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My first electrostatic speakers, JansZen

Galaxie65

Galaxie65

Always looking for new gear to try
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So I got some really great Karma from a local Ak'er Nate the pet. I picked up some other speakers and some interesting speakers caught my eye... They appeared to be electrostatics and they were!! He was more than willing to let them go as he had several projects. He said that he snagged them from a local garage sale and had them sitting around. I never had any before and he was willing to let me take on these bad boys. The speakers are in fairly nice shape, however there are a few things I'll have to address. One of the woofers is going to need a refoam, but I'll prob refoam the both. So I'm not sure where to get that or if there is a specific process outside of the norm. I'm also going to have to find a panel as there is 1 panel that has some damage to it. It's not too bad, but something that I'd have to address before I fire them up.

Is there anyone that has this model or that can help me out on what is best? Any information would be great, the model is Z-412A. Thanks!
 

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From a JANSZEN flyer/1973 some specs.

OVERALL ACOUSTIC CHARACTERISTICS Z-412 A
Frequency Response ± 3 dB 33 Hz-20 kHz, ± 6 dB 26 Hz-30 kHz
Minimum RMS Power Required 20 Watts
Maximum RMS Power Handling 100 Watts
LOW FREQUENCY TRANSDUCER CHARACTERISTICS
Type Dynamic, Acoustic Suspension
Cone Diameter 12 In. (305 mm)
Voice Coil Diameter 2 In. (50.8 mm)
Total System Resonance 43 Hz
Q Factor (Damping Characteristic) 1.1
Crossover Configuration Mass Loaded
Crossover Point (12 dB/ octave) 1.800 Hz
Impedance (lowest value) 4.6 ohms
HIGH FREQUENCY TRANSDUCER CHARACTERISTICS
Type Electrostatic Array, 4 Element
Radiating Area 64 sq. in. (413 cm2)
Air Displacernent Capabilities (P.P) .025 in (.635 mm)
Polarization Voltage 1.100 Vdc
Distortion T.H.D.(over operating range) 0.5%
Crossover Point (12 dB/octave) .800 Hz
Dispersion (minmum at 20.000 Hz) 50° Horizontal and vertical
MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Cabinet Size (H x W x D) 27.125 x 14.5'' x 11.75''
(689mm x 368mm x 298mm)
Shrpping Weight 44 lbs ( 19.9 kilo)
Electric Power Requirerments 100-240 VAC/50/60 Hz, 2 Watts

Michael-Otto

http://www.janszenloudspeaker.com/services.htm
 
When those are hitting on all eight cylinders, they are fantastic sounding speakers. You should PM either Kegger or Cosmos about panels. I "think" they both have some laying about.
 
Thanks for the help guys, I'll have to get a hold of them and see what they say.
 
Nice score Kevin. Now you can stop lusting after my MLs. Once you go stat, you 'll never go back. I like the fact that JanZen, like Beveridge, believed in absorbing the backwave. Any chance you'll have them up and running by early August when I'll be in town for a tennis tournament?
 
I'll have to get a hold of Cosmos Kegger, thanks for the tip.

Audio, I'm hoping to have them up and going soon! If I'm able to have them running you would be more than welcome to come on down.
 
I really like the sound of electrostats.....but, the midrange is, to my ear only, a little thin. I heard a pair of your speakers once where the guy stuck a cone midrange driver on top in its on little box and that did it for me. It gave the speakers the lower mid balls/timber I was expecting. Good luck and let us know how you like them.
 
The power supply/crossovers will likely need recapping as there are a number in there and usually go bad.

I have the Z412HP, the same speaker but with the optional bi-ampable crossovers. Same drivers. David JansZen also may have some replacement tweeter panels. If yours is just hanging, it may still be good.

A weakness of the Series II panels is the wire retension on the plastic frame. It tends to separate and the HV coating also tends to flake off. Best to put the wiring back onto the frame and dope it so they stay put or the output will drop significantly. The flaking is not so much of a problem.

Yours are the 3rd from the top of the line with mine being 2nd and the rare Z824HP being the top. I owned a set of the 824s and if you ever find a set, GRAB THEM as they are truly amazing. They are a pair of 412HPs in a single cabinet with a cowcatcher sloping panel. Think of 4 of yours sitting there side by side to get a sense of size. I found a decent tube amp on the them can make them sing.

Congrats of finding a set. I do think they are rarer then mine as most I've seen for sale have the HP crossovers.

