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Anyone Familiar with the Onken Cabinet Alignment? [message #18228] Thu, 03 November 2005 08:58 Go to next message
Manualblock is currently offline  Manualblock
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Illuminati (13th Degree)
nt

Re: Anyone Familiar with the Onken Cabinet Alignment? [message #18231 is a reply to message #18228] Thu, 03 November 2005 14:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
GM is currently offline  GM
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Viscount
Greets!

Not in the biblical sense. What do you want to know about it?

GM

Re: Anyone Familiar with the Onken Cabinet Alignment? [message #18232 is a reply to message #18231] Thu, 03 November 2005 17:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Manualblock is currently offline  Manualblock
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Illuminati (13th Degree)
Well; it seems that from what I can make out it tries to make a large cab very stiff in order to drive the cabinet resonances out of the audible band. Am I correct? I remmember that Welbourne used to use them with those round horns and some people like the alignment for particular drivers.
Thanks for the reply. I was wondering how big they have to get with an Altec 416 driver. And what exactly makes them desireable.

Re: Anyone Familiar with the Onken Cabinet Alignment? [message #18233 is a reply to message #18232] Thu, 03 November 2005 19:18 Go to previous messageGo to next message
GM is currently offline  GM
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Viscount
Greets!

You're welcome!

There are different 'Onken' designs, with the most visible being the Jensen Ultraflex 'clone', which in turn is derived from Thuras's 1932 bass reflex patent. Yes, Jensen 'killed two birds with one stone' WRT wanting a vent area = driver Sd and brace the cabs well too boot. Factor in using 3/4" void free plywood and cleat reinforced joints and all that's left is to add a brace/support system for the heavy driver(s) and some stuffing to damp down the harmonics of the (summed) large vent.

The Onken 'W' OTOH is just a large reflex with standard vents, but it's 'claim to fame' is sand filled double wall construction to damp the cab's resonance.

The 416-8A articles with plans/ measurement:

http://ebenisterie.musique.free.fr/RDS/Divers/Audiophile1977.pdf

http://ebenisterie.musique.free.fr/RDS/Divers/Audiophile1982.pdf

How big any cab needs to be is dependent on the driver's specs, total system impedance, and the desired F3, Fb, so this alignment may not be suitable for your app..

For example, SS amp driven 416-8C Onken alignment (n = 6.34): Net Vb ~10.5 ft^3/~35 Hz F3, Fb with overall dims: 36.5" h x 23.5" w x 26.38" d. Driven with a 300B: Net Vb ~19.5 ft^3/~26 Hz F3, Fb with overall dims: 36.5" h x 40.13" w x 26.38" d.

Folks tout the big vents increased bass output, but they don't mention the downside, which is the chopped up response above the cab's BW where their harmonics comb filter with the driver's lower mids output if not properly damped, which of course damps down the extra gain, and then some. Bottom line, Onken's got the sexy look, but a simple

Re: Anyone Familiar with the Onken Cabinet Alignment? [message #18234 is a reply to message #18233] Fri, 04 November 2005 08:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Manualblock is currently offline  Manualblock
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Illuminati (13th Degree)
Much obliged GM; I assume the diff. from SS to 300B is damping factor driven. Is that really a 10 cu ft box?

Re: Anyone Familiar with the Onken Cabinet Alignment? [message #18235 is a reply to message #18234] Fri, 04 November 2005 13:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
GM is currently offline  GM
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Viscount
Greets!

You're welcome! Correct, I used a 3.2 DF (2.5 ohms output impedance) to get the alignment, but ideally you would design around your amp's DF. ?? I mean this is what the measured specs I have calcs, and of course the big vents is what makes the Vb calc'd from the posted dims somewhat greater. Using published specs I get ~8.97 ft^3 net/~38 Hz Fb, so should still work fine in a slightly oversized/lower Fb cab.

GM



Re: Anyone Familiar with the Onken Cabinet Alignment? [message #18236 is a reply to message #18235] Fri, 04 November 2005 16:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Manualblock is currently offline  Manualblock
Messages: 4973
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (13th Degree)
I have a spare pair of 416's lazing around here doing nothing. How would this alignment stack up agianst the stock Model 19 cab regarding bass extenstion and letting the woofer breath would you think?

Re: Anyone Familiar with the Onken Cabinet Alignment? [message #18237 is a reply to message #18236] Fri, 04 November 2005 19:28 Go to previous messageGo to next message
GM is currently offline  GM
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Viscount
Greets!

The M19 has a classic Altec alignment, peaking around 50 Hz with the -8B, and requires the room to fill in the rest if need be, while the Onken peaks lower based on a percentage of its (Fs/Qts) spec to help the driver above Fs where it runs out of excursion, but rolls off at a steeper rate, so it just depends on the room, speaker location and how much bottom end you need.

GM



Re: Anyone Familiar with the Onken Cabinet Alignment? [message #18238 is a reply to message #18237] Sat, 05 November 2005 07:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
freddyi is currently offline  freddyi
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Baron
hey GM - did U see Bill Woods "half-horn" (AA RCA Fan's gallery) w. broadbanded V vents gapped 1.125" from rear panel?? FI

Re: Anyone Familiar with the Onken Cabinet Alignment? [message #18239 is a reply to message #18238] Sat, 05 November 2005 10:01 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
GM is currently offline  GM
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Registered: May 2009
Viscount
Greets!

Yeah, Altec offered some duplex cabs with a shelf vent variant which I initially used in my 20 ft^3 dual 515B 'subs', but with the advent of real LF capability I tuned it much lower, first with a longer shelf that extended up the back wall, and later with a T/S vent to get around the strong TL action's upper harmonics mucking up the lower mids when I began using them with a higher XO point.

Some folks believe the Onken is mildly loaded this way, but it's not, though its vent system does have some resistive damping due to the large summed surface area Vs one or two large round vents of equivalent CSA.

GM


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