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Utah 2a with foster horns

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Posted on February 22, 2015 at 14:59:48
sanman
Audiophile

Posts: 1780
Location: Redwood Coast
Joined: November 13, 2004



I purchased these for 5 dollars at an estate sale and decided to add some sparkle. So, I added a Original Foster horn tweeter, the 49-1166 model found in Zenith Allegros. I experimented with a variety of different in line capacitors and settled on 1uf. They sound pretty darn good, not overbearing or harsh, still a bit shy on bass, but it's there and tight.

"When the demon is at your door, in the mornin' it won't be there no more"
Steely Dan

 

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RE: Utah 2a with foster horns, posted on February 22, 2015 at 15:36:07
Brian Levy
Audiophile

Posts: 2438
Location: Toronto
Joined: June 5, 2000
I love your tools. I wonder what you would use on a wrist watch. :)
Don Brian Levy, J.D.
Toronto ON Canada

 

It takes a verrry steady hand..., posted on February 22, 2015 at 16:12:04
sanman
Audiophile

Posts: 1780
Location: Redwood Coast
Joined: November 13, 2004
To use those tools on my speakers, I'll have you know...but it does build muscles and character!
"When the demon is at your door, in the mornin' it won't be there no more"
Steely Dan

 

RE: Utah 2a with foster horns, posted on February 22, 2015 at 16:45:31
DavidLD
Audiophile

Posts: 4884
Joined: May 29, 2002
I THINK the 2a's have a 3 1/2 inch cone tweet and 8 inch woofer. The big cone tweeters play quite low, but so do the horns. The cone tweeters are attached with screws from inside the cabinet. Try just removing the cone tweets entirely and i think the slots in the horns will slip right over the existing screws from the back. Just use the OEM cap that is currently on the 3 1/2 inch cones on the horns, but that cap you are using might be about the same value.

 

RE: Utah 2a with foster horns, posted on February 22, 2015 at 17:07:25
sanman
Audiophile

Posts: 1780
Location: Redwood Coast
Joined: November 13, 2004
I'm afraid of having a hole in the middle...
"When the demon is at your door, in the mornin' it won't be there no more"
Steely Dan

 

RE: Utah 2a with foster horns, posted on February 23, 2015 at 05:10:15
DavidLD
Audiophile

Posts: 4884
Joined: May 29, 2002
I have not looked at the specific response curve for the Foster horns, but I know the following.

1. Utah woofers are paper cone and designed to play high up and smoothly roll off without an inductor. One of the reasons these speakers were inexpensive is there were not a lot of crossover parts.

2. I have not looked at the FR of the Foster tweeter, but I am very familiar with the similar Pioneer version which is rated to play down to 2000 Hz. http://www.parts-express.com/pioneer-ahe60-51f-3-1-2-horn-tweeter--270-050

I would be shocked if the Foster was not very similar. THey MIGHT even be the SAME tweeter.

THe crossover frequency for the 12-inch woofer on the bigger 3-way Utahs is 2500 Hz. The three-way Utahs have a sealed 8-inch mid which plays for only 1000 Hz and crosses over to the 3 1/2 inch cone at 3500 Hz

I suspect the 8-inch woofer in the 2a crosses over to the 3 1/2 inch at about the same 3500 Hz frequency, with the single OEM cap handling that a leisurely 6 db-per-octave slope. In which case a horn that plays down to 2000 Hz on a 6-db-per octave slope works perfectly, since that is almost exactly the slope of the 3 1/2 inch cone.

In a number of upgrade Utah models, they replaced the 3 1/2 inch cone tweter with a very similar round horn so what you are doing is not inconsistent with what Utah engineers themselves did.

My hunch is that if my reasoning is correct the OEM cap value is a fine choice for the horn too.

Bottom line is that I would be shocked if the horn didn't work well as a drop in replacement for the cone, using the OEM cap, while adding sparkle to the treble. I would be shocked if there were a significant hole in the FR.

I'm not sure if the 2a has a tweeter level control or not, but if it does not and the result of this drop-in experiment seens treble heavy (the horn IS higher output, but the cone seems treble shy by current standards), you need to add a variable level control into the cuircuit to fine tune the treble-bass balance, but that is it. Conveniently, the Utah 3-ways already all have tweeter level controls which can be used to fine tune the balance between the treble and bass when the horn replaces the cone.

There are not many speakers out there, vintage or otherwise, where you could pull off a simple tweeter-swap stunt like this with good results, but the Utahs are one of them!

Doing this to a pair of Utah 3-ways was my first (and arguably my most successful) DIY speaker project. I have the round horns sold by Radio Shack in the mid 1970s (and probably made by Utah!)

David

David

 

RE: It takes a verrry steady hand..., posted on February 23, 2015 at 08:13:47
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
I see a bolt cutter and a branch cutter. I am not sure what there use would be for working on a speaker!

Dave

 

RE: It takes a verrry steady hand..., posted on February 23, 2015 at 11:55:26
sanman
Audiophile

Posts: 1780
Location: Redwood Coast
Joined: November 13, 2004
I use the bolt cutter to trim up those pesky stray copper strands you get if you don't tin yor speaker wire,...
"When the demon is at your door, in the mornin' it won't be there no more"
Steely Dan

 

Oh., posted on February 23, 2015 at 12:26:37
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
LOL!

Dave

 

RE: Utah 2a with foster horns, posted on February 23, 2015 at 12:43:52
sanman
Audiophile

Posts: 1780
Location: Redwood Coast
Joined: November 13, 2004




I have had mixed results with dropping in these tweeters. I did drop some in to a pair of, if I recall correctly, allied speaker company 2 way AS speakers, with similar paper drivers. I added a 2 uf cap to the crossover. They would be good candidates for the L pad you suggest as they are still a tad bright.
I am intrigued by the concept of dropping these in and will try it out soon as I get the above project further along!
Thanks, David.
"When the demon is at your door, in the mornin' it won't be there no more"
Steely Dan

 

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