Roll Call for High Efficiency 12"ers w spooky mid-range for 2.1 or 2.2 build

[ticknpop]

The JBL 2202 and later versions. Maybe the 2142 and turn off the tweeter

 

[ogie]

I'd try combining the JBL's and the Altec 7" (and perhaps even open baffle for both).

Right.
Well... I had the JBL's re-coned at 16ohm's and I only have one pair of tube amps (non-integrated). My solid state amp sounds like doodoo on them.
If you notice the grates in the floor... those are Infinite baffle subs which are fed by the second out on my preamp and managed by a 2496 Behringer processor. Anyway... I doubt the JBL's will be nimble enough to ad anything positive to the Altec 7"ers,,, but, maybe the very bottom which is what the subs can do... and probably better as they are very effecient. The bass on these little Altec's are hyper 3D and snappy compared to my other woofers.

I also have a 15 watt integrated Heathkit AA-32 with 6GW8/ECL86 tubes... those bump up the level of 3D speed and snappy fun another level. For around $300, I cant recommend this combo enough.

 

[L.rivera92172]

Yes.

12" mid's with magical midrange a'la WE don't tend to have much midbass at all, and it doesn't tend to have enough Mms for that fast-attack with a bit of "heft" to it.

You can get something a bit more "stat" like with something like the Beyma Liberty 8 that will do the freq. range you want, OR you could use something like this driver to get that snappy midbass result (with a 200 Hz shallow high-pass) AND use something more WE-sounding like an open baffle Jensen Falcon 12 (16 ohm) to get something a bit more magical above 200 Hz (and use a little over 3mH copper foil in series with it).

Wow im very interested in this can you help out in explaining how to set this up and how how high ishould I crossed over and to what tweeter or compression driver combo you would recommend and how would I set up 200hz on down I want to hear some WE sounding speakers, if you don't mind

 

[ScottG]

You've got mail! 😉

 

[jccart]

Currently being “spooked” on a regular basis by these Sonido SWR250 16 Ohm field coils.

Driven by my DIY F2J monoblocks fed by a DCB1 with Jensen iron on the outputs for a 6dB boost.

Signals handled by First Watt B5.

Bottom end is Acoustic Elegance Dipole 15 driven by Hypex.

To me 150-3000Hz is “meat and potatoes” and always needs to be tasty.

There will be some playing around with the very top and bottom ends to see if adding a tweeter or additional woofer brings anything to the game.

very clean build !!

 

[GM]

I've been tinkering around with various high effecency speakers and really liked what an Altec 7" (409) in a 2'cu cabinet did in the way of "presence" and a 3D punchy mid-bass.

The "bigger" speakers have their own charms, but thinking that the right 12" woofer (many think the Altec 414) might be able to capture some of what that 7"er was doing and straddle that gap between the big and small Altec (Western Electric) types.

Yeah, the originals are really something, though an 8" like the later versions IIRC, but even their cost cutter replacements are quite good enough for most folks interested in this type of coax and still available last I checked as the relatively inexpensive EV 409.

The Altec/GPA 414 is a studio monitor/HIFI design, so to get what you want nowadays IME we need to look at musical instrument (MI) drivers (preferably AlNiCo and/or hemp cone) or step up to the $$ vintage Altec 515 thru B series $$ or similar EV, Jensen, etc. and EQ to 'taste' 😉.