I went "Mid-Fi" today..............
Polkaguy58
Posts: 352
Well, I finally finished off my Creative speaker project and decided to install a pair of 1968 KLH alnico 4.5" full ranges into them.
I had a pair kicking around the apartment and it was raining out, so what better time to do it ?
After hogging out the 2.5" hole that previously harbored the Bose Wave drivers (among a few others), I removed the polyfill stuffing and replaced it with genuine pink, scratchy fiberglass.
I made Mortite gaskets for the adapter rings to seal things up.
After breaking out The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour, I sat down in the "sweet spot" and had an ear to ear grin for the next 45 minutes or so.
These speakers have an internal high pass filter built in that limits anything under 100Hz from getting to them.
I then just dial the sub up to 100 and presto !
These have to be the most pleasant speakers that I've listened to for a long time, not Hi-Fi by any means, but more of a warm comfortable sound.
What really surprised me was how the sub just completely disapears and the bass seems to eminate from the little wooden Creatives !
One of my most succsessful experiments ever......................
I had a pair kicking around the apartment and it was raining out, so what better time to do it ?
After hogging out the 2.5" hole that previously harbored the Bose Wave drivers (among a few others), I removed the polyfill stuffing and replaced it with genuine pink, scratchy fiberglass.
I made Mortite gaskets for the adapter rings to seal things up.
After breaking out The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour, I sat down in the "sweet spot" and had an ear to ear grin for the next 45 minutes or so.
These speakers have an internal high pass filter built in that limits anything under 100Hz from getting to them.
I then just dial the sub up to 100 and presto !
These have to be the most pleasant speakers that I've listened to for a long time, not Hi-Fi by any means, but more of a warm comfortable sound.
What really surprised me was how the sub just completely disapears and the bass seems to eminate from the little wooden Creatives !
One of my most succsessful experiments ever......................
Comments
-
Keep on rockin' in the free world!
-
Those little KLH drivers were quite nice -- it would be interesting to compare them to the broadly similar CTS 'fullrange' drivers used by Polk in the Model Nine and by Bose in the original 901 models. KLH used 'em in their tabletop radios, as well.
That driver is in particularly nice condition!
The CTS drivers were built like a brick outhouse, with beefy magnets.
Here's a gratuitous
photo of the Polk Model Nine, with three of the aforementioned CTS 'fullrange' (extended range) drivers on the front baffle, and four of them in toto.
modelnine by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
I knew a fellow in MA, years back, who built a pair of line arrays (OBs, if memory serves) with a bunch of the KLH drivers he had... umm... curated. We listened to Paul Simon (and Ladysmith Black Mambazo)'s Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes on them, and they were pretty satisfying.
Another, broadly similar driver you might like was the (in)famous PartsExpress 69 cent wonder of years gone by (cat. no. 269-469), made by Pioneer. Extremely nice sounding little driver.
DSC_7031 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
DSC_7032 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
DSC_0209 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
-
mhardy6647 wrote: »Those little KLH drivers were quite nice -- it would be interesting to compare them to the broadly similar CTS 'fullrange' drivers used by Polk in the Model Nine and by Bose in the original 901 models. KLH used 'em in their tabletop radios, as well.
That driver is in particularly nice condition!
The CTS drivers were built like a brick outhouse, with beefy magnets.
Here's a gratuitous photo of the Polk Model Nine, with three of the aforementioned CTS 'fullrange' (extended range) drivers on the front baffle, and four of them in toto.modelnine by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
I knew a fellow in MA, years back, who built a pair of line arrays (OBs, if memory serves) with a bunch of the KLH drivers he had... umm... curated. We listened to Paul Simon (and Ladysmith Black Mambazo)'s Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes on them, and they were pretty satisfying.
Another, broadly similar driver you might like was the (in)famous PartsExpress 69 cent wonder of years gone by (cat. no. 269-469), made by Pioneer. Extremely nice sounding little driver.DSC_7031 (2) by Mark Hardy, on FlickrDSC_7032 (2) by Mark Hardy, on FlickrDSC_0209 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
Yeah, I'd love to find a pair of those old Polks, (I believe they were called MiniMonitors) that had the CTS 4" paired with a little passive radiator.
I'd recently bought off of FleaBay, a pair of 70's Radio Shack 4" full range for this project, but the seller was a little generous with his discription of their condition.
These were the japan made versions and although they had the original boxes with them, someone had painted the frames and one had a crease in the cone.
It wasn't worth the bother to send them back, so I treated the cones with a watered down white glue doping and put them into a table radio and to be honest, they sound just fine.
What I need now is to find some of that surround sealer that they used on these old KLH drivers, as they're a bit on the dry side.
-
By the way, here's something I threw together with the drivers that were originally in those Creative cabs.
They're CTS dimple blue paper cones with whizzers and my home made foam collars.
The new cabs are from an old pair of KEF Q10's.
-
Yes, the Polk Minimonitor also used a CTS driver as its "midwoofer". I skipped over that one because it's a little obscure.Polkaguy58 wrote: »Yeah, I'd love to find a pair of those old Polks, (I believe they were called MiniMonitors) that had the CTS 4" paired with a little passive radiator.
I'd recently bought off of FleaBay, a pair of 70's Radio Shack 4" full range for this project, but the seller was a little generous with his discription of their condition.
These were the japan made versions and although they had the original boxes with them, someone had painted the frames and one had a crease in the cone.
It wasn't worth the bother to send them back, so I treated the cones with a watered down white glue doping and put them into a table radio and to be honest, they sound just fine.
