Satellites Using LE5 and 044

[Zekeman]

Disgruntled with Bose cube satellites (hollow card-boardy sound) I have decided to build my own satellites using an L150A network into an LE5 and 044 tweeter....no woofer. I am designing cabinets to house this arrangement and will mount them on the wall, in the corners.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[speakerdave]

Disgruntled with Bose cube satellites (hollow card-boardy sound) I have decided to build my own satellites using an L150A network into an LE5 and 044 tweeter....no woofer. I am designing cabinets to house this arrangement and will mount them on the wall, in the corners.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Interesting idea. The 2105 was sold as a "full range" but that was really just for announcement-type PA systems. You will be playing the LE5 outside of its linear range if you play it full range into the bass and I don't think it would sound natural if you set a high pass in its linear range (400 Hz?) I think you would be better off with something like the L20T, if that enclosure is not too large. Or maybe JBL made a small speaker with that tweeter, and you could find the woofers and build the crossovers. I don't have that information, but there are those here who do.

David

[4313B]

Or maybe JBL made a small speaker with that tweeter, and you could find the woofers and build the crossovers. I don't have that information, but there are those here who do.Good point. The L15 and 4401 were about it. The 034 used in both systems was a cheaper version of the 044. The 115H later became the 115H-1 with the new poly cone assembly. The little JBL Control Series would also probably be a better use of time and money.

[Zekeman]

The plan is to install the N150A network and connect the LE5 and 044 to their correct frequencies. I don't care about bass for these. I have L96's in the room along with an infinite baffle sub in the floor. These satellites will just be for rounding-out the sound in the family room (which is open to the kitchen area).

[4313B]

That's cool. Let us know how they work out.

[Zekeman]

Will do...I'll photograph the process.

[macaroonie]

Control 1 's ? They come with a very nifty wall mount bracket

[duaneage]

You can get the C1003 drivers used in the control 1's and they work with as little as 122 cu inches tuned to 65 hz. I build a pair for nearfield monitoring and they are actually very impressive. At around 20 bucks each you can get new drivers. I have the TS parameters I tested as well as some designs I worked up, PM me if you are interested in seeing it all.

[Zekeman]

Thanks but I have already started on this process. I already owned a pair of 044's, bought a pair of LE5's and a pair of L150 networks.

I designed and cut the wood (lap joints and cleats) for the cabinets and am waiting to recieve the LE5's before I proceed. I plan to veneer the cabs with walnut just like the original cabinets.

I'm pumped and think these will sound awesome...I'll post pix when I accumulate enough for an interesting view.

[GordonW]

Do be sure to disconnect the low-pass stage (you can simply unsolder the lead to the first inductor in the woofer stage, after the input) for the woofer from the input of the L150 crossover, if you're planning to use them without a woofer. Otherwise, having the "open load" on the woofer line, CAN cause some amps to have problems (resonance of the coils and caps in the crossover circuit, with no load from the woofer to damp the resonance, can cause amp instability, in a few cases)...


Frankly, no offense, but I'm dubious about how this one is going to turn out... :blink:

Regards,
Gordon.

[Zekeman]

Gordon...question and advice needed from you...see pic.

Secondly, please tell me why you think this will not turn out well?

Thanks.

[Zekeman]

Gordon...question and advice needed from you...see pic.

Secondly, please tell me why you think this will not turn out well?

Thanks.

[GordonW]

Basically, the reason I don't think it'll work, was mentioned above- the "gap" between the subwoofer low-pass, and the 400 Hz-or-so low end rolloff of the LE5-2. There will be over an octave missing in the middle.

And, even if you DID manage to build a box design to make the LE5-2 go lower (ie, a ported or passive radiator), the driver would likely blow up almost immediately, if you pushed it AT ALL in the 150-400 Hz range. Those drivers DO NOT have very heavy voice coils (only about 3/4" diameter or so!), and it's EASY to over-cook the windings off of the paper voice coil formers.

Now, the additional issue- the L150 crossover rolls off the LE5-2, at right at 1KHz or so. So, using the crossover you have, you effectively won't have anything out of the LE5-2 below 1KHz, unless you disable the high-pass part of the midrange crossover... which will upset the frequency balance of the midrange on the top end as well (the lowpass and highpass are made to work in concert; seperating one from the other will cause them to NOT be loaded properly).

I'd definitely do something else. The 115-1 6.5" idea with the L15 crossover, or the Control 1 woofer and crossover (possibly slightly modified for the 033/034 type tweeter from the L150) is a MUCH better idea...

Regards,
Gordon.

[Zekeman]

Allow me to fully represent the setup I have in the room in which these will be used. I already am running complete L96's...I have a infinite baffle sub built into the floor....and HAD the Bose cubes in the front corners just to round out the sound and to throw a little more into the kitchen. So I am not concerned if these new satellites don't cover any gap between the sub and themselves (due to the L96's). I am merely replacing the Bose cubes with higher quality / better midranges and tweeters. This is two-channel stereo only.

[Zekeman]

Progress so far....I have one almost competed...sounds sweet.

[duaneage]

Consider this application

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=13144

Lower FS means it can go low. In a sealed enclosure the driver would roll off at 200 Hz making it an ideal HT or satellite speaker. Your going to need a LCR trap on the driver to protect it from over excursion, something that will absorb the FS peak.

[Zekeman]

Nearing completion....

[johnaec]

Very nice! How'd you do the grilles, especially, attaching the grille cloth?

John

[Zekeman]

Thanks.....I cut them from plywood (particle board) and beveled the edges on my table saw. Routered out the center. Used Elmers spray adhesive and sprayed the grille frame edges. Stuck on the grille cloth (very tricky to get the corners clean-looking....but I think they turned out nicely.

[Zekeman]

Wife Acceptance Factor is a bit of a problem with these. She did say "I guess I'll get used to them" ... but I think it may be a problem.

[opimax]

They look very nice to me. Maybe you could add a logo, "Blose" or your choice of spelling and they would look a lot different.;)

Mark

[Zekeman]

I actually oriented them horizontally so that they have a lower side view profile....looks better....they sound very nice by the way. I do have one LE5 that has a bit of a stiff cone ...not very flexible at all, and a bad L-pad pot as well. I'll be replacing both of those components.

Thanks for the laugh.