Yes, DIYing a new cabinet is definitely an option. Could you tell me in more detail what you mean?

The original Heathkit cabs don't seem to have any vintage value to speak of.

LOL! No, it stands for Mass Loaded Transmission Line, a more technically correct way to decribe vented pipe designs that historically were usually referred to as a 'tower' or 'column' style speaker.

Nothing fancy, just a fairly simple design that can be either two isolated compartments or a single compartment if either the depth can be increased to 17.5 - 18" or a small cap is added to the rear to cover the end of the horn driver since it will require a clearance hole in the cab's rear panel. The basic layout of the components would be per pg. 20's '800 Hz VOTT' layout except with the vent down near/at the bottom of the much taller ~42" high cab.

I don't do drawings, but if you decide to go one of these routes I can fluff out the rest of the details.

GM

• p.20

No, like I said, it will have more net Vb AFAIK, but I admit it's based on a very dim memory of the AS-101 being ~the same cab as the 846A Valencia except for cosmetics.

GM

DIYing cabinets is definitely an option...I've talked over some ideas with The Redhead and she's amenable to a wider range of ideas than I thought. Little did I know that when she and her mom listened to a little Ray Charles through the AS-101s, she started to come around.

I found this cabinet design over at AK:
http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=76361
and also checked out the plans at lansingheritage.com. GM, if I give you rough dimensions of what will fit in my living room, can you tell me if your cabinet would work? From your description, it sounds like you'd take one design from pg. 22, but make it almost a foot taller and add a port. This may be the start of something big... (so to speak)

Thanks, nice to know my memory's not completely shot!

Yeah, I didn't have a clue what SAF/WAF/SO/whatever alluded to when I first got on the early DIY speaker BBs since it was never an issue with the various wives/S.O.s I was exposed to during my building 'career' no matter how big the cabs got (up to 30 ft^3 and one 300 ft^3 false wall IB). I guess it was due to asking them to be proactive over how they were 'voiced' since females typically hear better than males (especially in the extreme HF), and due to their reproductive system they are more sensitive to the lower frequencies to boot.

I guess there's a design in that thread, but in a quick scan I missed it.

Sure can.

Yeah, Altec has already measured the phase alignment offset in both planes, so why re-invent the wheel, so to speak?

GM

If you're interested, check out post #6 in http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=76361
to find the .jpg files of the plans I mentioned.

I took some measurements tonight, it looks like cabinets would have to be no wider than 21" to share space with the TV cabinet. Height is more or less up for grabs and depth should probably be no more than 21" as well.

OK, generic backloaded horns (BLH, aka scoop bins) designed for midbass 'slam' and not much else. Makes visceral kickdrum hits though. Anyway, not really suitable in your app as I understand it.

21" square x 42" high o.d. makes enough Vb to even go sealed if you prefer, which considering they will be ~up against the wall may work best, though tuning them to ~Fs or a little lower is worth trying. Anyway, it gives you some tuning flexibility.

GM

For home theater purposes, the quality of sound isn't as critical, but for two-channel listening, it'll be classical and I'd like them to work well in that setting. Accuracy, smooth response, etc. are very important, moreso than power (although that'd be nice, too). In my experience so far, sealed systems sound better than ported, but I'm open minded. The Valencia cabinets are ported and sound better than anything else I've owned...

Isn't classical music the most demanding? Dynamic range, frequency range, soundstage, fine detail and power all together...

I'm pretty sure the LF drivers are 416-8A. 8B and 8C have an Fs around 25hz, so I assume the 8A is somewhere around there.