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My first set of speakers were purchased at the ripe old age of 12 after saving months of paper round money. You could say I was bitten by a love of music and audio quite early, influenced as I was by my father's audio system purchased with the windfall from a horse bet! Since that time I have been fortunate to own a varied and eclectic range of speakers in the pursuit of my audio nirvana over the last three decades. Everything from stacked active Quad ESL57's, Tannoy D700's, a TAD based 2-way system, Magneplanar IIb, Equinox Jupiters, VAF I-93 and most recently, ADAM Alpha 5-way actives. I have been fortunate to live with speakers of a wide range of characteristics and capabilities and heard many other systems in between, and so have developed a rather discerning ear as a result. In 2006 I was fortunate to meet and spend an evening with a legend of the Australian Audio Industry, John Burnett of Lenard Audio. I sat quietly in Johns garden shed in awe at the sound of his 4-way active Sarabandes. The power, the immediacy, and realism was something that totally belied their humble looks and relative cost. I knew I was in the company of a true expert of audio design. Time spent reading Johns website and its education pages and learning about his various designs reaffirmed the impact the Sarabandes made on me that evening. This Experience inspired me in 2008, to build up a passive 2-way MTM system using TAD 1601a/4001, this gave me a real taste of what an endgame speaker was potentially capable of. The immediacy and realism that those 15" cones and a 4" compression driver could generate was exciting & intoxicating, but my meagre DIY skills were unable to address the many crossover related SQ issues that plagued the sound and so I eventually sold them on for something more conventional. As I learnt more about Johns designs and his origins in valve amplifiers and high-efficiency systems and his schooling in classical audio science from the 60's, back before marketing took precedence over SQ, I knew that I had to re-visit my unfinished business with high efficiency and TAD. Recently John and I discussed my requirements - superlative realism, uncompromising dynamic range and world class bass capability being three attributes I could not live with out. However, I wanted something that was relatively compact ie under 1.5m and 100kg as I wanted to live with these for decades to come. John told me about a design concept that he had been waiting to realise which had been bubbling away in the back of his mind for at least the last ten years that embodied the accumulation of his lifetime's knowledge. A system that had the attributes I was seeking and the makings of being my endgame system which brings me to the point where I can finally step off the audio merry go round. So, speakerless and determined to own a system approaching the very best, I have commissioned John to build me a 4-way active system based on this concept utilising TAD drivers and dubbed the Symphony. It will utilise 4 x 12" compound cavity loaded bass per side, TAD 1601a for mid bass, a TAD TD-4001 compression driver and the TAD ET-703 horn loaded tweeter. Amplification will be four channels of Johns hand built AB design with active crossovers. I was fortunate to hear an early prototype this last weekend whilst back in Australia and to state the SQ was astounding would barely be doing what I heard justice. I lack the vocabulary to describe the prototypes sound without slipping into the usual audio jargon but it goes without saying, I am super excited at the prospect of owning a system that is truly my endgame. The bass energy was huge and incredibly resolving, John explained that the Symphony bass system was equivalent to 2 x 15" drivers in a sealed 16 cuft box per side. I will keep this thread updated as development work progresses but for now, here's a few pics of the concept to date and some of Johns less WAF friendly work. Cheers, Simon

Item: JBL speakers Location:Newcastle Price: $1500 Item Condition:Used Reason for selling:Clearing space Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info:These are fantastic and would suit someone wanting that extra WOW factor in music and movies! The cabinets were built extremely solidly with 2" walls and the ports were tuned to mid 20Hz frequency range for deep bass. They have 2 x 2226 15"woofers in each. The top cabinets are loaded with 2446 JBL's and are coupled to 2380 horns and sound very sweet, but will do sax like nothing you've ever heard.. I will supply a new 2446 JBL diaphragm as a spare, but doubt it will ever be needed! Very nice crossover... Pictures:

Item: Wharfedale E 90 speakers Location: Craigieburn, VIC Price: $1450 Item Condition: Fair Reason for selling: Surplus Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal Extra Info: - Very nice vintage Wharfedale E 90 speakers - Price dropped feom $1850 to sell quick as I need to make space soon. - Beautiful sound and can easily replace many a JBL speaker with compression horn. - Very heavy and big speaker so Local pick up only. - Fair condition with a little tear on the grill. Pictures:

