What kind of Cables are you using for your 4345s, or any type of Horn speakers ?

[jamdel]

Dear all,

What kind of speaker cables are you using for your 4345s, or any type of Horn speakers, to tone down the harshness and "In your face" kind of results ?
Is Nordost in your menu ?

Thanks for your reply...

[Mr. Widget]

What kind of speaker cables are you using for your 4345s, or any type of Horn speakers, to tone down the harshness and "In your face" kind of results ?

I use horns that are very much not in my face... and I get the desired results with every wire I use... cheap basic copper is my preference.


Not to reinvigorate a flaming controversy, but if you are experiencing a sound that is hard, harsh, in your face etc... wire is not the solution. Using the proper electronics might help, but look at your speaker first. If you are using genuine JBL 4345s... they are helped by a bit of taming with an equalizer.

Bo has posted on several threads describing his experiences... I have heard the results and concur with his solutions.


Widget

[Robh3606]

Hello jamdel

I have 4344 clones and run them with standard good quality 12 ga. speaker wire. Nothing special. I agree with Widget look at the speakers first. They way they are designed they can peel paint if the levels are not correct on the midrange and compression drivers. I can adjust the L-Pads on my 4344's to make them sound like garbage if I want.

You could also have a problem with the L-Pads as well. I would write down the settings and run the L-Pads through there complete rotations a couple of times. That will clean the whiper on the pots. Return them to where they were and if it's still in you face turn down the horn in 1db steps. See if that helps.

If you can get your hands on an RTA to see how they look. You should be able to get them very flat if desired or roll them off a bit as well with just the L-Pad adjustments. The link shows you an in room RTA measurement of 4344.

http://www.audioheritage.org/photopo...=500&ppuser=23

Rob

[Tom Brennan]

I use whatever is handy---zip-cord, some Parts Express flat speaker wire I bought because it is....flat, that real skinny stuff that comes with a Sonic Impact amp and speakers---whatever.

[brutal]

No horns, but I'm starting to use 6moons DIY Whitelightning Moonshine cables.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/w...moonshine.html

[mech986]

Be sure that your 4345's have the proper 2308 or L91 slant lenses over the midrange.

If you are really having trouble, you could also consider having the 2420 mid driver checked to see if the diaphragm is OK. If it need replacement, then consider a JBL aluminum unit or a titanium aquaplassed diaphragm.

Be sure the midbass driver is in good condition and the seals are all tight on all drivers.

Always check to see the speaker is operating at it normal and nominal designed parameters first.

Bart

[jcrobso]

I use whatever is handy---zip-cord, some Parts Express flat speaker wire I bought because it is....flat, that real skinny stuff that comes with a Sonic Impact amp and speakers---whatever.

I used 16ga zip cord or 14-2 power cable for years before all this fancy speaker wire came on the market. I'm not trying to start anything but any wire 16~12ga will do the job.
Horn speakers do have a tendency to sound in you face(it's there lot in life) at others have said try changing the L pads. John

[Doc Mark]

Morning, Jamdel,

When we first got our L300's home, the horns were WAY too much of a good thing, and very "in your face"!! They sounded harsh and "spitty" to both me and Sweet Bride. But, all it took to get them just right, was to crank them way down with the L-pads. A bit of experimenting, and we soon found the setting that makes them sing sweetly, and naturally, with no more harsh and "spitty" sound! If this doesn't work for you, then check out what the other guys have suggested, too. When they are working properly, and have been setup for your listening environment, they should not be "in your face", but should offer you wonderful dynamic range, and at the same time, sweet, natural sound. Good luck, have fun getting them dialed-in, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[scott fitlin]

I use basic, ordinary copper speaker wire, and actually thus far, prefer it to Monster, and other EXPRESSELY DESINGED FOR AUDIO speaker cable.

I will have to agree with Widget, if your horns sound harsh, look at your electronics, AND your speakers. And, also amps, horns are amp sensitive, a particular horn sounds great with one amp, and like trash with another, even though they may be of equal power ratings.

