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DIY Speaker Advice

BabySam

BabySam

New Member
Hello-

Looking for advice on how to realize my speaker vision.

I want to recreate an ALTEC 9845A. It's an 811 horn with a 15" woofer in a front ported cabinet.

Obviously the original Altec horns are rare and priced accordingly. I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a more cost efficient alternative. I like the JBL "community" horns and would prefer not to use plastic although I am wondering on people's thoughts about the difference in sound between plastic, wood, metal and fiberglass horns.

I also plan to use all new JBL drivers, but would love recommendations on brands/models to look out for.

Thanks in advance for your help.
 

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WaynerN said:
So you are going to make PA speakers?
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Essentially, some of my early experiences nightclubbing I was exposed to a Klipsch La Scala quad system with bass bins. The 9845 system appeals to me because it is designed for nightclub, mixing and mastering applications.

I wouldn't consider it a PA in the modern sense of the term, but certainly in the sense that I would like to pay homage to loft/paradise garage/grateful dead era loudspeaker design for public broadcast.
 
DIYSoundgroup ( https://www.diysoundgroup.com/ ) used to sell what they called the "Sentinel" which may be what you are looking for. 15" woofer with matching horn. Amazing bang for the buck, articulate but with power that will blow down walls. I don't know if they still sell the kits but I have three of them behind my screen wall performing double duty as HT monitors and as 2 channel listeners. TBH, they have outperformed many speakers that have passed through my grubby solder burnt fingers, but, as speakers go,,it's all subjective.
 
BabySam said:
Essentially, some of my early experiences nightclubbing I was exposed to a Klipsch La Scala quad system with bass bins. The 9845 system appeals to me because it is designed for nightclub, mixing and mastering applications.

I wouldn't consider it a PA in the modern sense of the term, but certainly in the sense that I would like to pay homage to loft/paradise garage/grateful dead era loudspeaker design for public broadcast.
Click to expand...

Well, unless you buy used drivers, the only JBL horns are for PA speakers. PA speakers are made for maximum volume, not maximum fidelity. In other words, the use of these drivers will not produce a sound like the JBL L300 or Altec Lansing Santiago speakers.
 
WaynerN said:
Well, unless you buy used drivers, the only JBL horns are for PA speakers. PA speakers are made for maximum volume, not maximum fidelity. In other words, the use of these drivers will not produce a sound like the JBL L300 or Altec Lansing Santiago speakers.
Click to expand...

Thanks, sounds like I want some Altec horns. I am confused about your point however. You mentioned JBL drivers and then horns, they made several horns that were quite popular for hi-fi applications, especially in Japan. Attaching the product manual for the JBL 2397.
 

Attachments

BabySam said:
It's an 811 horn with a 15" woofer in a front ported cabinet.

Obviously the original Altec horns are rare and priced accordingly.
Click to expand...
It's a 511 horn.

511's and 811's are probably the most common Altec horns, and are still continuously available in the used market. Far from rare in the USA.

The most difficult to source and least common of the components would be the N-500-G network. But, i see no reason why an N-500-D or N-500-E couldn't be substituted.

Keep in mind that built true to form, the 9845 is a fully 16 ohm studio monitor and will likely pair best with high output impedance amplifiers.
 
bowtie427ss said:
It's a 511 horn.

511's and 811's are probably the most common Altec horns, and are still continuously available in the used market. Far from rare in the USA.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice! I figured it out it was the 511 horn after looking at the frequency response for the 811s. I am thinking of just using a simple dayton crossover and maybe install an original altec network down the line.
 
BabySam said:
Thanks for the advice! I figured it out it was the 511 horn after looking at the frequency response for the 811s. I am thinking of just using a simple dayton crossover and maybe install an original altec network down the line.
Click to expand...

Consider an active crossover with the cd horn EQ built in as a starting point for your build. Unless you're cloning an existing speaker and network, you will be stabbing in the dark trying to use a premade crossover.

What drivers you choose will definitely affect the sound.
 
bowtie427ss said:
Keep in mind that built true to form, the 9845 is a fully 16 ohm studio monitor and will likely pair best with high output impedance amplifiers.
Click to expand...
Anything that will drive an 8 ohm speaker will drive a 16 ohm speaker and be less stressed doing so.
Power amplifiers should always have a low output impedance. A high output impedance just wouldn't work.
 
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