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So Nice Sonabs

Charivari

Charivari

Fighting Naïve Realism
Anyone ever hear of the Sonab OA114s? Odd looking suckers, but the quality of the veneer makes me think these may be something special.

bq71N7VfCWzzx7cVvziYeYjxYvBM.jpg
IE7MVFCPeccvQoYSJv9UftKkU9st.jpg


- JP
 
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Interesting, looks like the tweeters are trying to run away, or Bose direct/reflecting taken to a whole new level. Have you heard them?
 
Designed by a fellow called Stig Carlsson, using quality drivers. There was a Sonab dealer in Baltimore way back when, so I got to hear several of their 'direct/reflecting' speakers. They were not inexpensive, and they did sound quite good. Not too common in the US.

Don't expect modern, pinpoint imaging with 'em, though.
 
West Coasters, buy with confidence- units were pre-shaken at the factory to achieve random driver placement, and thus are earthquake-resistant.
 
Looks like something Charivari would buy :D

Those look exactly like the Peerless tweeters i have which are supposed to be very good.
 
tentoze said:
West Coasters, buy with confidence- units were pre-shaken at the factory to achieve random driver placement, and thus are earthquake-resistant.
Click to expand...

:lmao:

I remember hearing some of those way back when - pretty good if you like that "spray the sound everywhere" effect.
 
I just thought they looked interesting. There were a few quality speaker makers out there experimenting with this design, so I thought that these could be good. Fairly haphazard tweeter arrangement, though. Lots of good speakers available down in Oregon today, these, some Dynaco A-25s, ARs, etc.

- JP
 
I certainly wouldn't dismiss them out of hand. I vaguely recall hearing some Sonab model years ago that were quite distinctive.
 
I had a pair of OA 5 type II's a few yrs back. They were very impressive in their ability to create a very open, airy sound. I would have kept them but I do not currently have a room where this kind of design works as intended. If you have a room with usable space, you will love them :yes:
 
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tentoze said:
West Coasters, buy with confidence- units were pre-shaken at the factory to achieve random driver placement, and thus are earthquake-resistant.
Click to expand...
in good shape the tentoze is tonight! :tresbon:


charivari,
I have a magnificent 1973/74 Sonab catalog so I'll post them on TVK. That is... I'll try to before 2008 :D
And Stig Carlsson is still alive and kicking: www.carlssonplanet.com
 
Well, unless I move some of the gear I've listed in the classifieds, I've no cash to pursue these speakers. I posted the info out of curiosity and in case someone in the region wanted to pick these up. So, these are from 73-4? Interesting, they were made around the same time Design Acoustics did their crazy tweeter omnidirectionals too, must've been in vogue for the year.

- JP
 
Very interesting looking speaks there.

Charivari what are your main speakers, I know you have the tannoys "also what amp on those"
But do you also run something else like infinity's? same amplification there?

Just curious as you and I have x'ed path's many times and I'm nosey!
 
Kegger said:
Charivari what are your main speakers, I know you have the tannoys "also what amp on those"
But do you also run something else like infinity's? same amplification there?

Just curious as you and I have x'ed path's many times and I'm nosey!
Click to expand...
Which day? Which hour? Which album? Which mood? My main system is in a state of constant flux to match all those factors.

I mostly use the Tannoy Berkeleys (HPD385As) and occasionally in conjunction with a DIY Adire DPL-12/PR-15 subwoofer. Other times, particularly with movies, I use a pair of Infinity Quantum 2s. Upon occasion, when the mood strikes or I want to really enjoy some female vocals, I throw in a pair of Magnepan MG-Is.

Amplification runs anywhere from a ~200 wpc into 4 ohms Radio Shack MPA-250 (yeah, yeah I know, but it's the only amp that can drive the Infinities without clipping at higher levels and helps the dynamics of the Magnepans) to a 15 wpc Fisher SA-16 6BQ5 tube amp for the Tannoys. I also have a Pioneer SX-838 and a Sonic Impact T-Amp running off of a 20 amp power supply to swap in whenever I feel like a change. The pre-amps for these amps tend to be either a Marantz 3200 or (don't laugh) an Onkyo TX-DS696 for convenience and movies -- while driving a pair of Infinity Reference Studio Monitors as the rears.

I've some more detailed information here when I temporarily rearranged my system to be my best attempt at "bang for buck" last month here.

I also experiment a lot with my main system, trying out other speakers all the time. For the past week, I've been running my HPM-100s, to make sure everything was still working, and only put the Tannoys back in this morning.

- JP
 
Hey I'm in the same boat with yu, allways changing my gear! And I would never laugh
at what someone else is using. All tastes are different and I say there is no company
that can't make a good piece of equipment if they want to. There are very few secrets
as to how to make a good piece of audio equipment!

Didn't know you had any tube equipment. Give any thoughts to workin on yur HPM-100's?
The stuffing and tweeters would do wonders and it will only cost yu $30! Just a thought.
"fairly quick and easy to"
 
Well, the gear listed is the result of budget limitations and not sound. Aside from the sub, that was put together on a budget as well, everything cost under $50 and most around $10-20. Still, I've too much more stuff stashed around here or out on loan, but this equipment suites my preferences best.

As to the HPMs, well, even after modification, they probably won't be to my taste. Then what? I'll have yet another pair of bookshelf speakers and not a place for them, so off they'll go to someone who does have need of them and maybe I'll have the cash to fix up my Fisher 100-T tubed pre-amp/tuner (rectifier is a true fire bottle thanks to bad caps) and Dynaco SCA-35 (possibly bad power tranny). Oh, so yes, I do have some tubed gear, nothing near so good as your 300Bs.

- JP
 
Yes I do love my 300B's "best sounding amp that's been through here, and that's a lot"
but certainly not the be all end all of amps nor would it suit everyone.

I hear yu completly on the not needing anymore gear you wanna keep. As the HPM's for
me were an experiment that left me actually wanting them, SIGH! But I think I have a slight
grasp to your tastes and think yu might be pleasently surprised at what the mods would do but
in no way am I saying you should do this and keep them as I know how the gear pile goes. But I
feel if you did the mods you just might change your mind as to me it's a night and day difference,
as you know I was not a fan of them either. But hey no biggie, if you do get ambitous though!
 
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Trust me, I've been very tempted to follow the path you've blazed in HPM modification, but I'd rather not want to keep them. Maybe if I had a home, but I'm an apartment dweller and I have to contend with this:
Speakers.jpg

And that wasn't even all of them at the time. Though I've managed to move a few onto those happier to have them than I, a few more have found their way here. Dangit. Let's not even mention electronics.

I'll just keep telling myself that I don't want to keep the HPMs to mod, maybe I'll believe it.

- JP
 
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