elipson 1303 replica?

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elipson 1303 sound-alike?

OK, I know this is going to be very subjective, but I can try anyway.
A long time ago (1988) I build a pair of Elipson 1303 replica's. After a couple of months I sold them to someone who preferred my finish to the retail version and I never got to making a second pair. Over the years I build several other speakers, from simple full-range single chassis sets to complex 4 or 5 way sets. But, and this is where it starts to get subjective, I never experienced the wow I had with the Elipsons. Of course none of the original speakers used in the design are available today so trying to re-create the 1303 will prove futile.
So I want to pick your experience (and this is where it gets even more subjective): what DIY design will come closest to the sound of the Elipsons.
Difficult I know, but I am ready to build a new set so I'm open to suggestions.

Tnx,

A
 
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The original drivers were Audax. 25 mm dome tweeter, 13 cm mid and 17 cm bass if I recall correctly. But that's not very important. What I am after is asystem that sounds just like the Elipsons. I don"t care if it is a full range or a 4 way system, Im just curious if there is a DIY dezign with the same clarity, depth and clean, non-booming bass that made the 1303 a legend...
Of course if it's an exact copy of the 1303 with modern drivers I'd be double happy, but looks come second.

Tnx,

A
 
It's a very difficult speaker to copy indeed. The only reason my first copy was a success was the fact that I could copy everything, from drivers and filters to the dimensions of the cabinet. The Helmholz chambers need to be adjusted for a different mid and the same goes for dimensions of the bass section.
Not an easy task, wich is why I'm hoping fo a design with similar sound rather than trying to copy the whole thing.

Tnx,

A
 
It's a very difficult speaker to copy indeed. The only reason my first copy was a success was the fact that I could copy everything, from drivers and filters to the dimensions of the cabinet. The Helmholz chambers need to be adjusted for a different mid and the same goes for dimensions of the bass section.
Not an easy task, wich is why I'm hoping fo a design with similar sound rather than trying to copy the whole thing.

Tnx,

A
I don't know if I would copy anything. But the position of the tweeter the 4 order band pass and the special caracteristics of the main driver are cool points to have in mind.

I'm looking at your speaker. And there was a version with a 13 cm bass and a newer one with a 17 cm. The 1974 version had a 13 cm woofer. The tweeter used was a 25 mm Audax. Many speakers use it nowadays, so that's not of a problem. I don't think there's a finished commercial product out there awaiting for you, but many drivers products come with design kits documentation/pdf's.

Yesterday I was looking at this driver. Yours is going to be very similar. It will be a French (or Italian/Ciare) driver and shall not be a sandwich cone (Focal). The size of your driver will probably be around the 13 cm mark. It's possible it's going to be a double cone or not. Tweeter eventually will cross high (the old one B1303 had a crossover frequency of 5KHz). Maybe Ø 25 mm Audax and SPL to mate w/the main driver.
Supravox 135 LB
Large Bande Supravox 135 LB
CIARE PM 135 ND - 5"
And I'm showing here this Ø 17cm bicone, that looks great (big size to complement the low frequencies summation) if you want to use it (size) instead of the small one's above (Ø 13 cm). Have a nice build and good time with your wise "Elipson" decisions.
Davis Acoustics 170MRP
Haut-Parleur Large Bande Davis Acoustics 170MRP
 
duson 2606

Got anything happening on this plan?

While working at Duson (Dutch importer of Elipson) during the nineties I tried to design a follow-up on the (then already) discontinued 1303. We called it the 2606....

Let me know if you want more details.

Hi, I heard this speaker 2 times and really loved its spaciousness and relatively precise low frequency performance. But I did not like the overal tweeter caracteristic. It sounds a bit like having a mild cold flu virus. Is it a Scanspeak 9200 of 9300? Can I upgrade it with 9700 or maybe even 9900 without designing a new filter?

Thanx in advance for your support, RJW
 
Tweeters are not interchangeable, they will sound different (crossover).
To know what to expect, unless someone already knows and tested the same tweeters (like Troels G, Mark K, and others), is to simulate (spice type) both crossover layout and driver. If you know the crossover you are talking about (components), you can do that yourself with the previous tweeter you mention and the new one and see the differences and changes needed.
Another excellent tweeter mentioned by others Morel MDT32S 1" Textile here.
 
