Advent question - OLA vs NLA

K

kjkf100

New Member
Hi all,

I just refoamed a pair of OLA's I got off craiglist for $20 bucks. According to the seller, they had been refoamed by a local Vancouver company, who did about the poorest job I have ever seen (and they glued the surrounds on the outside of the masonite ring, first attached pic, second pic is after refoaming - correct placement)

I also got a pair of NLA's for 40 at a thrift store and refoamed them.

After some initial comparing, NLA's sound way better! They have a much fuller sound and better bass response.

Questions:
1. When I compare the OLA to the NLA, I notice the bass on the OLA's is much less prominent and when I crank it up and the OLA's woofers will go into a bad reverb if I turn it way up. (the NLA's don't do that no matter how much I turn it up). I'm wondering if there is something wrong with them or if the NLA's are just that much better?

2. Is there anything I should check out on my speakers, specifically my OLA's?
 

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I think OLA surrounds are inverted (surround roll is not out but inverted inwards), not that matters too much on the sound but...

good%20woofer.jpg


6335960755_fd64283927_z.jpg
 
X-over and tweeter effect bass
Without more info and condition info on those its hard to compare
 
I'm surprised you don't get tons of vibration feedback in your TT with the set up in your pic. Wonder if this is possibly having any effect?

The OLA may have old caps as well.

Just a thought.
 
Well, I am really eager to learn what you all are talking about. Any tips on where I can find information about cross-overs and caps? (are you saying capacitors in the crossover or dust caps?)

GD70- are you meaning how I have my speakers on the same platform my tt is on? i have a very small room. Need to do some space troubleshooting. I'm guessing its better to have the TT on a separate platform?

Thanks a lot!
 
kjkf100 said:
Well, I am really eager to learn what you all are talking about. Any tips on where I can find information about cross-overs and caps? (are you saying capacitors in the crossover or dust caps?)

GD70- are you meaning how I have my speakers on the same platform my tt is on? i have a very small room. Need to do some space troubleshooting. I'm guessing its better to have the TT on a separate platform?

Thanks a lot!
Click to expand...

Yup. You want to isolate the TT from picking up vibrations from the speakers as much as possible.

I was having this problem, some called it "TT Roar", when the volume was turned up. At first I thought the TT was the problem, bad cartridge or needle.
Ends up the vibration feedback being picked up through the needle. The louder I played the music, the worse it got. Some mount those spike feet on their speakers and or TT's. Parts express sells them.

Caps-capacitors on the cross overs. Google it for your speakers. I'm sure it's been covered here on AK.

Good luck!
 
1. Sell your OLA and NLA.
2. Buy some 5002 Advents.
Seriously, if you like Advents find a pair of 5002s.

cubdog
 
Crossover information, I am the author of the page:
http://baselaudiolab.com/ADVENT_LA_XO.html

I have A/B'd the OLA, NLA, and 5002 at matched levels and
ignoring the baffle step issue find that the OLA just seems to
have something right at the crossover point - very clean
transition. NLA is just not as correct sounding to me, it is
even more forward and bright. NLA sounds best in the decrease
position since the control is just a shelf type. OLA is best in
Normal since Decrease cuts the high end extension - it just
goes too far.

All sound better with the BSC box.

You need to get the foam installed correctly and make sure
that your crossovers and drivers are in good shape.

If people have a more is better view of midrange and high end
then they will like the NLA more.
 
Thanks Pete B!

What is BSC?

When you A/B two sets of speakers, what is the ideal setup? do you place the speakers side by side? or stacked? I would think that if they are stacked, one will have less bass? (due to not being one not being on floor?)

Pete- when you say "foam installed correctly", do you mean roll inward? Thats how I have done my OLA refoams and have also used the correct foams, as in that they have the longer outer flange for underneath the masonite ring.

Also, GD70 and Cubdog- I rearranged my room, speakers on floor. I do notice that when my needle is down, platter not moving, if I tap on my table, I can hear the thud reproduced in the speakers... I've heard that that is a problem with the tonearm and that an upgrade will aid in that. If I don't fix that, it can affect sound?