What I need now is to find some of that surround sealer that they used on these old KLH drivers, as they're a bit on the dry side.
Your R/S 4" driver? Is that the 40-1197 (which was a Fostex FE-103 variant made for R/S by Foster)? They're -- something of an acquired taste.
A little tizzy, although there are 'treatments'. The 40-1197 was all the rage about 22 years ago -- for a while. A small collection of 'em around here, too.
Your treating the cones probably helped to tame the 'tizz' (if they are indeed 40-1197s).
They're also still in production (albeit somewhat 'updated' since their origins in the mid-1960s!) and readily available from Fostex. They're not really even expensive, by 2020 standards.
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/approx-4-fullrange/fostex-fe103en-4-full-range/
FYI, there are some 'purpose made' sealants for the surrounds on the KLH and AR drivers of their era -- check at audiokarma for the precise products and sources for them.
-
Polkaguy58 wrote: »By the way, here's something I threw together with the drivers that were originally in those Creative cabs.
They're CTS dimple blue paper cones with whizzers and my home made foam collars.
The new cabs are from an old pair of KEF Q10's.
That's a nice little 'full range' driver, too. Not high end by any stretch, but not crrrrrrap, either.
-
I use these Daytons PS95 drivers with a Tang Band sub and 2.1 plate amp for my computering.I like speakers that are bigger than a small refrigerator but smaller than a big refrigerator:D -
Very cool, full range drivers have always fascinated me.Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
-
My first foray into FR speakers. Acoustic Technologies. In the office rig. Performs well with fleapower amps, very impressed!
Stock pic.
Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD. -
MillerLiteScott wrote: »
I use these Daytons PS95 drivers with a Tang Band sub and 2.1 plate amp for my computering.
They're adorbs!Very cool, full range drivers have always fascinated me.
They're interesting.
I still get in a 'full range' mood occasionally -- although it doesn't usually last all that long. Plenty of 'full range' options here, old (some very old) and new.
This afternoon, I was actually gonna pull out a pair of the aforementioned 269-469's in little BR cabinets that my son built in 10th grade... but I ended up shoveling snow instead.
(a little bit clearer photo of one taken in the MA house years back... also note that there's a ML TL with a very nice R/S 40-1354 5-1/4" twincone driver 'way back in the corner, behind the Quad).
@steveinaz if you like to do woodworking (and/or have some repurposable cabinets at your beck and call) I can send you a pair of drivers of some sort to play with; just let me know by PM and I can see what's in the lab
that might be fun and worth a little effort.
-
Appreciate the offer, I may take you up on that down the road.Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
-
It's a standing offer (no expiration date) -- anything that gets anything out of the house earns a point with the "little woman" (as it were), you know?
-
mhardy6647 wrote: »
Yes, the Polk Minimonitor also used a CTS driver as its "midwoofer". I skipped over that one because it's a little obscure.Polkaguy58 wrote: »Yeah, I'd love to find a pair of those old Polks, (I believe they were called MiniMonitors) that had the CTS 4" paired with a little passive radiator.
I'd recently bought off of FleaBay, a pair of 70's Radio Shack 4" full range for this project, but the seller was a little generous with his discription of their condition.
These were the japan made versions and although they had the original boxes with them, someone had painted the frames and one had a crease in the cone.
It wasn't worth the bother to send them back, so I treated the cones with a watered down white glue doping and put them into a table radio and to be honest, they sound just fine.
What I need now is to find some of that surround sealer that they used on these old KLH drivers, as they're a bit on the dry side.
Your R/S 4" driver? Is that the 40-1197 (which was a Fostex FE-103 variant made for R/S by Foster)? They're -- something of an acquired taste. A little tizzy, although there are 'treatments'. The 40-1197 was all the rage about 22 years ago -- for a while. A small collection of 'em around here, too.
Your treating the cones probably helped to tame the 'tizz' (if they are indeed 40-1197s).
They're also still in production (albeit somewhat 'updated' since their origins in the mid-1960s!) and readily available from Fostex. They're not really even expensive, by 2020 standards.
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/approx-4-fullrange/fostex-fe103en-4-full-range/
FYI, there are some 'purpose made' sealants for the surrounds on the KLH and AR drivers of their era -- check at audiokarma for the precise products and sources for them.
Yep, they're the 40-1197's , but the Japan made ones.
The dilluted white glue treatment did help tame them and strenghtened the area that had been creased.
They're now in an old desk radio and performing quite well.
That's funny, the mini-polk picture that you posted looks almost like a pair of Koss Dynamite speakers that I had.
Mine had two woofers instead of the passive, but the cabinets were identical.
Those blue CTS full ranger's are actually quite well made and are extremely efficient.
My foam collars took the harsh mids out of them also.
-
I think the Koss minispeakers came a little after the Polks.
Most of the Polks were configured with the tweeter at one end, not in the middle (AFAIK).
Stereo Review tested 19 minispeakers in 1979:
https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-HiFI-Stereo/70s/HiFi-Stereo-Review-1979-08.pd (article starts on pg. 58)
-
Koss Dyna-Mite M/80 Looks like they came out ca. 1982.
source: https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Audio/Archive-Stereo-Review-IDX/IDX/80s/HiFi-Stereo-Review-1984-02-OCR-Page-0049.pdf#search="koss dyna mite m 80"
-
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I saw a couple pr.s of those KOSS's at Goodwill years ago and they had rotten woofer surrounds. I think they were like 5.00 for each pr. Both sets were beautiful too. I passed because I didn't know how to re-foam speakers then.
I now think they would be a fun project if I got a set for 5.00 or even free nowadays.Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
