Realistic Nova 8b Rebuild & Crossover Re-Design

[Lavane]

Ah, okay. I wonder if the thread you're thinking of is from/about the same person. Here's a link to a list of all of Tecexec's posts.

I think so. Thanks!

 

[Moondog55Two]

Many thanx It is how I assumed the woofers were working but 1700 is far higher than I like to cross a midrange and a bit lower than I like to cross a tweeter usually.
The purchase of the 1B speakers has fallen over so I'm thinking of just using the woofer box with a small 2-Way box sitting on top

 

[Lavane]

Many thanx It is how I assumed the woofers were working but 1700 is far higher than I like to cross a midrange and a bit lower than I like to cross a tweeter usually.
The purchase of the 1B speakers has fallen over so I'm thinking of just using the woofer box with a small 2-Way box sitting on top

The 1B's are the same speaker as the Nova 7B's.
The crossover mod I did to my 7B's did make them sound better.
Adding a 1h coil and bypass cap to the woofer, replacing the original electrolytic crossover cap with a polypropylene film cap, and reversing the polarity of the tweeters really wakes the 1B's and 7B's up. The speakers sound more detailed without really changing the overall sound if the speakers. They're still very non ear fatiging to listen to.
The cost to modify these crossovers is low, and easily reversed too.

 

[maxhifi]

Ah, okay. I wonder if the thread you're thinking of is from/about the same person. Here's a link to a list of all of Tecexec's posts.

Thanks for posting all this. It looks like he designed T-100. I have a pair of those in the garage, which I've never given any attention. Interesting to hear some history straight from the source like that.

 

[Lavane]

I had a pair of T-100's years ago. They sounded pretty good.
I always setup the speakers in my main system with the tweeters at ear level. I have two pairs of speakers in my main system right now.
One is meant to have a stand used that puts them about ear level and the others are a pair of older bookshelf speakers I have raised up on stands.
I'll have to keep an eye out for some T-70's or T-300's.
Like I need more speakers though, I already have way too many stacked up in one room, and a few more pairs out in the garage.

 

[Moondog55Two]

I am still sitting on the boxes I got, having sold the mids and tweeters to another forum member here. I really like this woofer and want to do something with the original box.
A while ago I saw a set of the Optimus 1B for sale and had this idea to blank off the upper holes in the big box and stack the smaller speaker on top; rolling off the bigger woofer with a large inductor.
I'm wondering if anybody here has either done this or something similar with Ratshack speakers and care to comment
There is a pair of Nova 8B for sale now and having similar thoughts about that combination \ I've owned the 8B in the past and thought it was a pretty good speaker but lacking bass

 

[Lavane]

I am still sitting on the boxes I got, having sold the mids and tweeters to another forum member here. I really like this woofer and want to do something with the original box.
A while ago I saw a set of the Optimus 1B for sale and had this idea to blank off the upper holes in the big box and stack the smaller speaker on top; rolling off the bigger woofer with a large inductor.
I'm wondering if anybody here has either done this or something similar with Ratshack speakers and care to comment
There is a pair of Nova 8B for sale now and having similar thoughts about that combination \ I've owned the 8B in the past and thought it was a pretty good speaker but lacking bass

I've never felt the the Nova 6, 7B, or 8B, including the Optimus versions, ever lacked bass. If you want more bass to rattle windows maybe get a powered sub? I still have a pair of Optimus 2B's I bought new. For a small 8" speaker they have great low end. I have a pair of Nova 7B's I modified the crossovers in. They have good bass too for a 10" woofer.
The only tone controls I have in any of the various systems I have is my garage system. Even without tone controls the bass is good in these Realistic speakers. Some of them do seem to have a midrange bloom.
Maybe try positioning them closer to the wall, or in corners?
I'm always on the hunt for a pair of Nova 8B's or Optimus 5B's. I want to try the VL crossover mod with them. I did a similar mod to the 7B's and it made a difference for the better. They have a more detailed sound with better more controlled bass. Reversing the phase of the tweeters really helped also.

 

[Bodyblue]

Nova 8Bs lack bass???? ROFLMAO

As @Lavane said above, never had I thought any Nova 6, 7B,or 8B have lacked bass. The 7s (7Bs have a better woofer) were a bit light, similar to a KLH 17 but the 8Bs will pound it down.....but they need power and a decent size room to do it. Yes they will run and sound great with smaller amps and smaller rooms, but they really need a big room and a kick in the ass to do it. I have found that to be so with all of the acoustic suspension RS speakers from the 70s.

Years ago when I first got back into audio, I bought a pair of Small Advents because of what people said about the bass. I got them and liked them and like the bass. A few months later I got my first pair of Nova 6s. About the same size, better highs, about the same bass with a real walnut veneer cabinet. Add to the fact they were 8 ohm and that meant the Advents were gone just a few weeks later. The Novas were better balanced, better sounding and better looking.

In the 70s RS made really good sounding speakers for a great price (then and now) and did with with simple crossovers (and cheap caps). Years ago there was one of their speaker designers on here who described how they benchmarked the best in the world......a really enlightening read.

