Help With Potential DIY Project

[Mr. Widget]

I can certainly modify the cabinet of the 4345 clone to include the 2397 as oppose to the Selenium HL14-50 horn - but I don't think it will look nearly as good.

More thoughts + opinions?

If your woodworking skills are good and you plan on doing a fine veneer job on the cabinets, I would build them completely stock as Ms James suggests and use the 2311 horn... you will likely have to make a very minor adjustment to the interior of the 2212 doghouse, but that is fine. I would then plug the 2311 hole with a blanking plate and use your 2397 and 2441 on top. This will do two things.

First, it will allow you to compare a near stock 4345, especially if you ever pop in a 2307 (bolts right into the 2311 hole) and 2420/1/5/6, and a Smith horn variant. Secondly, if you change your mind down the road, or fall into a pile of money and buy those Everest IIs, you can easily sell the 4345 clones.


Widget

[dkalsi]

Update -
Received my blowed 2245H from e-bay (total cost $46 including shipping - not bad) - its grey in color.

That sucker is unbelievably heavy.

I have been reading a lot about the 4345 in the "The 4345 Club" thread.

There was an interesting post by Greg T on the second page -

After reading his post - I feel like I should try incorporate some of the things he mentioned - in other words, I many not do an exact clone of the 4345.

I have a lot more reading to do (especially in that thread), I will try to draw what I currently have in mind within the next day or two.

[hjames]

More info to refresh the thread ...

Link to spec sheet for the 2397 Smith horns themselves
http://www.lansingheritage.org/html/...-comp/2397.htm

JBL Cinetron IV system which had integrated 2397 horn - (Engineering image below)
See Don McRitchie's thread - http://audioheritage.csdco.com/vbull...ron#post111188



Jerry_rig's custom 4 ways ...

[Mr. Widget]

Jerry_rig's custom 4 ways ...

Kind of have a retro mad scientist aesthetic... I could see them in mahogany with some turned brass bits here and there with cloth covered wires connecting the drivers and ample amounts of black wrinkle finish paint... sort of "City of Lost Children" meets Thomas Edison.


I do get carried away at times.


Widget

[jerry_rig]

Ah, cool idea. Retro monsters: It's alive! They do look better with the grills on:

[dkalsi]

Has anyone here incorporated most (if not all) the changes GT mentioned in the "The 4345 Club" thread?

I would like to incorporate as much of his suggestions as possible. I don't know exactly how to address his comments about size. He mentioned that the 2245H could use a bigger space to perform optimaly - maybe I can increase the depth of the speaker without significatly changing the way the 4345 looks.

Additionally, is there a crossover design that included the his two main points:
1) Bi-amp run the 2245 seperately
2) Have a bypass by which you can choose to directly run the 2405 of a T-amp

Beyond GT's comments on page 2 of the "4345 Club" thread - sorry to say, there isn't much more useful information in that thread.

Thanks

[Robh3606]

Hello dkalsi

I have their little brother 4344's. They were built from the beginning with the intent of Bi-amping them. So no bi-amp switch. I use a DX-1 as my active crossover. Changed the baffle to have the woofer mid and compression driver in line and have aquaplased 2425's in them. Ports and controls on the back to have a nice clean baffle for the 2122.

They are one of my favorite speakers, I always seem to come back to them. The bi-amping is worth the effort and I think the aquaplased 2425 smooths them out a bit and makes them sound better.

Rob

[dkalsi]

Hello dkalsi

I have their little brother 4344's. They were built from the beginning with the intent of Bi-amping them. So no bi-amp switch. I use a DX-1 as my active crossover. Changed the baffle to have the woofer mid and compression driver in line and have aquaplased 2425's in them. Ports and controls on the back to have a nice clean baffle for the 2122.

They are one of my favorite speakers, I always seem to come back to them. The bi-amping is worth the effort and I think the aquaplased 2425 smooths them out a bit and makes them sound better.

