Looking to update LE-14A/LE-20 System High End

[Athena]

I have a pair of LE14-A/LE20s in a custom 2cf ported cabinet I made about 30 yrs ago. They cross over at 2khz. I believe these are essentially Athena L? Clones. The LE14s have new surrounds and are wonderful. These speakers have always been just a bit lacking in the high end. I would like suggestions on getting more high. In the past these were in a much larger cabinet and i tried making them 3 way with LE5-2 mids 2k-7khz and the LE20s above that. I downsized these along time ago and have since sold the mids and 7k crossover (tempted by the $, but wish I had kept them). One thought I have is to externally cross at 7k and use a set of 2404s, or 2405 slotted hf. Another is to just replace the LE20 with a brighter (perhaps aftermarket) driver.

I am seriously thinking about using these as the L/R fronts in a new 5.1 AV surround sound system, perhaps with a separately amped LE14a as the sub, and modern JBL center and rear surrounds. Another idea is making a center from a pair of LE8Ts with a cross at 5k or 7k to the same HF driver I use in the "Athenas" to match them -- how do I get two LE8Ts to 8 ohms? Thoughts on this also wanted.

I know this is a big post, but I know there are lots of good opinions out there.

[Zilch]

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=7671

S99 Athena

LE14A doesn't play well above ~1.5 kHz, and LE20(-1) doesn't play well below 2 kHz. Neither does it do above 10 kHz well, as you now know.

SO, it's BMS 4550 or 4552nd on the $9.40 JBL 1" thread-on PT Waveguide using a throat adapter, crossed at 1.2 kHz with "Bridged-T" HF compensation.

I'll be showing how to make towers out of S99s with this configuration here shortly, which may be ideal for your setup.

********

I don't believe it matters if the impedance drops to 4 ohms, as long as the crossover is built accordingly, and the amp can handle it. Can you achieve 90° horizontal dispersion with an MTM center channel? I think I'd be building that with one of the new small format (8" x 8") PT waveguides and the same driver:

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=20691

[Athena]

Ok, so I replace the LE-20s with BMS drivers. I only found 1 source on internet, and virtually no info. (USSpkr) Only found the 4550s - do these use a horn (Wave guide)? Could not find the 4552 or the waveguide in your link photos. I'm not up to building my own x-overs, and I don't know what a Bridged-T is. So which 1.2 khz unit do you recommend, and where do i get it?

Regarding the idea of 2 LE-8Ts, I did not understand what you were getting at re: the dispersion and MTM? Would you use the 8-t (one or two) for a (mostly midrange) center? If I built these, would I use the same x-over and HF as the Athena upgrade?

I'm trying to figure out if I go old-school and use/build vintage JBL based speakers for my 5.1 or just by new stuff. I think for the same $ old would be better. I can build cabinets, but would rather base my driver choices on the knowledge already built in this fourm.

Be patient I'm still new to this.

Thanks

[Zilch]

http://www.bmspro.info/index.php?show=item&usbid=10278&id=54364

US Speaker is the distributor. Call or eMail them for pricing.

The waveguide is JBL Pro part# 338800-001. You order those from JBL Pro Parts, $9.90 apiece plus shipping:

http://www.jblproservice.com/forms/parts_order1.html

The throat adapters I recommend are P-Audio PC-35. They're on the US Speaker "Speaker Accessories" webpage.

You're going to have to build (or have built) your own crossovers. There's little point in dorking around with vintage ones because A) they're overpriced, B) they're not optimal, and C) you'll likely have to rebuild them anyway. Wait for me to post about my Athena tower design; I'll be working out a crossover for those.

Here's the adjustable bridged-T compensation filter, which I will likely incorporate in those. It's lifted from the Altec Model 19 crossover:

[Athena]

Zilch, thanks for the info. I might even be able to build the cross over, it looks like a few resistors and a capacitor, but I will need specifics. I will wait for you to work out the S99 tower and take your lead on that.

[vernb]

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=7671
SO, it's BMS 4550 or 4552nd on the $9.40 JBL 1" thread-on PT Waveguide using a throat adapter, crossed at 1.2 kHz with "Bridged-T" HF compensation.


Hi Zilch
Doesn't it look like the BMS 4510ND - NEODYMIUM 1" LINE ARRAY DRIVER from usspeaker has exactly the right mouth/adaptor to be used on the JBL H3100 horns?
They are still available and cheap without the adaptors.
Vern

[Zilch]

Hi Zilch
Doesn't it look like the BMS 4510ND - NEODYMIUM 1" LINE ARRAY DRIVER from usspeaker has exactly the right mouth/adaptor to be used on the JBL H3100 horns?
They are still available and cheap without the adaptors.
VernSomebody's going to have to try it to know. From our experience with cloning the throats, I doubt it's that simple.


Zilch, thanks for the info. I might even be able to build the cross over, it looks like a few resistors and a capacitor, but I will need specifics. I will wait for you to work out the S99 tower and take your lead on that.That's not a crossover, just a part of one, the compensation filter for the high-frequency driver.

Here's the towers, a work in progress now. The plinth base expands the volume to ~2.5 cuft. The PT waveguide axis is at 34.5" with a 14" plinth. A 1/2" spacer goes between the two parts.

Johnaec made the bases for me. I'm still tuning and tweaking.

Again, design history:

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=7671

It's running with an inexpensive Selenium D220Ti driver right now. I'll move up to BMS 4552nd once I get a second one together here....