Modern speakers vs Vintage speakers

[bonzo75]

There actually is a guy building WE horns in France using the oak from the same forest in the US where WE sourced theirs.
https://resistormag.com/features/western-electric-horn-systems-time-travel-with-tim-gurney/

I visited Tim in 2015 or so. For any vintage speakers there are different people making replicas. If someone is interested best is to visit them and listen to the model and see if you like them. There is also one at Silvercore's (a 16a) made by the South Korean guy, but Silvercore uses various drivers including WE, GIP, his own, and then there is are a couple of others in Germany with Line Magnetic drivers

 

[bonzo75]

I heard from Mr Chung my vintage guru that they did not sparethe material cost in vintage audio and used vest matrial available in top Western Electric system.

Some of the old materials are no longer in production due to cost and environmental issue.

But modern high end. manufactures try to save the cost of material as much as possibble.

WE was an all out assault by the govt and Bell Labs as they wanted to build talkies. It was a revolution in movies. All those were big expense theater productions.

AlNiCo was moved to ferrite because the price of Cobalt shot up.

The Be diaphragms used by Goto changed to duralumin in 2005 only because of the cost, as Be became very expensive due to countries using it for defense/atomic purposes. But their upper models continue to be Beryllium

Today Intact Audio and others who use autoformers are considered premium volume control, but Western Electric used inductive volume control 100 years ago. This was dropped for potentiometer in later decades due to cost.

I also mentioned this here http://zero-distortion.org/tad-4003-dual-woofer-flh-leifs-system-norway/

 

[MarcelNL]

I have listened to a few autoformers LDRs etc, and concluded that the Khozmo shunt (1 naked Z foil resistor in the direct signal path) resistor ladder stepped attanuator sounded better in my application, YMMV

 

[dcathro]

WE was an all out assault by the govt and Bell Labs as they wanted to build talkies. It was a revolution in movies. All those were big expense theater productions.

AlNiCo was moved to ferrite because the price of Cobalt shot up.

The Be diaphragms used by Goto changed to duralumin in 2005 only because of the cost, as Be became very expensive due to countries using it for defense/atomic purposes. But their upper models continue to be Beryllium

Today Intact Audio and others who use autoformers are considered premium volume control, but Western Electric used inductive volume control 100 years ago. This was dropped for potentiometer in later decades due to cost.

I also mentioned this here http://zero-distortion.org/tad-4003-dual-woofer-flh-leifs-system-norway/

Same thing with field coils to permanent magnets.

One area of real progress has been the reintroduction of old technologies.

 

[Salectric]

The article linked earlier is a nice snapshot into the life of a WE zealot. It should make interesting reading especially for those who think modern speakers sound better than the best speakers from the 1920-1940 era.

Western Electric Horn Systems: Time Travel with Tim Gurney - Resistor Magazine |

 

[MarcelNL]

Even closer there is more info ; https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/speaker-oasis-bionor.18570/page-21

I'm building a speaker based on that design, now with three 13"full range units and I recognize the descriptions.

 

[MrC.]

I understand you Bonzo and agree. The majority of my friends who have heard my system - some audiophiles and others simply friends and musicians - think my new system with the vintage horns is much more realistic sounding then my old system with modern speakers. Some even used the term "natural" to describe it. However, two of my audiophile friends have been exposed to good vintage with my Vitavox speakers and Lamm and they do not seem to really like it. Al may be right: it comes down to preference. This is what microstrip says also: in the end, personal preference is what matters most. Hard to argue against preference.

Some of my friends who I would go to audio shows with think that “audiophile” systems are those that overemphasize treble and compress dynamics so that what was barely audible in the recording becomes front and center. Some modern systems trade in such parlor tricks and are described as “detailed” whereas I just find them annoying. Call me a Luddite but I still listen to music and not test tones. Would like to hear your full system. I’m probably in your camp.

 

[MrC.]

My TT is partly made of Corian countertop material, and it sits on a repurposed wood chopping block, sometimes when i am having a senior moment, i can't remember if i wanted to play a record, or make a sandwich !

What is the connection between the motor and platter? Land Rover fan belt?

 

[Khorn]

I guess since I’m vintage and have used the same speakers in my main systems continuously for over 40 years now for my purposes vintage has got to be my choice.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

I guess since I’m vintage and have used the same speakers in my main systems continuously for over 40 years now for my purposes vintage has got to be my choice.

i wouldn’t change the xover on them as this will change the original sound on them.

