Whacky driver mystery.....

I am in a maelstrom of kit-shifting (and now computer-cleaning, it seems!)
and have finally got round to trying an old pair of homemade standmounters
that have dwelt in the 'speaker heap', in my garage, for the last couple of
years.

I've put 'em on and they sound quite amazing! (I'm cautiously thinking they
might be the perfect solution to my current problems with terrible room
acoustics - bass honk and resonance).....

They are paper drivers - both the tweeter and the bass driver. (What a
blessed relief after Kevlar cones - now sold!) But the mystery is the bass
driver - it's about 7 inches Ø and has a smaller cone about 3 inches Ø
protruding from it whicjh is rather like the last inch of a trumpet's, er,
bell end! (Can't post a pic atm!)

Anyone ever seen the like?

Keith G wrote:
I am in a maelstrom of kit-shifting (and now computer-cleaning, it
seems!) and have finally got round to trying an old pair of homemade
standmounters that have dwelt in the 'speaker heap', in my garage,
for the last couple of years.

I've put 'em on and they sound quite amazing! (I'm cautiously
thinking they might be the perfect solution to my current problems
with terrible room acoustics - bass honk and resonance).....

They are paper drivers - both the tweeter and the bass driver. (What a
blessed relief after Kevlar cones - now sold!) But the mystery is the
bass driver - it's about 7 inches Ø and has a smaller cone about 3
inches Ø protruding from it whicjh is rather like the last inch of a
trumpet's, er, bell end! (Can't post a pic atm!)

Anyone ever seen the like?

I had a pair from an ancient Phillips stereo that had these things. 6.5in
across with foam surround yes? Made by Elac, used to cost pennies @
Wilmslow, sounded amazingly good. I kept the speakers for years after the
stereo, until I started using them as my bathroom system. Paper cones and
baths don't work that well though!

"Triffid" wrote in message
...
Keith G wrote:
I am in a maelstrom of kit-shifting (and now computer-cleaning, it
seems!) and have finally got round to trying an old pair of homemade
standmounters that have dwelt in the 'speaker heap', in my garage,
for the last couple of years.

I've put 'em on and they sound quite amazing! (I'm cautiously
thinking they might be the perfect solution to my current problems
with terrible room acoustics - bass honk and resonance).....

They are paper drivers - both the tweeter and the bass driver. (What a
blessed relief after Kevlar cones - now sold!) But the mystery is the
bass driver - it's about 7 inches Ø and has a smaller cone about 3
inches Ø protruding from it whicjh is rather like the last inch of a
trumpet's, er, bell end! (Can't post a pic atm!)

Anyone ever seen the like?

I had a pair from an ancient Phillips stereo that had these things. 6.5in
across with foam surround yes?


Yes.


Made by Elac, used to cost pennies @
Wilmslow, sounded amazingly good. I kept the speakers for years after the
stereo, until I started using them as my bathroom system. Paper cones and
baths don't work that well though!


Bugger! Now that you mention it, I seem to recall seeing the name Elac
somewhere! These things are all fixed from the front (with Pozidrivs, so
they can't be that old) - I must have had one apart and forgotten that I'd
done it. They are playing right now - my 'Men In Tight Trousers' LP (OK,
'Los Tres Ibericos' - all acoustic with rich Latin baritone vocals) and the
sound is amazingly 'fresh' and direct. (Typical for paper cones, I find.)

Thanks for that.

"Triffid" wrote in message
...
Keith G wrote:
I am in a maelstrom of kit-shifting (and now computer-cleaning, it
seems!) and have finally got round to trying an old pair of homemade
standmounters that have dwelt in the 'speaker heap', in my garage,
for the last couple of years.

I've put 'em on and they sound quite amazing! (I'm cautiously
thinking they might be the perfect solution to my current problems
with terrible room acoustics - bass honk and resonance).....

They are paper drivers - both the tweeter and the bass driver. (What a
blessed relief after Kevlar cones - now sold!) But the mystery is the
bass driver - it's about 7 inches Ø and has a smaller cone about 3
inches Ø protruding from it whicjh is rather like the last inch of a
trumpet's, er, bell end! (Can't post a pic atm!)

Anyone ever seen the like?

I had a pair from an ancient Phillips stereo that had these things. 6.5in
across with foam surround yes? Made by Elac, used to cost pennies @
Wilmslow, sounded amazingly good. I kept the speakers for years after the
stereo, until I started using them as my bathroom system. Paper cones and
baths don't work that well though!


*Bathroom* system? - I missed that bit!

Cool.......

:-)

Keith G wrote:
"Triffid" wrote in message
...
Keith G wrote:
I am in a maelstrom of kit-shifting (and now computer-cleaning, it
seems!) and have finally got round to trying an old pair of homemade
standmounters that have dwelt in the 'speaker heap', in my garage,
for the last couple of years.

I've put 'em on and they sound quite amazing! (I'm cautiously
thinking they might be the perfect solution to my current problems
with terrible room acoustics - bass honk and resonance).....

