--- Hammer Dynamics Super 12 Speaker NOS speaker -- KIT -- for sale asking $599.00 - A great Full Range Speaker KIT!
-- 97 db Speaker - works well with Tube or Solid state
--Full Range Driver
--Small coaxial mounted Tweeter
-- Kit actually cost -- $ 1,260.00 in it's final year .
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=32729&stc=1&d=1212251296
-- 97 db Speaker - works well with Tube or Solid state
--Full Range Driver
--Small coaxial mounted Tweeter
-- Kit actually cost -- $ 1,260.00 in it's final year .
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=32729&stc=1&d=1212251296
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- Hi Everyone, I have a Hammer Dynamics Super 12 NOS Kit , I have never had the chance to build it .... Just about the time I was going to build them I found a set of NHT 3.3 - four way speakers that I liked so much, but that meant no room for the Super 12's in the living room. Also unfortunately I had to change my whole system around for them and I ended up with 300 watt Monoblock tube amplifiers to power them. So I never built the kit, then after a long time I decided I wanted horn speakers so once again the Super Twelves are waiting in the wings. They deserve to go to a good home - where someone will really enjoy them - asking -- $ 599.00 for the kit , it's a great buy today the kit would be around $850.00 , also a rare opportunity for someone to build a really nice Full Range Speaker and make it their own.
-- Here's what Dick Olsher of Enjoy The Music had to say; see the full review link at the bottom of this page...
"...With the S-12, the harmonic envelope rockets into space, revealing pitch and volume modulations with the greatest of ease. This is the one aspect of full-range drivers that puts multi-way speakers to shame - even those very expensive audiophile darlings...
...Another strong suit is the delineation of spatial detail, both in terms of focus and stage depth. With the help of a good front end, image outlines may assume a 3-D palpability...
...The Super 12 loudspeaker joins a select group of speakers that I could enjoy until the end of time. I would gladly choose it over a host of $5K or even $10K multi-way speakers. No, it doesn’t have the killer bass or ultimate treble finesse of these other speakers, and it certainly isn’t a status symbol. But it is intensely musical
and absolutely affordable – a winning combination in my boo
--Dick Olsher Review:
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazin...00/super12.htm
"...With the S-12, the harmonic envelope rockets into space, revealing pitch and volume modulations with the greatest of ease. This is the one aspect of full-range drivers that puts multi-way speakers to shame - even those very expensive audiophile darlings...
...Another strong suit is the delineation of spatial detail, both in terms of focus and stage depth. With the help of a good front end, image outlines may assume a 3-D palpability...
...The Super 12 loudspeaker joins a select group of speakers that I could enjoy until the end of time. I would gladly choose it over a host of $5K or even $10K multi-way speakers. No, it doesn’t have the killer bass or ultimate treble finesse of these other speakers, and it certainly isn’t a status symbol. But it is intensely musical
and absolutely affordable – a winning combination in my boo
--Dick Olsher Review:
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazin...00/super12.htm
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Hello, Here are several more interesting reviews I found
matsukawags
Audiocircle Forum
Hammer Dynamics speakers
I recently built the Hammer Dynamic Speakers with all the tweaks from the web site including the outstanding Fostex FT17H tweeter. My favorite speaker is the Quad57 which I own and which I compare all other speakers to especially female vocals. The Hammer Dynamics are the closest sounding I have heard to my Quads. Of course it has more bass and treble and perhaps because of the additional treble it sounds more detailed than the Quads. The Quads though are still my favorite for listening to pure vocals but these Hammers really come close. The Hammers might actually have too much bass but putting them on spikes and damping them with the proper dampening material as mentioned on the web site can tame the bass somewhat.
My friends dropped over recently to hear them. They are currently running Lowther Medallions. One friends comment was that the Hammers sounded more like the Quads and he was really impressed with the Bass. I asked him how do they compare to the Lowthers and he said that the Lowthers were more dynamic and more efficient but the Hammers had a lot more bass and sounded really warm like the Quads which also was his favorite speaker. He really was impressed with the Hammers. I cannot comment on the Lowthers since I last heard them about 3 years ago, but the Hammers are much easier to build than horn speakers. I should know I tried 3 years ago and gave up.
