Good sounding 12" and 14"-15"

[matsj]

To my new project i´m looking for a 12" and 14"-15" that sounds really good. Above it i will have a 2435hpl driver. If i can find one 2435hpl more i will use them in a new home cinema.
It´s really hard to find some Le14, 1500al, Me150, fe 1200 and so on here in Sweden.

To my fronts i´m looking for 14-15" and to my center i´m thinking of a 12".

As subs i have 2242,2243,2245.

So what can you guys (girls) recomend to me.

regards mats

[Tom Brennan]

Mats---Best sounding 12" I've heard is the Altec 414, as much for it's Glorious Technicolor midrange as for it's actual bass.

Best sounding 15" is the Altec 515B and for the same reasons.

My opinions ya understand, not intended to be taken as fact written in stone by the Holy Hand and all that.

[Earl K]

To my fronts i´m looking for 14-15" and to my center i´m thinking of a 12".

As subs i have 2242,2243,2245.

So what can you guys (girls) recomend to me.

- What do you mean by that statement ?

- Are you wishing to buy new JBL ( or Altec ) components in the mentioned sizes ?

- If you want new JBL HiFi woofers, then PM Giskard and ask him if he'll sell ( & ship ) to you these parts at American list price . If doable, get a pair of le14h-3(s) and a 1200Fe for the needs of your centre channel .

- If you want used, then eBay is your best outlet. Buy some le14a(s) / then have them shipped to a reconer such as "GordonW" or "edgewound" for some refurbishment (meaning at a bare minimum; compliance replacement, also, I'd recommend new spiders if you are serious about long term usage ) /,,,, then have the woofers sent on to you .

- Altec 416-8c ( 15" ) and 414-8e ( 12" ) are nice enough woofers / though they typically require larger enclosures than JBL to get a reasonable balance of bass to midrange response ( for instance, the Model 19 uses an approx 9 cu ' enclosure which is 255 litres ) A comparable JBL 15", will be happy in a box half that size . GPA offers ( I believe ) both of these woofer variants in new form.

- So, choose your compromises ( at least in box size ) and go from there . Get some woofer tuning software to help you understand the " enclosure needs" for either brand ( if you don't already have some ) .

- If you're looking for recommendations for non-Lansing products that can replace these Lansing types / then you're asking within the wrong forum . :o:

:)

[matsj]

Earl K: If i have had the money to buy Le14-3 and 1200fe i allready have bought them. But i haven´t :( . No i want something cheaper.

I wan´t to know what drivers i shall look after on the used market.

Can 2206 or 2020 be a good choice as a 12" and 2227 as a 15". I want the boxes to be so small as possible.

I know there are other brands such as Tad for example. But i really like Jbl because all the knowledge on this forum.

I have Jbl´s box program for filter and box calculating.

mats

[Earl K]

Earl K: If i have had the money to buy Le14-3 and 1200fe i allready have bought them. But i haven´t . No i want something cheaper.

How about saving your money and buying those new ?. They'll be good for the rest of your life . You're still young ( and impatient I fear ) . ;)

I wan´t to know what drivers i shall look after on the used market.

Zilch has shown that even the older alnico le14a(s) hold their magnet strength quite well ( obviously the amplifiers of the day never really over-stressed the magnetic field ). A pair of those in good shape are a good gamble. They are a bit more efficient/ but have less Xmax than the newer models. Since you have plenty of sub woofers , you can elminate needing maximum Xmax from your shopping list of woofer traits.

Can 2206 or 2020 be a good choice as a 12" and 2227 as a 15". I want the boxes to be so small as possible.

- Those are all Sound Reinforcement (SR ) woofers with overly strong motors and somewhat lightweight cones ( for their stated BL factors ) .
- Typically, from what I see, JBL applies a layer or two of aquaplas then installs a high compliance surround to turn these SR woofer-types into something listenable ( for the HiFi market / & speaking quite generally ) .
- The 2020H would likely need "extra" aquaplas to offset the effects of its' deeper gap when compared to the 2206H.
- These tweaks could be done by experienced and creative reconers ( if they have aquaplas or a substitute ).
- Using the 2206H in raw form ? I don't know / I haven't tried it here / so I have no hands-on opinion . It does look the most promising of the three SR models you mentioned .
- FWIW ; for your prespective of my listening preferences ; All the home woofers that I actively listen to, are aquaplased JBLs ( Me150h, le14h, le10h-1 , at this time ).
- I will also say that I'm usualy quite surprised how many of you guys from around the Baltic Sea seem to favour the sound of raw titanium diaphragms ( for HiFi ). Such a stated preference really slants my perspective about what it is you guys accept as smooth enough. Could be a Viking thing !;) :p

[Titanium Dome]

- I will also say that I'm usualy quite surprised how many of you guys from around the Baltic Sea seem to favour the sound of raw titanium diaphragms ( for HiFi ). Such a stated preference really slants my perspective about what it is you guys accept as smooth enough. Could be a Viking thing !;) :p

That's mighty tough talk for a Canadian living on Lake Ontario...:p

Hugs to T.O. from TD.

