Nostalgia Based Speaker Designs - Straddling the thin line between clever and stupid?

[thewas]

http://www.wesleyandkemp.com/new-products/modelcs112
They look like realy cheap diy party basement speakers in the early 80's looked in germany.

These 12-way(!) designs are much cooler

(from http://www.harrowalsh.de/Elektronik/thema080404.htm)

and probably the best loudspeakers in the world, as they have for every octave a unique way and driver and we know, the more the merrier, right?

 

[mhardy6647]

For me, Boston Acoustics A200s.

could be woise.
The coupla pairs of (lesser) BA loudspeakers that've passed through here have been most respectable.

earlier

(before refoaming -- sorry!)
later
081 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

One will note that I didn't overinvest in cosmetic restoration

 

[Angsty]

Apogee Scintilla - not a scintilla of sense in why I’d still want a pair today.

 

[tomtoo]

These 12-way(!) designs are much cooler
http://www.harrowalsh.de/Elektronik/thema080404.htm
and probably the best loudspeakers in the world, as they have for every octave a unique way and driver and we know, the more the merrier, right?

I'am immediately fallen in love with the design!

You need to have the crossover external so you can tweak each way!

Edit says: No, you have to make them active! 12amps and 12way active crossover. A lot to tweak.

 

[Blumlein 88]

These 12-way(!) designs are much cooler
http://www.harrowalsh.de/Elektronik/thema080404.htm
and probably the best loudspeakers in the world, as they have for every octave a unique way and driver and we know, the more the merrier, right?

Their only mistake is not making it a tall speaker so you can stack all the drivers vertically. Oh, and not using oval woofers so they can be wide, but not so tall.

 

[Blumlein 88]

This is an alternate idea on lots of drivers just fewer crossovers. Courtesy of McIntosh. 4 way with 81 drivers. If only we could get Amir a pair to measure.

 

[killdozzer]

There seems to be a mini-boom in new speaker releases that are based upon 60s-80s nostalgia and in some cases technologies.

Wharfedale has just expanded its Denton Heritage Series with a more upscale Linton. JBL's new L 100 Classic revives the egg-crate grill. Klipsch's Heritage series has always been available, but after years of neglect most of the series has just undergone major technological updates.

Perhaps crossing the thin line into stupid territory, Wesley & Kemp's new $1300 a pair CS112 revives the Phenolic Ring Tweeter. In looking at the rear view, they may have missed the boat buy not going all the way with spring loaded or steel thumb screw speaker terminals. Perhaps a Piezo super-tweeter will be included in the upgrade version.

I am ashamed to admit I like most of this stuff, hearkening back to the golden age of audio components. Is there a science based justification for any of these models? Besides of course, the science concerning the impact of confirmation bias on listener experience?

I have the answer but from my experience the west is not ready to hear it.

You can, of course, use aesthetics to search for the everlasting beauty. This is far less a matter of personal taste then one would think. Golden ratio, for example, pushes certain buttons in our collective psyche. A very interesting thing is that when you bring someone into a Palladio's Villa, he feels very good without ever needing to hear or to know anything about the Vetruvain man. Bringing him into the Projects will do no such thing.

This is why mid 70' Porsche will always make people stop and look to sooth their souls:

While the 21st century heap of horse manure has only cringe value, it's the idiot, Kardashian vehicle:

You can also decide to use aesthetics to rush the passing of the appeal for the use of fast economics. After only a few years a product needs to be broken, too expensive to fix and ugly.

Of course there's the fool's illusion that enough time needs to pass. Take another gander at the pic No. 2. Sure, some things come back, but that...

 

[Blumlein 88]

I have the answer but from my experience the west is not ready to hear it.

You can, of course, use aesthetics to search for the everlasting beauty. This is far less a matter of personal taste then one would think. Golden ratio, for example, pushes certain buttons in our collective psyche. A very interesting thing is that when you bring someone into a Palladio's Villa, he feels very good without ever needing to hear or to know anything about the Vetruvain man. Bringing him into the Projects will do no such thing.

This is why mid 70' Porsche will always make people stop and look to sooth their souls:
View attachment 77868

While the 21st century heap of horse manure has only cringe value, it's the idiot, Kardashian vehicle:
View attachment 77870

You can also decide to use aesthetics to rush the passing of the appeal for the use of fast economics. After only a few years a product needs to be broken, too expensive to fix and ugly.