--
EDS_
Full Member - Audiocircle Forum
Hammer Dynamics speakers
A good friend of mine has a pair of Hammers that he drives with a Ram tube amp. The sound is simply great.
High sensitivity speakers never sound right to me at very high volumes..........but short of that they are nearly perfect. They really are fast and articulate.
The good is well noted.
The bad (and it is not really bad) is that Hammers get that beamy brash sound when pushed really hard (at least in my buds house).
If I needed a high sensitivity speaker the Hammer would be it.
--
matsukawags
Audiocircle Forum
Hammer Dynamics speakers
I recently built the Hammer Dynamic Speakers with all the tweaks from the web site including the outstanding Fostex FT17H tweeter. My favorite speaker is the Quad57 which I own and which I compare all other speakers to especially female vocals. The Hammer Dynamics are the closest sounding I have heard to my Quads. Of course it has more bass and treble and perhaps because of the additional treble it sounds more detailed than the Quads. The Quads though are still my favorite for listening to pure vocals but these Hammers really come close. The Hammers might actually have too much bass but putting them on spikes and damping them with the proper dampening material as mentioned on the web site can tame the bass somewhat.
My friends dropped over recently to hear them. They are currently running Lowther Medallions. One friends comment was that the Hammers sounded more like the Quads and he was really impressed with the Bass. I asked him how do they compare to the Lowthers and he said that the Lowthers were more dynamic and more efficient but the Hammers had a lot more bass and sounded really warm like the Quads which also was his favorite speaker. He really was impressed with the Hammers. I cannot comment on the Lowthers since I last heard them about 3 years ago, but the Hammers are much easier to build than horn speakers. I should know I tried 3 years ago and gave up.
--
EDS_
Full Member - Audiocircle Forum
Hammer Dynamics speakers
A good friend of mine has a pair of Hammers that he drives with a Ram tube amp. The sound is simply great.
High sensitivity speakers never sound right to me at very high volumes..........but short of that they are nearly perfect. They really are fast and articulate.
The good is well noted.
The bad (and it is not really bad) is that Hammers get that beamy brash sound when pushed really hard (at least in my buds house).
If I needed a high sensitivity speaker the Hammer would be it.
--
Here are several more reviews
darkmoebius
I've got them -
I've had them for up and running for about 4 months now and they are truly amazing if you take the time to tweak them for optimal performance in YOUR system and room. There is a lot of room for reducing cabinet resonances, upgrading x-over components, bracing, etc. And that's half the fun of DIY.
I've only had a chance to try a few low power tubed SET amps so far, but the results were stunning! At the same time, the Super-12's take on a whole 'nother personae with some power behind them. Man, these things get fast and authorative when driven by 20+ watts. (I've wondered what a Pass Aleph 30 would do). But, for now, I'm stuck with my Audio Refinement SS integrated until I can afford (and decide on) a SET or IT-coupled PP amp design.
The main thing that drew me to the Super-12's was their ability to deliver real bass. Hammer specs state 45-21kHz, but I'd swear that in my 20'x16'x8' foot room I'm getting -3dB response in the 30-35Hz. Snare drums have snap, timpanies rumble.
Another Hammer owner, Tiangus, has used a meter to measure his in-room reponse in the 32-33Hz range using a 3/4W (0.75) Berning microZOTL headphone amp. How loud? Far louder than he needs. Of course, his apartment isn't very large if I remember sorrectly.
More importantly, the Super-12's recreate vocals, percussion, strings, and wind instruments with startling reality. All the great jazz vocalists that I love sound incredibly natural: Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Sinatra, DeeDee Bridgewater, etc.
I've just started getting into classical and Jacqueline du Pre's cello has body, depth, and resonance. There's something that the Super-12's single driver (w/ supertweeter >10kHz) presents that presents the emotion of her performance in an entirely new fashion (for me).
--
matsukawags
-- I have not noticed any beamy brash sound even when played really loud (in my house which is fairly damped 18x21 with opening to the dining and kitchen), athough I have been running my speakers with the Adire subwoofer and crossing them over around 50hz. I have recently listened to them pretty far back >15' and actually enjoy them more that way, seems to give a better image.