[Earl K]

That's mighty tough talk for a Canadian living on Lake Ontario...

Hugs to T.O. from TD.


:) :D Yeh, well,,,, I'm hoping those words will be accepted in a friendly / "family-like" manner since all my forefathers were originally from the extended "reach" of the "Norse" areas in question .
ie; Anywhere where a longboat could put up oars was a good enough place to start our lineage
- ( see ; "pillaging" in the dictionary / & okay, I left out a few words to the full phrase ) ;)

[matsj]

Here in Sweden you never see these types of speakers for sale ( Le-14 ....... ) so i have to ask what i can use instead that are nearly the same as the Hifi drivers.

About the titanium i think you are right, we do love those :) . But now it´s going to be Beryllium :) .

mats

[Guido]

Get two 2225 cores and have them reconed as 2235 or 2234. I think we discussed it once.

It won't get cheaper.

If you can grab a pair of 2227, have them reconed to ME150. A bit higher in price but....

[matsj]

I have found a pair Le 1400h. How many versions are there of Le14 ?
How about a box to it ?

mats

[Earl K]

I have found a pair Le 1400h. How many versions are there of Le14 ?

- hmmm, the very last we heard about this le14 variant was within the fabled "lost forum of 2003" before it sank into the deep ( to become a suburb of Atlantis ) .

- It's apparently a Europeon variant only . ( ie ; I really don't know SFA about it ) .
- If it has a high compliance surround ( foam or rubber ) and if the cone is coated in aquaplas , then I'd go out on a limb and suggest you buy this pair .
How about a box to it ?

- Even in the absence of accurate TS parameters , I'd suggest that you start with a 3.5 cu ft. ( 99 litre ) enclosure tuned to 32 hz ( or sealed if you are using your 18" woofs below these ) .


:)

[matsj]

pictures of Le 1400h.

mats

[Earl K]

Nice; If it were I, I would buy them .

They look to consist of a 2217H frame attached to a ME150h magnetic assembly ( meaning , they have the 1/2" deep gap which I like as well as an aquaplased cone with a high compliance surround ) .

:)

[matsj]

Here is another pair a guy wants to sell.

mats

[Earl K]

Here is another pair a guy wants to sell.

- Buy that pair also . ( I'm not kidding ;) )

:)

[Earl K]

I'm off to work now !

Bye !

[matsj]

One pair bought :D and i´m waiting on a price for the second pair :bouncy: .

mats

[sa660]

Buy, go for it?
You will never forgive yourself if you don't!!!
good luck.
2 Le1400H and the 2435 will make a good cabinet like the K2S5800.

[DJ Vincenzo]

If you can grab a pair of 2227, have them reconed to ME150. ....

how many of you tried this? it actually fits?

[Guido]

how many of you tried this? it actually fits?

1st: it's confirmed from Doug Button
2nd: I tried it
3rd: I documented it here (do a search)

And the most interesting thing is: it worked

[matsj]

Second pair bought. I hope i will get them next week. My internet doesn´t work now because of the snowstorm we have here so i borrow a another computer right now :( .

mats

[vernb]

Hi Mats
Do you still have the 2 sets of LE1400 ? Do you know anyone who will sell a set of them. I badly need a pair of big bas/mid for my 275ND in S3100 horns.
Thanks
Verner

(I speak swedish as well and live in Denmark, so I am not far from you)

[matsj]

Vernb: Yes i still have them :) , i haven´t got them yet. I hope next week. I must have them before i can say if i may sell them.
I have 2 persons before you who want´s to buy them, but i hope i can fix some more of these.

I think these are perfect to my new speakers : 2435hpl + horn+ Le1400h :D :applaud: .

mats

[DJ Vincenzo]

1st: it's confirmed from Doug Button
2nd: I tried it
3rd: I documented it here (do a search)

And the most interesting thing is: it worked

my God:blink: ...this may be the greatest discovery ive mde on this site thus far.

investigating benefits.....