And also, but, not to start a controversy, I got my hands on a couple of rolls of 22awg, stranded copper, Western Electric cloth jacketed wire from way back to I dont know when, 1959, or something and made some interconnects from this. THIS IS NICE! Sweet, clear, no edginess, or brittle sound. Spent an ENTIRE day swithching back and forth with todays interconnects, EVERYONE likes the W.E. interconnects. So, I just let it be.

I am at a loss to explain why this might be, but, it is!

Call me crazy,

[4343]

This whole thread reminds me of a friend, you know the kind that likes to tell long stories? I'll try to shorten it a bit, and leave out his name...

Seems this guy was working at a TV station at college, and happened to be at the right time and place to make "a lot of money". (For a college kid.)
When the station was moved to a new site, he was able to get "miles" of the old RJ-8? cable (not sure the model, but Belden, about 1/2" dia.) for free.

Being an enterprising kind of kid, he decided to try it on his speakers at home, and worked out a nice way to poke the center out the side of the braided shield, and finished it up with a nice heat-shrink and some lugs for the screw terminals. As kids will, he was always dragging his speakers around doing favors for people, and eventually met the owner of a "High-End" stereo store that started raving about his wires, asking where he got them, and can you get me more, etc. Remember, this is Belden Video Coax, so he was able to quote the specs (Flat to 50MHZ, etc.) to this person, and offered to let him try some in his store where the first batch sold out in record time, at record prices...

Long story short, he ended up putting his mom and aunts to work converting a garage full of old wire into cash...

Me, I just use whatever's cheap, although when it comes to 4-11 or 8-13, there's no such thing!

Lansing Content: This guy is a certified reconer, having attended both the Altec and JBL courses back when they were open to the public. Still works in television though...

[scott fitlin]

This whole thread reminds me of a friend, you know the kind that likes to tell long stories? I'll try to shorten it a bit, and leave out his name...

Seems this guy was working at a TV station at college, and happened to be at the right time and place to make "a lot of money". (For a college kid.)
When the station was moved to a new site, he was able to get "miles" of the old RJ-8? cable (not sure the model, but Belden, about 1/2" dia.) for free.

Being an enterprising kind of kid, he decided to try it on his speakers at home, and worked out a nice way to poke the center out the side of the braided shield, and finished it up with a nice heat-shrink and some lugs for the screw terminals. As kids will, he was always dragging his speakers around doing favors for people, and eventually met the owner of a "High-End" stereo store that started raving about his wires, asking where he got them, and can you get me more, etc. Remember, this is Belden Video Coax, so he was able to quote the specs (Flat to 50MHZ, etc.) to this person, and offered to let him try some in his store where the first batch sold out in record time, at record prices...

Long story short, he ended up putting his mom and aunts to work converting a garage full of old wire into cash...

Me, I just use whatever's cheap, although when it comes to 4-11 or 8-13, there's no such thing!

I hear you.

Matter of fact, it's sort of similar, as my W.E. wire is old surplus telephone switchboard wire.

Go figure!

:dont-know

[4343]

I hear you.

Matter of fact, it's sort of similar, as my W.E. wire is old surplus telephone switchboard wire.

Go figure!

:dont-know

Maybe you're hearing residue from all the conversations that passed through that wire over the years! Sort of the Golden Era Lives On? If you listen real close to the silence between the music, can you hear voices? (Like putting your ear up against a telephone pole?)

[scott fitlin]

Maybe you're hearing residue from all the conversations that passed through that wire over the years! Sort of the Golden Era Lives On? If you listen real close to the silence between the music, can you hear voices? (Like putting your ear up against a telephone pole?)

I mean, it was unused rolls of wire.

So, I don't think Im hearing things, but, who knows?

[scott fitlin]

(Like putting your ear up against a telephone pole?)

I didn't play that game!

The game we played when we were 10yrs old, was when we stole the telophone pole climbing spikes from the telephone guys truck, and 6 of us had 25cent bets on who had the balls to climb the pole to the top!

Remember when people didn't used to lock their vehicle doors?

[BMWCCA]

Remember when people didn't used to lock their vehicle doors?

You don't mean I'm supposed to do that in my own driveway, do you?

Living small in Central VA.