By the way, the bass really never bothered me even without the spikes but a friend of mind mentioned that it sounded bass heavy so I added the spikes, no trace of it at all now.
I have all 3 tweeters and the Fostex Tweeter makes a huge improvement as you must have heard from everyone who tried them, I haven't tried padding the tweeter with different values yet, currently just using an 1/2 ohm resistor but it works fine for now. I also am running without the low pass filter on the woofer (eliminate the coil) but I actually have it installed but not connected inside of the cabinet). I also am running with just the single cap on the tweeter. I've been enjoying the Hammers too much to really tear it appart and begin tweaking again.
--- By the way, the Hammers sound great at low volumes and late at night too.
Gene
-
--
darkmoebius
I've got them -
I've had them for up and running for about 4 months now and they are truly amazing if you take the time to tweak them for optimal performance in YOUR system and room. There is a lot of room for reducing cabinet resonances, upgrading x-over components, bracing, etc. And that's half the fun of DIY.
I've only had a chance to try a few low power tubed SET amps so far, but the results were stunning! At the same time, the Super-12's take on a whole 'nother personae with some power behind them. Man, these things get fast and authorative when driven by 20+ watts. (I've wondered what a Pass Aleph 30 would do). But, for now, I'm stuck with my Audio Refinement SS integrated until I can afford (and decide on) a SET or IT-coupled PP amp design.
The main thing that drew me to the Super-12's was their ability to deliver real bass. Hammer specs state 45-21kHz, but I'd swear that in my 20'x16'x8' foot room I'm getting -3dB response in the 30-35Hz. Snare drums have snap, timpanies rumble.
Another Hammer owner, Tiangus, has used a meter to measure his in-room reponse in the 32-33Hz range using a 3/4W (0.75) Berning microZOTL headphone amp. How loud? Far louder than he needs. Of course, his apartment isn't very large if I remember sorrectly.
More importantly, the Super-12's recreate vocals, percussion, strings, and wind instruments with startling reality. All the great jazz vocalists that I love sound incredibly natural: Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Sinatra, DeeDee Bridgewater, etc.
I've just started getting into classical and Jacqueline du Pre's cello has body, depth, and resonance. There's something that the Super-12's single driver (w/ supertweeter >10kHz) presents that presents the emotion of her performance in an entirely new fashion (for me).
--
matsukawags
-- I have not noticed any beamy brash sound even when played really loud (in my house which is fairly damped 18x21 with opening to the dining and kitchen), athough I have been running my speakers with the Adire subwoofer and crossing them over around 50hz. I have recently listened to them pretty far back >15' and actually enjoy them more that way, seems to give a better image.
By the way, the bass really never bothered me even without the spikes but a friend of mind mentioned that it sounded bass heavy so I added the spikes, no trace of it at all now.
I have all 3 tweeters and the Fostex Tweeter makes a huge improvement as you must have heard from everyone who tried them, I haven't tried padding the tweeter with different values yet, currently just using an 1/2 ohm resistor but it works fine for now. I also am running without the low pass filter on the woofer (eliminate the coil) but I actually have it installed but not connected inside of the cabinet). I also am running with just the single cap on the tweeter. I've been enjoying the Hammers too much to really tear it appart and begin tweaking again.
--- By the way, the Hammers sound great at low volumes and late at night too.
Gene
-
--
Ducatista47 @ Audioheritage Forums
The Super 12's are markedly different from this commonly heard perception. I listen almost exclusively to Jazz. Mostly very heavy Jazz, the kind that drives most listeners out of the room right now. The smaller coned Full Range drivers - that is, everything else - do lack the dynamics to play anything but acoustic combo or solo music and voice properly. Remember, the magic of Full Range drivers comes from a single, crossover-less transducer covering the critical range from say 45-9500hz. Adding helpers above or below does not change that. But the small cones usually used to render the critical range lack the necessary dynamics to portray other musical styles at what I consider satisfying levels with believable dynamics.
There is a reason why they are called Hammer Dynamics Super 12's. I read with amusement a post by a long time Lowther/Fostex listener complaining that his friend's Super 12's had way too much bass. There is simply no comparison.
