Thanks for the clarification Geoff. Yeah, it's a travesty, looking at the kind of vacuum-moulded mass-market junk that's being foisted on the public under the once-great Altec Lansing name. Same thing happened to Goodmans, it's increasingly happening to Wharfedale.
I confess I (almost) shed a tear when I heard Castle had gone under. Honest Yorkshire craftsmen & still a small specialist company who split from Wharefdale many moons ago. Yet another great British name is no more. The Howard S3 and Conway 3 were probably the only commercial speakers I've heard in the last few years that I rated especially highly. I never had a chance to look properly at the internals of the Howard though I know they were using twin QW tubes, mass-loaded by the slot between cabinet & plinth. I liked the semi-omni layout too.
I confess I (almost) shed a tear when I heard Castle had gone under. Honest Yorkshire craftsmen & still a small specialist company who split from Wharefdale many moons ago. Yet another great British name is no more. The Howard S3 and Conway 3 were probably the only commercial speakers I've heard in the last few years that I rated especially highly. I never had a chance to look properly at the internals of the Howard though I know they were using twin QW tubes, mass-loaded by the slot between cabinet & plinth. I liked the semi-omni layout too.
Here are many cost no object systems, mostly horns.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=100381
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=100381
But there is no shipping option if you mean those:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Altec-A5-Voice-...ryZ14993QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Altec-A5-Voice-...ryZ14993QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Pi Speakers
I'm planning to build the Pi Seven corner horns to replace my Thiel CS3.6s. I heard a Klipschorn years ago and was very impressed with the sense of impact - I haven't been able to achieve that with any low-efficiency speakers even with lots of power, so I am keen to try a high-efficiency system.
Also I have found that as Wayne Parham suggests, putting the speakers in the corners (even if as in my case they are not designed for corners) creates a very involving and listenable experience with good imaging etc. etc., but most importantly just a sense of music filling the room.
So my next project is a pair of Wayne's Pi Seven corner horns as soon as I can get back from my current travels (I'm writing this in an Internet cafe on Santorini!).
tim
I'm planning to build the Pi Seven corner horns to replace my Thiel CS3.6s. I heard a Klipschorn years ago and was very impressed with the sense of impact - I haven't been able to achieve that with any low-efficiency speakers even with lots of power, so I am keen to try a high-efficiency system.
Also I have found that as Wayne Parham suggests, putting the speakers in the corners (even if as in my case they are not designed for corners) creates a very involving and listenable experience with good imaging etc. etc., but most importantly just a sense of music filling the room.
So my next project is a pair of Wayne's Pi Seven corner horns as soon as I can get back from my current travels (I'm writing this in an Internet cafe on Santorini!).
tim
Wrt Altec VOTT. I can definitively see myself having that as my last speaker but building it would be quite a project. Buying it off ebay would be an alternative but shipping it to the corner of the world where I live would double the price....
Tim,
Can you pls snd me an e-mail / PM to discuss offline ? I've contacted Wayne and the Seven Pi sure looks smth worth considering (in addition to the OBs above -- the Fertin 20EX including...😉)
Tim,
Can you pls snd me an e-mail / PM to discuss offline ? I've contacted Wayne and the Seven Pi sure looks smth worth considering (in addition to the OBs above -- the Fertin 20EX including...😉)
Scott,
I've now had the chance to go through the Altec material. Really intesting read.
To sum it up, the VOTT does look like the "holy grail" of open designs. Definitively to go for if truely cost-is-no-object 😉
Thanks again ,
Florian
I've now had the chance to go through the Altec material. Really intesting read.
To sum it up, the VOTT does look like the "holy grail" of open designs. Definitively to go for if truely cost-is-no-object 😉
Thanks again ,
Florian
Hello Florian
If you like the idea of a VOTT, but on a smaller scale, you should look at this site from France:
http://www.artec-france.com/etudes....ce&PHPSESSID=f4129a65e8bb6d544c3753ea8bb647f6
If you look through you will find plans for two systems, a smaller one and a "Reference". Both look good to me.
David Whistance
If you like the idea of a VOTT, but on a smaller scale, you should look at this site from France:
http://www.artec-france.com/etudes....ce&PHPSESSID=f4129a65e8bb6d544c3753ea8bb647f6
If you look through you will find plans for two systems, a smaller one and a "Reference". Both look good to me.
David Whistance
Hi David,
Boy those Artec are pretty close to a copy of the Altec 817 cabinet. Just missing the bottom venting. Even shows the 515 driver.
EDIT: Here's a good site.
http://www.altecpro.com/products/vintage/index.htm#cabinets
Boy those Artec are pretty close to a copy of the Altec 817 cabinet. Just missing the bottom venting. Even shows the 515 driver.
EDIT: Here's a good site.
http://www.altecpro.com/products/vintage/index.htm#cabinets
Hi Cal
I think it is a development of an Onken design but I agree it does look similar to several of the Altec designs.
I think it is a development of an Onken design but I agree it does look similar to several of the Altec designs.
The 817B in particular. Have a look at the link I provided. I believe Altec gave up on that cabinet as the bass reflex was not coupling well to the horn.
The 815 is the same without the reflex and IIRC was better when stacked.
The 815 is the same without the reflex and IIRC was better when stacked.
Dear gents... is a VOTT cab any problem for the esteemed builders of this site??
Finding the drivers is a conciderably larger problem, though.....
Just wonder if there are other suitable candidates for something VOTT-like......
BTW- yesterday I showed wifey a pic of the PARAGON!! and would you beleive tthe comment.....
"Hey- that's - - Good looking - quite cool, I think!!) 😱 (
..hope-hope.. )
I'm pondering on putting my hands on a pair of 2231A's... wondering what to do with them.. OB is no option with these, low Q as thy are.......Any suggestioins...?? horns?
