I added tone controls to my system a while ago, I built this Doug Self Preamp from Linear Audio #5 very flexible tunable bass and treble controls, I adjusted it for a while and then found I really don't need it, not sure why, whether my ears adjust or whether I find my system engaging enough without making changes due to the recording. Even Jelly Roll Morton 😀
Please let us know the result of your experiments.
As Douglas has said, the brightness may be coming from the driver which is being run full range, but we'll see.
I think your speakers are well worth tweaking and are an ideal test bed for learning about crossovers, attenuation etc.
For horns, there's the trick of adding a C in parallel to the R for the purpose of raising a little the treble. So various combinations can be tried.
Example: 1 uF paralleled to the 12 R or 2.2 uF; 1.5 uF paralleled to 15 R; 4.7uF paralleled to 4R7+ 10 R; 2.2 uF //10 R; 0.47//5R1
And so on...😛
Example: 1 uF paralleled to the 12 R or 2.2 uF; 1.5 uF paralleled to 15 R; 4.7uF paralleled to 4R7+ 10 R; 2.2 uF //10 R; 0.47//5R1
And so on...😛
I find the treble from some modern CDs to be too shrill for my ageing ears, which whistle enough at the best of times!
But, you're right SJ. My hi-fi system is by no means of audiophile standard - more like a hotchpotch - and that may be the real problem.
With some recordings I listen to I find the variations are only from about 6k and up.
What was the treble like back then, did it begin to roll off below 3k?
I know what you mean. There was a thread, someone was selling all his gear because he'd recently started suffering tinnitus, very sad, I advised him not to be too hasty, sometimes I go to listen then find mine is bugging me too much to make it pleasurable.
I was thinking of modyfing an old pair of pioneers that I have. The tweeter is a horn type and it was only cap 3.9 or 4.7, IDontRemember...
The question is: leaving the woofer unfiltered or not. And also: making the HP 2nd order or 3rd order; it would still require to make CTC shorter, as the KL333 would demand.
Mica tweeter+diecast horn are still fashionable but I got an old Philps soft dome with a RCF waveguide that sounds good...so vintage+ vintage= vintage!
The fact is that the baffle is sooo large ( and the woofer and tweeter axys are offsetted) that a waveguide+tw sounds good, I think.
The question is: leaving the woofer unfiltered or not. And also: making the HP 2nd order or 3rd order; it would still require to make CTC shorter, as the KL333 would demand.
Mica tweeter+diecast horn are still fashionable but I got an old Philps soft dome with a RCF waveguide that sounds good...so vintage+ vintage= vintage!
The fact is that the baffle is sooo large ( and the woofer and tweeter axys are offsetted) that a waveguide+tw sounds good, I think.
Perhaps a simple fix or something to try, listen nearfield at low volumeBut, you're right SJ. My hi-fi system is by no means of audiophile standard - more like a hotchpotch - and that may be the real problem.
It's the brain that after all these years finally rejects digital music, me thinks
Sound, musical sound, must be respected!
Sound, musical sound, must be respected!
That's precisely what I do in my man shed via my vintage valve amp and 60s speakers.
That's when I get the most enjoyment from my music - and the treble control is but an arm's length away! 😉
We are all at the mercy of our source recordings, Allen.
The tone controls in most systems are not a step control, usually they affect the deep bass and far treble more than anything else, which can be very helpful when positioning speakers in less than optimal positions.
In my setup, putting the speakers were they should be would mean having them right in the middle of the walk-through path of my room, so that's not happening. The tone controls let me tame the near-wall bass a bit and I tend to roll back the tweeters a bit to correct for a rather echo prone sweet spot.
Of course there is also the problem Galu points out... that modern CDs are getting weirder all the time. Wildly boosted Bass and screeching treble, mostly as artefacts of way too much compression. How ironic that companies developed a storage format with far greater dynamic range and the recording engineers completely undid it in the mixing consoles...
You might find this interesting ... YouTube
Douglas, how's your knowledge of in-wall/ceiling speaker installations?
There's a newcomer over on a 'Which audio cable' thread in 'Parts' who is in need of assistance which I am unable to give.
Apologies for briefly going off topic.
There's a newcomer over on a 'Which audio cable' thread in 'Parts' who is in need of assistance which I am unable to give.
Apologies for briefly going off topic.
Had a look ... blank stare... sorry I don't think I'll be much help with that one.
About the only thing I can contribute is that the red and black sockets appear to be tube style banana sockets, for standard 1/4" banana plugs.
Well, I did manage to put 3rd order on the tweeter and leave the woofer as before, with "mechanical crossover" - on the back of the LS, on the magnet is written 60-6000 Hz.
Next move is to take out the rockwool because my GF really fears some particles exiting from the port- I didn't have to tell her
There's a fabric grill 😎
I'm not accostumed to speakers seating next to the floor and with old speakers not having elastic suspension.
Putting them on elastic suspension and using modern speakers helps a lot.
Nonetheless, I quite enjoyed them with rock on the radio and listening to the bass mixing with it's own resonant behavior ( BR box) and the things surrounding + wood carpeted floor.
I believe some might like it with certain program.
Those horn cast& mica tweeters really rock and the little treble tilt ( and bass lowering...because enough is enough) they can stand.
I guess I was right in remembering 3rd order needs reverse 😛