Thanks again for all yoru help!

k
 
BTW, your "NLAs" are not NLAs. They are Advent/1s. Notice the smaller cabinets. NLAs have cabinets basically the same size as OLAs.

And, even at that, there shouldn't be that much difference between them (except for the Advent/1s lacking the lowest octave). There must be someting wrong with your OLAs. Are you sure they are air tight? Any air leaks drastically affect the performance of an acoustic suspension speaker.

Doug
 
kjkf100 said:
Thanks Pete B!

What is BSC?

When you A/B two sets of speakers, what is the ideal setup? do you place the speakers side by side? or stacked? I would think that if they are stacked, one will have less bass? (due to not being one not being on floor?)

Pete- when you say "foam installed correctly", do you mean roll inward? Thats how I have done my OLA refoams and have also used the correct foams, as in that they have the longer outer flange for underneath the masonite ring.

Also, GD70 and Cubdog- I rearranged my room, speakers on floor. I do notice that when my needle is down, platter not moving, if I tap on my table, I can hear the thud reproduced in the speakers... I've heard that that is a problem with the tonearm and that an upgrade will aid in that. If I don't fix that, it can affect sound?

Thanks again for all yoru help!

k
Click to expand...

Baffle Step Compensation (BSC), unfortunately that forum has undergone upgrades
that scrambled the order of the posts and damaged links - pathetic:
http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/IP.Board/index.php?showtopic=2692

I A/B with them side by side, and I reverse the positions to confirm the same conclusions.

With OLAs roll in, outer lip on the back of the masonite. Keep original dust caps
do not remove them.
 
Last edited:
Doug G. said:
BTW, your "NLAs" are not NLAs. They are Advent/1s. Notice the smaller cabinets. NLAs have cabinets basically the same size as OLAs.

And, even at that, there shouldn't be that much difference between them (except for the Advent/1s lacking the lowest octave). There must be someting wrong with your OLAs. Are you sure they are air tight? Any air leaks drastically affect the performance of an acoustic suspension speaker.

Doug
Click to expand...

Yes, those are Advent/1s but they use the same drivers and crossover but without the level switch. I really find them to be an excellent compromise in the Advent line. The smaller box raises Fc, but it also raises the system Qtc so that there is a bit more (about 1 dB) broad peaking around 100Hz pushing the response in a way that is very much like BSC. The higher Q raises the output at Fc so that it is near or slightly above the woofer passband and very little bass extension is lost. Very nice design. I like the /1 far more than the Small Advent.

The OLA/NLA have a Qtc of about .8-.9 whereas the Advent/1 is about 1-1.1.

To do a valid comparison you need to use actual NLAs obviously.
 
Doug G. said:
BTW, your "NLAs" are not NLAs. They are Advent/1s. Notice the smaller cabinets. NLAs have cabinets basically the same size as OLAs.

And, even at that, there shouldn't be that much difference between them (except for the Advent/1s lacking the lowest octave). There must be someting wrong with your OLAs. Are you sure they are air tight? Any air leaks drastically affect the performance of an acoustic suspension speaker.

Doug
Click to expand...

I will A/B them tomorrow and look at the air tightness...
 
Pete B said:
Baffle Step Compensation (BSC), unfortunately that forum has undergone upgrades
that scrambled the order of the posts and damaged links - pathetic:
http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/IP.Board/index.php?showtopic=2692

I A/B with them side by side, and I reverse the positions to confirm the same conclusions.

With OLAs roll in, outer lip on the back of the masonite. Keep original dust caps
do not remove them.
Click to expand...

Thanks Pete, I have done them correctly and they have the original dust caps.

Honestly, I looked at your link and was not able to discern what BSC means. All that jargon is way over my head... Thanks though!
 
When you reinstalled your woofers back into the cabinets did you remove the old caulking or foam sealant and apply new? Thats what the guys are talking about being air tight. Also are the screws going into the wood still tightening down good and not striped in the wood cabinets?

Another thing to look for is did you you hook the wires back up to the woofers correctly? you know positive to positive,negative to negative.
 
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