Rob

Rob,

I followed you construction thread here at the forums - excellent build.

I am still debating whether or not I want to stay true to the 4345 look.

I absolutely love what member 4313B with the 2311+2445 driver (with the stepped enclosure for the 2122H). I want to pursue a similar approach.

Based on the information I have found thus far, I will definitely go the bi-amped way.

What I wanted to know if people have done the other two mods (i.e. larger enclosure for the 2245H and running the 2405 straigth off the t-amp).

[Mr. Widget]

What I wanted to know if people have done the other two mods (i.e. larger enclosure for the 2245H and running the 2405 straigth off the t-amp).

The larger enclosure recommendation would require only a slightly deeper cabinet to achieve so that shouldn't be much of a problem... as for the T amp... you can do that quite easily once you've completed the project by simply building in an auxiliary input on the rear as you would for the bi-ampped 2245.


Widget

[dkalsi]

The larger enclosure recommendation would require only a slightly deeper cabinet to achieve so that shouldn't be much of a problem... as for the T amp... you can do that quite easily once you've completed the project by simply building in an auxiliary input on the rear as you would for the bi-ampped 2245.


Widget

That is exactly what I had in mind. I too was thinking about making the enclosure deeper, just how much more deeper --> its not that clear. BTW - I just went back to GT's post and I couldn't locate the part where he mentioned that the 2245H could benefit from a larger enclosure -- maybe I read it somewhere else?

I like your recommendation for the 2405 - its simply and will do the trick.

[BMWCCA]

I too was thinking about making the enclosure deeper, just how much more deeper --> its not that clear. BTW - I just went back to GT's post and I couldn't locate the part where he mentioned that the 2245H could benefit from a larger enclosure -- maybe I read it somewhere else?

This:

Originally Posted by gtimbers
I can't belive all the interest in this 30 year old system. It was never very successful during its life time primarily due to its size. Most people would get something smaller. It also had a reputation for less than detailed bass, which I have always thought was due to the enclosure not being quite large enough.

and this:

I notice from many of the pictures that the system is elevated on blocks. It is very good to get the 2245 up off of the floor to minimize midbass fatness.

[pos]

2) Have a bypass by which you can choose to directly run the 2405 of a T-amp

Hi dkalsi

I am not sure the t-amp is the best candidate for this. Its noise floor is too high for such a high sensitivity driver.
I used to use one of the original sonic impact t-amps on 2407s and 2406s and the hiss was really annoying. Plus it emitted a pop when switched on...
If you plan to run the 2405 directly from the amp as GT suggest then you also have to check the DC offset of the amp. It can be quite high on some of these chip amp if they do not have protection caps on the output.

Another interesting approach could be that one:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showt...27#post1895727
Looks promising!

If you run the 2405 with a separate amp then you might as well put it directly behind the driver with the shortest possible cable to avoid any inductance effect that would act as a low pass filter (do a search on Zilch Ethernet cable experiments and measurement on these forums).

That is a really nice project you have here! The 2397 seems like a logical complement with its huge horizontal dispersion, similar to the 2307+lens.

[4313B]

That is exactly what I had in mind. I too was thinking about making the enclosure deeper, just how much more deeper --> its not that clear.

I didn't bother. 10 cubic feet is fine for me.

If I remember correctly 14 to 15 cubic feet is about maximum for that driver.

[BMWCCA]

I too was thinking about making the enclosure deeper

And I'm not worrying about it with my 4345s, at least until I hear something that performs better.

[hjames]

And I'm not worrying about it with my 4345s, at least until I hear something that performs better.

Don't think anyone locally has offered him a listening session with a pair of original or clone 4345s -
I really think he needs to hear what they can do in stock form ...
with just the "standard" biAmping they are 'sposed to be impressive.

Sure seems to be a lot of satisfied 4345 owners on the site -

hey - where'd that quote go from G err, 4313Bee