Hello there,
I bought a pair of 12" Zenith 49CZ1027 so I can compare them with the 10" Audio Nirvana Classic AlNiCo I already have.
I have an AN 300B SET and might build a 45 or 2a3 DIY later, so I'd like to build a pair of bass reflex cabinets to squeeze some extra Db's out of the drivers with a simple design. Although I have built cabinets for my AN 10" before, as soon as I looked at a cabinet design calculator I realized that I miss some key information.
My questions:
1. Does anybody know where I can find technical specs for the above mentioned drivers so I can punch in the right numbers?
2. Is there a generic cabinet design for full range 12" speakers, and is it advisable to go that route if I can't find more info on my speakers?
Thanks.
gm
I bought a pair of 12" Zenith 49CZ1027 so I can compare them with the 10" Audio Nirvana Classic AlNiCo I already have.
I have an AN 300B SET and might build a 45 or 2a3 DIY later, so I'd like to build a pair of bass reflex cabinets to squeeze some extra Db's out of the drivers with a simple design. Although I have built cabinets for my AN 10" before, as soon as I looked at a cabinet design calculator I realized that I miss some key information.
My questions:
1. Does anybody know where I can find technical specs for the above mentioned drivers so I can punch in the right numbers?
2. Is there a generic cabinet design for full range 12" speakers, and is it advisable to go that route if I can't find more info on my speakers?
Thanks.
gm
No specs, but appears to be from the tube era AR-3[a] 'clones', so short of measuring both driver's specs would try ~5 ft^3 sealed and if the bass sounds too rolled off after some extended break-in, then start adding scrap wood or similar to reduce it.
That, or use the S.S. amp era's ~1.6 ft^3 and if too 'boomy', then loosen the driver mounting screws just enough to break the seal to 'taste' 😉.
Note that beginning with the T/S specs era, generic 'one size fits all' specs had [mostly] gone the way of the Dodo bird by the early '80s.
That, or use the S.S. amp era's ~1.6 ft^3 and if too 'boomy', then loosen the driver mounting screws just enough to break the seal to 'taste' 😉.
Note that beginning with the T/S specs era, generic 'one size fits all' specs had [mostly] gone the way of the Dodo bird by the early '80s.
Thanks for the reply. Is a 3-way speaker cabinet such as the AR-3a comparable with a full-range design?
I was concerned that a sealed design would reduce the bass oo much, that's why I was thinking about a bass reflex cabinet. And open baffle, from what I read, is sensitive to positioning for which I have very little freedom.
My 10' AN are quite balanced in the cabinets I built, so I thought about buying a 12" cabinet design from AN, but I wouldn't know if that is tuned for their drivers.
I was concerned that a sealed design would reduce the bass oo much, that's why I was thinking about a bass reflex cabinet. And open baffle, from what I read, is sensitive to positioning for which I have very little freedom.
My 10' AN are quite balanced in the cabinets I built, so I thought about buying a 12" cabinet design from AN, but I wouldn't know if that is tuned for their drivers.
Note that in speaker design 'we' are always trading efficiency for bandwidth [BW], so there can be sufficient bass in a [small] sealed box, just won't play as loud for a given distortion level.
The driver's Vas, Qts dictates cab net volume [Vb], so for 12" 'whatever' of the AR3[a] era applies = ~5 ft^3 sealed [AKA acoustic suspension/'AS' alignment]; IOW, the Zenith is designed for sealed alignments, not vented. If vented it will need to be much larger tuned < Fs, so while going [much] lower it won't be able to handle hardly any power, so not a practical design unless built into a corner to take advantage of the room's boundary, modes gain to boost the low end.
I forget what the vented standard size was, just know it's bigger.
Re AN drivers, historically they're known for measured specs not being close enough to published specs to accurately design a cab and the cabs they recommend aren't either, though if happy with yours, maybe they finally got their act together.
The driver's Vas, Qts dictates cab net volume [Vb], so for 12" 'whatever' of the AR3[a] era applies = ~5 ft^3 sealed [AKA acoustic suspension/'AS' alignment]; IOW, the Zenith is designed for sealed alignments, not vented. If vented it will need to be much larger tuned < Fs, so while going [much] lower it won't be able to handle hardly any power, so not a practical design unless built into a corner to take advantage of the room's boundary, modes gain to boost the low end.
I forget what the vented standard size was, just know it's bigger.
Re AN drivers, historically they're known for measured specs not being close enough to published specs to accurately design a cab and the cabs they recommend aren't either, though if happy with yours, maybe they finally got their act together.
Got it. Thanks for the extra info. I may gather some scrap wood and build a sealed prototype then. I do find the lower distortion and simplicity of the sealed design appealing (simplicity is the reason why I went the SET + full range way to begin with).
I can't claim that my current cabinets "work" for me — I have no measurements nor significant terms of comparison. But they don't seem to have too little or too much bass. Also they are currently installed in a temporary apartment with not so good spacing options...
I can't claim that my current cabinets "work" for me — I have no measurements nor significant terms of comparison. But they don't seem to have too little or too much bass. Also they are currently installed in a temporary apartment with not so good spacing options...