Golden ratio A8 cabinet plans

[martyh45]

GM?s comments in the A8 thread got me to thinking about building a pair. I have never been a fan of the way they look so I drew this up while I was kicking the idea around and thought maybe someone else could use it.

I didn?t include a dimension for the woofer cutout as it will vary depending on which woofer you use and how you mount it but the placement should work with 16? frame units. I based the cutout locations on metal 32B horns w/ 802-8G drivers and 16? frame 416-8A face mounted. Obviously there are tradeoffs as the baffle isn?t quite as big but the resonances should be more evenly distributed and the scale is more residential than the original. Gross internal volume is exactly the same as the original. I?ve shown continuous corner braces and a shelf brace but I think everyone who builds cabinets has a favorite scheme. 1-1/2? 701 fiberglass on one of each type of panel should do for fill. (back, right side, and top)

Feel free to use the plan any way you like

http://laurenstephens.net/uploads/7bc9d81dbc.pdf

[Michael V]

Thanks for posting that - the 32 horn is definitely worth experimenting with. I'm using the 32A (cast aluminum; the 32B is fiberglass) along with the 414Z and they really sound fantastic in the midrange. This horn is part of what makes the Western Electric 753 loudspeakers so sought after.

As GM mentioned, the HF balance needs to be dealt with. Without EQ or a supertweeter, it has a distinctly mellow sound. Not everyone's cup of tea...

[martyh45]

Hi Mike,

Hope someone can use the plans.

I?m pretty sure the 32A horn differs from the B only in the driver mounting. The older WE small format drivers had three mounting bolts and the newer Altec versions have two. I don?t have them right in front of me but I believe my cast aluminum horns are marked 32B

At any rate, have you tried any of the Altec contour networks to flatten out the upper range with these horns? I think GM posted a few years back that hf dispersion is better with a 32 horn which leads me to believe that something on the order of a contour network designed for CD horns would be in order. My ears are older though so ultra high frequencies are not much of an issue for me.

[Michael V]

It does seem Altec was "less than precise" in their catalogs and model specifications. My 32A has two mounting bolts for Altec 800 series drivers, just as the 32B. However, from what I understand 32B was fiberglass and actually had slightly larger external dimensions. I've also seen reference to a 32C (?). Who knows!

Subjectively these do seem to have great dispersion throughout the usable range. I haven't experimented with contouring... do you have any details of Altec's networks for the 32 horn?

Thanks

[Michael V]

By the way, here are my speakers with the 32A...

[mah]

Tweeter for 32A.

Open link, then scroll down.

Your First Webpage

Lots of pictures of other interesting stuff.

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

....... However, from what I understand 32B was fiberglass and actually had slightly larger external dimensions.......

I used to have a pair of the horns from 1221A Stage monitors. They were aluminum and the literature I found online called them 32B's, and also a part number.

I sort of wish I still had them. I did get a good price for them on Ebay, Though........ I shipped them to a US address, but they were ultimately headed to Japan.

It's nice to hear good things about them....... the last conversation I heard about them they were being run down.

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

This certainly is interesting!!!

[Old Guy]

I'm using the 32A (cast aluminum; the 32B is fiberglass)

The 32B is certainly aluminum. I have owned at least a dozen

I don't think there are any fiberglass ones at all.

I think you are confused...there was a consumer version, AFAIK never part of the Pro catalogue,that was molded in plastic...but it was black plastic not fiberglass.

The consumer one was used only in non portable stuff I believe.

But AFAIK all available separately in the Pro catalog were aluminum...if you read the 1221 PDF at Altec Pro it says it's a cast aluminum horn and states it's a 32B.

[bfish]

...The consumer one was used only in non portable stuff I believe...

There's one exception, my 1231 wedges from '78 have the plastic 32s.

My impression has been;

32A WE aluminum
32B Altec aluminum
32C Altec plastic

I've got 2 pairs of the plastic and one aluminum, but none are marked...

Not that it matters, I know what they are.