What I listen to is very demanding of speaker and amplifier performance. The amp has to be very accurate, lively and natural. The speaker must have believable dynamics and very high efficiency. (I have never been even close to satisfied by the sound of any low efficiency speaker design or the amps needed to power them.) When I want Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, Jimmy Lyons or later (more violent) John Coltrane, Michael Brecker or Bill Evans in the room, the Super 12's deliver better than my 4345's. The 4345's whomp nearly any home made multi way design in dynamics and clarity. The Super 12's deliver enough of that and some of the best imaging available anywhere, a very satisfying - and very full-bodied - experience. It seems to be in an entirely different class from other Full Range and Single Driver systems and should not be confused with them.
Anyone can build a louder system, but it would be very, very difficult and expensive to equal what I am hearing from the standpoint of quality. In my 24 by 15 by 8 foot room, it is plenty loud enough, and that is with a three or four watt amp at nine o'clock. I listen to music. I'm not trying to impress a drunken frat party with an SPL but that's where I like to listen at when listening to Jazz, as it is live.
Clark
- My bottom line on Full Range is that Hammer Dynamics Super 12's don't cost very much and can be extremely rewarding to listen to.
If you build a pair of Super 12's you will be in a pretty exclusive club. I know the number of kits sold more or less and you will probably one of a few in your part of the World. It is time to stop keeping these a secret.
(I would recommend building the boxes with joinery like Macaroonie demonstrated (404 Not Found) and with a double thick front baffle as per Ian's suggestion, not as per instructions. I can advise on the required port changes and dimensions).
Clark
The Super 12's are markedly different from this commonly heard perception. I listen almost exclusively to Jazz. Mostly very heavy Jazz, the kind that drives most listeners out of the room right now. The smaller coned Full Range drivers - that is, everything else - do lack the dynamics to play anything but acoustic combo or solo music and voice properly. Remember, the magic of Full Range drivers comes from a single, crossover-less transducer covering the critical range from say 45-9500hz. Adding helpers above or below does not change that. But the small cones usually used to render the critical range lack the necessary dynamics to portray other musical styles at what I consider satisfying levels with believable dynamics.
There is a reason why they are called Hammer Dynamics Super 12's. I read with amusement a post by a long time Lowther/Fostex listener complaining that his friend's Super 12's had way too much bass. There is simply no comparison.
What I listen to is very demanding of speaker and amplifier performance. The amp has to be very accurate, lively and natural. The speaker must have believable dynamics and very high efficiency. (I have never been even close to satisfied by the sound of any low efficiency speaker design or the amps needed to power them.) When I want Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, Jimmy Lyons or later (more violent) John Coltrane, Michael Brecker or Bill Evans in the room, the Super 12's deliver better than my 4345's. The 4345's whomp nearly any home made multi way design in dynamics and clarity. The Super 12's deliver enough of that and some of the best imaging available anywhere, a very satisfying - and very full-bodied - experience. It seems to be in an entirely different class from other Full Range and Single Driver systems and should not be confused with them.
Anyone can build a louder system, but it would be very, very difficult and expensive to equal what I am hearing from the standpoint of quality. In my 24 by 15 by 8 foot room, it is plenty loud enough, and that is with a three or four watt amp at nine o'clock. I listen to music. I'm not trying to impress a drunken frat party with an SPL but that's where I like to listen at when listening to Jazz, as it is live.
Clark
- My bottom line on Full Range is that Hammer Dynamics Super 12's don't cost very much and can be extremely rewarding to listen to.
If you build a pair of Super 12's you will be in a pretty exclusive club. I know the number of kits sold more or less and you will probably one of a few in your part of the World. It is time to stop keeping these a secret.
(I would recommend building the boxes with joinery like Macaroonie demonstrated (404 Not Found) and with a double thick front baffle as per Ian's suggestion, not as per instructions. I can advise on the required port changes and dimensions).
Clark
Bump ------- sorry after some gathering of some more information on the different mods to the kit , I realized that the Hammer dynamics Super 12 speaker's price was actually raised several times & ended up costing as high as about $ 1,260.00 .... (today it would be about $1,700.00) so it's a great buy!
-- sorry I hadn't realized they had bumped up the price two or the times .
-- sorry I hadn't realized they had bumped up the price two or the times .
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