while searching, an E-V Mode Control
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ELECTROVOICE-STEREO-CONTROL-MODEL-505-NOS/124521379996?hash=item1cfe0d789c:...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ELECTROVOICE-STEREO-CONTROL-MODEL-505-NOS/124521379996?hash=item1cfe0d789c:...
L-Pads. Speakers Awful Without Them, New Ones Ordered
while searching, an E-V Mode Control https://www.ebay.com/itm/ELECTROVOICE-STEREO-CONTROL-MODEL-505-NOS/124521379996?hash=item1cfe0d789c:... |
OH YEAH! New 16 Ohm L-Pads installed, back to wonderful (more wonderful?). .................................. the whole story 1. Ruin a good thing: L-Pads removed as advised. Actually, they were 8 ohm pots, I didn’t know better way back when I replaced the original 16 ohm L-Pads. The Pots worked as needed, but altered the resistance shown to crossover, whereas the original L-Pads maintained 16 ohms shown to the crossover. Speakers without controls were very screechy, horrible. Used RLC-1 to cut treble, at least sounded listenable while looking for a solution. 2. Research: The Fisher President II I inherited used all Electro-Voice drivers, L-Pads, Crossover. They are in my new enclosures. The Vintage Fisher consoles, and Electro-voice speakers were designed with L-Pads: AT37 (16 ohm) or AT38 (8 ohm). Two way had 1; Three way had 2 (Brilliance and Presence, like mine). Adjust from Normal for room and personal taste. NORMAL Room: Center position: Half attenuated. LIVE, BRIGHT Room: add attenuation progressively DULL, DEAD Room, reduce attenuation progressively EARS AGE: reduce tweeter attenuation as ability to hear highs progressively reduces. Model EV-SIX had a unique 5 position step-type attenuation control using resistors. As they were not progressive, 5 frequency graphs were shown in the engineering bulletin. 3. Re-install new L-Pads: Ordered High Quality Pots, thinking they were L-Pads, returned them. Ordered 16 ohm L-Pads. Installed L-PADS yesterday. RLC-1 tone control back to neutral. OH YEAH! |
Recently, for fun in another thread I went to hifishark, searched: Vintage Speakers, sorted price high to low. I found MANY vintage speakers that provided adjustment, L-Pads, rotating or sliding switches, changeable connections to resistor boards, MANY, IMO, it is wrong not to provide a means to adjust 2/3/4 way speakers in their listening space. Mine are quite difficult, but precise stepped resistor networks ought to be easy enough. |
Fixed resistors always sound better for trimming driver output. With older speaker designs L-pads were needed to make the speakers more versatile. Fixed resistors on switches is a great replacement to L-pads. Tone controls definitely don't cut it, even with a midrange control added to the normal bass and treble. |
fiesta, did you read this whole thing, or just respond to my recent post? Ideally resistors are 'better', but in practice, I'll settle on quality L-Pads for their flexibility. modern makers are not offering any methods to adapt to the unknown space their speakers TRY to be perfect in. Maybe they all own stock in room treatment companies! I found the resistor network Electro-Voice created for the E-V Model Six, higher up in this thread. 5 specific switchable response curves! L-Pads are infinitely adjustable, notched L-Pads would be nice because they are hard to match L to R. Anyone can twirl a dial, make a decision that's right for them, they cannot make a resistor network for themselves, and then not adaptable as we age and out hearing shifts. |