DIY C34 with LE14A

[ngccglp]

Hi,

The C34 folded horn cabs seemed to be for 15 inch woofers. May I know if I can use the LE14A instead?

Thanks.

[speakerdave]

Well, I don't know a LOT about it, but it would seem to me that would not be recommended. Certain features are built into a woofer to make it better at moving the air in a horn and others are built into a woofer to make it perform better in a small ported cabinet, and those two sets of features are diametrically opposed in some ways. The LE14A with its strong motor, soft suspension and heavy cone is the classic driver for a small ported enclosure. It would probably degrade the performance of a horn enclosure where you want a light but strong cone, and since long excursion is not needed, a stiffer suspension is permissible and that will improve the upper bass and lower midrange.

However, it would make sound, so if that is what you have, go ahead and use it--see what happens--though I wouldn't modify (and ruin) a classic C34 enclosure to do it.

The better classic JBL driver for that enclosure would be the 130A (2220A) or one of the more modern drivers similar to that. You could also use an all-purpose driver like the 2205A/H/2225H.

David

[Thom]

The Le14 was especially made for a small enclosure the T34 begs for a 150 or a 130A or probably more of them saw Di30's than anything else. A D140 works too . Cant imagine that the LE14 will drive the horn, but if you just like the looks of the cabinets, you could block off the exit of the area behond the speaker, make a new mounting (you'll probably have to anyway) board for the woofer and put a vent in that. Might sound good and you won't have to damage what might be JBL's best single woofer home cabinet. That woofer doesn't need much room at all. That cabinet with a D130, or D140, or K or even D131, stuck in a corner (it doesn't have to be in a corner) is awsome. If you are loohing for base like the kid in the car next to you, it doesn't have it but what it has is as clean an tight as you can ask for. It doesn't really like LE15A's either.

[ngccglp]

Thanks guys,

I saw the plan in the JBL library, looks simple enough and thought of DIY . I only have the LE14A lying around. How about Altec drivers like the 416 or 3156? May be able to get those.

[Thom]

Not familiar with the numbers but there are a lot of altecs that should work. Most high efficiency speakers should, although an EV I tried about 30 years ago didn't sound so hot. They are great cabs. Better bottom than C40. C55 is much better and someone on ebay has plans (JBL used to publish them) but a pair of them would be like a couple of large refrigerators in your living room. If your building them, that bottom curve is made with two thin sheets of plywood glued together and the glue doesn't dry until after they are bent. I knew a guy put A7 parts in a C40 and it played fine. Sounded like it never had in the altec cab. Hung the horn down in the mouth of the cabinet. You want to put some glass right behind the woofer and nowhere else.