New speakers??

leonard smalls

leonard smalls

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I'm debating whether to replace my venerable old Ditton 66/2s - not because they're ancient and duff but because I'm worried about parts availability should they go bang...
The only problem is I like bass - the Dittons go down (according to their specs) to 18Hz; most modern speakers seem to have at the very largest a 10" driver, which isn't necessarily enough to move the quantity of air I need moving as I also like it very loud.

Which leads to the next problem - power handling.. I want to be able to run at a constant 1/2 volume for long periods with my Lumley 120s. I nearly blew a pair of Lumley Lampros 200 when demoing my cd player - had to continue on the Lampros 2000 which had the bass weight (plus 11 drivers!), but a price tag much more than double the £5k I'd be willing to spend, new or 2nd hand.

Voicing-wise, I'd prefer something a bit BBC to go with the mega-bass - Harbeth 5 perhaps but with more bottom end?

Oh, and they have to be handsome looking, though imaging/thwack/oomph and non-tiring pzazz are at the top of the list.
Or should I just stick with the Dittons and be done with it?
 
Originally posted by technobear
Sounds like a job for a pair of Spendor SP100 :)
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Bit dubious about Spendors due to having blown 2 pairs in my BBC days (though they were the old beeb model)..
And would love to have Harbeth 40s - but they don't go low or loud enough... I used to use those until I left the beeb, but something with more grunt would be good.
Also, I don't particularly like ATCs as they tend toward:
a) the ugly
b) harshness to my Rogers/Harbeth/Spendor trained ears.

PMCs are a possibilty - liked the set up at BBC Maida Vale with the bank of Brystons driving those wall-built custom PMCs, though I suspect, probably without any basis in fact, that they may be a little tiring for an ageing and slightly deaf rocker like me.
 
I would certainly second PMC. I have the OB1's which go down to 22. At £2450, you could add the Bryston powerpaks within your budget. I am running mine with a Bryston 4b st which puts out 279 and 280 watts rms left and right, and the speakers really respond to powerful amplification. They are rated at 300.

The mid range is in mho excellent and the treble smooth. I occasionally give them a thrashing with eminem, and they love it. Obviously you could go for the higher models, but you may find the 'domestic' models less tiring.

Rod
 
Leonard,

Are you after ultimate extension or slam/bass weight?

Given your need for efficiency, I really don't think the usual suspects will give you what you are looking for. It's quite a dilemna really.
 
I have some ditton 44's which i bought on the cheap and i have to say they are quite incredible. I think they share the 12" driver, without a passive radiator of the 66. They go pretty load and low, they only set me back £15. i couldnt resist the retro beasts!

Its incredible really, i tried being a real hooligan and using tone controlls and really caning them with drum n bass and reggae at stupid levels, but they just seem to stand up to it (less so the midrange) and nearly allways had something in resrve, quite easy to drive too it would appear! Couln't listen to music through them as i normally would, too coloured etc, can be expected from a 70's design i suppose.

I think JBL still do some models with large paper drivers that are massively over engineered. The PMC's have gotta be a good bet though, maybe TL is the way to go.
 
Or.......

You could get yourself a decent subwoofer. Your speaker choice is then wide open. You could for example get a REL Storm III and a pair of Castle Conway 3s for only £1900 and have lots left over to spend on rock! And believe me, this setup rocks :)
 
I'd personally keep the Dittons until they blow up too. :)

Originally posted by wadia-miester
Easy one this Blue Heron 2's :) , else Graham N's Heron I's the lumeys should just move them.
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BH2's a bit over the £5k budget, bit of a bugger to drive too aren't they, preferably like to be bi-amped to keep those bass drivers under ideal control?

Mind you, the smaller Nighthawks come in at almost precisely £5k if you were to do a personal import. Someone needs to get a pair of these into the country so I get can get a listen to them. ;)
 
OK given it some thought:)

I cannot think of anything at all so I agree either keep 'em, or get something built up.

I'd start with a quartet of JBL Sub1500 drivers. These were the bass units found in the Revel Ultima 15 sub, monstrous things that are very happy in a 1.5 cuft sealed enclosure (geez even I could build that!)

Use them between 10hz and 80 hz and use a steep (fourth order) crossover to a pair of Vifa 6.5" Paper cones and a Scanspeak Revelator (aka LV) in a D'Appolito array. Biamp using a pair of Crown K2's for the subs and your valves for the mid/tweeter array. Have someone like Williams Hart design and build if you want, I reckon the whole lot would come in sub £5K including a bass EQ unit.

Efficiency should be around 91dbw and max levels at 2 meters something like 135 db at 20hz:D Reasonably compact too, no ports to worry about either - what a shame I've got neighbours:(
 
Originally posted by merlin
OK given it some thought:)


I'd start with a quartet of JBL Sub1500 drivers. These were the bass units found in the Revel Ultima 15 sub, monstrous things that are very happy in a 1.5 cuft sealed enclosure (geez even I could build that!)

Use them between 10hz and 80 hz and use a steep (fourth order) crossover to a pair of Vifa 6.5" Paper cones and a Scanspeak Revelator (aka LV) in a D'Appolito array. Biamp using a pair of Crown K2's for the subs and your valves for the mid/tweeter array. Have someone like Williams Hart design and build if you want, I reckon the whole lot would come in sub £5K including a bass EQ unit.

Efficiency should be around 91dbw and max levels at 2 meters something like 135 db at 20hz:D Reasonably compact too, no ports to worry about either - what a shame I've got neighbours:(
Click to expand...
Like it!
Seems like the sort of thing to get on with on the quiet while the Dittons do their thing.. Could even get my m8 who restores antique Japanese marquetry to finish the cabinets.
Then I'd have a means of getting complaints from the nearest village - 1.75 miles away, 800feet below and behind a spur and a wood!
 
Originally posted by leonard smalls
Then I'd have a means of getting complaints from the nearest village - 1.75 miles away, 800feet below and behind a spur and a wood!
Click to expand...

Is that a dedicated spur?
 
Those Solens look good.. Look a bit like a diy Kef Maidstone!

Always wanted one of those big JBL monitors, like HiFi+ were raving about recently. Can't beat a decent sized bass unit.
Still, I could always connect my 2x300 Marshall bass head and 2x15" EV cab to the pre-amp for some extra bottom end oomph.
Used to work well in my old flat in London until the neighbours went deaf..

Think I may stick with the Dittons for the moment - simply because of all the speakers I've heard in the last couple of years, only the huge Lumley Lampros 2000 come close in terms of bass extension - and they're almost twice as big and seriously expensive..

And couldn't go for the Meadowlarks, which look gorgeous but why can't they put in a decent sized bass driver for $12000????

I blame Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen :D
 
Thanks Lee - you may have saved me lots of money..
I'll buy you a pint if you're in the area!
I should really have remembered Wembley loudspeakers as they refurbished my EV bass speakers..
 

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