Sadly Bob passed away two weeks ago.
dave
dave
L-Pads. Speakers Awful Without Them, New Ones Ordered
I removed the L-Pads, the tweeters are way too bright, screechy above mids. Disturbing. Played my best source: R2R, Sgt. Peppers. Normally magnificent. Unlistenable!
Using my Chase Remote Control to cut Treble temporarily, until new L-Pads arrive.
I ordered these 16 ohm pads:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/153892668925
mine don’t have the issues he discusses, my insulation is modern, crossovers are tar filled metal cans, not much heat in 6.3 cu ft; these and originals were large ceramic body.
Will put the tweeter ’Brilliance’ ones in first, listen. Then add ’Presence’, listen, decide: leave in, or out. IN more than likely. They (orig and 1 set of replacements) have been IN for 62 years.
My original bronze ones came from original Fisher console, they were a custom version, still labeled ’Brilliance’ and ’Presence’.
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Many of these old Electro-Voice designs had L-Pads (16 ohm used AT37 Attenuators; 8 ohm used AT38). 2 way have one. 3 way designs have two: ’Brilliance’ and ’Presence’.
You can balance the drivers to each other, and to each space, and as you age, ability to hear highs diminishes, you can creep the tweeters up speck by speck. Imbalance due to irregular spacing: adjust each individually
I’m not going to measure and install a fixed resistor, I want future adjustability.
’L-Pads: Terrible Idea’. Bullshite, everyone who ever heard them loves them!
And, let’s not forget, the originals, with L-Pads, first one mono speaker, later two for stereo, are the designs that made these companies successful.
Using my Chase Remote Control to cut Treble temporarily, until new L-Pads arrive.
I ordered these 16 ohm pads:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/153892668925
mine don’t have the issues he discusses, my insulation is modern, crossovers are tar filled metal cans, not much heat in 6.3 cu ft; these and originals were large ceramic body.
Will put the tweeter ’Brilliance’ ones in first, listen. Then add ’Presence’, listen, decide: leave in, or out. IN more than likely. They (orig and 1 set of replacements) have been IN for 62 years.
My original bronze ones came from original Fisher console, they were a custom version, still labeled ’Brilliance’ and ’Presence’.
.................................................
Many of these old Electro-Voice designs had L-Pads (16 ohm used AT37 Attenuators; 8 ohm used AT38). 2 way have one. 3 way designs have two: ’Brilliance’ and ’Presence’.
You can balance the drivers to each other, and to each space, and as you age, ability to hear highs diminishes, you can creep the tweeters up speck by speck. Imbalance due to irregular spacing: adjust each individually
I’m not going to measure and install a fixed resistor, I want future adjustability.
’L-Pads: Terrible Idea’. Bullshite, everyone who ever heard them loves them!
And, let’s not forget, the originals, with L-Pads, first one mono speaker, later two for stereo, are the designs that made these companies successful.
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- 41 posts total
oldhvymec I agree, before I hook up a vintage piece, I take off the bottoms, tops, sides, anything removable, especially the face plates in my shop, You need face plates off for real access to the pots and rotating contacts. Then hose the pots and controls of tape recorders, tuners, receivers, amps, preamps with contact cleaner/lubricant, blow dry with compressed air, repeat. Then, frequently, while in the system, I swish em full spin back and forth, keep the contacts clean, re-check balance after doing this just in case. I also tend to leave my preamp volume set, zero noise, and use more modern equipment's volume control up/dn from there. Surprisingly, all my tube stuff is and has been dead quiet, My McIntosh SS C28 preamp, noise started at 11 o'clock, that's another reason I like my Remote Line Controller. Another reason to have efficient speakers, to keep the volume/work of the components in a lower state. |
atmasphere "What you’re looking for is the driver to blend with the other drivers, resulting in flat frequency response". I qualify flat frequency: IN THE ROOM, at the LISTENING POSITION. That’s one of the benefits of L-Pads, you buy from company specs, auditions in showrooms, get them home, they start out sounding different. I say: speakers in generally advisable position and toe in first. Tilt/aim tweeter at seated ear height; then L-Pads for listening spot; then if nodes, problems, sound treatments. Move them to another space: L-Pads to the rescue! Too many people, without L-Pads, have to resort to, perhaps need to over-do room treatments!locations. That’s what I mean by Functionality/Flexibility may be better than perfection offered by a single resistor. Even better: Advanced L-Pads by Electrovoice, for their 4 way systems like this E V Six https://products.electrovoice.com/binary/E-V%20Six%20EDS.pdf had L-pads with 4 or 5 switchable positions, each a specific resistor, that controlled the tweeter and mid range together. Separate Low Bass and Upper Bass drivers with no level controls. Of course, a specific resistor requires no maintenance, whereas L-pads and their contacts require maintenance. |
These risers tilt the speakers back to aim the tweeters at seated ear level https://critesspeakers.com/heresy-slant-risers.html |
- 41 posts total