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Frazier Symphonetta


Trippigs

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I have an opportunity to purchase a pair but don’t know much about them.....only know what is captured on vintage sales flyers. I haven’t seen them in person but photos indicate the  cabinets to be in great condition. Have requested photos of the insides. Does anyone have an opinion or experience with this model which seems pretty rare? Thanks in advance 

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I got the speakers today and am pleased given what I paid. They have consecutive serial numbers. The cabinets and grills are in very good condition. One is missing a back panel. Upon opening the other back panel I realized the internal configurations are not alike. Only one has a doghouse ( like LaScalas) which makes sense given the relationship with Klipsch. Only one has ports. The workmanship in the modifications is good. Just gotta figure out which is correct

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The FUG site on Facebook had a photo of a Symphonetta with the top off! So I now know the one on the right is original.....great. It is a folded horn design with a single coaxial driver.

Someone spent quite some time modifying the one on the left but I think the cabinet can be properly restored. Taking the top off might be a challenge. 

I plan on cleaning and hooking them up tomorrow....gonna be fun

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Those are probably from the mono days.  They both may be correct.

Judging from the slots, Frazier was working a lot with "Helmholtz resonators" (slotted ports) and those look quite clean.  Not sure it wasn't some transition from the factory but no clue. :blush:

I would modify to the one that sounds better in your room if you want to make them equivalent unless you can find that the slot loaded one has remnants of the original design (would it would have to) under the fiberglass.  Gives you some options.

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If they're in fact sequential product and both as-delivered (I agree they seem more like mono units), then that would make them even more valuable as a pair, IMO, and wouldn't perform any modifications.

 

I'm still curious if one sounds any better.

 

Judging by the verbiage in the image in the earlier post (Longer "vent" path) I'd be inclined to go with the "doghouse" version as being unmodified, but for the exposed fiberglass...

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I carefully looked around inside the ported one and see no remnants of a doghouse. Also, don’t see any fiberglass....all wood. Got one working and the driver functions ok. The other has a wire connection issue at the power transformer which I may be able to fix.....moving forward 

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The sad thing is there are no plans for these to be found anywhere. Unless someone demolishes on to measure and make drawings, a lot of Jack Fraizer's designs will remain somewhat of a mystery.

 

The Dixielander is a somewhat complex build, and what is available in drawings has been debated as to the accuracy.

 

Those both look really nice, though.

 

Bruce

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