Item: FS: Goodman's Midax Horns and 12 inch Goodman's fullrange speakers. (Made in England) Location: Craigieburn, VIC Price: $550 Item Condition: Fair Reason for selling: Surplus Payment Method: Pickup - Cash Extra Info: Had these for a long time. Never really got to complete the project. One of the whizzer cone and the dust cap is damaged, but easily repairable. The other is is a very good shape. Alnico? Huge magnets. Quality speakers. Can be a great project for someone who can spend some time. Pictures:

Item: Altec, JBL, RCF. Location: Mornington, Vic. Price: $500 each pair. Item Condition: Mostly Very Good Reason for selling: Unfortunately not using. Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, EFT, CC, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: 3 very rare pieces here. 1. Set of Altec 805b Horns with throats. Fairly good condition. Can see everything in pictures. Will function all well but could do with a little touching up. 2. Set of JBL 2310 Hartsfield Lenses on baffles in excellent condition. 3. RCF TW-200 driver, horn and huge acoustic lens (80cm across!). Almost perfect condition. Extremely rare pieces; would be almost impossible to find another set available anywhere in the world. Located in Mornington, Vic. Can post if you organise courier. Pictures: Apologies if the photos came out too large or there's too many of them.

Item: JBL active crossover with both 800 and 500Hz cards supplied Location: NSW will post Price: $400 Item Condition:Used Reason for selling: Speakers sold Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: These are perfect for the audiophile wanting to build an active horn speaker. The 500Hz boards were purchased to run with my 2360 JBL horns and were a revelation! The 800 point will suit just about any 1" to 2" horn driver. Pictures:

Item: JBL Cinema Location:Newcastle NSW Price: $4000 Item Condition:Used Reason for selling:House sale Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: 3 x 2360 horns3 x 3560B mounting brackets3 x 2446J JBL 2” tweeter drivers3 x JBL mid horns built for JBL 2220J 16 Ohm drive units6 x 2220J 15” drive units2 x JBL 8330 3-way surround speakers1 x JBL 4642-4 sub woofer Down to 25Hz @ 103bd!!!Horns are 2K in Aston Martin Silver, Mid Horns and Bass Cabinet have fresh DuraTex coatingThese horns are arguably JBL's biggest and best ever and have been used in many high-end speaker designs such as Lampizator Horn speakers "the Best speakers in the world". See the last picture for his implementation of this horn, this picture is for illustration purposes only and is not the speakers on sale here.These speakers should be driven actively to fully realize their potential.$4000 for the lot or call to discuss offers. The system is connected in my Cinema room at the moment and I'd be happy to give interested parties a demo!Optional are Urei crossover @ $250 ea one with x-over @500Hz and 2 @800HzCalls are welcome regarding interest. Pictures:

Item: Avantgarde Acoustic UNO speakers Location: Bexley NSW Price: $9350 ONO. Item Condition: Used but in great condition, superb sonically. Reason for selling: Going different direction Payment Method: Pickup - Cash Extra Info: Listing on behalf of a friend. Grab your chance. Avantgarde speakers are rarely seen on second hand market. These speakers are in great condition sounds superb. Pick up only as he doesn’t have original box. Audition can be arranged. Pictures:

Item: 6 x JBL Location:Newcastle NSW Price: $1000 for the six Item Condition: Yummy! Reason for selling:Consolidating gear Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info:Her we have 6 (dare I say) immaculate JBL 2220 J (16 Ohm) 15 inch drive units. Have been installed in cabinets shown for 40 years and are working beautifully! Horns are going to be used for another project with 2226H drivers and an open corner loaded cabinet so these babies have become available. These have a 101db efficiency! https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/jbl-2220h-baesse-8-ein-gut-erhaltenes-paar/599571885-172-2010 http://www.jblpro.com/pub/obsolete/2220hj.pdf Pictures:

Item: Klipsch reference IVII RF-62 speaker pair Price: 800 ono --- make an offer Location: Berwick area SE Melbourne Up for sale are my Klipsch Reference IV Series II Front speakers. These things rock the house and are fantastic for home theatre... just google reviews and see the many happy owners... you have to spend big to upgrade over these. Purchased new from Clef HiFi these have been the centrepiece for my home theatre setup and only selling as I have upgraded to Klipsch La Scala.

