The 816 cabinet design was pictured on early data sheets with the horn flares horizontal and the port on the bottom. Many were actually placed in clusters in this orientation. We started measuring speaker coverage for the AcoustaCad design software in the early '90s and discovered the 816 flare should be vertical with the port on one side. This orientation produces a typical pattern where the horizontal coverage is greater than the vertical. This begins to make sense when one realizes the horn flare produces a tighter pattern then the straight walls.

Point of information: The 816 (all versions) will grow in the vertical coverage (horn flares) above 800Hz. This can be a problem in a flown cluster and probably not so much a problem for home stereo.

When developing the 816VI we used two ports for symmetry. This made the cabinet better looking, no other reason. The port frequency, flare and volume of the 816VI is the same as all previous versions.

The suspension kit is a full frame that the 816VI sits in. This eliminates the possibility of the cabinet coming apart and falling on someone. A single kit can be suspended any way you want (sideways, slantways, etc)

The 816VI was loaded with a 515-8GHP. The later 515 woofers were specifically designed for base-horn application and were generally marginal in ported cabs. The advantage of the later 515 was the very light mass and large motor. In a base-horn cab they are said to be as accurate as a 12" mid. The 416 will work in an 816, the 515 works better.

Frequency response is typical of a base-horn. In open air there is a step down of about 6dB when the horn unloads. For the 816 this is around 200Hz and can be clearly seen on the data sheet. Placed in a half-space or better (on the floor, against a wall) this step-down disappears and response can be very flat. However, the 816 is not going to deliver dynamic bass for movies or Hip-Hop music.