Odd looking Baskets

[Gazdatronik]

I'm sure this was done to conserve material in a crummy RCA console of the late 70's, but it has a 1920's skeletal design vibe to it.

Anybody else see unusual baskets like that?

 

[tjohnusa]

Not since the 20's

 

[SiliconTi]

Hmmm... Never seen anything like that before. Pretty cool looking.

 

[turboyam]

HA!hahahaahahahaha!!! strong design for sure but, where's the magnet? . Doesn't need to be very strong

 

[Eywadude]

That's the speaker's spider web. Looks neat though.

 

[A400]

Philips used something a little similar, but not as elaborate, on some versions of the AD3800 driver.

 

[Poultrygeist]

Speaking of unusual baskets I'd love to own a pair of the Phy-HP full rangers. They cost around 1K each.

 

[soundmotor]

Anybody else see unusual baskets like that?

Those are neat! Skeletonized baskets are actually good design practice. It eliminates reflections off the basket which can impair performance, usually in the midrange. There may have been a peak in response from the first iteration of the driver and that's why they went in that direction. I know, I know, it's a cheap console, who would have cared? Any other company but RCA I'd agree but in the 70s the influence of Harry Olson was still likely quite strong in the acoustics group and that would be the kind design solution he would have used and, mentored to use. (As an aside, Fisher took this practice all the way to the extreme of having speakers without any basket at all. The surround was glued directly to the front baffle and the magnet secured to the back wall.)