Item: Tanoy Stirling GR loudspeakers Location: Melbourne Price: $4995 (firm) Item Condition: mint Reason for selling:Moving up to Kensington GR Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: Brand new from Authorised Tannoy Dealer has original boxes packaging etc..... Was made an all too tempting deal on the Kensington and couldnt say no. Pictures: see photos in posts below

Item:JBL amplifier with in-built 24db/octave crossover at 800HzLocation:Newcastle NSWPrice:$500 each (4 available)Item Condition:UsedReason for selling:ClearoutPayment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD OnlyExtra Info: Very rare 4 ch amplifier to make JBL speakers active!Manual for setup supplied. Front panel perfect, but may have a mark or two on top.I have 1 available (rest are gone) which came out of a private Cinema studio complex. I believe they are similar to those used by both Sony and George Lucas's studios... (See the second last picture taken at George Lucas's Studio ranch). Manufactured by AB international in the USA, who also make Verastarr and Cinepro big $$$ amps. Final picture is the Verastarr Cinema reference 6 which sold for over $10000, look familiar? I found this picture on the site of HiFiZonehttp://www.abamps.net/prices-models/Will post at buyers expense.Pictures:

I have been in contact with a very generous person named Bjorn Jansson ( certainly sounds like a speaker brand ) who has written software to calculate the cutting angles for making straight sided horns. The shape - a pyramid with the top cut off is called a frustrum. One for your next round of Trivial pursuit. The link to the calculator is http://jansson.us/jcompound.html#recprism I hope this can help some one - I am using it to build a set of 6Pi speakers http://www.pispeakers.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/99 Regards to all

Just came across this web page that has outlined a Low frequency multi faceted corner horn design I was thinking of @@atilsley @@henry218 when I came across this design as they are always looking for other ways to build a cabinet http://www.spherovox.com/Corner_Folded_Horn_Designs.php

Hi guys, If you have been keeping an eye on the What are you building? thread you might have seen some of the progress updates on my 3-way Synergy Horn. It has been a long time coming but I have updated my webpage with some build details. These may not be as spectacular as Paul Spencer's PSE-144 but they certainly don't lack physical presence. I posted some initial measurements in the other threads and whilst not as good as I had hoped for (the midrange is rolling off a bit lower than the model) will be more than adequate for my needs. These measurements will be on the next page once I get some time to do it thoroughly. Anyway here is a link: http://mike.seddon.ca/index.php/audio/projects/synergy-horn Cheers, Mike

Vin (007) was kind enough to lend me his spare Azura horn just before new year, i finally got a chance to measure them today. this is my first big horn measurements, it was done @1.2m, 1/48th smoothing. SPL is not absolute. The driver is Selenium D220Ti, i attach the impedance plot also to get better perspective. looking forward for opinions

Hi Guys I've just taken possession of a Scoop Bin to put in a JBL2245 I had lying around. I did a fair bit of research before getting it, and indeed all the advice from others holds true. The bass doesn't go that low, but it has amazing kick in the 80 to 100htz range. The trouble is that this only enhances about 5 to 10% of the music I listen too. I did notice this morning that at the mouth of the acoop, the bracing is recessed, so I had the bright idea of maybe getting a perfect fitting peice of MDF and then turning into a sealed unit. I could always try and port the unit as well, making the port drive up into the scoop area. Anyways, I was just wondering whether anyone has had any experience with scoops and could maybe offer some alternative advice. Andrew

Item:Bill Fitzmaurice Table Tuba Long style, raw MDF Location: Adelaide Price: $60 neg. Item Condition: Used Reason for selling: too many subs Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, COD Only Extra Info: Being sold as cabinet only, no driver or amp, no postage or freight due to size. Further details here: http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/45340-horn-subwoofer-build-bill-fitzmaurice-table-tuba/?hl=%2Bbill+%2Bfitzmaurice Cheers! SS

