828 with 515-8G or EVM 15B

[WV]

Hello,

I did, what I should never do: In germany you don't find an Altec woover at every corner, so I built in the cheap EV 15B in my self built 828H cabinets.

The port was reduced for the EV's need (about 5cm in the high for the whole width of the cabinet). It sounds good, it has a really deep bass.

Now I received the first 515-8G. After mounting the speaker (it look's like the big brother of the EV) I compared the two cabinets - the 15B wasn't as bad, as I expected to. The mids are not as present as the 515's, but the bass is surely as deep as the Altec's. Maybe deeper.

The only really difference I think is, that the Altec always says to the EV "hi, I am already there!". The 515 is very quick.

Is there anybody else having experience with other woovers in that cabinet? What is the acoustical difference to other Altec- woovers (416) to that 515-8G?

Thanks
WV

[Fitts]

I did the same as you and put EV woofers in my self made A7 cabinets because I have not been able to afford the Altec 515.

I tried a JBL 2205 woofer with a much bigger magnet than the EV but liked the EV much better. The JBL had less mid range and lacked clarity.

When you put the Altec in your cabinet did you make the port bigger or did you try the Altec with the same port as the EV? Does the port size make a difference?

[WV]

Hello,

Dave::
I opened the port for the 515, because I think, Altec spent enough development in optimizing the port.

I opened the port of the other (with EV) too (against the rules of EV), and the difference I could hear was a slender bass of the EV.

I think that's the reason for the impression, that the 515 ain't as deep as the 15B: more mids, not only less bass.

Jim::
I recognized, that some frequencies aren't hearable (did I spell that correct?) at the 15B, for example a deep snare drum is completely absent in opposite to the 515.

But: I often heared, the 515 is bad for vented boxes but good for horns. The A7 is a combination of these two principles. The low end is caused by the port. Why does the 515 work good in the A7?

Best reguards
Wolf

[Jim D]

The reason you think you are getting more deep bass out of the EV is that it has less motor control than the 515. This allows the woofer to be sloppier in the low end, overshoot and give more, however way less detailed bass. The 515 is way tighter and has a great deal more articulation in it's bass. The mids of the 515 are without peer as far as a 15" woofer goes. The JBL has a way heavier cone which impedes its midrange althought the bass may be OK. The 416 has less motor control than the 515 and corespondingly is bassier, less efficient, and not as fast or nice in the mids. However, the 416 still has a very light cone and responds well, some people prefer the 416 in A7s. The 515s do not work as well as 416s in the bass in vented boxes, in fact the G series does not work well at all in a vented box. The 515 is always quicker, that's why people like it.