DIY Altec 2 Way Build ala JELabs - 802/32/414

Do It Yourself
Katalyst said:
Woody you have mentioned preferring to skip the techno garble/ bunch of math. Damp the floor/stands beneath the port with dense wool or any non foam material.
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As far as internal standing waves, won’t my 2” thick Owens Corning 703 compressed fiberglass on the top, one side, and back panel take care of those?

That was my plan on damping. It seems to work well on my 614 cabinets and that’s how Altec did alot of their speakers like the Valencia’s and Flemencos I’ve owned.

- Woody
 
ICTWoody said:
As far as internal standing waves, won’t my 2” thick Owens Corning 703 compressed fiberglass on the top, one side, and back panel take care of those?
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Yes. It dampens/lessens the wave. The waves are still there. The port position can still be placed at a node/bounce point by mistake. Much to worry about nothing probably. Off setting the port similar to a baffle step woofer position. Not centered. Not to dimension example attached.
 

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Dennis Fraker of Serious Stereo sells a speaker with a GPA 604 in a MLTL cabinet. The port is on the bottom. The cabinet sits on a stand that consists of a flat panel on the front and a panel that extends from front to back in the middle. The panel running down the middle has a cutout in part of it.

Dennis told me in a phone call that the bottom port location coupled with the dividing panel in the stand contributes to a spacious soundstage.
 
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Salectric said:
Dennis Fraker of Serious Stereo sells a speaker with a GPA 604 in a MLTL cabinet. The port is on the bottom. The cabinet sits on a stand that consists of a flat panel on the front and a panel that extends from front to back in the middle. The panel running down the middle has a cutout in part of it.

Dennis told me in a phone call that the bottom port location coupled with the dividing panel in the stand contributes to a spacious soundstage.
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Have you listened to them or his amps? We had a member here previously who spoke highly of both products.
 
I listened to the Serious Stereo amps and speakers at two RMAF shows. I also listened to his amps on Daedalus Ulysses speakers for a couple hours at an after-hours session in the Galibier room at the 2011 RMAF. Thom Mackris of Galibier owned the SS amps for a couple years. I thought the amps sounded pretty good but they didn’t have enough power for the Daedalus in my opinion.
 
Hi Guys: new to this forum and speaker building. Deeply inspired by RCANUT interpretation of WE753, and very grateful of information you guys share on this board that guided me to build mine. The cabinet is taller than the correct measurement outside, but followed John's measurement inside. I added a compartment at the bottom for the crossover board but it was not good for the base. I got the base back after I put a couple of pavers inside and the void with magazines.

The combination is 32C horn + GPA 802 and 414 in 16 ohms, using JE's crossover design for 802 and full range for 414. Love the sound already, but would like get advices on damping. I used natural wool insulation pad, but wonder if medium density felt would allow the sound to come out more directly?
 

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Oldhornspeaker said:
Hi Guys: new to this forum and speaker building. Deeply inspired by RCANUT interpretation of WE753, and very grateful of information you guys share on this board that guided me to build mine. The cabinet is taller than the correct measurement outside, but followed John's measurement inside. I added a compartment at the bottom for the crossover board but it was not good for the base. I got the base back after I put a couple of pavers inside and the void with magazines.

The combination is 32C horn + GPA 802 and 414 in 16 ohms, using JE's crossover design for 802 and full range for 414. Love the sound already, but would like get advices on damping. I used natural wool insulation pad, but wonder if medium density felt would allow the sound to come out more directly?
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How many walls did you install it on?
 
Interesting and cool and glad people are doing this sort of stuff.

I already have two pairs, so, personally, I would love to see the 808 or some "short" horns for the 1.5" formats. Not to mention the Western Electric horns (KS-6368) like Tsingtao is working on.

The 32's are still available for a couple of hundred bucks but the 808's are rarer and go for $1000/ea.

I have lived with 32's going on 5 or so years and love my speakers, but... they roll off around 10k. I've tried 4 different 1" CD's, 3 different pairs of diaphragms and three xover versions (including one with a booster network). My current and favorite version is a Radian 475 and a very simple xover but still measures around the same point as the others... but seems to have more higher end energy. I have a feeling the 808's would be a bit less "polite" and go a bit higher... very curious and would love to try them. But (I have lots of "buts" when I talk about speakers) here's the thing... I like to have long listening sessions and the 32 NEVER offends. It is so smooth and integrates so good with a direct radiator but still has awesome dynamics for a horn blat. That qulaity will easily trump getting a few more htz out of the high end.
 
doglv said:
Interesting and cool and glad people are doing this sort of stuff.

I already have two pairs, so, personally, I would love to see the 808 or some "short" horns for the 1.5" formats. Not to mention the Western Electric horns (KS-6368) like Tsingtao is working on.

The 32's are still available for a couple of hundred bucks but the 808's are rarer and go for $1000/ea.

