• 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

Acoustic Suspension Speakers Question

sonix

sonix

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone,

I really like the vintage acoustic suspension type speakers and had several models including the New Large Advents, AR 90's and a few others. Currently I am using my Advent Heritage speakers that are in near mint shape and just love the way they sound.

My question to you all is, are there any other good acoustic suspension speakers you would recomend? I would also like to try some of the newer stuff. Most of the newer speakers I checked out online have a hole or two on the back (port).:drool: Not trying to belittle ported speakers, just my prefference. I read some about the NHT which makes acoustic suspension speakers, has anyone had any experince with this brand?

I am under the impression that 2- 6" bass drivers, 1- 5" to 6" mid, and 1- tweeter would really sound good in an acoustic suspension cabinet. It seems like the smaller driver are more precise in the low freqencies or at least that is an opinion I read, it makes sence from the in the context of physics. Has anyone tryed this woofer arrangement? What modern manufacturer today would you recomend?
 
Last edited:
Register to hide this ad
I really like my KLH Model 5 speakers. Recapped and sound great. I believe this was their answer to the AR-3. First year of production was 1968. A very effecient speaker too as I'm powering mine with a 35 wpc Fisher 500C and it provides more then enough juice.
 
One thing, the enclosure has to be right on. I had some ADS, I think 9 model and they were very good. The Infinity RS 2A/B has acoustic suspension for the bass 10" woofers and they sound very good; I like it better than the RS1 Bass column.

Gale made a great speaker; I have not seen one in years.
 
Someone is listing a pair of KLH 5 on local CL for $300, not sure if it is a good price for them.
 
The Classic Avid 103 and 102 speakers will put a smile on your face like the Advents:yes: Tight bass with exceptional voicing ( Sweet Phillips tweeters) And with rubber surrounds!! There's a Avid thread here on AK:yes::D Check it out. I picked up a mixed set ( One 103 & 102) At a local Goodwill and have been very impressed. Like I said they remind me sound-wise of my New Large Advents. ( The Bass on the Advents go a little deeper).
 
Last edited:
kydog said:
The Classic Avid 103 and 102 speakers will put a smile on your face like the Advents:yes: Tight bass with exceptional voicing ( Sweet Phillips tweeters) And with rubber surrounds!! There's a Avid thread here on AK:yes::D Check it out
Click to expand...

Thanks KYDOG, I will check it out!
 
All Allisons used acoustic suspension, and I don't think the knew how to make a bad speaker. If you are looking at moderate sized speakers from the late sixties, through the early eighties, sealed boxes were more common than ports (or passive radiators - effectively a port). As you've noticed, vented designs have gained a much larger share of the market since then though. NHT make some pretty good speakers, I'd recommend them in general, but haven't kept up with their later models to suggest any one in particular. Infinity, and B&W used Acoustic suspension up into the '90s on several models... not sure if they still do at all.
 
sonix said:
I am under the impression that 2- 6" bass drivers, 1- 5" to 6" mid, and 1- tweeter would really sound good in an acoustic suspension cabinet. It seems like the smaller driver are more precise in the low freqencies or at least that is an opinion I read, it makes sence from the in the context of physics. Has anyone tryed this woofer arrangement?
Click to expand...

I use a quad of 6.5" speakers in a sealed 3 cu ft box for midbass duty from 60 - 800Hz (see my signature). They do sound more precise and "faster" than a typical 12" speaker.
 
You might want to check out the Polk Monitor series. The Monitor 10 uses two 6.5 woofers and a passive radiator in a sealed cabinet along with a nice dome tweeter. There were two versions of the tweeter, I think the older Peerless version is the one most prefer but I could be wrong about that.
 
I was disappointed that no one could reference a speaker that fit the OP's specs although I'd replace the 6 inch mid with something smaller. One speaker that appears to fit his criteria (and mine of a smaller midrange) is the Boston Acoustics VR1 with two 6.5" woofers, a 4.5" mid and 1" tweeter. I'm unable to tell if its rear ported although it doesn't appear to be. Note also that two 6.5" woofs is only equivalent to a 9" woofer and the specs show it only going down to 46hz, but it also had 93 db sensitivity which is high for an acoustic suspension and may indicate it could have been tuned deeper (or is actually ported). Your general criteria of a tower speaker with 2 smaller woofers, a midrange and tweeter is pretty common nowadays although the speakers are usually ported.

One last note, Huw Powell of Human Speakers (EPI/Genesis) states on his website that "It is almost an industry cliche that a six inch two way speaker is the easiest to build and make sound good. This is because a woofer that small usually has great dispersion and control characteristics."
 
The vintage infinities are acoustic suspension speakers and most sound great. The RS-4B has 2, 8 inch woofers and absolutely rocks.
 
