2. analog
  3. 163866-132884

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’.
.................................................

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.






elliottbnewcombjr
elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,330 posts
 
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.
fiesta75
1,378 posts
 
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. 
elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,330 posts
 
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.
fiesta75
1,378 posts
 
OP I did read your entire post, but guess I missed your comment about fixed resistors and switches. I will refrain from commenting on any other of your posts, sorry. If you listen closely L-pads add noise.
elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,330 posts
 
fiesta75,

please don't refrain from commenting, that would be a loss.

I certainly did not mean to be negative, I just wondered, because it's old and long, and your comment is succinct.

I'm glad you commented, I just wanted you to see some of the vintage info I found earlier in the thread, and add that very many other designs had built-in frequency modification capability.

i just caught you said fixed resistors 'on switches', which is exactly what the E-V Model Six uniquely had, 5 precise resistor based switch positions. I want that!

It took me a month to make final (did I say final) positioning of my L-Pads. The speakers sounded HORRIBLE without them, because the crossover and frequency response was designed with 50% attenuation of the AT37 controls as normal, leave it, boost or cut as needed. Without them (as some advised) the mid horn and tweeter horns were full out over the unchanged woofer. HORRIBLE.

My current contention is to resurrect the past. You said "With older speaker designs L-pads were needed to make the speakers more versatile." 

I contend we need modern better options to adjust new speaker designs, making them more versatile.


More to discover