Lowthers - Please educate a village idiot...

Hey Joe:

Here's a site to check/hang out @:

http://f18.parsimony.net/forum31999/

Also:

http://6402.teacup.com/le8t/bbs (use Alta Vista's Babel Fish translation software, it's free, if you are not fluent in Japanese).

I currently use Stephens Tru-sonic and Coral vintage drivers which are all 16 ohms/97 dB @ 1 watt/1 meter and they were developed around the type of amp that your Grandfather built. I often use them with a 1959 Pilot 232 (6bq5 push/pull) amp, which is a perfect match.

Taking off from your launching point, my vote would go to a nice old Klipsch corner horn (well, I would say one, but I guess the amp is apparently 2-channel, so two if need be...) with a Rek-O-Kut playing those 78's and LP's I just know your uncle still has stashed in the basement/attic...

That's really cool Joe. I'm sure that it did your Uncle's heart good when you not only shared a common interest, but that you would probably be as glad to own the product as he was of building it : )

I did just what you are thinking of doing, but not with Lowthers. I built a system using all "vintage" gear that was all tube based. The one exception to the "vintage" rule is the the CD player, which is still tube based. This system consists of an all copper chassis Harman tube tuner, a modified HK Rabco ST-7 TT, Cal Alpha / Delta combo ( this replaced an Anodyne tubed one box player that was acting up ), a modified Dyna PAS 3 and an original Marantz 8 ( EXCELLENT condition ) driving modified Klipsch La Scala's and / or Heresy's. I recently traded the Marantz for a fully calibrated HP Spectrum Analyzer with extra modules ( i made out like a bandit !!! ), so this system is currently down and out.

I'm probably going to build the preamp & amp as listed on Norman Koren's website sometime in the near future, but i'm not sure as of yet. As such, it would be great to see another "Agon regular" jump into the "oldies but goodies" camp : )

As a side note, you might want to check out the Single Driver Website as you can find all kinds of info there about Lowthers, Fostex, etc... type speaker systems. Since most of these folks are running "pee wee" sized tube amps, there is no mention of the "ultimate" single driver speaker that just so happens to be low impedance and low efficiency : ) Having said that, some of the other drivers and designs mentioned in their forum might be good enough for background music while sipping tea : ) Sean
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Twl: NO letter bombs / email virus' please : )

Thanks so much for all of the insightful responses! There are no words I can really relay to you all in terms of my appreciation. And, I want to say that to everyone here.

This is definitely information I can go forward with. To be honest, I have been searching out ideas for the past few weeks, and have come across some of what has been suggested.

I did consider the Klipsch speakers. However, in the room I will be setting this up, the Corner Horns are not an option. I did come across the Heresy a few weeks back, and was more than pleasantly surprised. In fact, our purpose of visit was to take this gentleman out on a marathon session of auditioning for him to "upgrade" from the Heresy. After hearing them, my question was "WHYYYY????" That is a speaker to think about, but it doesn't look like a speaker of long ago - I guess some will argue with me saying that.

The Medallions interest me on several levels. Number one, I am intrigued by the idea of a classic, back loaded horn. Number two, I saw a pair done up along the lines of the finish I described and they just look so darn cool. I would be proud to have a setup like this in my house, and it could even serve as a conversation piece centered around my uncle, John Zielinski.

Again, I guess I am unwise for thinking about a speaker I know little about, but I want to explore the possibility.

I appreciated the Fostex suggestion. While I am unaware of any Cain & Cain dealers around here, I can look into it. There is a dealer who sells Omega(?) speakers using the Fostex driver which I could audition.

Twl, I have seen the Lowthers in the Voight Pipes and they definitely look interesting. Based on your comments regarding "opening the window more only to have more muck fly in", I should probably bring the amp along for any Lowther audition, and maybe an old CD player. Just to see if I can deal with the sound. 50 - 55 Hz bass extension is certainly more than acceptable.

My hope is that a local audiophile will come along and allow me to give this type of speaker a listen.

I just happen to be "sipping tea" right now. I have Joe Walsh "Rocky Mountain Way" cranking up pretty good. It's loud enough that my cats leave the 24'x14'x(16'ceiling)room because it's too loud. Not too bad for 2 watts and a pair of 8" drivers. Of course, I can't drown out a jet plane during takeoff like Sean can. :^)

Just remember this Joe, the Lowther drivers are used (by themselves) as single drivers in speaker systems that cost from $5k to over $20k. Some of these have been reviewed as some of the best sounding speakers made, and owners also agree. The detail, speed, dynamics, and transparency are as good as anything. With an 8 watt amp you can play at 108db peaks. With a properly designed enclosure, you can achieve reasonable bass response, although it will lack the lowest octave. I never miss it. Imaging and soundstage will stagger you. The "presence" is astounding. I know of another Audiogon member who bought Lowthers, even in a bass-reflex enlosure which is not ideal for them. He said his main problem now is "What to do with his Merlin VSM Milleniums, since the Lowthers beat them out."

However, the previous comment about long break-in time is true. They are stiff when new, and have a very tight tolerance in the voice coils. They should be played at conversation levels for the first 30 hours, and then gradually increased in volume level after that. After about 50 hours, you can play them normally, but the bass will be weak until at least 100 hours. Then the speakers get gradually better and better until about 500 hours. This is a long time, and it is true that they take this long, I've been through it. Mine are sounding really killer right now with about 600 hours on them. They really do get better as you go, and it is not just your ear acclimating to them. They only have a 1mm total stroke, and have a stiff suspension when they are new. Also the voice coils only have a .001" clearance, and need to "bed in" during the first 30 hours. The magnets are 23000 gauss, and are the most powerful magnets in any speaker that I've ever heard of. Combined with the very light thin paper cone, they are frighteningly quick and dynamic. The lack of any passive crossover components adds to the single-point source radiation pattern, in terms of overall coherence. With the right cabinet, they can have very nice bass. The main objection to Lowthers is that they are a little bit forward in the upper midrange, and can accent some notes in the female vocal range, but this has been improved alot in the new series Lowthers. Also, some cannot live without the lowest octave from 20Hz-40Hz. Other than that, these speakers are alot like electrostatics, but are not laid back, and can be driven with low power. I guarantee you will hear alot of detail you never heard coming out of your speakers before. I've also done the Fostex, and they don't hold a candle to the Lowthers. But they are cheaper to buy than Lowthers.