• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

WOW- JansZen Z-200!

Register to hide this ad
In around 1976 or so , I had a pair of Z-210a's that had a smaller,sealed cabinet, only two tweeter panels, and the strange ,open celled foam grilles common in the day. I had basic, midfi electronics & phono gear, but I remember them having great depth & clarity, & pretty impressive bass,too! Sadly, they were stolen a couple years later- I'd probably buy another set if I found them!
 
A good AK friend here turned me on to them when the auction was still active, as they are all of 30 miles from my house.

I was initially trying to work out either a storage arrangement for those, which wasn't looking good at all. I then told a few local friends with more room than I about them, to see if they'd grab them for themselves, to have a nice early pair of 'stats. Room at my place is at a minimum now so it really wasn't feasible for me to consider it, despite any desires.

But my thought was they were going to sell for a low price. So of course that stoked interest.

Alas, I think the reserve was set fairly high. A few folk wrote in to him saying they were prototypes and the like, so I wonder if the reserve price went up? Is that possible once you post an auction? I dunno.

I'd loved to have seen a local AKer get these. Then I could go over and listen!
 
From the pictures in the auction, I'd say the early models used a modified Acoustic Research 12" woofer from the AR-1 or 1w. It's interesting that they'd re-work it to use a ported design.

That shouldn't be surprising considering the original Janszen 130 tweeter arrays were marketed to AR owners.
 
So what would be the consences on what should be offered if the are re-listed, I love 'stats and might run into some down here in old fogeyville, you never know. Would the power requirements be the same as Dalquists, KLH's from the same era? CarlIV are yours a horn tweeter instead of the 'stat panels? If I could get some reasonable from an estate sale down here, I would probably enjoy either one...Yes? I already love the looks and I'm single so no issues there:D

Craig
 
i've never taken the woofers out of the cabinet - but i don't think the woofer is an AR. it's a JansZen 250 woofer.

i thought about installing an AR3 woofers - but the cabinet is too big. not too mention the 130 array for the Z-200 is 16 ohms. the 250 woofer is 16 ohms - paralled for 8 ohms. who knows how a 4 ohm AR woofer would play into the system.

Robby

winters860 said:
From the pictures in the auction, I'd say the early models used a modified Acoustic Research 12" woofer from the AR-1 or 1w. It's interesting that they'd re-work it to use a ported design.

That shouldn't be surprising considering the original Janszen 130 tweeter arrays were marketed to AR owners.
Click to expand...
 
they are on audiogon now:

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/auc.pl?spkrfull&1208222270

i paid $275 for mine as they were in Oakland. my wood hasn't been painted, but i don't have the legs anymore either. i've seen legs like that before on even cheap mid-century furniture. if i ever see a cheap coffee table with the legs - IT'S MINE ;-)

carl's have the 65 panels - 2 ESL instead of 4. and a 10 woofer instead of a 12".

totally different sounding than DQ-10. very...well - stat like ;-)

keep in mind - you can NOT blast the crap out of the speakers - the panels will just arc.

they can get to lively levels - but rock speakers they are not.

Robby



stuwee said:
So what would be the consences on what should be offered if the are re-listed, I love 'stats and might run into some down here in old fogeyville, you never know. Would the power requirements be the same as Dalquists, KLH's from the same era? CarlIV are yours a horn tweeter instead of the 'stat panels? If I could get some reasonable from an estate sale down here, I would probably enjoy either one...Yes? I already love the looks and I'm single so no issues there:D

Craig
Click to expand...
 
centaurus3200 said:
i've never taken the woofers out of the cabinet - but i don't think the woofer is an AR. it's a JansZen 250 woofer.

i thought about installing an AR3 woofers - but the cabinet is too big. not too mention the 130 array for the Z-200 is 16 ohms. the 250 woofer is 16 ohms - paralled for 8 ohms. who knows how a 4 ohm AR woofer would play into the system.
Click to expand...

The basket shape with the flat sides is the tell - AR employed that design to fit on a narrower baffle. I may be wrong, but I've never seen any other drivers like that. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that the basket, at least, was sourced from Acoustic Research.
 
i thought that too. why shave the basket if you don't have a narrow baffle?

eh, one day i'll pull them out and take a look.

the smaller 10" woofer looks nothing like an AR2 woofer though.

i did install AR2 alnico woofers in my old Z-600 (same panel arrangement as carl's Z-300).

one step-up was bad - replaced all the resistors, caps, rectifiers, etc. never could get it to work. swapped the panels - panels were fine.

woofers HIT HARD though! i put more material in cabs to chill them out.

i sold them to David JansZen for what i had into them ;-)

Robby

winters860 said:
The basket shape with the flat sides is the tell - AR employed that design to fit on a narrower baffle. I may be wrong, but I've never seen any other drivers like that. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that the basket, at least, was sourced from Acoustic Research.
Click to expand...
 
Looks like a KLH 1 setup, an AR-1 speaker frame and Neshimany built driver. I wonder if when Kloss start KLH he bought some of the frames from either AR or its frame supplier and Art put it all together as a development mule. I had a set of Z-200s and they were a completed speaker and not modular as these are. I also do not remember them as ported but after so many years and speakers a detail like that I'd probably not remember.
 
First thing I noticed was the dust on the panels. A definate no-no for properly operating panels. As for the price, I'll not comment as but, not sure I'd spring for that much unless I were a collector of the marque and really wanted them to complete the collection. That's well into big Bozak territory for price and more than KLH Nines typically go for.
 
yeah, $600 is getting up there. but i can say from personal experience - my Z-200 running with McIntosh MC60 monoblocks is utterly sublime!

Robby


Brian said:
First thing I noticed was the dust on the panels. A definate no-no for properly operating panels. As for the price, I'll not comment as but, not sure I'd spring for that much unless I were a collector of the marque and really wanted them to complete the collection. That's well into big Bozak territory for price and more than KLH Nines typically go for.
Click to expand...
 
I had a set back in the very early '70s and they and other JansZens were my intro into electrosatics. There was not turning away from them until only a couple of years ago when I went with my Bozaks.
 
They are the type I panels and have a plastic frame over the wiring and dyaphram making them very difficult to rebuild as getting the frame off will usuallyend up breaking it. The later type IIs usually can be rebuilt. That said, the panels were also used in the Nines and there was a guy in Boston who rebuilt Nines and he knew how to break the panels down to rebuild so it can be done. He was one of the dedicated persons at KLH assigned to building Nines so he had experience. JansZen is back in business through Art's son and I've heard he can support some of the older units so possibly he can rebuild them. One the plus side the panels if not abused many times are still good. Big killer is too much power.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom