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John Rethorst

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Everything posted by John Rethorst

  1. Would anyone have an idea how much power the Rectilinear X or Xa can handle? I ask since I'm running Dynakit mk3 monoblocks in triode mode. Stock, these amps put out 60 watts RMS; in triode they put out 60% of that. Transients can of course be higher power. I should probably fuse the Rectlinears, but have heard that a fuse in the circuit can affect the speaker's damping or do other things you don't want.
  2. Any 10" acoustic suspension woofer should do. The speaker only uses the woofer for 100hz and below, so it doesn't add much flavor to the characteristic sound. I needed a new woofer for one of my Xa's some years ago (although it probably only needed a new paper cone -- I don't remember now) and a KLH woofer matched very well. Sounds just like the original in the other speaker. I think Rectilinear used Jensen components, and that is or was a large company. There's also looking on the used market for brand X acoustic suspension speakers with 10" woofers. Or the Acoustic Research 2x and 2ax used 10". Ebay or Craigslist should have some of those. It's a good speaker so you may not want to cannibalize them, but the Rectilinear IMO is better. HTH, John
  3. I had AR3a's for a while. Gave them up, but kept the Rectilinear Xa's. At a later point I had a pair of AR2ax's, and gave them up too, although I liked them better than the 3's. The latter were bass-heavy, at least as driven by a tube amp in triode mode. AR is my second-favorite speaker company, but the Rectilinear X has a more open sound, more like the live performances I've been to. Good luck with your project!
  4. Re: the 100hz crossover point I liked these speakers more and more, and did a little web research, leading to the name of the designer, James Bongiorno (he also designed the III and went on to found the Ampzilla company). I wondered about the difference between the X and Xa, and emailed him in 2010: He replied: which was curious, since everything else I've ever seen about them, including Rectilinear advertising, states 100hz. I wondered whether with the 40 years passed, his memory wasn't clear -- he did work with a lot of equipment. But he seemed certain. This just as info. I believe he has since passed away.
  5. Hi Martin, I have found a pair -- thank you. I'll take down my wanted ad (I had forgotten about it). Quite a while ago the foam on one of the woofers decomposed and I went looking for a replacement. The local stereo shop had a 10" KLH 4-ohm acoustic suspension woofer that fit perfectly and sounded just like the original. Maybe it was of identical manufacture: I know Rectilinear didn't make any drivers themselves; I don't know whether KLH did or not. So it may not be too hard for you to find replacements. Since the crossover is 100hz, all the woofer does is real bass, and I'm sure 10" acoustic suspension units are still out there. I never blew a midrange driver on either pair I have. I think the model may not have sold well since it was in direct competition with Acoustic Research and their entire line of acoustic suspension speakers. AR had a great reputation; maybe anyone who wanted that design just went to AR. The Xa had a slightly different crossover than the X. No other change. I bought these after living in Boston for a year and going to the Boston Symphony as often as possible -- I was in the Coast Guard and, as active-duty military, could go to a concert and, an hour before the concert, buy any unsold ticket for $1. When it came time to buy a stereo, I bought a few records (vinyl) of the orchestra, recorded in Symphony Hall, famous for its acoustics, and went to stereo shops. During the week in the middle of the day they weren't busy and they let me listen a lot. These speakers really stood out for their resemblance to live performance. I was surprised -- I'd thought several brands and models would be about the same. Nope, and I haven't heard more realistic speakers since. They're still going strong, and I just wanted the second pair as backup. You should be able to fix yours easily. Please do -- they're one of a kind.
  6. It does. Thank you. How hard is it to change the resistance on a driver? Could M8's be made into M4's with a change of resistor, say? If so, could a user do it?
  7. > I believe it [Philips AD5061/M8] was available as 4 and 8 ohm. Is this right? I hadn't heard this before. Reason I ask is that I have Rectilinear Xa speakers, which are 4 ohm acoustic suspension and use this midrange, and I more recently got Rectilinear XII speakers, 8 ohm bass reflex, partly to have the Philips mids as backups. If Philips made two versions, my backups won't be very useful :-)
  8. This was an acoustic suspension bookshelf model made around 1972. I'm looking for a pair (and so have posted in the For Sale/Wanted forum). I'd also like to know the difference between the X and Xa, and hope to find a user manual or at least a detailed ad. All information appreciated.
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