Stephens trusonic Low-boy cabinets,,Score!!

[drbiggles]

I using a 3 uf 600v oil cap on my one set of x-overs I use. I didn't look close at the second set I use in the tru-sonics before we installed them but we did check them with the dmm to make sure they worked fine with the 8 ohm taps off the amp.To be honest my tech started building new x-overs using the x-over strips and there his baby,i didn't get into it with him as far as where the horns x-'s over ,its all new to me
You should be ably to pick up those x-over strips at any local electronics store that sells Capacitors.. then plug and play experiment.
Once you get a horn on top of your Stephens they will transform those speakers!Do you have anyone handy that knows the ins and outs of x-over building?
hunter

Hey,

I don't have anyone locally, but do have someone on here that will probably be more than willing to help me out. All I need is a schematic and parts list, with a few tips and tricks and I can make it work. A member here already set me up with a schematic and parts list for a Baffle Step Compensation crossover for the 80FR's. I will build them at some point, but they're on the back burner for now.

Good to know on the 3uF. I've been using mostly old oil filled caps for my much older speakers. Lately I've been kinda wanting to know what a modern cap would sound like.

Biggles

 

[hunter00]

Biggs ,you can run the speaker wire to your full range driver in each box then run the horn from there in parallel but put a cap on the positive lead between the positive wire and the positive driver connector of your horn ..hope that makes sense.You could experiment with caps close to the values you have there'.
You want freq's ubove 4-5000 to go to the horn
Adjusting the cap will deligate more or less higher freq's going to the horn.
Magnavox made horns in their early Magnavox consoles that seem to be all over the states there for sale.Or eprey has them for cheap mdl rp-109 that would sound decent on top of your Stephens

hunter

 

[drbiggles]

Hey,

Thank you! That's how I'd planned on running the horn/tweeter. I even put an output pair of binding posts on the back of the Trusonic project to connect the external driver.

I have a pair of those old Magnavox horns in my stash, so there's that. I also have 1 '50's Stephens horn, but can't remember the model number. Rt1? Here's an image of what I have, it's on the right. I've been looking for a second, but haven't been able to find one that's affordable. I also haven't checked it with music for functionality. The horn on the left is a 1957 Jensen, also a really nice horn. But once again, I have only one.

Do you suggest that I find a pair of 3uF oil caps?

And here's the fancy data on my very early '60's Wharfedale Super 3 tweeter, that I'd planned on using instead of a horn.

Biggles

 

[hunter00]

I see cheap capacitors on that site all the time if you have the eprey/payp l account, if you don't have an electronics store near you.
You could possibly rob a pair from some old x-overs in speakers your not using in your garage.You could also always miss match what horns you've got there just to get a feeling for what those speakers can do with the top end augmented with a horn...im definetly a believer >.

report back biggs when you get around to experimenting
hunter

 

[hunter00]

would love to hear that old stephens horn by the way!

hunter

 

[drbiggles]

I see cheap capacitors on that site all the time if you have the eprey/payp l account, if you don't have an electronics store near you.
You could possibly rob a pair from some old x-overs in speakers your not using in your garage.You could also always miss match what horns you've got there just to get a feeling for what those speakers can do with the top end augmented with a horn...im definetly a believer >.

report back biggs when you get around to experimenting
hunter

I don't have any 3uF handy, unfortunately. Next time I place an order with some place, I'll pick some up. One can't have too many capacitors on hand!

Yeah, I'd love to hear that old horn too. I don't know much about it, I've seen a few for sale.

I've got a thread going on the Trusonic project and when something happens, I put it up here:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/homemade-enclosure-what-it-do.665613/

Biggles

 

[hunter00]

that's a dam good thread there Biggs,very informative and shows your commitment to your personal system and our hobby!
My bad for not reading it further than my last post,so now I see you've installed a second set of binding posts ready for the top hat tweeter addition..good on you.
you could experiment with the wharfy tweeters up top with one of your 4uf caps and see how it sounds to your ears..
Id love to have a pair of early Stephens compression horn drivers.id be looking for a match to your bullet horn pronto .Most of those early horns were used in Movie theater application,exceedingly cool stuff.
Im going to be on the lookout for early Stephens horns to complete my Tru-sonic FR-150's in tannoy cabs,Ideally a pair of there early compression horns with wide multi cell flared horns attached..yum .Unfortunately bank robbery is not on my agenda at my age so will have to save...hate the idea of time lost living in a crowbar hotel without a sound system

carry on

Hunter

hunter

 

[drbiggles]

Hey,

Thank you for the kind words. Yeah, since I installed that second set of binding posts I can try ALL the combinations with ease. And I plan to do just that, try them all. The issue is that they sound so good the way they are, I've moved onto other projects. It's not a pressing matter and am not worrying about it. My 20 year old son listened to them recently. Not only does he have 20 year old hearing, but he's able to put numbers to what he hears. His mouth went open when I told him there were no tweeters. It was only then that he acknowledged that yes, there are some missing highs up there. So, I move onto other projects. Tweeters on the Trusonics will be a great project for when it's raining outside this coming winter.

