Hey Anyone,
I have a pair of Snell Type Aii's and I have a question. The previous owner's cats damaged the grill cloth. And then mine really finished it off. Turns out that open top makes a great cat hammock.
I already had to have the woofers refoamed they were disintegrated when I got them.
The question is while I have the grills off is there anything I could.should do with the crossovers? In my research I've read changing the caps will screw up the sound even with the same values. I've also read the wire used inside the speakers isn't the greatest.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I have a pair of Snell Type Aii's and I have a question. The previous owner's cats damaged the grill cloth. And then mine really finished it off. Turns out that open top makes a great cat hammock.
I already had to have the woofers refoamed they were disintegrated when I got them.
The question is while I have the grills off is there anything I could.should do with the crossovers? In my research I've read changing the caps will screw up the sound even with the same values. I've also read the wire used inside the speakers isn't the greatest.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
If they're of the vintage where the crossovers were defined through the selection of multiple capacitors to match the in-house reference standard, it would be recommended to desolder each group and to measure and note their value, and to keep all crossover components in case you ever wish to back-track for any reason. Snell keep notes on the values in each speaker but I believe and may be incorrect that this is only for repairs done to returns to the factory; I do not know if they'll release the information. It's worth asking?
A friend has a pair of EIII and we're just now getting both woofers re-foamed. Internal wiring is Monster Cable and things appear to be soldered together. I'm interested in getting some Rike capacitors to replace those in the tweeter section, but he's not as hot on the concept as I.
Best luck; I'll be watching this thread to note the input of others with greater knowledge and experience than my own.
A friend has a pair of EIII and we're just now getting both woofers re-foamed. Internal wiring is Monster Cable and things appear to be soldered together. I'm interested in getting some Rike capacitors to replace those in the tweeter section, but he's not as hot on the concept as I.
Best luck; I'll be watching this thread to note the input of others with greater knowledge and experience than my own.
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Various versions of the Snell A were made, but they all seem to have a certain awesomeness! One of the best 3 way speakers of the 70s and 80s. 😀
Snell Type A loudspeaker | Stereophile.com
Just me really, but from what I read, the top end is overly bright. Troels Gravesen suggests a BBC dip might sound better: Snell A3i
I would work out the crossover schematic and measure driver DC resistance and see what a couple of carefully placed resistors can do. I wouldn't be beyond fitting a newer tweeter too. Wiring and capacitor changes would depend on any glaring corrosion or ageing problems.
Can we see some pictures please? 🙂
Snell Type A loudspeaker | Stereophile.com
Just me really, but from what I read, the top end is overly bright. Troels Gravesen suggests a BBC dip might sound better: Snell A3i
I would work out the crossover schematic and measure driver DC resistance and see what a couple of carefully placed resistors can do. I wouldn't be beyond fitting a newer tweeter too. Wiring and capacitor changes would depend on any glaring corrosion or ageing problems.
Can we see some pictures please? 🙂
Snells tended to slightly bright .. universally. Clearly by intention.
Like Linn product love 'em or hate them.
Both makers fit decent quality bits though.
Altering components purely on a whim.. will ..run the risk of changing the voicing, possibly quite badly..
Primo parts are NO guarantee of primo performance.. Tread lightly.
Like Linn product love 'em or hate them.
Both makers fit decent quality bits though.
Altering components purely on a whim.. will ..run the risk of changing the voicing, possibly quite badly..
Primo parts are NO guarantee of primo performance.. Tread lightly.
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To correct the record a little.
Snells are not universally bright. The later units we designed were intntionally voiced slightly soft at the top end as it best suited more software. The units that Keven Voeks voiced before me were similar.
All networks are custom adjusted to balance out the variations in drivers. The factory, to my knowledge, did not keep records of exact crossover setting by serial number. If a product was returned for repairs it was just rematched to the reference standard. Rebuilding crossovers is as like to degrade voicing as to improve anything.
The various Type A's had many running changes, including tweeter changes. They were not the best constructed speakers ever but they were highly evolved in their basic design.
Snell is out of business, as is its parent company Boston Acoustics. The brand name is owned by D&M.
David
Snells are not universally bright. The later units we designed were intntionally voiced slightly soft at the top end as it best suited more software. The units that Keven Voeks voiced before me were similar.
All networks are custom adjusted to balance out the variations in drivers. The factory, to my knowledge, did not keep records of exact crossover setting by serial number. If a product was returned for repairs it was just rematched to the reference standard. Rebuilding crossovers is as like to degrade voicing as to improve anything.
The various Type A's had many running changes, including tweeter changes. They were not the best constructed speakers ever but they were highly evolved in their basic design.
Snell is out of business, as is its parent company Boston Acoustics. The brand name is owned by D&M.
David
The Type A was a mess. The 10" woofer never really produced much bass. The woofer had a low Q alignment in a too big box. The crossover between mid and woofer was around 300Hz which was way too high for the separation between mid and woofer and left a big hole on the lower midrange. Crossover to tweeter was at 2.5k which was way too low for the Audax 1" dome and resulted in very harsh sound at even moderate levels. Crossover parts were cheap and the crossover itself was overly complex. The speaker really never got decent until the A III. The Audio Critic paned the speaker.
I've recapped an A and those cap bundles are something to behold! Hidden beneath a few of them was a single pico-farad disc cap used to bypass and provide a base to glue the bundle to the board.
Hmm, see what you mean. The schematic and picture of SOMETHING early Snell Type A here...but we can't blame this birdsnest on Dave Smith! 😀
At least I understand the 4 ohm tweeter filter. 😎
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Thanks everyone for the responses. Steve Flynn sent me the instructions for removing the grills. I used a flashlight to look at the drivers. There is a lot of fur on the tweeter, can't be helping, damn cats.
One question, Is it a given that the caps will have deteriorated? If they have wouldn't it be apparent in the sound?
John K, when the woofers were re-surrounded the epoxy plug was omitted. Flyn said he could put it back, for $150 per, but I think the bass is faster and tighter without it.
One question, Is it a given that the caps will have deteriorated? If they have wouldn't it be apparent in the sound?
John K, when the woofers were re-surrounded the epoxy plug was omitted. Flyn said he could put it back, for $150 per, but I think the bass is faster and tighter without it.
If you are referring to the poured epoxy around the screen dust cap, then whoever did the re-surround job didn't know what they were doing. The epoxy is there to add mass to the woofer to lower its resonant frequency. I suspect the whole LF xover design was also compromised by that. I know the Model A had an RCF (Italian made) woofer. If your woofer is not that, then disregard what wrote above.
Bass may be faster and tighter, but not as low. Your choice.
Since the bass enclosure was over sized, it may be more appropriate with the lighter cone and changed T&S values.
I do miss the lower bass. If I were to try to replace the doping how would I do that? What type of epoxy would I use? To me it looked like black silicone? I was thinking of making a blob of silicone about the right size and then weighing it. Once I get a ballpark I could add that weight temporarily to the driver to see how it sounds. As for recapping the speakers It might be worth a try but I would have to be very careful and retain the originals.