The IRS Beta has exceptional level controls, both on the midrange panels and the xover/servo unit. They are a double-edge sword, however, because while they allow the system to be set up properly balanced, it’s also easy to get it very, very wrong. But of course it’s worth it if you take the time to get it right.
Do Your Speakers have LEVEL CONTROLS or EQUALIZERS? (Vintage or Modern) ???
Do Your Speakers have LEVEL CONTROLS or EQUALIZERS? (Vintage or Modern)
MANY Vintage Speakers had/have Level Controls, and a few big speaker arrays had external equalizers.
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Many of you know It’s my contention ALL SPEAKERS should have Level Controls, to refine their frequency distribution in your space at your positioning in that space, and re-adjust for any space you move/use them in.
L-Pads retain impedance shown to the crossover; Potentiometers alter what is shown to the crossover a bit.
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Just stumbled about these
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2 Altec Lansing speaker crossovers N800-8K |
https://www.ebay.com/itm/313970394857
JBL’s
Bose 901
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My Uncle’s 1958 Fisher President II (Large 3 way, horns and big woofer) had/have 2 L-Pad level controls
AT-37’s used in many of their consoles and separates.
https://products.electrovoice.com/binary/AT37%20and%20AT38%20EDS.pdf
PRESENCE: for Mid-Range Horn’s Volume Control, relative to he 15" woofer with no control
BRILLIANCE: for Tweeter’s Horn’s Volume Control, relative to the mid-range.
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My AR-2ax (compact 3 way cones) had/have 2 Level Controls
I just restored 2 pairs for my Office and Garage/Shop Systems
https://www.audiogon.com/systems/10092
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MANY Vintage Speakers had/have Level Controls, and a few big speaker arrays had external equalizers.
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Do Your Speakers have LEVEL CONTROLS or EQUALIZERS? (Vintage or Modern)
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- 38 posts total
@elliottbnewcombjr The reason vintage loudspeakers have level controls is because the output impedance of the amplifier was an unknown. So the controls allowed the end user to adjust the speaker to get flat frequency response. They were not there to adjust the speaker to the room! Speakers that have controls like this are on the Power Paradigm. Speakers that are on the Voltage Paradigm (considered 'voltage driven') will not have any controls on the rear. For more on this see: |
Ralph, Electro-voice provided one AT-37 Level Control for their 2 way's (8 or 16 ohm versions) and two AT-37 Level Controls for their 3 way's (8 or 16 ohms). Their literature is clear: to adjust for 'live/hard' rooms, or 'soft/dead' rooms (of various degrees of soft or hard of course); for various locations in a space; for an individual's preference. ....................................... Lewm's opinion: best, for 'easily' matching left to right, is a resistor based level control. Certainly easier to match l/r frequency response than continuously variable L-Pads. Either type can be adjusted differently l/r for a particular condition in a space, like my AR-2ax's in my office: left speaker against a wall, right speaker not near walls Electrovoice's 4 way Model 6 (18" woofer)
has a 5 step resistor based Level Control, with published graphs of the frequency response of each of the 5 settings https://products.electrovoice.com/binary/E-V%20Six%20EDS.pdf Page 2, adjustment of balance control, is all about different spaces different tastes. ....................................... Their monster Patrician 800 (30" woofers) had level controls https://skyfiaudio.com/products/electro-voice-patrician-800-vintage-speakers-4-way-with-30-woofers
........................................... A speaker's impedance, then and now was and is nominal, and typical crossovers are designed for the nominal impedance, and transformer taps also anticipate a speaker's stated nominal impedance. . |
- 38 posts total