Will Bozak 302a's make me want to replace my KLH Model Fives with them? It's a three hour Drive

[pete1729]

I really appreciate all the input here. A little further listening and input from my significant other has solidified my position. The Fat Fisher and the Model Fives aren't going anywhere. It's really a great rig.

The point made about the Bozaks taking time, money and effort to derive their best performance is germane to me. It's funny in that the published price for them has dropped to $150, but they have not gotten any closer. There is also another pair of Bozak 302's for sale in my area. They are later ones, probably with aluminum cones, but listed for $400 and still 150 miles away.

The other day I auditioned my JBL L-19's and Pioneer SX-880 in the room. It sounded great and there was some of the bottom end I'm after. However it was a little lacking in the fullness of the midrange. If I am to be honest with myself, what I'm probably after is Altec or something like it. 15" woofers, a horn, and somehow in a narrow package with a small footprint. High sensitivity and 16 ohm.

 

[Jimbo40]

True. Even harder to source from the earlier days when the Z tweeters still properly functions.

A caveat. The Z tweeters — the successor to the Y, using a curvalinear design — experienced quality control issues after Bozak was sold in 1977 and are consequently of poor quality. As the Z was introduced circa 1974, the quality window is brief.

The design of the Z was primarily to extend the range and reduce cone breakup. The four-way (B-200Y plus a soft-dome) better resolves that issue, and maintains the blending at the midrange-to-tweeter hand-off point.

I have a pair of b-407 monitors with 8 b200z each seem bulletproof.

 

[Retrovert]

I have a pair of b-407 monitors with 8 b200z each seem bulletproof.

The issue is distortion, not premature failure.

No tweeter is bulletproof. Try running one without a high-pass filter and see how bulletproof it is applying the lower frequencies.

 

[Onebean]

15" woofers, a horn, and somehow in a narrow package with a small footprint. High sensitivity and 16 ohm

I’d start looking for this speaker right between the end of the rainbow, and the fountain of youth. In all seriousness, everyone with a tube amp wants this speaker. You only forgot affordable in your dream description.

You mentioned using a Fisher X202B, that’s a wonderful piece. I have one and like it a lot! I use KLH Sixes with mine, and it sounds fantastic. I rarely listen over 75db in my room (smaller that yours) and the bass full and strong. I have read that the model 6 is a better match for tubes, and the model 5 like higher power solid state better. I have no first hand experience with the 5, but my recapped 6’s are a match made in heaven with tubes. I can’t recommend them enough.

 

[pete1729]

I’d start looking for this speaker right between the end of the rainbow, and the fountain of youth. In all seriousness, everyone with a tube amp wants this speaker. You only forgot affordable in your dream description.

You mentioned using a Fisher X202B, that’s a wonderful piece. I have one and like it a lot! I use KLH Sixes with mine, and it sounds fantastic. I rarely listen over 75db in my room (smaller that yours) and the bass full and strong. I have read that the model 6 is a better match for tubes, and the model 5 like higher power solid state better. I have no first hand experience with the 5, but my recapped 6’s are a match made in heaven with tubes. I can’t recommend them enough.

I have Sixes in my other place in New Orleans. For years I ran them with an EL84 based console amp and liked them. A few months ago I paired them with a TOTL Panasonic solid state integrated that puts out about 50 WPC. It's magic.

The Fives are a little more power hungry, but the Fisher really does a great job with them.