Home » Audio » General » Jensen Imperial Find
Jensen Imperial Find [message #26590] Tue, 28 November 2006 16:56 Go to next message
Ed White is currently offline  Ed White
Messages: 34
Registered: May 2009
Baron
I Bought a Jensen Imperial speaker at an "Antique" store for $100.00 It's the size of a large console radio, maybe 36" or so tall..24" width, and 18 deep.It's a Bass Reflex cabinet, with ports on the back. Well...I have to figure out how to get a pic up, but it's a C1400A Serial A4220 with a beautiful 15" PM-15A speaker, and a fairly complicated crossover with many wires, and two leading to the speaker. The workmanship is incredible, all the wires are tied periodically, and done ever so neatly. After an inspection, and everything looks ok, I hooked it up to a vintage sansui receiver, and OH BOY, does it sound sweet. It's only a 50 wpc receiver, but a quarter volume level was LOUD! It came from an estate from a local guy who was in a polka band. Bet this thing has stories. It's black lacquer with the Jensen logo over the black part, so the color is original.

Any info on this guy??

Thanks!

Ed White

Re: Jensen Imperial Find [message #26591 is a reply to message #26590] Fri, 01 December 2006 15:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18786
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

That's a classic! It's a cornerhorn and a pretty rare collectable. I've heard it may be worth thousands, so to get one for a hundred bucks is really something!


Re: Jensen Imperial Find [message #26592 is a reply to message #26591] Fri, 01 December 2006 17:59 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ed White is currently offline  Ed White
Messages: 34
Registered: May 2009
Baron
Well, It looks like one of the Bass Reflex cabinets. It has four rectangular holes on the back, and says "High Fidelity" It looks like an art deco BIG stand up console radio. All black, with blond maple looking vertical bars in front, 8 or so. The Speaker is a 15" PM15A. I don't know if it's a coaxial, as of yet..haven't taken it out, but it sounds pretty darned good. I'll post a link to a photo so someone can help Identify what it is, and how old. It looks OLD. It has an on/off switch, and a volume control on it, factory, and the control says model C.

PICTURES!!! My OLD Imperial! [message #26594 is a reply to message #26591] Mon, 04 December 2006 00:55 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ed White is currently offline  Ed White
Messages: 34
Registered: May 2009
Baron
Here are some pictures...the speaker itself is perfect, the cone and all is intact and it plays very nicely. It looks like it may have had a tweeter as an option. Is that a crossover?? it's CAST IRON. wow. It sounds pretty full range for a single speaker, very listenable. A little more top end would be nice, but it still sounds good.

Anybody seen this animal before? Any Idea how old it might be?


http://www.imagehosting.us/index.php?action=show&ident=1792959
http://www.imagehosting.us/index.php?action=show&ident=1792961
http://www.imagehosting.us/index.php?action=show&ident=1792963
http://www.imagehosting.us/index.php?action=show&ident=1792964
http://www.imagehosting.us/index.php?action=show&ident=1792965
http://www.imagehosting.us/index.php?action=show&ident=1792967
http://www.imagehosting.us/index.php?action=show&ident=1792969

Re: Jensen Imperial Find [message #26596 is a reply to message #26592] Tue, 05 December 2006 09:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18786
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

The Jensen Imperial I'm familiar with is a large rear-loaded horn. But just like old tube radios, sometimes a name was used across a larger line of products.

Re: PICTURES!!! My OLD Imperial! [message #26597 is a reply to message #26594] Tue, 05 December 2006 09:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18786
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

That is super cool! The old driver is a rare find. Cabinet looks like it's in nice shape too. Is the tweeter missing, or is it just not in the photos?


Re: PICTURES!!! My OLD Imperial! [message #26598 is a reply to message #26597] Tue, 05 December 2006 12:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ed White is currently offline  Ed White
Messages: 34
Registered: May 2009
Baron
There is a place to bolt one on the top of the cabinet, but there is no tweeter, and no control on the panel for one. Maybe it was an option on another model. I wonder if the cast iron crossover looking device on the bottom is really a crossover..it has many leads, and sure looks like one. It's probably late 1930's from what I've found out with the driver used in other applications. Hey, valuable or not, it plays well...considering it has no tweeter.. The guy was in a polka band, maybe it needs accordian music! (yuk)

Re: Jensen Imperial Find [message #26599 is a reply to message #26596] Sat, 09 December 2006 19:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Ed White is currently offline  Ed White
Messages: 34
Registered: May 2009
Baron
What would absolutely be cool, is to make cabinets that are either Jensen imperials like the page you sent me in the style onf these pretty ones here,(or the
decware version) or ones built the same size as the originals, and do the Pi align magic to the cabinets, and have a suitable crossover to match them. These are just incredible looking to me, with the black and the maple. Truly stylish.
Here are the pics again, They are on a new hosting system that allows unlimited views.

http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/ima...23a8dabf1b.jpg
http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/ima...46e190624f.jpg
http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/ima...d27046b9c6.jpg
http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/ima...e55593f2e3.jpg
http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/ima...cc4daa5736.jpg
http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/ima...ce78e540ca.jpg

Re: Jensen Imperial Find [message #26600 is a reply to message #26599] Sun, 10 December 2006 09:55 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18786
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

That's a cool looking cabinet, I saw it on the other image host. The new links you've provided may not have full names though, they don't seem to work. Check them and see if the filenames are right.


Re: M. Ward Airline console [message #26601 is a reply to message #26600] Tue, 23 January 2007 10:24 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18786
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Check the NeedleDoctor.com.


Previous Topic: Re: http://woofertester.com/forums/
Next Topic: Why do my headphones hiss?
Goto Forum:
  


Current Time: Tue Nov 26 16:40:45 CST 2024

Sponsoring Organizations

DIY Audio Projects
DIY Audio Projects
OddWatt Audio
OddWatt Audio
Pi Speakers
Pi Speakers
Prosound Shootout
Prosound Shootout
Miller Audio
Miller Audio
Tubes For Amps
TubesForAmps.com

Lone Star Audiofest