OK, I'll go dig them out. Will report back ASAP.
EDIT: OK, the horn says:
MAGNAVOX
580088-1
(symbol) ? 69.51
I don't know what the 580 code is.
Bear in mind, the Japanese copied a lot. Ever see a Japanese Les Paul guitar or Strat?
Nah I'm sure nobody has
The CTS used in the Santana was widely copied.
At the very end of Trusonic Utah was building their bookshelf speakers. I have a pair...Utah woofer and Fostex tweeter. So at least there was SOME business contact between the two I can document.
The 60's and 70's saw very similar stuff made in both the US and Japan.
Anywhoo, the horns were definitely made first by Jensen and Heppner and later by the Japanese.
The reason I am so sure the Magnavox were never Foster is by the time Foster stuff came in consoles were pretty much vanished from the HiFi scene.
I have seen literally hundreds of those horns, and have never seen a single Magnavox that had any Foster/Fostex markings. Every one was Jensen or Heppner.
I'd really like to see the numbers on Pano's horns. I would be interested if I'm wrong...hey I'd learn something....but to date I have to be on record as no Fostex in Magnavox.
BTW here is something interesting...a 1970's teenager's bedroom pics...
http://www.rocketroberts.com/stereo/stereo.htm
And a parting shot- Utah was in Huntington Indiana.
But I have seen one very old Alnico compression driver labeled Salt Lake City...so in the early years they must have actually been in Utah...
Your neighbors called. They like your music.
OK, I'll go dig them out. Will report back ASAP.
EDIT: OK, the horn says:
MAGNAVOX
580088-1
(symbol) ? 69.51
I don't know what the 580 code is.
FWIW, i think 580088-1 is a Magnavox part number.
Not all vegetables make good leaders.
Yup- here's a pair with that part number and Heppner EIA code...
Pair Vintage Magnavox 16 Ohm Speaker Horns 580088-1 - eBay (item 120613973616 end time Nov-24-10 10:21:11 PST)
Your neighbors called. They like your music.
Those are similar to what I have, but not identical.
Mine have green plastic driver covers, not the foam. And the horns have ridges or seams on each outside face.
The green plastic driver cover is earlier than the foam..so absolutely positively yours are not Fostex. Possibly Jensen, but more likely early Heppner.
What I am saying is your horns date from the late 60's before Fostex entered the US market.
Pano yours sound kinda like Jensen Rp-109?
http://usr.audioasylum.com/images/y2...eeter_1092.JPG
Your neighbors called. They like your music.
Ah ha! Found a missing detail. The horn says "JAPAN" cast into the metal.
The 12" woofers these were paired with were CTS from 1970.
Interesting. Are you sure about the 1970?
Sounds more like 80 if you are dealing with CTS and the date code is zero.
I have never seen a Magnavox with CTS early 70's. Could be, but I've seen hundreds.
Edit...a phone call to a friend, he says your horns are newer also.
Heppner was absorbed by Cerwin Vega late 70's. He says yes Magnavox did start buying Foster, so your friend is right. I remembered consoles being pretty much dead by then, but there were at least SOME I guess.
So what you have are Foster copies that borrowed from both the Heppner and Jensen according to him.
Honestly, I have never seen a pair like yours, but when I bought the Magnavoxes to part out I always went after tubes if I could. I didn't buy the many 70's ones.
If your woofs are 70. it is also possible your horns were replaced. Those things are easy to blow. But I think your woofs might be 80.
No biggie. As I say, your friend is right, but I still think I am right that older units didn't use the Foster, that they are later.
Your neighbors called. They like your music.
FWIW, it looks like the Radio Shack 40-1228 started out as the foam covered Heppner version sometime in the 60's and was replaced by the Japan/Foster made version circa 1975, and i think this is probably the time the snap on plastic covers entered the scene. In the '68 and earlier catalogs they made a point to mention they're made in USA, the catalogs continued to use the same stock photo thru '74. The years i was intimately familiar with RS(75-81) you could depend on the accuracy of the catalog images, they were of course masters of advertising.
The 70's RS/Foster versions are really very good sounding units for their entry fee, as OG says, they're fairly delicate and won't tolerate abuse. At some point in the early 80's they changed the horn to all plastic, and i think the country of origin became Korea(not so good anymore).
Not all vegetables make good leaders.
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