I have posted.... my findings on mods an tweeks here for years.... I have found in my almost 30 years of owning Acoustat ESLs... ............
One word from Andy....an I would have not posted the info that I thought other could use ..... to get better sound out of there Acoustats..........in this thread!
Only thing I see.... is that some did some of the tweeks..... an agreed with my findings...............call the tweeks what you well...thay work....
An all can be changed back to the stock setup.........
Look at this 121 interfaces pic....it works...but can anyone say that putting 4-5k bias in the mixer board was a good thing?..........dose this leve room for inprovment....mods can make this give better sound.........look at the goo that's been cooket out of the bass tran.....look how close the trans are to ea others.....
If Andy thinks this thread has run its course....that's to bad....
all I can say is thanks
One word from Andy....an I would have not posted the info that I thought other could use ..... to get better sound out of there Acoustats..........in this thread!
Only thing I see.... is that some did some of the tweeks..... an agreed with my findings...............call the tweeks what you well...thay work....
An all can be changed back to the stock setup.........
Look at this 121 interfaces pic....it works...but can anyone say that putting 4-5k bias in the mixer board was a good thing?..........dose this leve room for inprovment....mods can make this give better sound.........look at the goo that's been cooket out of the bass tran.....look how close the trans are to ea others.....
If Andy thinks this thread has run its course....that's to bad....
all I can say is thanks
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![audiomaison046-1[1][1].jpg](/community/data/attachments/468/468050-72333de6b9900c348eaf224a936ddfb0.jpg)
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Apparently, Andy is not going to be answering any questions posed to him whether in private or here in this thread. I've been waiting for 2 days for an answer to my inquiries sent to him via PM.
So, I'll ask here. Should I recap my interfaces and will that make any difference in sound quality?
Thanks in advance for any help.
So, I'll ask here. Should I recap my interfaces and will that make any difference in sound quality?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Yes you should refurbish your interfaces. Not an expert, but I had my 2123 interfaces redone and it was a major improvement to the speakers. My tech did the following:
Changed all caps, all HV diodes, most resistors, wiring and boosted bias supply to 6000volts and equalized bias voltage between speakers.
My cost $650. Good luck!
Finally got around to trying tyu's tip regarding the felt behind the panels. Removed the felt and replaced exactly with paper masking tape. Definitely more high end and "air" around cymbal strikes. Soundstage seems better. No loss of bass, no apparent downside after the first few hours of listening. I like it!
Easy to try and easily reversible.
Thanks tyu!
Easy to try and easily reversible.
Thanks tyu!
Yes.... I don't think I have ever ran into any one with Acoustats......that did not think getting better topend was a bad thing.... all sound starts at the top.....this removing of the felt pads from the back of the panels......has been done for years...an give a better matching between the top-mid-lows.....never heard anyone that did not think it made the panels sound better.....but most never do anything with there Acoustats....an that's cool....that just gos to show you just how goooooood .....these panels are!
There still a lot to be done to get the best out of the Acoustats....cant see why anyone would be offended by someone.. ....tell others on a Diy site....that are trying to get all the....Magic out of these old speakers.......but life goes on......Long live Acoustat panels
There still a lot to be done to get the best out of the Acoustats....cant see why anyone would be offended by someone.. ....tell others on a Diy site....that are trying to get all the....Magic out of these old speakers.......but life goes on......Long live Acoustat panels
Ok been listening to my Spectra's with the tape in back instead of the felt pads for a few hours. I love the increase in the high end, but something in the bass notes was not sounding quite right, especially when playing bass heavy music like Exodus (Bob Marley) or Fragile (Yes) at loud volumes. I decided to experiment and reattach one of the felt pieces, leaving the other two areas on each panel covered with tape. Still some listening and possibly more experimenting to come, but this seems to be the sweet spot for me. The bass is back solid and deep, while retaining most of the high end increase from the tape.
I can't believe how the sound of the panels can be altered in this way, clearly the felt does a serious job but for me the full 3 pieces pushes the balance of the speaker too much to the bass end (not enough treble). I may experiment with other materials, perhaps a thinner and less absorptive felt.
Here is a picture of the current set up. I have just taped the pads back on for now as I continue to experiment. This is the best I have had the speakers ever sounding; huge soundstage, great clarity and detail, proper tone across the frequency range.
I can't believe how the sound of the panels can be altered in this way, clearly the felt does a serious job but for me the full 3 pieces pushes the balance of the speaker too much to the bass end (not enough treble). I may experiment with other materials, perhaps a thinner and less absorptive felt.