This series is the next to last before Art closed the company and some who have had the last sereis and this series feel this series was the best. The earlier Neshanimy (sp) JanZens were not manufactured by Art but under license where Art shafted himself in the granting of it. The company however made a great woofer and their line of speakers in some ways integrated the woofer to the e'stat array better than Art could.
 
I heard these speakers many times and they sound awesome, my dream speakers were the bigger floor standing Janszen's, but they cost as much as a new car back in the day.

And my wife for some reason thought we needed a new car, go figure.

Congratulations that's a great score.
 
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I bought a pair of Janszen Z824's new in the seventies, and ran them with monoblocked McIntosh MC2100's. I have always regretted selling them. :^(
Regards,
Jim
 
Kevin you are just another sucker for more gear!! :D Enjoy them!!

BTW Did you ever get the EPI 1000's up and running?
 
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Thanks everyone, I'm very interested in bringing these back to life. Shane the Epi's are up and running, however still have to replace the woofers from that pre amp fiasco.

I was thinking about what amp to pair up to these speakers, I have a set of the Acoustat TNT 200 and the TNP pre amp that matches. Is this an ideal set or am I a little off?

The woofers look to be ok aside from needing a re-foam, however if I needed another pair are they as difficult to find as any other piece in it? The panels appear to be decent, a few wires are sagging from the panel notches. I believe I can fix that, also there was a spot were 3 of the wires were cut/damaged. It looked as if it might have been cut by something bumping into the panel, like a crushed cut so to speak. That I'm wondering if maybe could be fixed or solder?
 
Woofer matching is very difficult with e'stats so do not substitute them and dispose of them.

After the company closed, Don Kleiwer purchased the remaingin inventory and though he worked for another company thereafter, as a sideline he repaired, sold replacement parts and even made modified crossovers for the speakers using multiple smaller caps. He had replacement woofers for the 412 and I purchased a pair and his modded HP crossovers for my 412HPs as my woofers were beyond reasonable repair.

He searched high and low for the 824s and purchsed any he could find and completely refurbed them and sld them in the $1500-1700 range that was right around the original selling price. He said at best he got maybe 2 pair a year as he had a realtionship with a number of dealers who seemed to dig them up. I was on the waiting list for a pair but he said it could be as long as 10 years because the the waiting lost was a might long. He also mentioned that so few were actually produced sourcing sets could easily dry up before he got to me. Most he remembered were purchased through the dealer owner's program that offered them to owners at 50% off which was more than the the salesperson's discount. The catch was you also had to order a demo set at the regular dealer price and display them. The demo set sold within a couple of hours of opening to from memory the then President of Smith College along with a Lux L-1000 integrated amp and a Marantz 20b. The tt was a Trasnscriptors Skeleton and a set of the Jecklin Float headphones. She after, purchased a Crown r2r but I do not remember the model as I did not handle that transaction. We did the install and the Lux and JansZens even without bi-amping made some really sweet music. My set took about 2 months longer to arrive and I found then so good, that I was finally willing to surrender some of the sets of KLH Nines as my wife found multiple sets of them in the living room more objectionable than the JansZen cowcatchers.

It seems about once a year a pair does show up. Shipping will cost a fortune but, worth it as they ar very heavy.
 
Janszen Z-412A's

I worked for Janszen from 1972-1978. These were great speakers. Not as efficient or loud as your Altec's. I owned A-4's and 601C's. If you play either at the same level as the Janszen's you will hear things and such clarity you never heard on the Altec's. Plus the lack of IM distortion virtually non - existant with the electrostats but extremely excessive in compression horns will allow you to listen for hours without the listener fatigue from horns.
 
Galaxie65 said:
Thanks everyone, I'm very interested in bringing these back to life. Shane the Epi's are up and running, however still have to replace the woofers from that pre amp fiasco.

I was thinking about what amp to pair up to these speakers, I have a set of the Acoustat TNT 200 and the TNP pre amp that matches. Is this an ideal set or am I a little off?

The woofers look to be ok aside from needing a re-foam, however if I needed another pair are they as difficult to find as any other piece in it? The panels appear to be decent, a few wires are sagging from the panel notches. I believe I can fix that, also there was a spot were 3 of the wires were cut/damaged. It looked as if it might have been cut by something bumping into the panel, like a crushed cut so to speak. That I'm wondering if maybe could be fixed or solder?
Click to expand...
Exact same situation w/woofers and a couple panels used for cat scratching; figure I’ll have to wait it out and keep searching eBay/CL anode the like.
 
There was a previous short discussion on AK back in Feb 22 this year by "me-Too-7"man" who posted on the Janzens.

Might want to take a look-see, eh?


Q
 
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