So I recently got back in to DIY audio after being out of it for years due to needing something to build. I ended up finding a set of 3x 811 horns and 2x A7 cabs for $400 which I thought was a pretty good deal considering I had to drive 3.5 hours to get them and they were in ok condition. Getting them home it turned out that only one horn worked, one needed a small repair and the last had no diaphragm (luckily the two working ones had the original diaphragm so that saved me a bunch of money getting things working).
Here is my current plan and issues I see at hand to get these suckers up and playing.
Here is my current plan and issues I see at hand to get these suckers up and playing.
- They did not come with crossovers or drivers
- Solution for now - use my audison Bit one as an active crossover, eq, delay and preamp as it's just sitting here at my house
- I have a 2225h driver to put in the cabs which seem like they should fit
- Seems like the 808's and 2225h's would work with the passive crossovers out there (would the originals work as well?)
- They have been painted with duratex
- I have never had to remove duratex but I am going to try a heat gun first and then if that doesn't work I will try paint stripper
- Any tips on this?
- I have never had to remove duratex but I am going to try a heat gun first and then if that doesn't work I will try paint stripper
- They will be refinished to look like furniture
- I am planning on trying my hand at veneering them in a light maple or pecan color so they look like furniture - there some examples online that are just amazing but I've never done this before so I will be happy as long as they look good
- I have some SEOS 10, DE500's as well as some smaller JBL horns with drivers I am going to play with that I already have, but following that I am selling everything else related off.
- Any thoughts on replacing the 811 with a waveguide for a home audio setup? Very few 1" drivers play as low as the 808-8's and I want to have the closest thing to a point source possible - long term I may one day upgrade to a JBL 2360 (or a waveguide that can play that low) and one of those new drivers that plays 300hz-20khz. However thats way down the road - mainly I want to be sure in this first incarnation, I get close to the original sound and then see how different horns/waveguides improve things (ancient technology vs. contemporary horn/waveguide design)
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Better check diameter of A7 box's woofer hole size. I have the later "G" version, 16 inch hole, my 2225H were not large enough.
Bubba
Bubba
I had Altec 416-8b with 811 horns / 808 drivers I also switched out the horns with modern cd wave-guides the modern wave-guides definitely changed the sound. Listening to jazz i liked the stock 811 horns but listening to rock or pop I liked the modern wave-guides. If you find some 416-8b for your A7 cabinets you could use the N801-8A witch is a 800 HZ crossover. Or you could track down some 511 horns and go with the 501-8A witch is a 500 HZ crossover the schematics for the crossovers mentioned can be found for free online. If you settle on the 811 or 511 horns you will want to deaden them they have a tendency to ring if not deadened. I never had to remove duratex hopefully it comes off easy as far as veneering them with Maple or pecan I think they would look stunning in either. the easiest route might just be buying the 416-8b and building the 801-8A crossover then you can kick back and listen to a little slice of audio history. Whatever you decide I am sure will sound great good luck keep us posted.
I was lucky enough to have the right holes for the 15". What did you end up doing with yours, did you just make an adapter plate? How did they turn out?
No, I had Altec drivers, 416-8C. I had the 2225H so I was going to try them....Had them reconed to 2235H by JBL service center and used in another speaker.
