Ben Brill Posted February 3, 2002 Share Posted February 3, 2002 I just recently brought home a pair of heavily built cabinets housing a pair of Stephens Tru-Sonic 15" coaxials. Model is 150CX, with a "bullet" tweeter. John Warren, or djk, I'm hoping youse might have data for these, or similar drivers. The cabs are open backed, but everything I read of coaxial (altec, goodmans, tannoy, etc) indicates that ported boxes are preferred; any comment? I'll be squaring them off against a pair of '72 Cornwall 2's (Vertical horns), and hope to be able to post impressions and comparisons soon. Thanks very much! Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornwalled Posted February 3, 2002 Share Posted February 3, 2002 Hello there, I'm sorry, I'm really not familiar with the driver you mention at all, but I'd be really curious to hear what your impressions are of it. Please post whatever opinion you have of them, either way, I'd like to hear about them Take it easy and good luck, Jon ------------------ markvi82@hotmail.com 1981 Cornwall I's Yamaha DSP-A1000 integrated amp Acoustic Research AR3A's for Pro-Logic rears (Music only setup) Marantz CD Player Yamaha Turntable with Stanton EE Cartridge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Warren Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 The 150CX is a 150FR with a 5-Kt tweeter mounted concentrically. I have almost no data, 3" edge wound aluminum VC, Fs 23 Hz, useful frequency response 20-30kHz (yes that's 30 kHz published) 6 lb Alnico magnet in 12 lb Armco iron keeper, power 35 Watts, surround and spider are impregnated cloth. Also, 16 ohm impedance rating, 8 ohm was an option. Should be standard Stephens 4 spoke cast basket with thick bolt flange. FYI-The 15" Tru-sonic 206AX is a real collectors piece and highly sought after by the truely insane. Alnico magnet weighed in at 7lbs, 10oz, with 14 lb keeper. To my knowledge no other US manufacturer put that much Alnico magnet in the motor structure. Cast frame woofer with compression horn tweeter mounted in the center not much different than the Super Sonax in the EV 15 TRX style. The 206AX was mounted in the "Fold-A-Flex" enclosure. A good friend of mine has a torn cone 206AX mounted in a display case in his stores' listening room (along with "MY" pair of never used, still in original box Genalex "factory matched" KT88s with the red seal tape wrapped around the boxes). This message has been edited by John Warren on 02-04-2002 at 08:33 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Brill Posted February 5, 2002 Author Share Posted February 5, 2002 Here's a shot at a brochure for Eames-designed Stephens Tru Sonic enclosures, that just sold on ebay for a damn fortune. But, if you look closely at the price for the 206AX... looks like $162.50 to me. What did an Altec 604 go for back in the day? Less than that I'll bet. My 150CXs are 1965, so sometime later than those illustrated in the brochure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Warren Posted February 5, 2002 Share Posted February 5, 2002 Ben-In 1955 the Jensen G610 was the king at $262, nothing came close. By comparison the 206AX went for $129, University C15W $139 and EV 18WK $169. Klipschorn went for $549 and the EV Patrician went for $739. Your 150CX went for $128 in 1964 McGee catalog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hifi Posted February 5, 2002 Share Posted February 5, 2002 Here's a page from a 1958 Stephens brochure. (254kb, 200dpi) http://dair.pair.com/hifi/ephemera/trusonics.jpg And here's the price sheet - (85kb, 96dpi) http://dair.pair.com/hifi/ephemera/trusonics.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hifi Posted February 5, 2002 Share Posted February 5, 2002 Duh - http://dair.pair.com/hifi/ephemera/trusonics.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hifi Posted February 5, 2002 Share Posted February 5, 2002 Okay, last time - http://dair.pair.com/hifi/ephemera/trusonicprices.jpg (This is why I don't have a web site - I can't pour bytes out of a boot with the directions on the heel.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Warren Posted February 5, 2002 Share Posted February 5, 2002 The Klipschorn, Jensen Imperial in EV Patrician IV in 1958. It is a hi res digital image, zoom in to read text. This message has been edited by John Warren on 02-05-2002 at 08:43 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted February 5, 2002 Share Posted February 5, 2002 Ben--In the late 1960s the Altec 604-E sold for $195 at Allied Radio in Chicago. The 605A, made in the early 60s, listed at $177. This message has been edited by TBrennan on 02-05-2002 at 08:41 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Brill Posted February 5, 2002 Author Share Posted February 5, 2002 Thanks Hifi and John for sharing your resources; I appreciate it soo much! I've done some inital listening through my 150cx's, and a little comparing to the Cornwalls, but what a hassle. My room is small and both pairs of speakers are bloody