Owned a few difirent versions of the 1303 and other type's.
The mids were audax hif 13 (hvx) it has a tripple helmholtz resonator as stated before. One of the secrets of its succes is that the sub/mid is crossed over at approx 80 hz,
The old version type d 16 ohms used a Audax hif 13 for the sub.
Arround the eighties the 13 cm (5") sub was replaced by a 17 cm (6") siare.
In the mid eighties they changed the Siare for an 21 cm (8") Audax, they also produced the 1303ft (foster tweet). Arround this time the also changed the crossover for one with a electronic delay.
As for the volumes, as far as i know the subs al played in more or les the same volume.

the topic starter clames they stopped making the 1303 in the mid 90's' thats not true they stopped producing them arroud 2004. The mid from this moddel was a very simple Mission 13 cm unit, a seas 21 cm sub and a scan speak tweeter.
Same units were also used in the Futura albeit with a huge aircoil (really huge!),a better filter and a diffirent enclosure.

a real sleeper is the compact 1302, the 1303 minus the sub enclosure. It stil reaches 80 hz very nicely.
 
The old version type d 16 ohms used a Audax hif 13 for the sub.
Arround the eighties the 13 cm (5") sub was replaced by a 17 cm (6") siare.
In the mid eighties they changed the Siare for an 21 cm (8") Audax, they also produced the 1303ft (foster tweet). Arround this time the also changed the crossover for one with a electronic delay.
Nice info.
Do you mean Elipson - Siare 31 TE instead of "21 cm (8") Audax" :confused:
link 1
link 2
link 3
A good alternative option to check with available drivers:
SEAS Prestige L22RN4X/P (H1208) 8" pdf
 

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  • Elipson Siare 31 TE.jpg
    Elipson Siare 31 TE.jpg
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No the siare 31 te is 30 cm wich would'nt fit as the ouside measurement of the 1303 is 30 x 30 cm and about 106 cm high.
Its a 21 cm Audax, wil let you know the type later. Can't seem to find it right now.

An other thing is that Elipson patented the physical time alignment in the 50's after 25 jears Kef (under licence) and later B&W when the patend exipred came up with the boxes stacked up on one other.
The symetrical loaded bandpass and tripple resonator were other patends of Elipson from about the same time.
 
The real secret of the 1303 is the midrange. The HIF13 in conjunction with the triple helmholz created a fluid and dynamic midrange with great preservation of fundamentals and harmonics.
The later HM130G0 from Audax came quite close to that. And we used this one in the 2606.

The only chassis that really improved on this while maintaining that fluidity in the midrange was the Vifa M11wg0908 which is saidly not available anymore as well.
 
BTW I never really liked the highs of the 2606 either.I never could get the filter right and the baffle design on hindsight created an almost comb-filter like baffle step effect that had a bad impact as well.

I would love to have another go at that design knowing what I know now.

The cabinet design and manufacturing were a masterpiece designed by Nico Disselkoen and crafted by Rinus Rotteveel and his team. Some sweet memories....
 
This is an old thread... But although I have not been searching actively over the last two years, my question still remains. This 2606, does it sound like the 1303, and just as important, is it still possible to build a pair or are all drivers discontinued?
 
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In reply to inductor (sorry it took so long) the 21 cm Audax is a mh21p37rsm.

As for my fellow country men above, ive never heard the 2606 but have owned some other Elipsons made by Duson (libre, Circee) but i never found them as satisfying as the older and french Elipsons 1301, 1303, 1313 etc etc. Never could get used to the boomy caracter.
The futura was a 1303 on steroids.
An other dutch fabricator JK Acoustics made the
Optima3 MK1​
wich to me showed a little resemblence to the 1303. 17 cm Focal in a symetrcally loaded bandpass and a hif 13 as mid without the triple resonators and an Audax tweeter.

But why not buy the original and go from there ? The prices of the 1303 are more than reasonable arround 250 euro for the old versions.
 
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What I liked the most about the 1303 was the rich bass, without the boom factor most BR speakers tend to give. I've heard a lot of (DIY) speakers with very good mid and/or high, but most either lack bass or sound boomy. Or are ridiculously expensive...
Ever since I build my first pair of speakers (as a 12 year old) I have never owned anything but self made speakers. So tempting as buying an old pair of 1303's may be, it kind of goes against my believes...
 
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