Here is a picture of the current set up. I have just taped the pads back on for now as I continue to experiment. This is the best I have had the speakers ever sounding; huge soundstage, great clarity and detail, proper tone across the frequency range.
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I see you are taking the time.... too do the so called work........ speaker that sounds like the Acoustat .. ..............boy that hard work....wright....
Miny other.... .here an on other sites....have seen these Acoustat tweeks ....for years
I have lived with Quads......an I must say..... you can ...mod are tweek alday long.....an I never got any real bass out of there ESLs..........with the padding are without....
"whompy high Q kind of bass. A step in the wrong direction" ............................sounds like Quads to me....not Acoustats.................
...........I say to anyone do the work................. trust your own ears!.............
Add one more panels will give you 3db more output.....this is were most of my work has been. done...3-4 Acoustat 9"panels......bass with out the pades....can still over lode a big room.....
I have never felt any thing but the topend..........an output was missing with the Acoustat panels.....pull the felt ...get the top back....need more mid ....tighten some screws.....get better an more output.....get the bias up........vary ezey......
long live Acoustat panels...
Miny other.... .here an on other sites....have seen these Acoustat tweeks ....for years
I have lived with Quads......an I must say..... you can ...mod are tweek alday long.....an I never got any real bass out of there ESLs..........with the padding are without....
"whompy high Q kind of bass. A step in the wrong direction" ............................sounds like Quads to me....not Acoustats.................
...........I say to anyone do the work................. trust your own ears!.............
Add one more panels will give you 3db more output.....this is were most of my work has been. done...3-4 Acoustat 9"panels......bass with out the pades....can still over lode a big room.....
I have never felt any thing but the topend..........an output was missing with the Acoustat panels.....pull the felt ...get the top back....need more mid ....tighten some screws.....get better an more output.....get the bias up........vary ezey......
long live Acoustat panels...
Hi Andy,
I read somewhere that Acoustat used relatively thin (24 gauge) wire with thick PVC insulation in their panels and I’m curious about the theory behind this choice of wires/insulation.
A better understanding of Acoustat’s choices may help me decide what wires to use in a hybrid panel I plan to build. Before reading about the Acoustats, I had planned to use 20awg solid copper with .010 irradiated PVC insulation-- thinking more copper per unit area would yield greater output for a given input, and that .010 PVC would be sufficient for my speakers’ relatively low driving voltages (75:1 tranny, 2.7KV bias, 1.5 mm d/s).
Your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
Charlie
I read somewhere that Acoustat used relatively thin (24 gauge) wire with thick PVC insulation in their panels and I’m curious about the theory behind this choice of wires/insulation.
A better understanding of Acoustat’s choices may help me decide what wires to use in a hybrid panel I plan to build. Before reading about the Acoustats, I had planned to use 20awg solid copper with .010 irradiated PVC insulation-- thinking more copper per unit area would yield greater output for a given input, and that .010 PVC would be sufficient for my speakers’ relatively low driving voltages (75:1 tranny, 2.7KV bias, 1.5 mm d/s).
Your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
Charlie
Biamping Spectra Series
Hi Andy,
I have one pair of Spectra 33s and two lower power stereo amps. I want to get the most out of the amps, so I'd like to use all four channels. I'm thinking of splitting the primary transformer inputs and driving each one with a separate channel of amplifier. I would need to duplicate the input resistor/capacitors for the other transformer. I show this in the schematic below. Have you seen this done? Do you know if the secondaries of the transformers interact enough to cause any EMF or other "stress" to the output of the amps if they are driven this way? I guess this isn't really a biamp in a traditional sense - we aren't splitting frequencies here. Just trying to get an easier to drive system while taking advantage of all four channels of amp that I have available. Thanks in advance!
Hi Andy,
I have one pair of Spectra 33s and two lower power stereo amps. I want to get the most out of the amps, so I'd like to use all four channels. I'm thinking of splitting the primary transformer inputs and driving each one with a separate channel of amplifier. I would need to duplicate the input resistor/capacitors for the other transformer. I show this in the schematic below. Have you seen this done? Do you know if the secondaries of the transformers interact enough to cause any EMF or other "stress" to the output of the amps if they are driven this way? I guess this isn't really a biamp in a traditional sense - we aren't splitting frequencies here. Just trying to get an easier to drive system while taking advantage of all four channels of amp that I have available. Thanks in advance!
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The MK-121 is designed to run no more than 4 panels, so you would be best to run two interfaces and two amplifier channels per side. You would likely need to experiment with the setting of the bass taps, as the additional panel area might provide too much bass (or not, depending on your tastes).