Of course there's the fool's illusion that enough time needs to pass. Take another gander at the pic No. 2. Sure, some things come back, but that...

Interesting as I always thought those 70s Porsches were ugly and homely looking. While I agree the newer ones are ugly, they seem to have a family resemblance.

 

[tomtoo]

This is an alternate idea on lots of drivers just fewer crossovers. Courtesy of McIntosh. 4 way with 81 drivers. If only we could get Amir a pair to measure.
View attachment 77863

Ah no. Just not enough ways!

 

[anmpr1]

Apogee Scintilla - not a scintilla of sense in why I’d still want a pair today.

That brand probably had as much to do with the 'high current' unlimited watts power amp craze that's still going on in some places. The speaker generally received mostly good reviews. However it had a 'nominal' impedance of about an ohm, sporting a 79dB watt/meter sensitivity. The company advised a 'minimum' of 100 watts per channel, but that was just to get it lukewarmed up.

Harvey 'PT Barnum' Rosenberg complained about warranty repairs on his price no object OTL amps--audiophiles supposedly using them with Apogees. As I recall the big Krells were recommended.

 

[tomtoo]

These 12-way(!) designs are much cooler

View attachment 77869

(from http://www.harrowalsh.de/Elektronik/thema080404.htm)

and probably the best loudspeakers in the world, as they have for every octave a unique way and driver and we know, the more the merrier, right?

HaHa just wonder what the Klippel would say to a 12way speaker? Maybe @amirm would need a CPU upgrade.

 

[mhardy6647]

This is an alternate idea on lots of drivers just fewer crossovers. Courtesy of McIntosh. 4 way with 81 drivers. If only we could get Amir a pair to measure.
View attachment 77863

Words fail me.

 

[killdozzer]

Interesting as I always thought those 70s Porsches were ugly and homely looking. While I agree the newer ones are ugly, they seem to have a family resemblance.

I fail to find that interesting. If you're under the impression I said you're adorned by good taste, please point where have I made such an omission! ;-) ;-)

 

[Harmonie]

Indirectly very connected to this topic you'll have below link that is already dealing with this subject and it's fun !
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/unusual-speaker-designs.12255/

 

[JeffS7444]

This is why mid 70' Porsche will always make people stop and look to sooth their souls:
View attachment 77868

Not going to touch early-generation emission controls (~1973-1985 for USA-spec cars) or anything built before the days of factory corrosion treatments unless it's maybe a 1972 Fairlady Z.

 

[Blumlein 88]

That brand probably had as much to do with the 'high current' unlimited watts power amp craze that's still going on in some places. The speaker generally received mostly good reviews. However it had a 'nominal' impedance of about an ohm, sporting a 79dB watt/meter sensitivity. The company advised a 'minimum' of 100 watts per channel, but that was just to get it lukewarmed up.

Harvey 'PT Barnum' Rosenberg complained about warranty repairs on his price no object OTL amps--audiophiles supposedly using them with Apogees. As I recall the big Krells were recommended.

Classes amps were often a go to amp for Apogee's. And don't forget the obligatory Symo speaker cable.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I fail to find that interesting. If you're under the impression I said you're adorned by good taste, please point where have I made such an omission! ;-) ;-)

Well they looked better than a 914. I had the opinion that for the first time ever Porsche had an attractive car with the 928.

 

[tomtoo]

Well they looked better than a 914. I had the opinion that for the first time ever Porsche had an attractive car with the 928.

OT
Germans didnt like the shark(928). They didnt like the 944 and the 924...to make it short german porsche fans did only like the flat bug/beetle(911). What tells us a lot about german porsche fans taste.

 

[Mudjock]

I did a nostalgia project called the Indium 7 - based on the Infinity Kappa series. It turned out better than expected.

10" woofer with sealed F3 below 50 Hz = plenty of bass.
Somehow, a $40 10" woofer was able to mate with a 2" dome at 750 Hz crossover and still sound good.
2" roundovers are a good idea.

You can find more details on my web page linked in my signature.

 

[RayDunzl]

Aren't all the speakers in common use based on nostalgic designs?

The types we use today were invented around 100 years ago.

https://www.aes-media.org/historical/html/recording.technology.history/loudspeaker.html