufactures could either make "Beta 8 Lasarus edition" or even better drivers. The crux is could they make enough money to motivate it?
Coral had sound engineering behind them not patents and if they had they would have run out by now (the patents).
I am sure that Seas, Peerless, Eminence and other competent manufactures could either make "Beta 8 Lasarus edition" or even better drivers. The crux is could they make enough money to motivate it?
Maybe I could contact Audax to see if there any details left (or if someone has the all the production details) maybe, just maybe I could have them produced again. We are having close contacts with one of the largest speaker production facality.
The only problem to me is that the MOQ would be 200+
Rudy
The only problem to me is that the MOQ would be 200+
Rudy
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