dd123 Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Hi all. First time posting here. I'm perplexed by my pair of 17s based on some of the posts I've read about their all around sound quality. The mids and highs on mine are great -- full and easy -- but the low end seems a bit lacking. I have recapped them and redoped the woofer cloth surrounds. I'm not sure how good a measure it is of air tightness, but when I gently press the woofer cone all the way in and release it, it takes over 1.5 seconds to return fully. When I hold the woofer up to the light, I can see scattered pin holes of light in the cloth surrounds.I'm driving them with a vintage Kenwood KR6600 -- 60 wpc. Is there anything else I can try? I enjoy them very much, but a little more low end would be even better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingus Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 ... when I gently press the woofer cone all the way in and release it, it takes over 1.5 seconds to return fully.shouldnt it travel faster than that? i dont make a habit of testing this (i've never fully depressed a driver), but i cant think of any instance of a woofer where the cone doesnt return very quickly to neutral. if that is a normal characteristic for the 17 woofer then i would next experiment with placement in your room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rhollingsworth Posted June 7, 2009 Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 Hi all. First time posting here. I'm perplexed by my pair of 17s based on some of the posts I've read about their all around sound quality. The mids and highs on mine are great -- full and easy -- but the low end seems a bit lacking. I have recapped them and redoped the woofer cloth surrounds. I'm not sure how good a measure it is of air tightness, but when I gently press the woofer cone all the way in and release it, it takes over 1.5 seconds to return fully. When I hold the woofer up to the light, I can see scattered pin holes of light in the cloth surrounds.I'm driving them with a vintage Kenwood KR6600 -- 60 wpc. Is there anything else I can try? I enjoy them very much, but a little more low end would be even better. Hi there.I've been using my 17s since 1971.They've been driven with Dyna MkIII's, Dyna ST80, Sony STR-DE335 and various other amps including a Ramsa WP-1200, the latest experiment.They have never had the kind of bass that would lift you out of your seat.I remember reading a review from the 70's that said it didn't have real low bass.I have noticed that they do seem to have a bit more low-end punch and a lot more clarity driven with the Ramsa amp.Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speaker dave Posted June 7, 2009 Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 I'm not sure how good a measure it is of air tightness, but when I gently press the woofer cone all the way in and release it, it takes over 1.5 seconds to return fully. When I hold the woofer up to the light, I can see scattered pin holes of light in the cloth surrounds.That is the definitive test for air seal. 1.5 seconds to return indicates a very good seal so don't worry about the pinholes.I would agree with trying some different room placement. Perhaps some low stands but with the cabinets nearly touching the wall behind. Experiment.David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dd123 Posted June 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 Good info folks. Thanks. I'm going to experiment with room placement. They are already up off the floor, but I'll try them near the wall and in the corners, as long as the bass doesn't get boomy. Then it will be time to work on the cabinets -- they need to be refinished badly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxho Posted June 7, 2009 Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 Good info folks. Thanks. I'm going to experiment with room placement. They are already up off the floor, but I'll try them near the wall and in the corners, as long as the bass doesn't get boomy. Then it will be time to work on the cabinets -- they need to be refinished badly.I haven't tried with the 17s, but I notice, with AR2AXs mounted high on a cinder block wall, that the lowest bass isn't really full any nearer the speakers than about 13'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjornklh Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 they arent a huuugely bass heavy speaker like the model 6s or fives, and they aren't new cerwin vegas.. the klh 6 and 5 will rattle the floor, the 17s were designed as a bookshelf speaker and to be more affordable to people. they are tanks and can crank amazingly well for being 40 years old and bookshelf speakers, but they are 40 years old and bookshelf speakers. the best quality of these speakers is the evenness and clarity of sound in my opinion, one of the best performers in a certain way in this respect that can be found regardless of age or price. some sort of very slightly less then precise musicality. all i know is they sometimes sound more like music to me then anything.. and can match new equip except for very high frequencys..as far as the kenwood goes, it is a decent amp, but the loudness circuits in marantz or sansui amps from the 60s and 70s are waaaay better, especially for speakers like this. also anything tube with these is probably a very good match. =) hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjornklh Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 also that seems odd about the 1.5 seconds thing.. especially if it has holes in the surround... if the woofer takes that long outside the case then something is amiss, in the case it should only take that long if the case and surround is sealed, and even then it shouldnt take that long... has it been sitting for a while? i wonder if there is corrosion on the woofer that is making it catch? sometimes just playing them for a while will fix that and loosen it up. these speakers worked off the air inside as a spring for the bass. that last sentence may have been a "well thanks, but no @$@! duhh " comment on my part, if so sorry, just trying to put down what i know. i hope this helps. there are some people on here that know a lot about these, browse the surround discussions on this forum there is a lot of info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dd123 Posted July 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 Sorry for the late response to this thread -- I didn't know there had been more posts. I must not be setup for notifications. Thanks for the additional thoughts.When I played with room placement of my 17s, I was reminded once again how much of a factor that is. Also, the 1.5 seconds is when the woofer is in the sealed cabinet. And the holes in the cloth surround are only pin holes I can only see when held up to a light. I agree that the 17s can be listened to for a long time without any so-called fatigue. I really like them a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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