Oh, the rumor is that I'm supposed to be going back up north today. Am going to visit the guy with 2 storage units filled with old Bozak, EV and KLH with a few AR rigs. I need to swap out the Frazier woofers for Frazier 7 woofer that I need. More picking for bits! I know he's got some Frazier horns.

Biggles

 

[hunter00]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRU-SONIC-P...949244?hash=item23688d593c:g:C64AAOSwn9lXKVXD
Ive been looking for another unique pair of stephens trusonics that are in original cabinets with my load of drivers and have never been able to find another pair..well one just came up on that site..look at the asking price!! unbelievable

hunter

 

[drbiggles]

Daaaaaaaaaang. I would spend that amount for those.

Biggles

 

[hunter00]

incredible hey Biggs..that doesn't mean they will sell for that price but its interesting to note the perceived value of these rare speakers,there up this with the rare elite vintage JBL
speakers.As I say mine share the exact same drivers and x-over box's,only not in a folded horn cabinet,but mine is walnut as well,i wish I had some documentation on mine..

hunter

 

[Sam Cogley]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRU-SONIC-P...949244?hash=item23688d593c:g:C64AAOSwn9lXKVXD
Ive been looking for another unique pair of stephens trusonics that are in original cabinets with my load of drivers and have never been able to find another pair..well one just came up on that site..look at the asking price!! unbelievable

hunter

Considering the style of the grille frames, I would not at all be surprised if those cabinets were made for Stephens by Broyhill. They're a dead-on match for the Brasilia line. Several of the big furniture manufacturers made cabinets for electronics manufacturers, most notably the Drexel/Motorola consoles.

 

[canuckaudiog]

hunter00, wow, amazing find on the Stephens speakers! These seem like holy grail territory. Is there anything better from Stephens than this? I can't imagine it. Lucky dog! When I travel to BC next time I'm definitely coming by

Did you ever sort out the bullet tweeter?

 

[hunter00]

hunter00, wow, amazing find on the Stephens speakers! These seem like holy grail territory. Is there anything better from Stephens than this? I can't imagine it. Lucky dog! When I travel to BC next time I'm definitely coming by

Did you ever sort out the bullet tweeter?

your more than welcome Canuck!I run the stephens on my Fisher mono blocks still.mazeingly accurate setup.The Ames trusonic speakers/cabinets are way up in price as well and super collectable.The bullet tweeter I haven't replaced yet as the couple that have come thru that site have an 'S' in the center instead of the full name "stephens" written across the front and I want them to match.I run JBL 075 horns on each cabinet so don't miss any content in the upper registers.
Many of Stephens early compression horns sell for up to a few g's as well for pairs. a couple picks to show the exact same drivers..

 

[hunter00]

all drivers exact as well as the x-over box;s.I had my tech build a pair of new x-overs for to replace the originals but the originals are stored away safely.

hunter

 

[canuckaudiog]

Is there any way to simply buy one of those tweeters, salvage the diaphragm and replace the one inside the busted tweeter? Seems like that would be the quickest way to get up and running as long as the driver is identical otherwise.

 

[hunter00]

We took the 5kt apart{not easy!} and found where the tinsel wire lead come thru from the diaphragm it was severed.When we tried to take one winding off and resolder we broke a plastic type retainer inside and it couldn't be reglued.Im going to investigate if what you suggest is possible,its been a while since we worked on it,i still have that 5kt horn
thx for the suggestion Canuck!

 

[hunter00]

UPDATE...well ive been living with these awesome vintage Stephens Tru-sonics for a yr now,amazeing pair of speakers!There was one compromise tho the original 5KT horn in one of them was open and not working so we pulled it and dismantled it to free one copper strand winding and resolder as that was the problem.Anyhow we failed and broke a part of the diapham inside that we couldn't repair.
Ive been watching the auction site and a couple have come up in the last yr but one was open as well and sold as parts and the good one didn't match as it has a big 'S' on the bullet instead of "trusonic" written across the bullet.
Yesterday one of my old niebours poped by for a drink and some tunes,i haven't talked to him in ages,turns out his dad was a 50's/60's audiophile which I didn't know,as soon as he seen my Stephens speakers he tells me his dad had a few of those bullet horn and drivers but he hadn't looked at them in ages,in storage after his dad passed,
So not more than a couple miles away was an old buddy whose dad was a Stephens fan and there was my exact matching 5KT horn I needed and he was more than happy to give it to me...Great carma as he said his dad would have loved to pass it along to another Stephens fan!He had 4 or 5 of the 5kt horn dismanted and my buddy even had made his own cabinets and installed some of his dads Stephens drivers in them at his home back in the 70's.
Small world,and this morning I got the 5kt installed and I'm listening to them whole for the first time!

hunter

 

[drbiggles]

YEaH! Congratulations man! I too have been watching for the 5kt's. A nice pair came up last year with the pots and crossovers, but they went for more money than I had. Before I needed them, I did see them from time to time. But not so much this year, it's a shame!

Biggles

 

[totem]

Nice when things workout.