 

[Moondog55Two]

They do lack bass when compared to some of my other speakers; in both depth and SPL.
The Mach 1 was a bass monster for instance, terrible midrange but great bass.
But in this case it is more about cleaning up the midrange and getting a better transition between drivers and I didn't want to Bi-amp this set or blow them by turning the amp up too high by accident.
Taking some off the deeper bass cleans up the midrange in the smaller driver [ less Doppler distortion] and makes the transition from bass to midbass cleaner and that allows an easier transition from midbass to the midrange and tweeter and I think that the driver in the Nova 1B has a better midrange
A secondary purpose is getting the tweeter up at ear height by using the larger box as the speaker stand

 

[Lavane]

Now see, I always thought the Mach 1's lacked bass. The box doesn't have enough volume for that woofer. There is a mod to help deal with that.
Drill three 3" holes in the divider between the woofer compartment and the horn compartment to add more volume to the cabinet. Then wrap the back side of the horn in dynamat.
One problem with the Nova 7B's and Optimus 1B's is that they have a very focused sweet spot when listening to them. Move your head a little from side to side, or up and down and you loose the sound stage and imaging.
You do need those tweeters at ear level for sure. one last mod I want to try with the 7B's I have is to add a thin piece of foam or felt around the tweeters on the front baffle.

 

[smead]

My 8Bs go deep, really deep. Pushing them with e Concept 11.0. I recapped them and made sure the cabs were well sealed. No other mods. Very impressed with them.

Maybe someone mucked with the woofer stuffing in the pair that lacked bass? Maybe replaced the woofers?

 

[smead]

...
I'm always on the hunt for a pair of Nova 8B's or Optimus 5B's. I want to try the VL crossover mod with them. I did a similar mod to the 7B's and it made a difference for the better. They have a more detailed sound with better more controlled bass. Reversing the phase of the tweeters really helped also.

I just noticed you are in norcal and probably close to me. I have 2 pairs of 8Bs and will probably part with one in the next year. Send me a PM if interested.

 

[Bodyblue]

My 8Bs go deep, really deep. Pushing them with e Concept 11.0. I recapped them and made sure the cabs were well sealed. No other mods. Very impressed with them.

Maybe someone mucked with the woofer stuffing in the pair that lacked bass? Maybe replaced the woofers?

I have recapped lots of speakers and all of them showed some difference, most only a little bit. The 8Bs by far showed the most difference, I was amazed at how much they changed.

I live close to @Lavane and we have traded many speakers over the years so we could hear different ones. The 8Bs are just too big for me to get down the stairs to the van and too heavy for us to get them in his truck! LOL. I hope you guys can come to a deal so he can hear them, they are some of my favorite speakers.

 

[Lavane]

The Nova 8B or Optimus 5B speakers were the speakers I wanted to buy back when I bought my first system. I was working at RS while in high school, so I got the big 10% discount, , and I was able to put it all on layaway. I just didnt want to have to wait longer to pay off the bigger speakers. My plan is to build a pair of the VL modified crossovers for them.
I'll keep the original crossovers incase I don't like the new crossovers.
I do like the similar modded crossovers in the Nova 7B's so far though.

 

[Bodyblue]

The Nova 8B or Optimus 5B speakers were the speakers I wanted to buy back when I bought my first system. I was working at RS while in high school, so I got the big 10% discount, , and I was able to put it all on layaway. I just didnt want to have to wait longer to pay off the bigger speakers. My plan is to build a pair of the VL modified crossovers for them.
I'll keep the original crossovers incase I don't like the new crossovers.
I do like the similar modded crossovers in the Nova 7B's so far though.

I really really think you ought to listen to them for a bit, recap them first then see how you like them before the mod. They are some of the nicest speakers I have heard. They are not as sensitive as the Imperial 6 but the bass is deeper at higher volume and they are bit more detailed with a fat mid range.

After you guys talking about the 8s, I am going to pull down my ADS 620s and put my 8s up! You owe me for the Advil bill!

 

[Lavane]

I really really think you ought to listen to them for a bit, recap them first then see how you like them before the mod. They are some of the nicest speakers I have heard. They are not as sensitive as the Imperial 6 but the bass is deeper at higher volume and they are bit more detailed with a fat mid range.

After you guys talking about the 8s, I am going to pull down my ADS 620s and put my 8s up! You owe me for the Advil bill!

Oh I plan on listening to the stock crossovers after recapping them first.

 

[Bodyblue]

OK, here are mine with a set Nova 6s on top. I always forget what a hot midrange they have after not hearing them for a long while. Man, guitar and piano music is just crazy good on them.

Like all of the acoustic suspension RS speakers, you need to kick them in the ass to get them at their best. Bass at low volumes is good, but not great. Push them a bit and they wake up and will pound it down.

I am using a 150wpc Kenwood amp with them and it's a good match.

 

[Moondog55Two]

They look good stacked

 

[smead]

Just thought I'd pile on more praise for the 8Bs. I recently brought my spare pair back from another house and stacked them in the shop against my very impressive RSL 3300s. I A/B compared them throughout the day and in the end, the 8Bs not only held their own, but I came away liking them a bit better.

The don't have the West coast mid bass punch of the ported RSLs, but when you feed them a lot of clean power, the bass is deeper and tighter. To my ears they are a little sharper on top too, but they do have fresh Dayton film caps while the RSLs have original wima films.

I switched out the Concept 5.5 with a very stout HK PM 660 and the Novas just eat up that extra power and pound out some amazing sound for their size.

 

[Bodyblue]

The 8Bs for sure need and like a decent amount of power to really come alive......like all of the acoustic suspension RS speakers I have owned. They sound better the louder they get and can absorb an amazing about of power.