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Hey Charles, that's a great listening set-up you have there.
I would like to hear that driver in my listening set up, a single mono speaker, but it's a lot of $ just to find out. I'd like to know what it would offer that would be different from my AN Ferrite 15" which already sounds excellent. I don't doubt that it would be different, and many who have heard neither would expect it to sound a lot better, but in just what way I am curious.
I would like to hear that driver in my listening set up, a single mono speaker, but it's a lot of $ just to find out. I'd like to know what it would offer that would be different from my AN Ferrite 15" which already sounds excellent. I don't doubt that it would be different, and many who have heard neither would expect it to sound a lot better, but in just what way I am curious.
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Yes and yes. For me there wasn't any benefit to bi amping sonically in this case.
I sourced some NOS PAS drivers years ago (3 new sets) and they are outstanding for the low cost. I put them in these Altec 620 style bottom ported cabinets, with 3" front baffles, out of Baltic birch/Rosewood veneer, with Rick Craig crossovers (Selah Audio) and they were amazing. I had $100.00 in the drivers.
@charles hidalgo
I've admired your beautiful Altec-based systems here and elsewhere for quite a while now. Seeing this stunning Stonehenge-based speaker system has prompted some questions.
I've struggled for two years trying to get my 604Es to sound right. First I bought a pair of Mastering Labs Xovers which improved things a lot. Then I built a pair of Xovers from a schematic (by Jerry Hubbard) kindly sent to me by Bill at GPA which improved things further. Then finally I sent the speakers to Bill H. for a recharge and a complete rebuild. This too improved things but I still heard anomalies in the midrange making certain piano notes louder than others and, at times sort of "tinkly" sounding. Some recordings could sound wonderful that didn't have much info in this range of frequencies. Measuring with a phone app showed a definite spike around 13oo Hz which is close to the 1500 Hz Xover point.
I am at a dead end technically not knowing what to try next.
It seems you have gone to great lengths to refine your 604s. What would you do next in my case?
Thanking you in advance,
Fred
I've admired your beautiful Altec-based systems here and elsewhere for quite a while now. Seeing this stunning Stonehenge-based speaker system has prompted some questions.
I've struggled for two years trying to get my 604Es to sound right. First I bought a pair of Mastering Labs Xovers which improved things a lot. Then I built a pair of Xovers from a schematic (by Jerry Hubbard) kindly sent to me by Bill at GPA which improved things further. Then finally I sent the speakers to Bill H. for a recharge and a complete rebuild. This too improved things but I still heard anomalies in the midrange making certain piano notes louder than others and, at times sort of "tinkly" sounding. Some recordings could sound wonderful that didn't have much info in this range of frequencies. Measuring with a phone app showed a definite spike around 13oo Hz which is close to the 1500 Hz Xover point.
I am at a dead end technically not knowing what to try next.
It seems you have gone to great lengths to refine your 604s. What would you do next in my case?
Thanking you in advance,
Fred
Try 'acoustic solutions for acoustic problems' as the pioneer's did, i.e. add foam around the horn mouth same as Urei to quell its eigenmodes reflecting back to the throat using Dr. Geddes's preferred 300 ppi open cell and/or his phase plug variant. No clue how big/thick required just know that with acoustic fiberglass from long ago need need much even around a 511 horn.
Assuming one is listening to minimally compressed music, even HE speakers at fractional average power can benefit from bi-amping or at least a class A/B amp. Consider a 'flea' power S.E. amp for mean SPL and the signal has a typical up to +20 - 30 dB transients = 10^(dB/10) = 100/1000 W! for an accurate reproduction, i.e. my design mantra of 'Is it live or is it Memorex' & Cerwin Vegas' 'Loud is beautiful if it's Clean'. 
Lacking this headroom is the primary reason low power tube amps tend to sound (super) 'syrupy'/'lush'.
Lacking this headroom is the primary reason low power tube amps tend to sound (super) 'syrupy'/'lush'.
Are these the Pas CXL1580C by any chance?
I'm looking into acquiring them at USD 250 a piece (from USA). Could you share your insights on these? E.g. how do they compare to the Altec or GPA coaxes? What CD did you combine them with?