I've gone and done a "bad" thing... well not really - EV wedge monitors

[loudnoises]

So after a discussion this morning about "do i really need all these speakers", i dun gone and bought some more. Smart me also bought a large iced coffee too, so i've been fo rgiven for spending the $25

But what have we here? Well the Savers i trash constantly for it's lack of substance has thrown me (potentially) a bone. Searching for my security bits so I can get the covers off...

Here's a couple teasers. These are triggering flashbacks

 

[goodolpg]

Hmmm, it looks like EV behind the grille cloth...
I'm really intrigued by the small atomic explosion coming out of one of them but then I'm a sucker for colored twinkly lights.

 

[KingBubba]

EV floor monitors. Just looking at them makes my back hurt from the memory of moving those damned things during the 39 years I spent working in the theater. I have no idea what model they are.

 

[loudnoises]

Yep. The flashbacks hurt. These things weigh a ton. EV horns and drivers, 1823m on an 8HD horn, woofer baskets look like the force 12s i had years ago, but are grey not black, and a cleaner casting. push spring terminals with "79195 412" on the cone. No markings on the basket or magnet, save for a NES sticker. Seems this one has a newer spider at least. Just one cab open so far. There is a crossover buried in there but that's for tomorrow, it looks like a wax brick with 2 caps atop. Haven't fired em up yet, gotta figure out how the twist lock is wired, if it's how i'm guessing then that's one more point in the "I've met these before" category.

Hmmm, it looks like EV behind the grille cloth...
I'm really intrigued by the small atomic explosion coming out of one of them but then I'm a sucker for colored twinkly lights.

oops. Yeah that was the wrong picture... That's a weird torch/brazier thing i made at work for an upcoming event. not the flame, just the structure. flames came from fortune products and honestly look better on camera than in person.

 

[loudnoises]

Dug in a bit more. Cabs are trashed, no shock there. Baffles are busted, seams burst. Drivers all seem good still, looks like i've a build in my future.

I'd rather not smash the baffles anymore, they're still good enough for templates. But the horns are captured. The drivers should unscrew i believe, but i've already ratcheted up to 2 ugga-duggas and it hasn't budged. Twist locs are wired pos to pos, neg to neg, nothing on ground.

Before i cut into the cabs to free the horns, can someone reassure me there's no value to these boxes?

 

[loudnoises]

Can't find anything on the basket, anywhere.


This one was fixed at some point, can't tell from the front.

And the beast in all it's glory


So many ideas.

 

[goodolpg]

Since you are a subscriber maybe edit the thread title to maybe include EV floor monitor or something similar, might get you some more help/information from members familiar with them. Might work, might not. Might get you some help 5 years from now, you know, when it's too late.
I'm still intrigued by the colored twinkly lights. Even though I know nothing about the EV speakers I felt compelled to come back and look at the bright colors.....

 

[KingBubba]

Those baskets look suspiciously like Altec baskets. I worked with a lot of those, but have never opened one up. The EVs that I worked with had a distinct coloration to their sound and I seriously guess they would not be useful for playback.

 

[GordonW]

EVM12L. I'd recognize one of those woofers anywhere. Reconed dozens of them over the last 20 years.

Regards,
Gordon.

 

[loudnoises]

EVM12L. I'd recognize one of those woofers anywhere. Reconed dozens of them over the last 20 years.

Regards,
Gordon.

As best i can tell, you're spot on, as usual.

The only reservation i have is that the underside of the basket lip, the part that lies on the baffle board, is slightly different than what i see in pictures. The "channels" on the evm12l are smooth between holes, where mine has slightly raised perpendicular (to the outer rim) lines. Maybe later baskets were resesigned?

EVM12L http://blogs.online.berklee.edu/thaddeushogarth/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/EVM12L.jpg

EVM15l http://medias.audiofanzine.com/images/normal/electro-voice-evm-15l-533787.jpg Notice between the bolts.

My basket looks like the 15 above, but it's a 12". Either way i'm pleased as punch to have some real drivers to play with, and i've stumbled upon some info regarding pairing the 1823m driver with the Altec 511 horns i'm (hopefully soon) getting. This is one deep rabbit hole...

 

[GordonW]

The woofer has to be a 12", just by comparing its scale with the EV 8HD horn. The 8HD itself is only 15" wide (in fact, I just verified that by measuring an 8HD that's right here on the shelf)- and it's obvious that the woofer isn't as big in diameter as the horn width.

EV made EVM12L baskets in several variations. Not only were there more than 5 diffferent colors (white, cream, champagne, bare aluminum, silver, and black), but there were different arm shapes (rounded edges vs. squared-off edges), different terminal configurations (push-terminals, bare wire lugs, .205" spade lugs), and different casting details (some with the cast-in recesses in the flanges, some with smooth flanges). Not only that, but there are two different magnet back-plate variations (thick flat vs. thinner bump-back). All are functionally identical.

The EV 1823 driver can work well with the Altec 511 horn- but you'd probably want a supertweeter with that. It's going to start rolling off due to the mass-rolloff of the driver diaphragm, at around 11KHz or so. It will be great in the midrange, though- phenolic diaphragms are great at mids.

Regards,
Gordon.

 

[bowtie427ss]

Those baskets look suspiciously like Altec baskets.

The only genuine Altec basket that looks even remotely like that is the 18 inch 3184.

 

[GordonW]

The only genuine Altec basket that looks even remotely like that is the 18 inch 3184.

Man, those always look so much like the PAS 1880C to me.



Regards,
Gordon.

 

[bowtie427ss]

One of these days when i have Bill on the phone, i will ask if he will divulge the source of the baskets. Won't surprise me a bit if he and PAS get their castings from a common source. He still builds a 3184 on that frame today.

Sadly, he doesn't offer the 3182, those went really low. http://www.greatplainsaudio.com/vintage_altec/3182_lfldspkr_spec_sheet.pdf

Back to the OP's topic, i would opine that his woofers(they likely have date codes) are at least a couple, or few generations newer than the horns. They stopped putting the red EV badges on 8HD's a loooooong time ago.

I would expect this version of 12L to have been produced about the same time as the last of those style badged 8HD's:

 

[totem]

EV horns and drivers, 1823m on an 8HD horn

The 1823m was also used on the EV SM120 horn.

 

[loudnoises]

The horn does have a red label on the throat too. It's still captured by the baffle, can't get a really good look at the driver yet. Second cab looks identical, not inside that yet.

Anyone care to guess on the age? Going to bring some strap wenches home tonight, see if I can get the drivers off.

 

[loudnoises]

One of these days when i have Bill on the phone, i will ask if he will divulge the source of the baskets. Won't surprise me a bit if he and PAS get their castings from a common source. He still builds a 3184 on that frame today.

Sadly, he doesn't offer the 3182, those went really low. http://www.greatplainsaudio.com/vintage_altec/3182_lfldspkr_spec_sheet.pdf

Back to the OP's topic, i would opine that his woofers(they likely have date codes) are at least a couple, or few generations newer than the horns. They stopped putting the red EV badges on 8HD's a loooooong time ago.

I would expect this version of 12L to have been produced about the same time as the last of those style badged 8HD's:

The one i've pulled iseems totally devoid of codes, save whats pictured above on the cone. I'll take an LED to it to see if anything comes up. The second cab is solid enough I might not be able to resist firing it up,but i'm hoping to pull the other driver tonight. this one was repaired at some point, looks like new spider and surround. New England Speaker was THE place to get things fixed back in the day, likely still is. Hoping if they redid the horns they used the original diaphrams...

Seems i can still purchase 8HD horns new (pretty cool), eager to get a look at the backs of the drivers. I assume they should have a date code on them too.

 

[loudnoises]

The woofer has to be a 12", just by comparing its scale with the EV 8HD horn. The 8HD itself is only 15" wide (in fact, I just verified that by measuring an 8HD that's right here on the shelf)- and it's obvious that the woofer isn't as big in diameter as the horn width.

EV made EVM12L baskets in several variations. Not only were there more than 5 diffferent colors (white, cream, champagne, bare aluminum, silver, and black), but there were different arm shapes (rounded edges vs. squared-off edges), different terminal configurations (push-terminals, bare wire lugs, .205" spade lugs), and different casting details (some with the cast-in recesses in the flanges, some with smooth flanges). Not only that, but there are two different magnet back-plate variations (thick flat vs. thinner bump-back). All are functionally identical.

The EV 1823 driver can work well with the Altec 511 horn- but you'd probably want a supertweeter with that. It's going to start rolling off due to the mass-rolloff of the driver diaphragm, at around 11KHz or so. It will be great in the midrange, though- phenolic diaphragms are great at mids.

Regards,
Gordon.

Oh it's a 12", measures 12.25" which jives with the evm12l i think. has push terminals and no heatsink. looks like there was a longer rectangular label on the magnet at one point, long gone now and wasn't floating in the box.

Hopefully cab #2 will have some info.

 

[GordonW]

From the size of the magnet, and the cone type, that's a 12L. The Force, EVI and other common models have a smaller magnet, and the DL12 (more uncommon) has a different cone.

Regards,
Gordon.