Flammaster said:
Get some AR 4x which are small enough for a bedroom but sound great!
Click to expand...

AR-7's are good to, 8 inch woofer and the AR dome tweeter. very nice bookself speakers. I had a set at one time My brother has them now and I want them back. NHT had a whole series of nice bookself speakers of this design as well. Now Hear This was founded by one of the engineers for AR in fact. Another outfit that made nice acoustic suspension speakers is Warfedale. The W-20, and W-35. My W-35 are very nice 3-ways and are constructed to fit in the corners of a room. My set of W-35's sound good and have solid good looking cabinets. The problem with old Warfedales is getting speakers for them, if needed, the BIC drivers for them are long gone.
 
Last edited:
Not surprising the KLH 5's are price pointed there. May not get that much but if they are minty then maybe. I'm thinkin' back 5-6 yrs and they were bringing that. Them and all of a sudden the AR 5's (iirc) were fetching very big bucks. AR 5 might be a good choice if it fits the OP requirements.
 
sonix said:
Hello everyone,
I am under the impression that 2- 6" bass drivers, 1- 5" to 6" mid, and 1- tweeter would really sound good in an acoustic suspension cabinet. It seems like the smaller driver are more precise in the low freqencies or at least that is an opinion I read, it makes sence from the in the context of physics. Has anyone tryed this woofer arrangement? What modern manufacturer today would you recomend?
Click to expand...

The ADS L710 comes pretty close to what you're describing: two 7" woofers, a 2" soft-dome midrange, and a 3/4" soft-dome tweeter, all in a solidly-braced (and good looking!) sealed box. While it's still a 30-plus-year-old speaker, that ADS design represents a pretty big generational leap from the Advent/KLH/AR classics. And to my ears, along with lots of other folks around here, the L710 is a beautifully balanced and rewarding loudspeaker.

I'm also an acoustic suspension fan, BTW. I have KLH 5s, Large Advents, ADS L620s -- each set is musically pleasing in its own way.

I have less exposure to high-quality ported designs. Vandersteen 1s employ a great transmission-line setup that sounds strong and linear to me. And I recently came across some Ohm C2 speakers that I restored. While they were made well, and I wanted to like them, the bass always sounded diffuse to me, imprecise. It wasn't quite a one-note bass sound, but when I switched back to (for example) Advents in the same room, all of a sudden I heard a lot of low-frequency detail that had been missing with the Ohms.
 
transmaster said:
AR-7's are good to, 8 inch woofer and the AR dome tweeter. very nice bookself speakers. I had a set at one time My brother has them now and I want them back. NHT had a whole series of nice bookself speakers of this design as well. Now Hear This was founded by one of the engineers for AR in fact. Another outfit that made nice acoustic suspension speakers is Warfedale. The W-20, and W-35. My W-35 are very nice 3-ways and are constructed to fit in the corners of a room. My set of W-35's sound good and have solid good looking cabinets. The problem with old Warfedales is getting speakers for them, if needed, the BIC drivers for them are long gone.
Click to expand...

I think those Wharfdales were actually small "infinite baffle" enclosures, much like Bozak, and Klipsch (Heresy) models.
 
audiojones said:
You might want to check out the Polk Monitor series. The Monitor 10 uses two 6.5 woofers and a passive radiator in a sealed cabinet along with a nice dome tweeter. There were two versions of the tweeter, I think the older Peerless version is the one most prefer but I could be wrong about that.
Click to expand...

A "passive radiator" works much like a ported system, not really the same response as an acoustic suspension... not that that's a bad thing, just they are different.
 
sonix said:
I am under the impression that 2- 6" bass drivers, 1- 5" to 6" mid, and 1- tweeter would really sound good in an acoustic suspension cabinet. It seems like the smaller driver are more precise in the low freqencies or at least that is an opinion I read, it makes sence from the in the context of physics. Has anyone tryed this woofer arrangement? What modern manufacturer today would you recomend?
Click to expand...

You might like what is often referred to as a "2 1/2 way". Basically they use two small woofer/mid drivers working together at the lowest frequencies (two 6" drivers working like one 12" with a very strong motor), then as the frequency rises, one of the "woofers" is rolled off (at which point it's effectively a "2 way" speaker.
B&W DM1200s, and 1400s worked this way, and a number of models from PSB, Totem, even Celestion IIRC had a go with such a system. I had a Pair of DM1400s (gave them to some in-laws), they were very nice, with particularly strong bass for their size. The down side (there's always at least one) is they tend to be rather insensitive... probably wont find any higher than 87-88db, I'd guess. You might try a google search for "two and a half way speakers", that should turn up some.
 
Speakerlab from the late 70s, but they are quite hard to find these days.

There is a nice pair of Avid 102s on the Bay right now at a good price. From 1977 with butyl rubber surrounds on the woofer and a Philips tweeter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom