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What d'ya do with old console speakers -or- Open Baffles are *bleeping* amazing

oneinchside

oneinchside

Openly Baffled
Months ago I got hold of a Zenith console/cat box and pulled the speakers, TT (sent off to a good home) and the SS amp and promptly burned the piddle soaked console. *ick*

It sounded pretty good when it was in one piece, not great by any stretch but nice, so I kept the speakers.

When I was down at the local Lumber Yard/Ice Cream Stand/Laundromat today I heard one of the employees complaining about a pile of stuff that had been damaged... drywall, molding, pine stock... so I said what the heck, look at it...

an hour later I was deep into putting together a pair of open baffles for the Zenith drivers.
Open-Baffle-w-zenith.jpg


They're not finished yet, I set the horns and mids up on top but they are now in the back firing upward. All those things you've heard about OB's are true. Just follow the directions. I took a lot of liberties with these, and I can hear every one. (i.e. don't take liberties. KISS)

a) they do need to be tilted back about 10 degrees
b) the tweeters really do need to be on a little baffle in middle of the top edge.
c) yes they do need to be toed in a bit and about 2'-3' from the back wall
d) these things sound MUCH better than they have a right to. stray cat 40 year old speakers from a lower mid end console.... and they are really amazing. when they get away from the wall the bass just blooms... not like a sub, like someone is just standing there in the room. The imaging is wonderful (I spun Bete Noir and the cats were freaking out, first time I've ever gotten their attention with speakers... and then the bird calls album... :) )

There isn't a lot of deep bass, but what is there is very natural, very musical. The horns were really grating and nasty... until I mounted them in the back firing up and tilted the whole thing back to about 10 degrees. The molding/lip on the front of the top edge does mess with the midrange somewhat, before I put it on the sound was more coherent, I may change that.

When I decide what room they are going to stay in I'll paint them to match the walls and trim, until then they still sound better than I expected.

:naughty:And then tomorrow I put in a kill switch for the high end and try 'em as cabs for a guitar amp or two.
 
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They look really big. Did you use some software to determine the size of the baffles? I want to try an OB project, maybe some EV Wolverines or something along those lines to go with one of my tube Fishers. Cool project to get the most out of some old drivers, I like 'em. :thmbsp:
 
Jailtime said:
They look really big. Did you use some software to determine the size of the baffles? I want to try an OB project, maybe some EV Wolverines or something along those lines to go with one of my tube Fishers. Cool project to get the most out of some old drivers, I like 'em. :thmbsp:
Click to expand...

I guess big is relative, 31"x36", but only about 8" deep so I can put 'em against the wall until I want to sit down and listen. And the kids perceive them as shelves... that just happen to sound really good.

No software, just a lot of help around here and a good bit of reading. But nothings really changed since the '50s. The wider your baffle the lower your cutoff frequency, and that's about it. (tomorrow I'll dig up some links)

But considering they like to be a couple of feet from the wall they do like a bit of space (which I don't have right now). I'm dreaming of a nice warm little tube amp to go with these now... and a new case and cartridge for one of the turntables...

All in all I'd say that this here sheet of wallboard is the best $3.00 I've spent on audio. (plus a couple of 1"x3" braces to keep it upright, the rest is just window dressing)
 
Jailtime said:
They look really big. Did you use some software to determine the size of the baffles? I want to try an OB project, maybe some EV Wolverines or something along those lines to go with one of my tube Fishers. Cool project to get the most out of some old drivers, I like 'em. :thmbsp:
Click to expand...

I have a set of Fisher drivers that I want to try too, but I can't bear to take them out of their console. They are the kings of mellow.:music:
 
Jailtime said:
They look really big. Did you use some software to determine the size of the baffles? I want to try an OB project, maybe some EV Wolverines or something along those lines to go with one of my tube Fishers. Cool project to get the most out of some old drivers, I like 'em. :thmbsp:
Click to expand...

