Seeburg DDS1 & Altec H-811 B Horns Project

Whaleman

Hi-Fi Rescue Mission
Thought I'd let you'll join in on this project since I've found the information here of extreme value.

The DDS1 arrived this week from Utah via freight safe and sound minus the Altec 811 horns that are coming from another place. Thanks to the AK design collaborative thread, I was able to settle on Selenium 220it horn drivers and Zilch's 8-ohm X-over with Parts Express parts, very helpful.

I was able assemble an X-over this morning and it was light and day difference from the stock. The stock were almost unbearable, I decided to use only the Seeburgs inductor coils but wired them according like Zilch's design with the new components and the L-pad. Very nice outcome so far! Very listenable and cleaned the boomy bass quite nice. Even running without the L-pad there is no pain!

The massive woofers provide effortless bass, I include a picture next to a turntable for comparison, and there are two in each box.

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A few things. First off GordonW here has some of those that he says sounds fantastic. i know he reconfigured them somehow though. Also you have the frnt plate and back side in those right? Your not going to get much bass like that. :D Also are those the stock woofers because they look very much like the 15" Utah drivers I have...

(note mag and basket)

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A few things. First off GordonW here has some of those that he says sounds fantastic. i know he reconfigured them somehow though. Also you have the frnt plate and back side in those right? Your not going to get much bass like that. :D Also are those the stock woofers because they look very much like the 15" Utah drivers I have...

(note mag and basket)

386408106_T5uWG-L.jpg

Yes, I have all the pieces! including the name tags that I am laminating and the insulation.

The woofers are stock 15" Utah, is that a 12" that you show or does it have a big magnet?

I've followed Gordon's thread and he had sort of a highbrid since the only stock parts he was using were the cabinets.

I did finish the other x-over and backed the boxes up to the wall for the bass. Even without the horns, the sound totally blew me away, the improvement was amazing, Zilch knows his stuff. Mind you, I have Cornwalls in the house and these sound better even with the backs off. The Selenium drivers are amazingly rich. I will update progress as I go along, I am hoping some will discover these under-the-radar-speakers.
 
A note,

This Seeburg Speaker system used an Altec horn with Utah 15" woofer. Definitely original. This was one of their Disco speakers then.
 
That Utah I pictured is a 15". I have 4. They are HUGE as is the magnate. Mine are PA speakers though.
 
Don't play those compression drivers very loud without horns loading them, or you'll be buying new diaphragms.... :nono:
 
Don't play those compression drivers very loud without horns loading them, or you'll be buying new diaphragms.... :nono:

Thanks Zilch, good advise :thmbsp:

Here is the other crossover:

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Today the 811 horns arrived, totally mint not a scratch. Too bad they are the wrong color. Also, progress on installing the L-pad on the back board (insulation removed) along with the crossover. Horns are now ready for the gold paint. New feet on the way too.

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Looks like a fun project, good luck. :thmbsp: I just started using my 811Bs again, with Eminence 15"s, & they're another excellent match. :smoke:
 
Some progress, laminated both nameplates, the horns are now gold, one cabinet is loaded:
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More progress, the furniture feet go on next, then done:
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I heard them at the ATL Southern Fest last year. They had jawdropping dynamics. I would have loved to have heard them in a larger room.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=129033

Mine had a Pyle Pro horn flare with a Selenium horn driver (like the one in this thread), an MB Quart high-efficiency dome supertweeter, and dual JBL M115-8A woofers (custom reconed). My set was setup as a "3.5 way"... one woofer was BASS ONLY, the other was bass AND midrange. The horn handled the high end, with the supertweeter just "extending" the highs (brought in at like 18KHz and up).

The JBL woofers had enough broad-band efficiency so that there was enough midrange with just one of them producing mids... I don't know if the original Utah woofers have enough midrange output for that trick...

Regards,
Gordon.
 
Looks great. Sound?

When I recapped my Cornwalls with the Bob Crites caps I thought I had reached some kind of audio nirvana, that is until these things. The sound is totally on another level. I had to get my favorited CDs to confirm this and sure enough.

The sound is very coherent between the woofers and the horn, effortless dynamics at any volume, plenty of accurate bass with absolutely zero boom, great flat curve mids, and gentle highs. I think Zilch and folks that collaborated on the X-over did a great job. I run the L-pad about half way at higher volume, almost max at very little volume. I hear no early roll off at either end and could not ask for more of anything. I think the dual Utah woofers do what they are supposed to very well. They guy who sold me the set collected these and had kept the cream until now. If I had to guess, the FR curve is quite flat on these. I run the bass 1 click plus from flat, loudness out, and treble almost max. Does not get any better. Can't wait to be alone to let them run a bit on the tubes. I am using the Vector Research SS wiht 30/watts per channel and it is absolutely fantastic. Tried the Marantz 2270 that you see pictured but it sounded a bit muddy and molasstic. Will report back with the tubes drving them.

You'll wish me luck, I have to get these upstairs where you see the Bose 901 pictured and I am having a bit of WAF issues. Mind you I had the Cornwalls there already.
 
Yep, I know what that is, but didn't know the proper terminology until now. :D
When the list gets big enough, I'll post it and call for submissions.

Then, if there's enough participation, the membership will vote, and I'll publish the Official AK Loudspeaker Lexicon here, crediting the contributors.... :p:
 
[Adding "Molasstic" to the AK loudspeaker lexicon.... :yes: ]

Glad to contribute in that regard since you'll contributed on the x-over so well! :D

I am playing BB King now and it does not get better :music: My audiophile connoiseur friend has offered to come over with his Marantz 8001 CD player, Cardas cables, and vocabulary and will hopefully give a pos review in more suitable terms.:D
 
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