Double T-1030's?

[real1shepherd]

OK, first off let me say I'm a old Large Advent Speaker fan...I've run a double set for about twenty yrs and had a single pair new in '72. I did the newer caps and tweeter upgrades and quite honestly, although the bass is wonderful, the speakers tend to make my ears bleed at high volumes.;-) So.....did a lot of research on what people liked in the past (staying retro) and I hit upon the T-1030's.

At first I though they were lacking in bass....but then I had to realize that my double Advents were in fused parallel configuration and running roughly 4ohms. So adjusting for the same volume levels, the BA's started to sing....and well. The more I listened, the more I liked them. Their mid-range and high-end put the Advents to shame. 'They' always said it takes some time to get used to really good speakers-that they grow on you. But this got me to thinking....what if I found another pair of T-1030's and fused them parallel like the Advents? Doing a upside down 'L" wherein the tweeters are arranged together from the two speakers? My thinking was that those four woofers all in phase, pumping out bass on each channel might be something awe-inspiring. Yeah, I know you can't take any speaker design and make good sounding 'doubles'....just wondering if anybody ever tried this with the T-1030's?

Kevin

[Gerry S]

OK, first off let me say I'm a old Large Advent Speaker fan...I've run a double set for about twenty yrs and had a single pair new in '72. I did the newer caps and tweeter upgrades and quite honestly, although the bass is wonderful, the speakers tend to make my ears bleed at high volumes.;-) So.....did a lot of research on what people liked in the past (staying retro) and I hit upon the T-1030's.

At first I though they were lacking in bass....but then I had to realize that my double Advents were in fused parallel configuration and running roughly 4ohms. So adjusting for the same volume levels, the BA's started to sing....and well. The more I listened, the more I liked them. Their mid-range and high-end put the Advents to shame. 'They' always said it takes some time to get used to really good speakers-that they grow on you. But this got me to thinking....what if I found another pair of T-1030's and fused them parallel like the Advents? Doing a upside down 'L" wherein the tweeters are arranged together from the two speakers? My thinking was that those four woofers all in phase, pumping out bass on each channel might be something awe-inspiring. Yeah, I know you can't take any speaker design and make good sounding 'doubles'....just wondering if anybody ever tried this with the T-1030's?

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

I did the crossover design for the T1030. I'm not quite sure what you mean by doing "a upside down L". If you mean the upper tower being laid horiozontally onto the lower one, I'd advise against it. One of the design goals for the T1030 was superior "imaging" compaired to it's predecessor. The "upside down L" will really screw this up.

Having two in parallel per channel will give you a net impedance of two ohms in the bass region, which can tax amplifiers not designed for such a low impedance. If your amplifier is up to the task, the "double 1030" should give you more and smoother bass throughout the room because the woofer's location to the boundaries are staggered.

Stacked vertically with the tweeters close together, vertical dispersion from roughly 400 hz up will be "narrower", yeilding a more"focused" image in the midrange (compaired to a single pair). Whether this is important or desirable depends on the type of music being played, as well as how physically close you are to the speakers. Listening to a double pair "up close" requires some care in listener positioning. Two tweeters in such close proximity can lead to "picket fencing" at higher frequencies. The further back the listening position, the less audibly obvious this "picket fencing" becomes with head movement.

However, at 70 pounds per tower, I'd be very wary of stacking them vertically. The upper pair could be very "tippy" or top heavy, especially with them inverted. Which can be very hazardous to anyone bumping into them.

If you just want more bass, it's easier to get it with just a subwoofer. Better yet, a subwoofer coupled with an electronic crossover feeding single or double 1030's around 40 hz should sound pretty awesome.

Gerry S

[Pete B]

OK, first off let me say I'm a old Large Advent Speaker fan...I've run a double set for about twenty yrs and had a single pair new in '72. I did the newer caps and tweeter upgrades and quite honestly, although the bass is wonderful, the speakers tend to make my ears bleed at high volumes.;-) So.....did a lot of research on what people liked in the past (staying retro) and I hit upon the T-1030's.

At first I though they were lacking in bass....but then I had to realize that my double Advents were in fused parallel configuration and running roughly 4ohms. So adjusting for the same volume levels, the BA's started to sing....and well. The more I listened, the more I liked them. Their mid-range and high-end put the Advents to shame. 'They' always said it takes some time to get used to really good speakers-that they grow on you. But this got me to thinking....what if I found another pair of T-1030's and fused them parallel like the Advents? Doing a upside down 'L" wherein the tweeters are arranged together from the two speakers? My thinking was that those four woofers all in phase, pumping out bass on each channel might be something awe-inspiring. Yeah, I know you can't take any speaker design and make good sounding 'doubles'....just wondering if anybody ever tried this with the T-1030's?

Kevin

I don't think we've discussed the BSC box in the past. There is

a loaner if you'd like to try it, it really fixes the Large Advent.

[Hawkfan]

Gerry S,

I am planning on sending my woofers from my T-1030's for refoaming (too labor intensive to strip all the glue from the cone myself - I already tried). Any recs on who'd do a good job? I was planning on sending them to Simply Speakers in Florida. They give a 7 year warranty on their work and it'll cost around $150 which I'm definitely willing to shell out to have the sound of the T-1030's back.

[Gerry S]

I am planning on sending my woofers from my T-1030's for refoaming (too labor intensive to strip all the glue from the cone myself - I already tried). Any recs on who'd do a good job? I was planning on sending them to Simply Speakers in Florida. They give a 7 year warranty on their work and it'll cost around $150 which I'm definitely willing to shell out to have the sound of the T-1030's back.

Hi,Hawkfan.

Got your personal message and sent you a response. Repeating it here just in case.

I'd get a quote from Carl's Custom Loudspeakers (a.k.a "Carlspeak"). He blogs here frequently (especially on AR loudspeakers). And, to the best of my knowledge: the midrange drivers don't need refoaming. The midrange surrounds are much sturdier (thicker and less compliant) than the surrounds on the woofers.

[real1shepherd]

As I posted in my 'BA T-1030 surround' thread, I just did all the woofers. Nothing particularly unusual about the design...but the factory tar goo you have to get completely off is a MAJOR PIA! I did all four speakers over the course of two days....watching a lot of movies during the Holidays to help with the doldrums of removing the tar goo. I also had dust caps too small in diameter but figured a way around that one.

And yes, even though I was urged to do the midrange drivers, they seem fine. Poking them with your fingers nets a feel much like the new surrounds. No way am I ripping up good surrounds just to complete a kit.

Kevin

[real1shepherd]

I don't think we've discussed the BSC box in the past. There is

a loaner if you'd like to try it, it really fixes the Large Advent.

I would be very intertested in that, as the tweeters are too harsh for my tastes. They are all the replacement poly domes that say 'Advent'...bought back in the 90's. I only listen to the OA's in Double format.

Kevin