Here's a good jumping off point... after getting straight on enclosure types the discussion turned to making OB's. The stuff these guys laid out should be a book or a sticky or sumthin'.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=249699

I will never, ever, just toss old console drivers again. :no::nono: :music:
 
oneinchside said:
danke, now for paint, etc. They may even end up with a moderately high WAF.
Click to expand...
I can see those becoming something quite beautiful, especially considering their depth. The only problem I can foresee will be the allure to place chotchkies on the "mantel". That might limit their ability to be moved from their "decorative" position to the preferred listening position. Beyond that, I think that what you've done thus far is amazing.

BTW: Back away from the Fisher slowly! Don't rape it in favor of this project. Avery would not be pleased! ;)

Dave
 
There could be all kinds of ways to make those look interesting. Only the imagination is the limit.

This thread has pretty much inspired me to go buy a couple sheets of plywood.

I've been cocking around with a pair of Altec 415A Biflex drivers, in Klipsch Cornwall cabinets with no back panels. The cabinets are flipped upside down to get the drivers more ear level.

The Altec 415A's I have, seem to need a helper tweeter on top to my ears. I have a pair of smaller Heil AMT drivers that I favor so far. I've tried other tweeters, Crites CT125, JBL 075, etc....

Maybe I'll try the JE labs OB option. I really like some things the Altec 415A's do. Like upper midbass and midrange.

Mike
 
I do very much like Vermont -- our daughter's living in South Royalton (SoRo)...
I like New Hamster, too... that's where we hope to spend our declining years.
 
mashaffer said:
Another convert. Two thumbs up for a nice application.

mike
Click to expand...

"Yea, thy zealotry has tried my heart and found it wanting, but verily it shall want no more. I hereby enter absolution." (apologies to John Donne)

It amazes me how much they interact with the room, and how easy it is to "tune" them by just moving things. And I really love having the image up above the baffle itself. My neighbor walked up to them and waved her hand over the top, trying to figure out the "trick" and where the speakers were. She had been listening for about 10 minutes when it dawned on her that where she heard the music coming from was just empty space.
 
Mike Stehr said:
There could be all kinds of ways to make those look interesting. Only the imagination is the limit.

This thread has pretty much inspired me to go buy a couple sheets of plywood.

I've been cocking around with a pair of Altec 415A Biflex drivers, in Klipsch Cornwall cabinets with no back panels. The cabinets are flipped upside down to get the drivers more ear level.

The Altec 415A's I have, seem to need a helper tweeter on top to my ears. I have a pair of smaller Heil AMT drivers that I favor so far. I've tried other tweeters, Crites CT125, JBL 075, etc....

Maybe I'll try the JE labs OB option. I really like some things the Altec 415A's do. Like upper midbass and midrange.

Mike
Click to expand...

mashaffer and Rayw can actually explain this well (and I can't quite yet), but some drivers like to be in a box, some don't. And these still don't come to close my Heil AMT II's, but hey, it's more than worth the cash I have in it. I do think it's the best quick-n-easy way to evaluate full range drivers.

And you only need one sheet of plywood, but make it thick (or 2 thin layers filled with sand). :thmbsp:
 
mhardy6647 said:
I do very much like Vermont -- our daughter's living in South Royalton (SoRo)...
I like New Hamster, too... that's where we hope to spend our declining years.
Click to expand...

I used to go to SoRo quite a bit when I had my office in Williston (outside of Burlington) but now I'm way up in Newport-- which is a bustling metropolis compared w/ Royalton. Lemmee know when you start declining, I'll buy ya a beer when your in the area.
 
mhardy6647 said:
FWIW, this is what I calculated a while back for cutoff as a function of open baffle size; I simply ran the numbers using the formula at:
http://www.iol.ie/~waltonaudio/ob.html

attachment.php
Click to expand...

yup, that's the chart. I looked up the formulas twice and then just looked at the graph instead of doing the math. Mine drop right off at about 125hz, and like the link says, the drop is about 6db according to my ears. For most things I'm ok with that, except of course if I watching the Lord of the Rings or something.
 
i can source drivers ala old console cabinets.i can build, (if it can be referred to as"building") the baffles but the part that i'm concerned about is the front source.
amplification and CD vs vinly and via what equipment i own.
someone mentioned an old Sansui as a good match.
oldest power i have is a Sansui 661 receiver,from there a Yamaha CR-1020.
 
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