Missing the Old Days


I’m new to the higher end audio game. What I don’t know about modern audiophile technology and doctrine could fill a library.

What I do know is how I like to listen to my music, which I’m quite sure would make some crinkle their eyes and squint at me with a look of “my lord son, really?” Kinda look lol.

My first foray into good speakers are my current Goldenear Triton 5’s and my JL D108 Sub. They sound nice....very nice...but they just don’t sound the way I like. So now I’ll soon hook them up to a Parasound Halo A21/P5 which I’m sure will improve the sound.

However, I’m aware that it still may not deliver the goods for me personally. I miss the days of those big, solid, powerful speakers that’d shake the dust off your shelves and make the squirrels living in your my attic fear for their lives. 

I miss my trusty old MTX AAL 2230’s. They weren’t fancy, they certainly weren’t overly detailed, but they kicked ass. They kicked a lot of ass. Where are the speakers that can deliver big sound, driving Bass and clarity without the need to run 1 or 2 Subs? Speakers that are powerhouses without costing 10, 15, 20 thousand or more? There used to be a time when you could go to any number of local Stereo shops and have multiple choices of all ranges of speakers and equipment. I have to drive an hour or more to find any store remotely close to that.

I’ve seen Tyler Acoustics, but I’m Leary. No dealers, only direct sales, very generic specs, and hardly any reviews anywhere. I’d like to hear a few of his models, the cheaper Halo 1’s that closely resemble my beloved MTX’s just look like a white van special Speaker with those shiny black woofers.

Maybe I’m just an old Deadhead stuck in the past, but if there are speakers like this out there that are quality and don’t cost as much as a car, I’d love to hear about them!
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I also support the vintage JBL nod- if you want big sound on a budget. A vintage audio enthusiast friend of mine says the JBL 4698 B Cabaret is (was) the biggest secret in home audio.

The JBL 4698B Cabaret Series is a 3-Way Speaker with 18" Woofer, 10" Midrange, and 2404H Tweeter. These were made for sound reinforcement but they make a killer home speaker. These keep up all day long with JBL 4343 4345 and blow the JBL L300 out of the water. Components in each cabinet are; E155 18" Woofer with Cast Aluminum Basket and 4" Voice Coil. Midrange is E110 10" Cast Aluminum Basket. The tweeter is a 2404H and is exactly the same as 2405, 077, 076, 075 but this one has baby cheek front for wide dispersion, these tweeters have a frequency response to 21.5kc.

These speakers handle every type of music and do it well. Frequency Response is 35Hz- 21.5kHz. Power Handling 400 Watts RMS Continuous and 800 Watts Peak, Impedance 4 Ohms. Sensitivity is 103 dB/1 Watt/1 Meter. That makes these as efficient as a Klipsch Corner Horn Speaker. So these JBL’s are an excellent choice if you want to run low power tube amplifier or run high power solid state amp- these speakers do it all.

The bass will mix concrete, smooth as silk midrange, and high frequencies that will give you goosebumps. Back in 1990, these sold for $2600/pr. 

I would plan on (re) building the cabs. They were designed for roadwork and they are not suitable for placement in most homes (ask my ex-wife...) I would use Russian birch plywood and a nice mahogany veneer. You will not be disappointed.


Rebuilding old JBLs is one of the ways to go. Head on over to youtube and check out Kenrick Sound over in Japan. All they do is refurbish JBLs or upgrade crossovers on current inventory and they command a premium price around the world. If your computer audio is decent, the sound will win you over. If your audio skills are above average, you can remake a great speaker.

All the best,
Nonoise
@pbnaudio Love your M2!5 design! but man, that impedance curve is rather murderous to the average amplifier. 

I would love to have a home theater with a set of those for the fronts. I bet it would be fantastic. 

Best,

E
Erik,

With a low of 3.5 Ohms with a phase angle of 15 or so degrees is not out of normal for a nominal 4 Ohm speaker system - you must look at both impedance and phase angle.  Through the whole Bass and lower midrange, where most of the current is delivered anyway,  the speaker is almost resistive. Most amplifiers of modern design will drive this easily.

Good Listening

Peter 
@pbnaudio - I was a little hyperbolic there! Yes, it is resistive, so it's not quite as bad as an exotic ESL or pure ribbon speaker, but even with the low impedance out of the bass area, a better than average amplifier should be used. OTOH, I assume it's very high efficiency, so the overall power used should be low. 

Also, kind of cries out for bi-amping, which then lets me use my favorite comination, bi-amping with EQ on the bass. :) 

Best,


E