I'm helping my brother in law with a project.
He inherited this:
Hifi - Album on Imgur
We want to gut it and install modern electronics. I can handle everything else we want to do but I have concerns about the speakers. The front grill area is about 5.5" x 13.5". The side firing drivers are 10". It is basically an open baffle.
I was thinking about just making a new front plate and using these drivers.
Visaton WS25 E 10" Paper Cone Woofer 8 Ohm
Visaton BG13P 5" Full Range Speaker 8 Ohm
With the 10 being side firing, I figure we wouldn't want anything above about 150hz going to them. I would need help designing a crossover for it.
The other idea I had was just forgoing the side speaker and putting in a front ported/vented speaker like the bottom design here:
http://frugal-phile.com/boxlib/P10free/CGR-dKal-El703-301113.pdf
Thoughts?
He inherited this:
Hifi - Album on Imgur
We want to gut it and install modern electronics. I can handle everything else we want to do but I have concerns about the speakers. The front grill area is about 5.5" x 13.5". The side firing drivers are 10". It is basically an open baffle.
I was thinking about just making a new front plate and using these drivers.
Visaton WS25 E 10" Paper Cone Woofer 8 Ohm
Visaton BG13P 5" Full Range Speaker 8 Ohm
With the 10 being side firing, I figure we wouldn't want anything above about 150hz going to them. I would need help designing a crossover for it.
The other idea I had was just forgoing the side speaker and putting in a front ported/vented speaker like the bottom design here:
http://frugal-phile.com/boxlib/P10free/CGR-dKal-El703-301113.pdf
Thoughts?
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It doesn't need to be loud. Normal listening in a small/medium room. But I would like it to be full sound without the need for an external sub.
How about building in a satellite for the fronts, and leaving the side speakers, with a seaparate amp?
You could build in something like the LM-1 design for your fronts . I recommend the sealed version, then use a subwoofer amp for the two side speakers. 🙂
You could build in something like the LM-1 design for your fronts . I recommend the sealed version, then use a subwoofer amp for the two side speakers. 🙂
Don't worry about the amp, I'd like to keep the speakers (including crossover/BSC components) to a couple hundred.
Depending on how crafty yo uwant to be, I'd recommend you tilt the satellite baffle back about 10-20 degrees, and put the tweeter in below the mid-woofer. You'll get the best dispersion.
Also, use an 0.35 ft3 (10L) space for the LM-1 in sealed mode. You'll get a flatter response. 🙂 But 0.28 ft3 will work too.
Also, use an 0.35 ft3 (10L) space for the LM-1 in sealed mode. You'll get a flatter response. 🙂 But 0.28 ft3 will work too.
Two problems with that. If I position a bookshelf sized speaker to fire out the existing front grills, they will get in the way of the side speaker.
Also, I'm concerned that anything other than a front ported/vented speaker wouldn't sound right because of it being a box in a box.
I could put a bookshelf sized speaker in the fronts and then maybe put a downward firing sub in the middle somewhere. The cabinet has a huge holes in the bottom any way to allow for ventilation of the old tube amp.
But I would like to keep as much of the middle portion of the piece as free as possible for booze storage 😀.
Well, I was not thinking you should actually build a box...per se, but rather you could craft something to work around the side firing woofer.
Otherwise, yes, consider a modern full-range speaker like the Fostex for the fronts:
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/approx-4-fullrange/fostex-ff105wk-4-full-range/
with a bi-amplified / DSP capable amp you'd be done. You could replace the side firing speakers later if you didn't feel you had enough to work with.
Best,
E
Otherwise, yes, consider a modern full-range speaker like the Fostex for the fronts:
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/approx-4-fullrange/fostex-ff105wk-4-full-range/
with a bi-amplified / DSP capable amp you'd be done. You could replace the side firing speakers later if you didn't feel you had enough to work with.
Best,
E
Theres a few ' flat ' panel sealed bookshelf speakers on Amazon.
The Dynavox ones seem fairly decent , maybe a couple behind the grilles would do the trick ? coupled with a sub .
The Dynavox ones seem fairly decent , maybe a couple behind the grilles would do the trick ? coupled with a sub .
You are stupid, if you gut a fine audio movable. Have you ever turned it on and tried to play a disc or receive a channel?
