SpeakerLab 7

[markdi]

Sometime between '86 and '95 the name changed from DAS-7 to SL-7. The speakers themselves appear to be the same, but only from reading what I can find in the catalogs. So if your 7s are marked DAS-7 then they are from sometime in that "sometime between" period. I have no idea when the name change took place. Knowing that would help narrow it down.

All I did was to copy all of the catalog pdfs that I could find directly from the Speakerlab site and start reading them. I make no claims to know everything, or very much at all really. I'm just searching for the rainbow.

Cheers,
James

I have seen - I think - days 7 speakers with more than 1 port in the back on various sites on the internet.
Mine have 1 port.
There must have been a few different models or kit builders that did things differently

 

[sc427]

Big speaker labs for sale on audio karma marketplace

2 12 inch woofers each

Those are Frankenstein speakers.... Speakerlab 12" drivers and horns purchased and built their own enclosures. Don't have any idea if they sound good or not.... They look like they might rock but looks can be a very inaccurate assessment on sound:yes:

 

[markdi]

Those are Frankenstein speakers.... Speakerlab 12" drivers and horns purchased and built their own enclosures. Don't have any idea if they sound good or not.... They look like they might rock but looks can be a very inaccurate assessment on sound:yes:

Maybe not enuff woof for all that horn

 

[GuyK]

...

But the Das-7 and later S7 are 4 way, 4 ohm nominal speakers. I don't see how you can run 2 8-ohm woofers in parallel and still have different crossover points. Can that be done? See where I'm going? Looking in the Speakerlab catalog for 1986 and the pamphlet & driver list there are no 4 ohm drivers of any sort that I can see.

...

Cheers,
James

Sure it can be done.

Here is an image of an S-7 crossover schematic I found online. Coincidentally, it comes from here on AK. The two woofers are in parallel, with a .77mH inductor being used for a low pass filter (1st order). Simply put another inductor inline with the W1208 (or the 1008), and it will roll off differently than it's counterpart, but the two are still in parallel, making a nominal 4 ohms. I have not found any images of the DAS7 crossover, or I'd have posted that instead.

 

[markdi]

2 L pads - i am jealous

 

[yaya97]

I so wish my 7s had lpads

 

[Bratwurst7s]

Sure it can be done.

Here is an image of an S-7 crossover schematic I found online. Coincidentally, it comes from here on AK. The two woofers are in parallel, with a .77mH inductor being used for a low pass filter (1st order). Simply put another inductor inline with the W1208 (or the 1008), and it will roll off differently than it's counterpart, but the two are still in parallel, making a nominal 4 ohms. I have not found any images of the DAS7 crossover, or I'd have posted that instead.

Oh. That simple. Then I guess that I was blabering again.

Cheers,
James

 

[yaya97]

I would love to do an ab test with all 3 generations of 7s. I can say that my s7s are detailed enough to bring out the best of a good recording . Love them.

 

[Jim Fitting]

i think the old speakerlab is really dead and no chance to come back even if I think there is a market..just me
Again IMHO one of the most underestimated brands out there!

Agreed. I'm buying a pair tomorrow and have had pair of Speaker Lab super K's for over 40 years. Pretty hard to beat Speakerlab's line up. They got a bit spendy but have always been excellent sounding.

 

[Bratwurst7s]

Agreed. I'm buying a pair tomorrow and have had pair of Speaker Lab super K's for over 40 years. Pretty hard to beat Speakerlab's line up. They got a bit spendy but have always been excellent sounding.

A pair of Sevens? Which generation? Just curious. And, welcome to Audiokarma Jim.

Cheers,
James

 

[Jim Fitting]

First generation. Not super 7's but sounds good sitting on the tail gate of my truck Right now. Picked them up a couple of hours ago. Building a fence and it's the nicest construction site stereo yet.

 

[Jim Fitting]

The people I bought the 7's from have a nice pair of SLab 1's for $100.00 I'm tempted to buy. Nice condition and sound great for the size. As do all Speakerlab's.

 

[Craig Smith]

Holy Cow! The internet has everything! Speakerlab 7 content! Late joining this party. When I was about 16 back I. About 1977, not a lot of $$- I took a chance and ordered the Speakerlab 7 (probably first gen?) kits. My dad and I put them together in the basement. Cheap cabinet stick on wood grain! I had a 35 wpc receiver at the time. These 4 ohm monsters are power hungry! Finally got a 200 wpc power amp “separate” set up. Those babies travelled to every HS party, two different colleges etc.

still have them! Cabinets look like hell but they still sound great as my garage workshop speakers. Just one little rip in the rubber of one woofer- sealed it with rubber cement. Going strong!

 

[Bratwurst7s]

Holy Cow! The internet has everything! Speakerlab 7 content! Late joining this party. When I was about 16 back I. About 1977, not a lot of $$- I took a chance and ordered the Speakerlab 7 (probably first gen?) kits. My dad and I put them together in the basement. Cheap cabinet stick on wood grain! I had a 35 wpc receiver at the time. These 4 ohm monsters are power hungry! Finally got a 200 wpc power amp “separate” set up. Those babies travelled to every HS party, two different colleges etc.

still have them! Cabinets look like hell but they still sound great as my garage workshop speakers. Just one little rip in the rubber of one woofer- sealed it with rubber cement. Going strong!

Perhaps it's time for a restoration and re-cap.

Welcome to Audiokarma Craig.

Cheers,
James

 

[kfa888]

Update:

I'm running my SL7's off a 65 year old 20 wpc Fisher tube amp right now and wow. Got a 12 wpc 6L6 based tube amp coming. These things love tubes. Sound better than they have a right to. Like kinda hi-fi I'd really love to bi-amp these some day and run tubes for the horns and my Ashly power amp for the lows as it has so much control.

