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Should you add bracing to your refurb project?


JKent

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Any thoughts about adding bracing to classic speakers during refurb? I was reading some things over at Human speakers, and he recommends bracing (then again, he also recommends lining the cabinet with lead. hmmmm)

Seriously. Does extra bracing do anything for speakers like the AR2 or similar-size classics?

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Guest hilltroll67

>Any thoughts about adding bracing to classic speakers during

>refurb? I was reading some things over at Human speakers, and

>he recommends bracing (then again, he also recommends lining

>the cabinet with lead. hmmmm)

>Seriously. Does extra bracing do anything for speakers like

>the AR2 or similar-size classics?

I don't have a definitive answer, but like the question. All I know is that I don't feel any vibration of my AR5 cabinets during play. Is that significant?

Bob

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>Any thoughts about adding bracing to classic speakers during

>refurb? I was reading some things over at Human speakers, and

>he recommends bracing (then again, he also recommends lining

>the cabinet with lead. hmmmm)

>Seriously. Does extra bracing do anything for speakers like

>the AR2 or similar-size classics?

Early AR speakers had significant bracing, and adding additional bracing probably would add little improvement. Adding lead lining would add more cost and weight, but little improvement. At risk is the issue of reducing inside cabinet volume with the addition of more wood and so forth, which might be audible with a small change in low-frequency performance. There is a balance with respect to the woofer's electro-mechanical properties and those of the cabinet volume, so changing that can somewhat affect the performance of that speaker. However, slight changes probably would not be audible; in fact, AR added cross braces in the AR-10Pi speakers used in the Neil Grover live-vs.-recorded concerts, and there did not appear to be any degradation in the response, but that situation was special. The speaker was being pushed to its limits constantly, and the cabinet had to be rigid beyond doubt.

--Tom Tyson

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Hi Kent;

Many years ago I read somewhere that a person coated the inside of their enclosure with car body undercoating to deaden the cabinet more.

I have recently given thought to that treatment, for the inside of the enclosure, not for me.

The only problem that I have with the thought is, will the solvents in the tarry material effect the surround.

It may not have any effect to the clothe surrounds but it just may dissolve the foam ones.

Another possible solution was suggested by Van Alstine, lining the enclosure, rear of the drivers and crossover elements with a 1/4+/-" layer of putty or plastercene (spel), the same as we played with in elementary school.

This would increase the weight of the enclosure about 5 - 10 pounds each.

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A simpler approach might be to install spiked feet on the speaker cabinet.

I did this to my AR90 because at the time, they were sitting on very thick carpeting in a finished basement with a low ceiling. Placed as such, the bass was out of control since the cabinet was allowed to reverberate. The spiked feet solidly anchored the cabinets to the cement under the carpet, cleaning up the bass and the speakers no longer wobbled on the carpet.

I've since moved and they now sit in a large room, again on carpet but not as thick, the room has a natural pine vaulted ceiling and hardwood paneling. Excessive bass is no longer an issue.

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