Item: Shindo Petite Latour Loudspeakers Location: Brisbane Price: $9,900 Item Condition: 7/10, some minor marks, second owner Reason for selling: Upgrade to full size Shindo Latour Payment Method: Negotiable Extra Info: This is a somewhat unique opportunity to purchase a pair of Shindo "Petite" Latour Loudspeakers, rarely available on the second hand market, even more-so in Australia. These are the "Alnico" version using modified Altec 1" HF and 12" LF drivers, Western Electric/Altec horn, proprietary adjustable crossover networks, and hand tuned resonate cabinets. The cabinets are finished in beautiful Pau Ferro (rosewood) veneer with trademark speaker legs. Sound is as good as they look, rich, coherent and open. The ideal compliment to any full Shindo system. The cabinets are approximately 45cm wide x 45cm deep and 120cm tall, the legs add around 6cm to the width at the base of the cabinets, weight is unknown but I estimate around 30-35kg per speaker, so not exactly 'petite' by modern standards. I have rated them 7/10 due to not being the original owner, there are some minor hairline scratches and small marks from previous shipping. There is also some fading of the cabinets from sunlight exposure, visible in the attached photographs around the grill area, otherwise they are in original condition. They are approximately 5 years old (2007). Reason for sale is the desire to upgrade to the full size Shindo Latour. As above I am located in Brisbane, but will ship Australia wide, or even international, freight costs will be quoted on an individual basis to serious buyers. Approximate crated dimensions are 120cm (L) x 66cm (W) x 145cm (H), and ~100 Kg if you would like to obtain your own estimates. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions, or would like more pictures. Pictures:

For anyone wishing to read the intro to this: http://www.diyaudio....trio-clone.html This was the start, it is almost time for a build log, so I thought I had best post one up. What I am attempting to do, is from scratch build a system with similar principles and ideas as the Avant Garde Trio, visually I enjoy the look of it, plus I agree with many of the ideas associated with it, the horn flare minimises reflections, and is generally much smaller in diameter and shorter for the same cut off frequency, compared to other designs. It also ideally needs to be completed ready to play by my birthday, late February. After much reading, experimenting, modelling, etc, I eventually came up with the design that I was happy with. It resembles the Avant Garde Trio, however only the midrange horn is the same, the rest have been changed depending on low freq cut off, driver exit size, etc. Here are some PDF's that show the basic size of the horns LOWHORN.pdf MIDHORN.pdf HIGHHORN.pdf The CAD files have been sent off to a CNC routing place, where the molds will be machined, hopefully some time in the near future. Once that happens, I shall start posting up photos of the construction process as I go. Drivers/crossovers have been decided as follows: Highs B & C DE250 [4khz+] Mid: Radian 950PB [600hz-4khz] Low: B & C 12PE32 [100hz-600hz] The crossover points here are just going to be a starting point, ideally I want to keep crossovers out of critical bands, hence why the midrange unit will be playing down so low and up so high. I don't think directivity will be too much of an issue with this thankfully. I have the Low Frequency units already, however I am still working around getting the mid and high frequency drivers, shipping is a killer to Aus, and I am trying to find locally available ones. I am also on the look out for something to pick up subbass, but am yet to find a design using drivers that are readily available here, that will keep up. Hope people enjoy my build as I go through it. Ryan.

Hi Everyone I need some advice in regards to a peculiar predicament I have. I have a pair of Yamaha JA-4281B Tweeters that I have been using for a three way horn system I am building. I've been using them with great success when I had a fully SS three way setup. Recently I bought a multimeter and measured the tweeters and didn't get a reading. The bass and mid-range (all Yamaha) show 13ish ohms (16 ohm speakers), so no problem there. I contacted a place in America who deals with these and they replied back saying that the tweeter uses a capacitor, and capacitors don't give a reading. I have confirmed that the diaphragm gives a reading and that the capacitor is the only thing that doesn't, so measuring at the posts does not give a reading. Now my dilemma is that I want to use a valve amp to run this speaker directly (three way active) and I have heard that valve amps need to have resistance otherwise I could blow an output transformer. Is this true and if so, do I have a way around this problem??? Thanks in advance Andrew