Finding the drivers is a conciderably larger problem, though.....
Just wonder if there are other suitable candidates for something VOTT-like......
BTW- yesterday I showed wifey a pic of the PARAGON!! and would you beleive tthe comment.....
"Hey- that's - - Good looking - quite cool, I think!!) 😱 (
..hope-hope.. )I'm pondering on putting my hands on a pair of 2231A's... wondering what to do with them.. OB is no option with these, low Q as thy are.......Any suggestioins...?? horns?
This whole thread has re-peaked my interest in multi ways. Kinda sorta like meeting an old GF and remembering what a good time was had.
OK i did some rough sketching and ran some sims. If you used something like the butal surround 10" woofer (pioneer) and tunded in a sort of BR/short TL/horn final you could get down to 28Hz. A fostex FE107 in a conical waveguide rolled in at 240 Hz by sealed back chamber and a padded compression driver/horn rolled in at 10 K. Sorta like a mini Vott. First pass,11.50 " W,34" height,17"" depth. The body forms the horn. There would only be one coil to roll off the bass and one cap to roll in the tweet horn. The 107/bass driver/horn tweet would all be time/phase aligned in this cab.
A mini Vott on the cheap.
ron
OK i did some rough sketching and ran some sims. If you used something like the butal surround 10" woofer (pioneer) and tunded in a sort of BR/short TL/horn final you could get down to 28Hz. A fostex FE107 in a conical waveguide rolled in at 240 Hz by sealed back chamber and a padded compression driver/horn rolled in at 10 K. Sorta like a mini Vott. First pass,11.50 " W,34" height,17"" depth. The body forms the horn. There would only be one coil to roll off the bass and one cap to roll in the tweet horn. The 107/bass driver/horn tweet would all be time/phase aligned in this cab.
A mini Vott on the cheap.
ron
Ron, that idea interests me. To the extent that I intend to build a pair -assuming the concept could be sufficiently modified to accept my 126s? And yes -I'm serious.
Cal -nice cabinets. 🙂 Glad GM & I are not alone in our rating of the old beast. Beides, it's not that off topic. We all know that an FR driver can't do everything: what's most important is to keep any XO out of our critical hearing regions. Handing over at the frequency extremes to a hefty bass-helper & supertweeter / compression tweeters is a good idea in my book. The VOTT deserves an honorary place on both the multi-way and FR comittee. 😉
Cal -nice cabinets. 🙂 Glad GM & I are not alone in our rating of the old beast. Beides, it's not that off topic. We all know that an FR driver can't do everything: what's most important is to keep any XO out of our critical hearing regions. Handing over at the frequency extremes to a hefty bass-helper & supertweeter / compression tweeters is a good idea in my book. The VOTT deserves an honorary place on both the multi-way and FR comittee. 😉
Ron, nice concept. xos outside critical regions, and @ 6dB/oct. Whoops, just got beaten by 2 posts saying my thoughts.
Also, anyone serious into building should at least hear some VOTTs of any type with a live recorded stage performance. It's something you don't forget, and something to strive towards.
Geoff
Also, anyone serious into building should at least hear some VOTTs of any type with a live recorded stage performance. It's something you don't forget, and something to strive towards.
Geoff
ohohoh.....It gets even better....(Re)using Dave's 126s....
In that case, I'm all in (VOTT auditioning or not)
In that case, I'm all in (VOTT auditioning or not)
Only problem i see with the VOTT was is was never intended for home use and they didnt have the puter number crunching power of today. An A126 could be used with simply moving a divider/reflector to adjust for chamber volume. In a sense it would perform better as there would be an ever decreasing Qts as the frequency band increased. It all comes down to blending the actions/timing.
Took the time today to run some waveform expansion sims on the conical horn/waveguide and with the expansion in a controlled vert plane there is less (near none) wall /roof timed secondary reflections in a 12' distance. Its a trade off of later timed secondary reflections that come from a direct radiator from the roof/floor/sidewalls vrs the slight distortion of the non equal aspect ratio wavefront of the mid horn. If there is a first order XO on the woofer and the mid (107/126/whatever) is rolled in mechanically then the seperation of the initial plane of production of energy is 1/4 lamda seperation so the woofer has to be closer, if you scale out the difference in timing then there is a distance that can be used for a horn/waveguide.
ron
Took the time today to run some waveform expansion sims on the conical horn/waveguide and with the expansion in a controlled vert plane there is less (near none) wall /roof timed secondary reflections in a 12' distance. Its a trade off of later timed secondary reflections that come from a direct radiator from the roof/floor/sidewalls vrs the slight distortion of the non equal aspect ratio wavefront of the mid horn. If there is a first order XO on the woofer and the mid (107/126/whatever) is rolled in mechanically then the seperation of the initial plane of production of energy is 1/4 lamda seperation so the woofer has to be closer, if you scale out the difference in timing then there is a distance that can be used for a horn/waveguide.
ron
there are many probles with VOtt
It doesn't have any Bass below 70Hz if I remember . Horn loading is only to about 300Hz the rest of the mid bass band shot through the horn as a Direct radiator and the bass is produced by the port -you call this hi-fi ??Many people find the mid horn honky due to too low crossover point. Also multi- section horns were never intended for stereo (were they ???) I think this holly grail could be called Hi-Eff Bose . Nice PA but nothing more.Regards
It doesn't have any Bass below 70Hz if I remember . Horn loading is only to about 300Hz the rest of the mid bass band shot through the horn as a Direct radiator and the bass is produced by the port -you call this hi-fi ??Many people find the mid horn honky due to too low crossover point. Also multi- section horns were never intended for stereo (were they ???) I think this holly grail could be called Hi-Eff Bose . Nice PA but nothing more.Regards
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