[Hallicrafters] RE: Why is the R-42 speaker so expensive?

[lrlayton at cox.net]

Julian,

The R-42 that I have is certainly no open box design, as it is entirely enclosed at the back. The driver is not really that big (8 inches). The metal box and back are lined with very thick felt and the grill at the bottom of the cabinet under the speaker forms a port that is open to the inside of the enclosure.  That would put it in the bass reflex category.

Perhaps you are thinking of the R-46 which is open at the back and has a 10 inch driver. The R-46 cabinet, which is similar in looks from the front, is smaller and lighter than the R-42 and does not have near the amount of bass response. 

Les Layton
Las Vegas, NV

---- Julian Bunn <Julian.Bunn at caltech.edu> wrote: 
> Yes Bob, you are absolutely correct about speakers in general, but I was
> not speaking in general, I was talking specifically about the R-42. The R-42
> is essentially an open box design.
> 
> Julian
> 
> Bob Young wrote:
> > Cabinet design has a huge impact on the sound of a speaker. A bass 
> > reflex cab is tuned somewhere at or above the resonant frequency of 
> > the driver inside, they are much more efficient and have much better 
> > bass response than an open back cab with the same driver. These cabs 
> > take the back wave of the driver and put it in phase with the front 
> > wave and release it through a port usually below the speaker in front 
> > reinforcing the bass. Open back cabs cancel most of the lower bass 
> > because the back and front waves are out of phase with each other, 
> > ever listen to a driver that is not in a case, no bass at all due to 
> > out of phase cancellation. The only draw back to a bass reflex speaker 
> > is they drop off rapidly below the resonant frequency of the port. 
> > Sealed speakers sound even better as their drop off is much more 
> > gradual, but they are less efficient as they pretty much keep the back 
> > wave right in the cab itself. Many different cab designs. I don't know 
> > if this is anything to do with the price however.
> >
> > Bob
> > KB1OKL
> >
> > Message: 4
> > Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:42:17 -0700
> > From: Julian Bunn <Julian.Bunn at caltech.edu>
> > Subject: Re: [Hallicrafters] Why is the R-42 speaker so expensive?
> > To: jeremy-ca <km1h at jeremy.mv.com>
> > Cc: hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net
> > Message-ID: <46FEFEF9.4020302 at caltech.edu>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
> >
> > I think the sound is good simply by virtue of the size of the driver.
> > The cabinet probably has
> > minimal or no effect on the acoustics, IMHO.
> >
> > No idea why they are so expensive ... I picked mine up very reasonably
> > from a chap who
> > was selling an SX71 and it came with it.
> >
> > Julian
> >
> >
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