It doesn't sound that great. I suspect all the caps in the amp would need to be replaced at minimum... and even then I doubt it would sound very good. I'm often fascinated why people think just because something is old and has tubes means it has this incredible sound. Not every piece of old equipment is good, its just what they had to work with at the time.
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Lets be realistic here , chances of the original electronics still working let alone sounding any good is pretty slim in gear of this type/era.
Whilst it would be possible to restore back to orignal working condition it would require a big investment in time not to mention deep pockets,
The most valuable thing about these old radiograms is the beautiful and often handmade wooden cabinets they were built into .
Some years ago i ran a small business buying and selling old ,not antique,furniture.
I used to snap these old units up at auctions for peanuts at a time when most ended up at the rubbish tip , strip the guts out , 99% dead or beyond repair , and sell the cabs at embarrassingly huge profits to people who wanted to create the same kind of thing as the OP.
I own several consoles of this age, two of them Maganavox. Mine are all solid state, however.
My very strong advice is "Restore it, don't Wreck it". The Maggie consoles sound quite good when they are in working order. Many of the Astrosonic models had 12" side firing woofer and front firing Hepner horns. Those work well and usually only need replacement caps in the crossover. I have a console that had a TV in it and it has the cone midrange and cone tweeter, just like yours. They work fine, but I didn't care for the crossover. I redesigned that.
These drivers are efficient, and don't need much power to get plenty loud in your living room. Before you pull them, give them a chance.
If you must replace, then a high to medium Q woofer on the sides (12") and a nice 3" fullrange for the front will work. You'll need more power, tho. I don't really see the point.
One thing I don't think sounds great on the Maggie consoles is the phono section. It will have a high output ceramic cart, and bare bones phono EQ. Once you get everything else going, you might try a MM phone cart, Shure for example, and an RIAA preamp. It can go into the aux or tape inputs, if your amp chassis has those. I use the tape/aux inputs for Bluetooth on my consoles.
FWIW, I've worked with both the drivers you linked to. They are "OK" but won't knock your socks off. The drivers in the Magnavox are better, if they are in good shape.
My very strong advice is "Restore it, don't Wreck it". The Maggie consoles sound quite good when they are in working order. Many of the Astrosonic models had 12" side firing woofer and front firing Hepner horns. Those work well and usually only need replacement caps in the crossover. I have a console that had a TV in it and it has the cone midrange and cone tweeter, just like yours. They work fine, but I didn't care for the crossover. I redesigned that.
These drivers are efficient, and don't need much power to get plenty loud in your living room. Before you pull them, give them a chance.
If you must replace, then a high to medium Q woofer on the sides (12") and a nice 3" fullrange for the front will work. You'll need more power, tho. I don't really see the point.
One thing I don't think sounds great on the Maggie consoles is the phono section. It will have a high output ceramic cart, and bare bones phono EQ. Once you get everything else going, you might try a MM phone cart, Shure for example, and an RIAA preamp. It can go into the aux or tape inputs, if your amp chassis has those. I use the tape/aux inputs for Bluetooth on my consoles.
FWIW, I've worked with both the drivers you linked to. They are "OK" but won't knock your socks off. The drivers in the Magnavox are better, if they are in good shape.
@ Pano.
I wonder what happened with the member who was experimenting with the magnavox in open baffle.....do you remember the name of his thread?
I wonder what happened with the member who was experimenting with the magnavox in open baffle.....do you remember the name of his thread?
No, but I do sort of remember it.
My first OB was with drivers from an 1970s vintage Maganavox console. It was awful, I can assure you! 😀
My first OB was with drivers from an 1970s vintage Maganavox console. It was awful, I can assure you! 😀
Back in the olden days (the 1960's) my father had a Grundig console stereo that had a AM/FM/SW tuner with more than just three bands along with a Garrard turntable. I never saw the amplier/preamplifier section. Rather that keep the speakers in the cabinet he took the drivers and crossover that came with the console and ceiling mounted them in their own enclosure. I don't think my father really knew anything about acoustics and enclosure design but in all honesty the setup sounded really pretty good. Even the neighbors thought so.
I just thought I'd post this as food for thought. If you see any relevance please ignore.
I just thought I'd post this as food for thought. If you see any relevance please ignore.
I appreciate the sentiment, but restoring the old gear is not happening.
If anyone wants the speakers and amp we can list them for sale cheap.
If anyone wants the speakers and amp we can list them for sale cheap.
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