 

[Khorn]

i wouldn’t change the xover on them as this will change the original sound on them.

Thanks. The xovers remain the same unless failure dictates change.

 

[thomask]

My son's wedding was held in Daegu city which is located 200 miles south of Seoul.

I happened to listen to full range systems in Daegu with the aid of my friend over there.

They are pretty impressive for the size.

Most full range system tend to have big enclosure.

But 6.5 inch full range with alnico magnet is about bookself size.

The speaker was driven by 20 watts custom amp with damping control and equalization.

The source wad streaming through I phone.

This is not SOTA system but quite good for the money (4k$ for pair of 6.5 inch full range with alnico magnet and custom amp).

 

[Solypsa]

...This is not SOTA system but quite good for the money (4k$ for pair of 6.5 inch full range with alnico magnet and custom amp).

The custom matching of amp and speaker ( with damping and eq adjustment ) is quite smart and appropriate to make a 'not SOTA but still very good' system. Shows the designer concerned with balancing the various compromises...

 

[thomask]

The custom matching of amp and speaker ( with damping and eq adjustment ) is quite smart and appropriate to make a 'not SOTA but still very good' system. Shows the designer concerned with balancing the various compromises...

The designer of this system is a professor in mechanical engineering.

He makes this system as half hobby and half startup.

It has some potential but need lot of marketing effort.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

My son's wedding was held in Daegu city which is located 200 miles south of Seoul.

I happened to listen to full range systems in Daegu with the aid of my friend over there.

They are pretty impressive for the size.

Most full range system tend to have big enclosure.

But 6.5 inch full range with alnico magnet is about bookself size.

The speaker was driven by 20 watts custom amp with damping control and equalization.

The source wad streaming through I phone.

This is not SOTA system but quite good for the money (4k$ for pair of 6.5 inch full range with alnico magnet and custom amp).

Nice.

 

[thomask]

Nice.

This system sounds pretty nice but with smal size at reasonable cost.

If I need second high end system for my bedroon, I may go for it.

But I am concentration on setting vintage one.

 

[morricab]

This system sounds pretty nice but with smal size at reasonable cost.

If I need second high end system for my bedroon, I may go for it.

But I am concentration on setting vintage one.

What do you think you will gain in vintage over your Lansche 4.1 speakers? What amp are you using on those speakers?

 

[thomask]

What do you think you will gain in vintage over your Lansche 4.1 speakers? What amp are you using on those speakers?

I used to use Silbatone 300b amp for Lanshe 4.1 in small listeing space ( 16 ft wide 25 ft long 10 ft high).

But after moving to larger listening space, Siilbatone does not have enough power to drive it.

Now I setteled with Line Magnetic 508 fitted with Nos tubes.

I had been using Lansche for 16 years so far since I enjoy pristine treble out of plasma tweeter.

Lansche also goes deep and pretty dynamic due to two 10 inch actively driven woofers per side.


The only thing that I expect from vintage audio is somewhat more natural reverberration out of classical box.

I could be happy with Altec A7 or maybe not.

 

[Solypsa]

...But after moving to larger listening space, Siilbatone does not have enough power to drive it.

Now I setteled with Line Magnetic 508 fitted with Nos tubes..

Have you had the chance to hear the Silbatone NeoHyb amps on your speakers or while in Korea?

 

[thomask]

Have you had the chance to hear the Silbatone NeoHyb amps on your speakers or while in Korea?

I did hear Noehyb in Silbatone factory audition room 3 years ago, but not with my speaker.

Although it was quite good, I will stick with tube amplifer since I enjoy tube rolling.

I have good cache of Nos tubes.

LIne Magnetic 508 or 805 is a dream amp for tube roller with 805, 300b 6sn7, 6sl7 tubes.

There is almost infinite nos of possible combination.

I have 12 pairs of Nos 805, 5 pairs of 300b including We 300b made in 1940's.

I alslo have 80 pairs of 6sn7 including Russian variants, 6f8g and 20 differnt kind of 6sl7 tubes.

In addition, I also have Telefuken, RCA 12ax7 and Amperex 12au7 for Rogue Cronus Magnum II .