Item: 2011 Tannoy Prestige Kensington SE loudspeakers. Location: Melbourne Price: $8000 + shipping (RRP $16,999) Item Condition: Excellent Reason for selling: Had agreed to sell but buyer pulled out Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Bank Transfer - Shipping interstate can be arranged. Extra Info: Bought from Absolute HiFi in NSW with original boxes and packaging. This is a great chance to buy truly astonishing speakers at half retail price The Tannoy Kensington SE features a 10-inch Dual Concentric™ driver with an AlNiCo magnet system and the Tannoy PepperPost WaveGuide™, mounted in a 1100 mm tall, 406 mm wide solidly braced cabinet constructed of lacquered mahogany veneer with solid walnut edging and trim detail. Front panel crossover controls allow the unit to be fine-tuned for musical preferences and listening environment. Forget hi-fi. Tannoy Prestige speakers are designed and built like fine musical instruments, producing startlingly immediate, dynamic, and utterly captivating sound, rich in tone, as close to a live performance as anything in audio. No matter what your musical tastes, whether jazz, reggae, electronic, classical, hard rock, or whatever, the Tannoy Dual Concentric design is a magical antidote to clinical high-end loudspeaker alternatives. The Kensington works magnificently in spaces ranging in size from an average UK sitting room to substantial halls, and in all interior decors, from traditional to contemporary. It can be powered by low-powered valve amps, including single-ended triodes, or high-powered solid-state monoblocs, with both bi-wiring and bi-amping options. Price shown for a pair of speakers. Specifications Recommended amplifier power 50 to 225 Watts Frequency response 29 Hz to 22 kHz, -6 dB Sensitivity 93 dB, 2.83 V at 1 m Nominal impedance 8 Ohms Dimensions 1100 x 406 x 338 mm Weight 37 kg each Finish Lacquered mahogany veneer with solid walnut edging and trim detail Manufacturer's warranty 5 years for all passive components 1 year for all active and electronic components What the reviews said "What astonished me at once was the sheer transparency of the Kensington—rivalling the Quads in the precision of its soundstage and in the depth and effortless layering of the image. I've not before heard anything quite so coherent from a box loudspeaker.... The Kensington is one of a very small number of loudspeakers that I would say have truly graced my listening room in the quarter century that I have been writing about audio equipment. Set up carefully and driven with a top quality power amplifier and front end components, it is capable of coming within a whisker of emulating that 'open window on the event' which, for me at least, is what high fidelity is all about." (Ivor Humphreys, August 2004) "This is a focused, dynamic and engaging loudspeaker, one that few rivals can approach. It's a great choice if you have the surroundings and the budget, but it must have a suitable amplifier." (September 2006) "The Kensington's biggest strength lies in the delicacy and transparency of the mid-band, and this has an enormous influence on voices in particular. On 'Indoor Fireworks', the plaintive, breathy quality of Elvis Costello's voice has never sounded more effective or expressive. Likewise, when I slipped Jim White's wonderfully bizarre Wrong Eyed Jesus CD in to the player, this speaker seemed particularly effective at peeling back veils and revealing both the essence and the lyric of this quite complex and densely layered mix." (Paul Messenger)

The Background Story: I bought a set of peavey PA speakers cheap secondhand that had been in storage for a couple of years. Equipped with 15" Scorpion driver and two horns. They work fine and are in good nick. The Problems: - Pushing on the cones there is a slight scratching noise, should I worry enough to pull the magnet off and clean the 'gap', as Peavey states? - The enclosures, whilst well built from heavy ply, contain no dampening material at all and are plain rectangular boxes. Just wondering if dampening the box would help SQ and maybe bass response. - The dual horns are piercing, overpowering the rest of the mix, is there a simple way to tame this without constant EQing. I am pretty sure there is no Xover in the speakers... (Can upload pics in a couple of days) Any help is appreciated. Cheers