I have lived with 32's going on 5 or so years and love my speakers, but... they roll off around 10k. I've tried 4 different 1" CD's, 3 different pairs of diaphragms and three xover versions (including one with a booster network). My current and favorite version is a Radian 475 and a very simple xover but still measures around the same point as the others... but seems to have more higher end energy. I have a feeling the 808's would be a bit less "polite" and go a bit higher... very curious and would love to try them. But (I have lots of "buts" when I talk about speakers) here's the thing... I like to have long listening sessions and the 32 NEVER offends. It is so smooth and integrates so good with a direct radiator but still has awesome dynamics for a horn blat. That qulaity will easily trump getting a few more htz out of the high end.
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Altec 802s and 32A/B horns will roll off over 10k. Fortunately, there is so much excess output between 3k and 10k you can equalize down to match the upper frequencies. JE’s network and the 32343 network dramatically flatten the frequency response. My own ears tell me it is not rolled off, and @je2a3 has posted measurements of his 802/32 horns. They certainly are flat to 20khz, but many very highly rated (and $$$$) speakers don’t either.
 
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Roscoe65 said:
Alatex 802s and 32A/B horns will roll off over 10k. Fortunately, there is so much excess output between 3k and 10k you can equalize down to match the upper frequencies. JE’s network and the 32343 network dramatically flatten the frequency response. My own ears tell me it is not rolled off, and @je2a3 has posted measurements of his 802/32 horns. They certainly are flat to 20khz, but many very highly rated (and $$$$) speakers don’t either.
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That certainly agrees with my experience. To my ears, the 802-8G in a 32B sounds flat and completely extended to as high as my ears will go, BUT ONLY IF the crossover includes the eq network from the 32343 crossover (from the Altec 9849) and uses suitable crossover components and wiring. In my case I used Sonicap Gen 1 caps in the 802 crossover which have a slightly rising top end and Kimber TCSS stranded copper wiring which also has a rising top end.

One of the great things about the 32/802 when used with the appropriate caps and wiring is that it mates so well with a fast vintage woofer like the 414 or my preferred Jensen P15LL. The combination has a seamless transition resulting in a remarkably coherent sound.
 
Salectric said:
That certainly agrees with my experience. To my ears, the 802-8G in a 32B sounds flat and completely extended to as high as my ears will go, BUT ONLY IF the crossover includes the eq network from the 32343 crossover (from the Altec 9849) and uses suitable crossover components and wiring. In my case I used Sonicap Gen 1 caps in the 802 crossover which have a slightly rising top end and Kimber TCSS stranded copper wiring which also has a rising top end.

One of the great things about the 32/802 when used with the appropriate caps and wiring is that it mates so well with a fast vintage woofer like the 414 or my preferred Jensen P15LL. The combination has a seamless transition resulting in a remarkably coherent sound.
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Out of the three xovers I tried, the 32343 is my least favorite (I thought it was uneven and phasey especially in the low midrange) and never liked the Sonicap Gen 1... I stopped swapping caps with a Mundorf MCap Supreme. So, different strokes I guess. Cable swapping stopped at Cardas Litz... Also using a larger guage for speaker wire and think it's excellent.

I know people get extended high end frequency but I just never got the actual measurments. I have no doubt it could be user error and wouldnt ever tell anyone that it cant be done... but I just never was able to do it. And actually got more perceived high end energy with out the booster network among other benefits.
 
Drugolf said:
Yeah I saw that last night on FB. Got my attention.
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The one thing I was surprised by is that Gary's horn doesn't have the standard 2-bolt flange. Otherwise, looks more-or-less like a bog-standard 32C. I wonder if the benefit of 3D printing the horn is that it cleans up the interior (because no glue seam).
 
doglv said:
personally, I would love to see the 808
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When considering H808's, don't conflate the cast aluminum, molded plastic, and original tar-filled versions. I've had them all here, and the tar-filled are easily the finest of the bunch. No idea where a 3D printed version would fit in the sonic hierarchy, but I'd guess somewhere near the plastic molded ones, which are still better than the cast aluminum ones, IME.
 
gilmorneau said:
When considering H808's, don't conflate the cast aluminum, molded plastic, and original tar-filled versions. I've had them all here, and the tar-filled are easily the finest of the bunch. No idea where a 3D printed version would fit in the sonic hierarchy, but I'd guess somewhere near the plastic molded ones, which are still better than the cast aluminum ones, IME.
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Right and duly noted. I forget about that when thinking how 3D printing could open up a world to DIY horn building.

Although good for modeling, prototypes and moldings. Maybe tar-filled plastic?
 
doglv said:
Right and duly noted. I forget about that when thinking how 3D printing could open up a world to DIY horn building.

Although good for modeling, prototypes and moldings. Maybe tar-filled plastic?
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Ive seen 3d printers use some sort of resin and brass mix, i imagine that could sound pretty good
 
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