Ideas for upgrading L200s to L300 Tributes

[audiomagnate]

Here's my current plan to transform my L200s into a sort of L300 tribute. I want something that looks and sounds as good as my beloved L300s. The internal cabinet volume of the 200 is significantly smaller than that of the 300, but I use subs and an active 50 Hz crossover, so I'm not worried in the decrease in extreme low end response, and welcome the reduction in depth from an esthetic POV.

1. LE15A > 136A
2. Add 2405
3. H91 > H92
4. Nelson Pass inspired crossover mods:
> Flip MR phase
> add .3 MH series LP coil to MR
>add 1 mf series cap and L pad for the new tweeter
5. Cabinet Mods
>Modify baffle for 2405 installation
>Refinish with new solid L300 style corners
>Remove all wood forward of the baffle
>Re configure ports for new woofer
>Rear bump outs for H92 horns
>New L300 style grilles
>New three way input terminals with triamp and biamp (crossover bypass) switches
>Smoked glass tops

Thoughts and comments are welcome.

[macaroonie]

You'll have fun doing those corners , you might be as well to build from scratch.

BTW I have a 1" rad router bit for that very roundover. Too bad you are away over there.

[hjames]

One of the folks in the past did a nice upgrade with the L200 cabinets by removing the stock baffleboard and putting a new one in at the very front of the framing.
Sorry I don't have better pictures but I DO like the concept ...
You don't HAVE to make them into 4 ways - but I'm sure moving the baffle forward adds more room for the Long Horn and for the woofers to play lower ...
Beats hanging a doghouse on the back of the cabinet to make room for the longhorn -

Anyway, its just an idea - but maybe one you hadn't seen before
(Its probably from ex-member David Brink/Katz Audio that was involved in BMWCCA's 4 way crossovers)

Here's my current plan to transform my L200s into a sort of L300 tribute. I want something that looks and sounds as good as my beloved L300s. The internal cabinet volume of the 200 is significantly smaller than that of the 300, but I use subs and an active 50 Hz crossover, so I'm not worried in the decrease in extreme low end response, and welcome the reduction in depth from an esthetic POV.

1. LE15A > 136A
2. Add 2405
3. H91 > H92
4. Nelson Pass inspired crossover mods:
> Flip MR phase
> add .3 MH series LP coil to MR
>add 1 mf series cap and L pad for the new tweeter
5. Cabinet Mods
>Modify baffle for 2405 installation
>Refinish with new solid L300 style corners
>Remove all wood forward of the baffle
>Re configure ports for new woofer
>Rear bump outs for H92 horns
>New L300 style grilles
>New three way input terminals with triamp and biamp (crossover bypass) switches
>Smoked glass tops

Thoughts and comments are welcome.

[audiomagnate]

One of the folks in the past did a nice upgrade with the L200 cabinets by removing the stock baffleboard and putting a new one in at the very front of the framing. Sorry I don't have better pictures but I DO like the concept ... You don't HAVE to make them into 4 ways - but I'm sure moving the baffle forward adds more room for the Long Horn and for the woofers to play lower ... Beats hanging a doghouse on the back of the cabinet to make room for the longhorn - Anyway, its just an idea - but maybe one you hadn't seen before (Its probably from ex-member David Brink/Katz Audio that was involved in BMWCCA's 4 way crossovers)

I like it! I saw that picture long ago but now it makes much more sense. It gets the internal volume back up to where it should be and gets rid of that absurdly reflective frame. And nobody likes unsightly bulges, especially in the rear. I have access to a complete wood shop and the work will be supervised (or actually performed) by a real craftsman with decades of experience (and a Viet Nam vet to boot!), so the corners and complicated grilles will be a snap. One of my cabs has a pretty good ding there, plus I just like the way they look. Or I could make my life a whole lot easier and do a KRS 4346 style tribute to a classic studio monitor (with a slant face no less!). A new baffle, a little solid walnut molding routing and some blue paint and Bob's your uncle! ...Except for those side vents which look a little strange with the new baffle.