They are paper drivers - both the tweeter and the bass driver.
(What a blessed relief after Kevlar cones - now sold!) But the
mystery is the bass driver - it's about 7 inches Ø and has a
smaller cone about 3 inches Ø protruding from it whicjh is rather
like the last inch of a trumpet's, er, bell end! (Can't post a pic
atm!)

Anyone ever seen the like?

I had a pair from an ancient Phillips stereo that had these things.
6.5in across with foam surround yes? Made by Elac, used to cost
pennies @ Wilmslow, sounded amazingly good. I kept the speakers for
years after the stereo, until I started using them as my bathroom
system. Paper cones and baths don't work that well though!


*Bathroom* system? - I missed that bit!

Cool.......

:-)

Ever had a family? Ever wanted some peace and quiet...?

"Keith G" wrote in message
...

I am in a maelstrom of kit-shifting (and now computer-cleaning, it seems!)
and have finally got round to trying an old pair of homemade standmounters
that have dwelt in the 'speaker heap', in my garage, for the last couple
of
years.

I've put 'em on and they sound quite amazing! (I'm cautiously thinking
they
might be the perfect solution to my current problems with terrible room
acoustics - bass honk and resonance).....

They are paper drivers - both the tweeter and the bass driver. (What a
blessed relief after Kevlar cones - now sold!) But the mystery is the bass
driver - it's about 7 inches Ø and has a smaller cone about 3 inches Ø
protruding from it whicjh is rather like the last inch of a trumpet's, er,
bell end! (Can't post a pic atm!)

Anyone ever seen the like?


they are 'full range' drivers, the smaller central paper cone is a 'whizzer'
the driver prob is 40 - 50 hz to 16 -18 khz or similar,
is the tweeter a piezo? if it is, then no crossover inside so a CLEAN sound.
regards malcolm


--
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LED Headlamps and Sea Fishing UK
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..·´¯`·.¸

"Triffid" wrote


*Bathroom* system? - I missed that bit!

Cool.......

:-)

Ever had a family?


Yes (still got one, last time I looked! :-)


Ever wanted some peace and quiet...?




Nah - never bothered me, I just used to crank the volume up 'til they went
and shut themselves in the bathroom!

:-)

"malcolm" wrote

Anyone ever seen the like?


they are 'full range' drivers, the smaller central paper cone is a
'whizzer'



Ah! Now you mention that also, that term is familiar.


the driver prob is 40 - 50 hz to 16 -18 khz or similar,
is the tweeter a piezo? if it is, then no crossover inside so a CLEAN
sound.
regards malcolm


Unfortunately no, these speakers have a little paper tweeter about 2.5
inches Ø, see:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/keit...ow/tweeter.jpg

The bass cone looks thus:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/keit...w/basscone.jpg

On Thu, 19 Feb 2004 13:55:59 +0000, Keith G wrote:


I am in a maelstrom of kit-shifting (and now computer-cleaning, it seems!)
and have finally got round to trying an old pair of homemade standmounters
that have dwelt in the 'speaker heap', in my garage, for the last couple
of years.

I've put 'em on and they sound quite amazing! (I'm cautiously thinking
they might be the perfect solution to my current problems with terrible
room acoustics - bass honk and resonance).....

They are paper drivers - both the tweeter and the bass driver. (What a
blessed relief after Kevlar cones - now sold!) But the mystery is the bass
driver - it's about 7 inches Ø and has a smaller cone about 3 inches Ø
protruding from it whicjh is rather like the last inch of a trumpet's, er,
bell end! (Can't post a pic atm!)

Anyone ever seen the like?


If you happen to like building valve amps too, these are probably just
what you want. They should sound great as they are probably quite
sensitive (those paper cones!). You don't get a flat frequency response,
but they will probably sound very nice. It may be worth pairing them with
more modern dome tweeters though as the cone types tend to be very
directional.

The extra cone is known as a "parasitic" cone and tends to add mid-upper
mid response to the main cone. Sometimes they are "damped" with a foam
ring on the outer edge to control its resonance.

--
Mick
http://www.nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini information
Also at http://www.mixtel.co.uk where the collection started.
Currently deserting M$ for linux... :-)

"Form@C" wrote

Anyone ever seen the like?


If you happen to like building valve amps too, these are probably just
what you want. They should sound great as they are probably quite
sensitive (those paper cones!). You don't get a flat frequency response,
but they will probably sound very nice. It may be worth pairing them with
more modern dome tweeters though as the cone types tend to be very
directional.

The extra cone is known as a "parasitic" cone and tends to add mid-upper
mid response to the main cone. Sometimes they are "damped" with a foam
ring on the outer edge to control its resonance.



Very interesting.

I'm with you entirely on the dome tweeters - in fact I've already swapped
them for another pair off the pile - Wharfedale Laser 80s - which are a
three-way design with domed tweeters. By contrast, they are immediately
'better defined' and have that 'freshness' and immediacy I expect with paper
drivers. (Valve amplification, btw.) In fact, they are sounding very nice
indeed atm and certainly don't smell so bad!

The homebrews were definitely interesting and by no means unpleasant to
listen to, but I can see now they sounded a tad 'veiled' by comparison.
(Back in the garage now or FOC to anyone who wanted to collect them....)