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Horn-Loaded Speakers
Topic: Alternative driver for WE15A

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Posted by personal on 11-11-2011
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Can I ask all of you who may have a valid alternative of the WE555 to a 4-way system so composed?
High: super tweeter
Medium-high: Iwata horn with JBL 2441 or similar
Medium-low: WE15A horn with driver ...? (I have the JBL 2482 is ok for a WE15A?)
Low: Shearer type horn with 02X18 "woofers
Thank you all for your answers
Best regards

Posted by Romy the Cat on 11-11-2011
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Personal, I do not use WE555 and I do not (would not) use the WE555-type horns. Hypothetically if one would go for 4-way system with WE555-like driver in upperbass then it is valid solution, not something that I appreciate but valid. 

The WE555 is very easy substitute. There are many drivers that were made as imitation of WE555. Goto, ALE and Kondo, early Altecs and others. This Japanese GIP makes today production of WE, even though their phase plugs more remind me Vitavox plugs then WE, perhaps when Vitavox was semi-copying it from Klipsch, Klipsch was coping it from WE…  What you need is 1” driver that have relatively low resonance frequency and more of less soft cone suspension.  The WE15A horn has with long narrow neck and it is driven by 1” throat. I kind of question that 100Hz might be obtained from 1” exit. I would like to have the 1.5” or even 2” throat but it is me….

I wonder why would you not use the WE555? You do not like it or you do not have it? You can pick up Goto, ALE and Kondo equivalent for around $3K used.  I do not know if it be equivalent in sound – it might be “better” or “worse” – all depends of what you are trying to do. Still, you are planning to use JBL 2441 for MF, so you need to see how your MF will be working along with your upperbass channel. The WE drivers have own sound and the Japanese drivers have own “character”. The MF channel is the main channel and you need to have your upperbass driver to be sonically “from the same barrel” to your MF channel. In the way, the way how your drivers will be driven by amps your channels will sound different, so it is very difficult to say what you are doing out there and what you are trying to accomplish. Generally at this site people deal with narrow specifics or with spacious generalization….

The Cat

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