[tomee]

What's the volume? Would an LE14H-3 work? Use a modern PT-waveguide for mid, as it's shorter? Or stuff in Array 1400 components, but on the baffle? Just ideas.

I like the forward baffle in that 4-way - maybe fill the side vents and reveneer over?

[Doc Mark]

HI, Audiomagnate,

I thought you sold your L300's, to make room for a pair of 4345's. Am I wrong about that? Did you decide not to sell the L300, after all? From your post here, it seems that you still have the L300's, and are making this tribute pair so you can have another pair of them. Do I misunderstand your plans in all this? Are you still going for a 4345? In any case, your project looks like it's coming together, and that you're having a fine time doing it. That's all that really matters, in the end!! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[hjames]

If I read right his L300s are somewhere in Texas -
delivery on a deal that went partial south, as it were ...

But I'd think that as long as you already own a real live L300,
seems it would be simpler to keep it than turn an L200 into a "tribute" L300 ...

(course having never owned an L300, my custom L200 3-way is just fine ..)

HI, Audiomagnate,

I thought you sold your L300's, to make room for a pair of 4345's. Am I wrong about that? Did you decide not to sell the L300, after all? From your post here, it seems that you still have the L300's, and are making this tribute pair so you can have another pair of them. Do I misunderstand your plans in all this? Are you still going for a 4345? In any case, your project looks like it's coming together, and that you're having a fine time doing it. That's all that really matters, in the end!! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[audiomagnate]

What's the volume? Would an LE14H-3 work? Use a modern PT-waveguide for mid, as it's shorter? Or stuff in Array 1400 components, but on the baffle? Just ideas.

I like the forward baffle in that 4-way - maybe fill the side vents and reveneer over?

All great ideas. I've always dreamed of a lowboy 1400.

[Doc Mark]

Morning, Heather,

Many thanks for your response, and after reading what Audiomagnate said in another thread, your thoughts on the L300's were spot on the money. Bummer that his deal went South, both figuratively and quite literally, and I hope his L300's are soon back where they are loved, and enjoyed, at his place! Thanks, again, for your comments, Heather. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[audiomagnate]

I had a Eureka moment this morning after my second shot of espresso. When I got these speakers the Belgian plastic dome tweeters were hooked up to the main terminals with a 3.3 mf blocking cap a 20 ohm bleed off cap in parallel. This is of course absurd, as the 200's are around 6 dB more sensitive than the tweeter, meaning the tweeter will be pretty much inaudible even without the bleed off resistor. Also that crossover point is way too low. I simply connected the tweeters directly to one of my PA-7s and used my electronic crossover to bring them in at 8k, and at a much higher level so that you can actually hear them. Eureka! High frequencies are back. They aren't 2405s , but they sound awfully good configured like this. Too bad they're sitting directly under the famous L200 five inch overhang.

[audiomagnate]

Tweeters have now been upgraded to Morel MDT28. Wow! Crossed over electronically 2nd order w/o blocking caps at 8k. I always loved this tweeter (which would be completely inaudible in passive setup) and with the level goosed to match the 200's 96 dB sensitivity it sounds awesome. Crossing it over way above the 3 to 4K recommended frequency also significantly reduces coil heating/dynamic compression. Now that processing and electronics are so cheap, and quality compression tweeters so expensive, this seems like a great way to go.

[audiomagnate]

Parts are on the way for yet another upgrade: A pair of 2226H's and some EMIT-R tweeters. These are the same as used in the stupid expensive Genesis line, as well as some Onix speakers I heard recently and really liked. 2226H's should be a fun change as well. The relatively inefficient tweeters have their own amp of course. I decided not to cut an opening in the top overhang to vent the tweeter (for now anyway) but have added a little felt along the top to minimize the reflection.