huge. Also, I'm a fairly inexperienced listener, with little audio memory. Psychoacoustics are probably more at play than physics, but anyway: At this point, the CWs have the upper hand. The CWs, however, have the advantage of being up off the floor, while the Trusonics are a few inches off the ground in boxes that are probably less than ideal. Here's what I've noticed: As is, the 150CXs are very listenable: there's no low bass, very little mid-bass, but excellent upper-bass and midrange. There's something of a hole somewhere towards the upper range of the full-range cone, before the tweeter kicks in. The treble is excellent, I think that toroidal tweeter is pretty awesome: clear, smooth and laid back. The Cornwalls seem to have more balanced response. More tuneful and useful bass, and that upper-mid region sounds better to me on the Klipsch, although I might just be used to that sound. I played a large variety of mostly rock through the Trusonics, doing only very little cable-swapping back'n'forth between speakers. The most telling recording was Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved A Man..." LP, original mono. I chose this because it has great bass all over it, and the difference in this area was readily apparent. This record also brought out the differences in that upper mid, female vocals, area. I suppose some tweaking could resolve many of the deficiencies of the 150cx compared to the CW. Especially a box that helps out in the lower and mid bass. I also suspect that crossover components may have drifted such that the tweeter is coming in too late. That tweeter is REAL nice, in any case, one to keep in mind if you find the EV-T35 to be unpleasant. Thanks again for the background info and I'll update ya's as I tinker further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Brill Posted February 7, 2002 Author Share Posted February 7, 2002 Thanks Tom, hifi and John for your responses. It didn't take me too long to decide that the Cornwalls pretty much trounce the Trusonics. A few more backs and forths between the two systems made the Stephens sound more and more like a transistor radio by comparison. I'm starting to feel somewhat like that Yugoslavian zealot Cornwall fan in my appreciation for these speakers. My wife'll be a little disappointed that the monolithic Cornwalls won't be displaced. heh. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hifi Posted February 11, 2002 Share Posted February 11, 2002 So, I bit the bullet and set up a web page to share my hifi "literature". So far, only the Stephens, Marantz and Fisher logos are links. Main page is http://hifilit.com. I'll work onthe Klipsch info later this week - this stuff is a real time vampire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Warren Posted February 11, 2002 Share Posted February 11, 2002 HiFi-GREAT JOB! Need any contributions? If so, please feel free to ask. If I don't have it I have friends that will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Brill Posted February 13, 2002 Author Share Posted February 13, 2002 Wow, nice work hifi. You're doing a great service to the internet! Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hifi Posted February 14, 2002 Share Posted February 14, 2002 I managed to get some brochures up. http://www.hifilit.com/hifilit/Klipsch/Klipsch.htm I have some price sheets to go along with these, which I'll post soon, I hope... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khorn58 Posted February 14, 2002 Share Posted February 14, 2002 wow wow,hifi is great to see the pics of the vintage klipschorns. I really like the TV model now thats a real rare speaker I love to find one. I have the the 57 catalog it came as a surprize extra when I bought the (4)1959 klipch speakers on ebay last December.I will be keeping a eye out for more lit. I have a 7o catalog if you need pics from it. Back to the tru sonic. My early klipsch use the tru sonic bass driver in the khorn sounds great. I bet if the twoway 15 was put in a large cab like the corwall the sound would be nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardre Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 Like Khorn58, my khorns also have the Stephens and I must say that they are a spectacular driver. I read that the 103LX2's were manufactured as a horn driver rather than a 'stand alone' bass reflex type. Perhaps the 150CX was intended for a different use? After all, if I'm not mistaken (and could be that I am), this (103LX2) was PWK's original khorn driver as was the sonically similar EV 15"-er. ------------------ Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 There's a driver up on ebay if anyone's interested ... http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1334046867 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Warren Posted February 22, 2002 Share Posted February 22, 2002 Hifi-Are you a retired store owner? What gives? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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