Sub for Vintage Altec Systems?

[jmarkwart]

Hi All,
Has anyone got any good subwoofer recommends for use with an Altec system in the home?
Jeff

[Russellc]

Try the karlson speaker home page, there is an interesting article from another on the same sub woofer mission. This guy states its the only one that seemed to work with altec. Hope this helps.

Russellc

[rolandr]

Jeff:

There are a variety of choices including as you know the Karlson. Of course all the choices do not match sensitivity/accuracy of the Altecs. I have seen an EV 30W driver used with good results. These are 30" drivers with Fs of 16Hz, claimed efficiency of 5% and 100 dB sensitivity. Recommended for large sealed enclosures but also do well in 80 cubic foot vented. Have looked into infinite baffle (IB) subwoofers where a manifold enclosure with usually four or more 15" drivers fires into a room with the rear wave going into the IB attic or basement etc. These two systems do get into the 20s Hz with GOOD accuracy. Guess can always use standard vented cabinet with two JBL 18" if you like thumping boomy bass??

[Steve Burger]

One of the options I am seriously considering when I get to my living room/listening room/home theater is our Iconic 18" version of the 3182. I am thinking Mounted in the floor in the corner of the room as an infinite baffle. This would be in conjunction with 604k's as the front speaker. 604g as the center channel. Being alnico, and thus shieled, the 604g works well in my current configuration until I buy new Big Screen because the 27" TV can sit right on top of the 612 cabinet. When I get another TV it will probably be mounted up higher in the wall (infinite baffle or in a soffit). The surrounds will be the new Iconic 12" version of the Duplex that Jim Dickinson and Bill Hanushack recently cooked up. Any thoughts?

[itsthemusic]

Jeff,I use Bruce Edgar's rather large "Fridge" horn loaded sub with my VOTT and I find that it works really well.Bob O'Neill

[jmarkwart]

Thanks for all the inputs. I tried the Karlson years ago with an active bandpass, and am tempted to get another box and have an old 515B basket reconed and put back on-line. It took about 12dB of boost at 30Hz plus corner loading to blend with A7s. The EV and Edgar solutions are probably too big for my current room. The Iconic 3182 sounds very enticing however - any idea about the price you're going to ask for one Steve?
Jeff

[stpower]

Bob O,
How low does the Edgar sub get in your room? It is advertised as a 35hz horn but I understand it uses active equalization. What is it flat to? I am convinced that a horn loaded sub is the only way to integrate the lows with a VOT system. I have tried (4) 411 woofers in a 25 cu ft sealed box but it doesn't blend with the horn output of the A-4. I suspect the 3182 would have the same problem in a 25 cu ft sealed box.

stpower

[MANZANITA]

I have experimented with various subs to support 605a & various 604's in a home enviroment. The most musical so far ended up being the NHT-1259 in a 3.5 cu. ft. sealed & stuffed with a 300 watt Madisound plate amp. The 605's and 604's are in 7.0 cu. ft. boxes with correct B-4 tuning which provides a f3 of 45-55 hz. depending on which duplex I am using. Integration and proper pitch delivered by the 1259 were the difference for me. Other sub's I have tried include various Eminence 15" & 18" both high and low Q (sealed & vented), Peerless XLS 12" with matching (weighted) passive radiator, & multiple driver dipole. The dipole has a lot of promise. Still working out the bugs.

John

[rolandr]

The lack of blending of direct radiator subwoof with horn enclosures has been noted by Stpower and others. Nevertheless a subwoof horn is huge and may not be realistic /practical??? no matter how you fold it???. The input of anybody with experience using subwoof horns will be appreciated. Yes does the Edgar fridge really go to 35 Hz w/o Eq??. Does the cornerhorn really go to 18Hz?? Does it double??

Really only need upper subwoof response to 80Hz or so for A4 enclosure or 604 duplex series, or 160 hz for 825-828 cabinets. Should be no problem for folded horns/ corner horns. Again any input appreciated.

[John Stover]

Bob O,

Would you please say more about your A7/Edgar Sub combo? In particular, what amp and crossover point are you using on the sub? Any placement tips would also be welcome.

I've been corresponding with Bruce Edgar about buying a sub (including a Hsu amp and crossover which is adjustable up to 100hz) for use with my A5's, but have read elsewhere that a crossover point of ~140hz is required for use with A7's and A5's. I'm confused.

P.S. for the Iconic boys: are you going to be offering a subwoofer suitable for use with A5's?