 

[Jim Fitting]

< pulling the speakerlab catalogs from the cabinet >

The Speakerlab 7WA's appeared in the 1979 Speakerlab catalog (they were the only version of the speakerlab 7 in the 1979 catalog). Rated for 250 WPC RMS/channel max guaranteed safe amplifier power. In kit form w/ the utility enclosure, they were priced at $309 per speaker. $349 each w/ the walnut veneer enclosure.

The Sevens and Super Sevens appear in the 1978 catalog. Prices were not listed in the catalog but on a separate sheet. I have a "retail price list" sheet from 8/81, it lists the S-7 kits @ $269 each. (wow those WA tweets and horn mids could be had for $64 and $85 respectively).

It's a good ballpark figure but by the early 80s, I think we are sadly starting to see the redesign of the Sevens (and the K-horns go away) due to legal pressure from Klipsch - I believe I saw that mentioned by AK member bwanajim, another longtime seattle area speakerlab guy.

Ok I'll bring the catalog into work next week and get the WA page scanned for ya. Enjoy those speakers. I hope I run across a pair like you did. :thmbsp:

I never heard about Klipsch pressuring Speakerlab about the K's. I built a set of Super K's in 1977 and still have them. I also have a set of 7's I recently connected to my 45 wpc tube amp within arms reach of my Lazyboy and turntable also. The 7's are on moving dollies so I can move them easily to create a sweet spot. It's better than headphones. 7's are not nearly as amazing as the Super K's but I left them in that position for several days and listened for hours at a time. I have had many Speakerlab speakers from .1's, 1's, 3's and have listened to all of them and each are the best value of any speaker sold at the time and still are in my opinion. I plan to dis-assemble and restore my 7's with improved crossovers and terminals. I've seen nice one's on eBay selling for over $1,500. I paid $350 for mine last July. I was very pleased to say the least. You can't go wrong buying any Speakerlab speakers. The entire line is supprisingly good. Jim

 

[Craig Leach]

I never heard about Klipsch pressuring Speakerlab about the K's. I built a set of Super K's in 1977 and still have them. I also have a set of 7's I recently connected to my 45 wpc tube amp within arms reach of my Lazyboy and turntable also. The 7's are on moving dollies so I can move them easily to create a sweet spot. It's better than headphones. 7's are not nearly as amazing as the Super K's but I left them in that position for several days and listened for hours at a time. I have had many Speakerlab speakers from .1's, 1's, 3's and have listened to all of them and each are the best value of any speaker sold at the time and still are in my opinion. I plan to dis-assemble and restore my 7's with improved crossovers and terminals. I've seen nice one's on eBay selling for over $1,500. I paid $350 for mine last July. I was very pleased to say the least. You can't go wrong buying any Speakerlab speakers. The entire line is supprisingly good. Jim

I was just reading where Speakerlab used a Klipsch design that the patent had expired on, but don't know more than that. What actually brings me here is a recent acquisition. I collect all sorts of musical gear, and was picking up an organ at some older folks house. While there I noticed some DBX speakers and asked about them. The person in charge of the estate said he also had some other speakers I might want. Upstairs in the garage were 4 or 5 boxes the old fella had built but not completed. In a cardboard carton, all still packed as shipped, was a speaker kit. It is written by hand on the outside ... DAS 7.5 or maybe s. I have the packing list but cannot find the assembly instructions. The kit includes port tubes, but I haven't seen any examples showing the port. The front panels that were made up do not look like any 7 examples I have found. By the way, the organ I went to get was a Schober kit theater organ with a true leslie speaker.

 

[Bratwurst7s]

I was just reading where Speakerlab used a Klipsch design that the patent had expired on, but don't know more than that. What actually brings me here is a recent acquisition. I collect all sorts of musical gear, and was picking up an organ at some older folks house. While there I noticed some DBX speakers and asked about them. The person in charge of the estate said he also had some other speakers I might want. Upstairs in the garage were 4 or 5 boxes the old fella had built but not completed. In a cardboard carton, all still packed as shipped, was a speaker kit. It is written by hand on the outside ... DAS 7.5 or maybe s. I have the packing list but cannot find the assembly instructions. The kit includes port tubes, but I haven't seen any examples showing the port. The front panels that were made up do not look like any 7 examples I have found. By the way, the organ I went to get was a Schober kit theater organ with a true leslie speaker.

Welcome to Audiokarma Craig.



That's the best that I can do for you at the moment. Info on the DAS era speakers is pretty thin.

Cheers,
James

 

[Craig Leach]

Thanks. That shows me that what I have for boxes were not this design but the drivers I have are. The old fellow was into many things, so I have to assume he had a design in mind. I will continue to search for his papers and also the original design/instructions. I was given the entire lot for free, so I think I did okay. That includes the organ, boxes of extra components for organ, a Leslie 120. I did agree to pay $50 for 2 DBX speakers and subwoofer. I will post some pics of the boxes and components.

Welcome to Audiokarma Craig.

View attachment 2195368 View attachment 2195369 View attachment 2195370

That's the best that I can do for you at the moment. Info on the DAS era speakers is pretty thin.

Cheers,
James

 

[tanker 200]

I picked up a free set of Super 7's (With the larger T-350 tweeter) the other day, the vinyl was stripped off the cabinets and they were covered in cobwebs but when I popped off the grills I knew what they were and loaded them in my car. I tested them out with a Realistic STA-46 and everything works, the pots are quiet and they sound great. I've heard good things about them but have never heard them, my gf had a set in the 80's and really liked them but said they were fairly big, We have K-horns and DQ-20's in the living room so she may not consider them big anymore. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet but thinking they'll end up being shop speakers. For now I think I'll just hit them with some wood filler and paint them black.