Bought some mid century speakers

mr clean

Active Member
Made by mid south electronics in Memphis. Cabinets are very nice but have replacement drivers made by radio shack. They look to have 8 inch mid/ woofers and 2 inch or so cone tweeters. Going to find some better drivers and use them at least for awhile on a second system with tube amp and a TT. Will post pics tomorrow when I pick them up. Paid 100 bucks. I feel I did ok.
 
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Here is a pic. any input on drivers and crossovers to use. Getting a tube amp soon and wanting to use these mainly for jazz. Picked them up local and saved some money over asking price. Was 100 dollars a decent deal in some of your opinions or did I do ok? I know they are not well known but hope to put solid backs on them and some insulation inside also. Wanting to get some 2 way horns but will see what these sound like before I decide to keep them or not.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/227881...ry&ga_search_query=speakers&ref=sr_gallery_37
 
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I like those! Making cabinets like that would cost a lot more that $100. I know, I've investigated it. Not a dead idea yet but I've had it in my head to build 1950's style lowboy enclosures to house some Electro-Voice drivers and crossovers I've had kicking around for years. Not anything as ornate as what's in your photo and no top storage compartment - very cool that is. I have access to a woodworking shop and am skilled enough to do the construction but the material cost - mother bear! Unless those boxes are made from thin utter crap, I could not have gotten my money out fast enough. Maybe even if they were utter crap - if the outside looked good, Reinforcing the inside is way cheaper than a good looking outside.
 
I like those! Making cabinets like that would cost a lot more that $100. I know, I've investigated it. Not a dead idea yet but I've had it in my head to build 1950's style lowboy enclosures to house some Electro-Voice drivers and crossovers I've had kicking around for years. Not anything as ornate as what's in your photo and no top storage compartment - very cool that is. I have access to a woodworking shop and am skilled enough to do the construction but the material cost - mother bear! Unless those boxes are made from thin utter crap, I could not have gotten my money out fast enough. Maybe even if they were utter crap - if the outside looked good, Reinforcing the inside is way cheaper than a good looking outside.

I am thinking of just using a eminence woofer and I going to check the size of the tweeter and go from there. I won't have much time to check them out until next weekend. Thanks for the kind words about the cabs. I like them and the good thing is the wife loves the old school look and loves the sound of tubes and horns so we are on a quest for a system for the living room. I want some altec 19s but would settle for some pi 4s. Peace!
 
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I haven't measured but I think the cutouts for the woofers are for 8 inch. I will check out visitons . Cabs are really nice with just little wear at the bottom of the legs but everything is solid. Want to make them with efficient drivers that don't need a lot of watts. Thanks!
 
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I was just looking at PE's website and came across this Eminence woofer that may work...

https://www.parts-express.com/eminence-8-paper-cone-professional-woofer-8-ohm--290-4007

"This Eminence 8" professional woofer is a Parts Express exclusive. For smaller monitors and compact PA speakers this 8" woofer is an excellent choice. This driver will provide powerful low frequency response in small enclosures."


Thanks for the info. Ive been trying to get my learn on about speakers and like I said above want them to sound great for jazz but I want the to sound good on other types of music also. I love horn speakers but was wondering about a good cone speaker to kind of go with the older design. Ive been reading that a cone can sound great for jazz but I would not mind a good sounding small horn either. Any thoughts on how to go? I know just enough to be dangerous. I see some decent eminence crossovers on parts express for 2 ways that look like they may be a good way to go. I would think you wold want the speakers to be about the same sensitivity so the highs and lows come across at about the same intensity. Am I thinking right?
 
I'm a novice as well. If you can, post a photo of the cabinet interior and the interior measurements (height, width, depth & driver cut-outs) so that more experience members can give some solid advice.
 
That is some really nice wood work. the front grills and the legs are certainly 1950's style. Where these originally speaker cabinets? Where were the originals mounted? The pics do not show. Are there some sort of baffle or reflex air outlets? Are the lids designed to seal the cabinets??
 
oh same as my RTR 600D's, any pics of the inside yet?

Im not going to have a chance to mess with them until next weekend. I work alot but I did take today off for my birthday. The radio shacks are not stock I'm pretty sure. I will be off for 4 days starting next saturday so Im going to mess with them at that time. Im 95 percent sure they were built to be speakers. Can anyone tell me what kind of wood they look to be made from? I can ask my brother in law when he sees them but I'm not sure. Peace!
 
That is some really nice wood work. the front grills and the legs are certainly 1950's style. Where these originally speaker cabinets? Where were the originals mounted? The pics do not show. Are there some sort of baffle or reflex air outlets? Are the lids designed to seal the cabinets??
The backs have that material that was on a lot of TVs back in thethe 50s 60s with the little holes in it. It will be replaced with wood. Im sure they were made for speakers because the tag on back says 15 watts max and 8 ohms.
 
That perforated back would turn on a red light for me concerning the speaker components inside - I would interpret that 15 watt rating as meaning not very good. Could be wrong, but those two factors in my mind point to a lowish end speaker enclosure and therefore makes me imagine the cabinet material is utility grade particle board or MDF and on the thin side. If so, beefing it up internally with another layer on all sides would make them less resonant for use with a better woofer. Plus a new, non-perforated cabinet back. From what you've just written, it sounds like they were tables first and speakers second.

Is there any sound absorbing material at all inside them as they are?

If this were my project, I would calculate internal cabinet volume and use that number to explore new woofer possibilities. And to narrow down the field and make things easier, I would probably plan on sealed air suspension boxes instead of ported bass reflex. Comparing internal cabinet volume with that required by potential woofers would show if there are many or few candidates.

You may get away with using the existing front baffle board. Those cabinets might not lend themselves easily to removing the grill covering, exposing the drivers so you may be restricted to original woofer diameter and mounting hole pattern. There are ways to overcome the latter, just need to be creative.
 
Particle board or not, those look like nice cabinets. A lot of fine cabinets are made with particle board, the value is in the quality of the veneer and the finish, which in your case looks very nice. Other than replacing the peg-board backs, I wouldn't modify them.

EDIT: The only mod I would do to the cabinets, other than replacing the backs, would be to utilize the top compartment for increased internal volume, but only if the woofer you choose requires it.
 
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That perforated back would turn on a red light for me concerning the speaker components inside - I would interpret that 15 watt rating as meaning not very good. Could be wrong, but those two factors in my mind point to a lowish end speaker enclosure and therefore makes me imagine the cabinet material is utility grade particle board or MDF and on the thin side. If so, beefing it up internally with another layer on all sides would make them less resonant for use with a better woofer. Plus a new, non-perforated cabinet back. From what you've just written, it sounds like they were tables first and speakers second.

Is there any sound absorbing material at all inside them as they are?

If this were my project, I would calculate internal cabinet volume and use that number to explore new woofer possibilities. And to narrow down the field and make things easier, I would probably plan on sealed air suspension boxes instead of ported bass reflex. Comparing internal cabinet volume with that required by potential woofers would show if there are many or few candidates.

You may get away with using the existing front baffle board. Those cabinets might not lend themselves easily to removing the grill covering, exposing the drivers so you may be restricted to original woofer diameter and mounting hole pattern. There are ways to overcome the latter, just need to be creative.
No they are all wood and solid as a rock but I do agree the components most likely were pretty sad at best. Furniture makers trying to sell speakers is my guess. They will be replaced with much better components and I'm not worried about their value. I just like them. Im not going to change the driver sizes and im putting solid backs on them for sure. 0 sound absorbing material but they will have. Thanks for the posts guys and Peace!
 
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