Angelo,

I do not take your project seriously because of multiple reasons. I would not go into discussions about it as I fell it is unnecessary. Sill I will give you a tip, use if disregard it – it up to you. Forgot about S2, or any other “vintage” or contemporary driver. If you wiling to make own driver then spend less time cursing internet and pick the residues of somebody else’s wisdom. Try to learn something about your own understanding of sound and then render own sound understanding into sonic result of your own driver/installation. I know that this advice most likely knocks into an empty door and you most likely has no own objectives but juts a general “what if” interest. So, do not bother those PA Chinese people and do not bother yourself with abstract and unnecessary ideas of bogus projects. Get yourself from EBay the desired by you S2 driver (I have no idea why you have developed infatuation with it), bring it home and learn.. that it will resolve or address ….absolutely nothing.

angeloitacare wrote:

s2 drivers on ebay, forget it, there are none available, and if, they will not go for less than a&nbsp;2 - 3&nbsp;thousend dollars.<BR>my interest wake up with your propaganda on these drivers. i also do not see too much chance that such a project could turn reality, mainly because china companys ask to buy big quantities. but i think it may be worth try, at least&nbsp;i could find out the possibilities, and that interests me. but, without plans, there would not even possible to get a price from these firms.

I do not do “propaganda” of S2 driver. It is unfortunate that you, as many other audio people, see any comments about audio as a primitive urge to run and buy something. Too much Framer-type and Valin-type reading in your medical history? BTW, this is one of the reasons why I spare my positive comments – because it is too sad to see when people convert targeted reasonability and motivations into own purchasing blindness and objectionable irrational. Anyhow, if you do understand what is expressed at my site regarding the S2 driver then you have realized that I numerous times mentioned difficulties and complications of dealing with S2 and that I do not suggest this driver for the people who do not know what they do and that Sound they intend to get as a result. I think the best advise that I might give to you to stop reading this site as an INCENTIVE FOR ACTIONS and partially for any purchase actions.

Anyhow, I do have the “S2 plans” but I assure you that it is will not help you. Any imitation of anything is in essence a foolish actively indicating a complete Moronity of imitator.  It requires a lot of experience, a lot of sensibility, and a lot of firm understanding what exactly one would like to get as a result in order to be able to embrace the best from a given driver or topology and to make own driver. Looking at what you have expressed before I do not feel that you even remotely has the necessary sensibility and familiarity with the subject and therefore I would not advise you to dive into the field of driver making. Not to mention that, to make own driver, including all necessary R&D, would require way more money then the most expensive driver you might ever see on eBay.

... as typing empty and "impressionable" words on keyboard and clinking mouse….

Wojtek wrote:

….and now when there is the chance that this driver could be available to masses for cheap he's backing … .

thierry wrote:

Romy, your skeptism is understandable. It is not just something that i am trying to achieve, its gone be a lot of work. But I have a lot of experiance in this field, and i get a lot of help so if you have any ideas regarding this project or anybody else here just let me know.

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/TreeItem.aspx?postID=1929#1929

guy sergeant wrote:

I had dinner with Mike Harvey from Octave this weekend. Mike acquired the intellectual rights, tooling, drawings and jigs needed to manufacture the S2's. I believe that newly manufactured S2's will be available very soon. Mike is sufficiently thorough to ensure that it will be done properly.

Mike has been talking about it for years and for years he has been saying that the New S2 will be coming soon. Well, if it is will happen eventually then it would be very welcoming events. Obviously Mile knows the S2 drivers manufacturing as no one else and if anyone would try to push anything in Vitavox direction then it should be him.

Still, despite that he owns the original Vitavox production technology it is not necessary mean that that he will end up with good sound of out those drivers. Most likely it will be a different driver, perhaps inspired by Vitavox S2 but it not will be the same at it was 50 years ago – it might be better or worse but not the same. I think Mike will be wrong it he do for direct imitation as there are some thing that could/should be improved in S2.

Anyhow, please keep posted about the Mike’s progress and I would be very interest to get one of those new Vitavox S2 drivers to see what it will be able to do. If Mike would be interested for some kind of Beta testing (that he should do I feel) then I would be happy to assist him.

guy sergeant wrote:

I had dinner with Mike Harvey from Octave this weekend. Mike acquired the intellectual rights, tooling, drawings and jigs needed to manufacture the S2's. I believe that newly manufactured S2's will be available very soon. Mike is sufficiently thorough to ensure that it will be done properly.

guy sergeant wrote:

Not yet. I'll give him a call & put details of the reply here.

Romy wrote :

"Did Mike consider making the driver better or he just plans to replicate what Vitavox did 50 years ago?"

Here is a thought :

While I am over all very pleased with the results I am able to get from the original S2s, Romy once made a comment that has caused me to question the design of the rear cover (he was considering damping the inner surface with fabric): Could there be an advantage in making the inner surface of this cover not so flat, not so smooth, and not so reflective?

It would be interesting to cast a new experimental rear cover having the same volume, but a less reflective shape... not flat, possibly domed, and possibly with an inner texture similar to the crystal lining of a geode (but scaled down). This would be a fairly simple operation for me, and one day I will try it.

In the mean time, it could be something to consider in the design of a new S2.

jd*

guy sergeant wrote:

He is in a difficult position. Does he make a the driver using the tooling/knowledge/supplier information he has acquired from Vitavox(and change nothing)? This would be actually be a Vitavox S2 (not a repro) or does he try to make a better new version. The people in the far east who are interested in and use these would probably only want something made exactly as per the original one. If I were in his shoes, this is what I'd do. Later one could look at doing a modified 'improved' version. I'm not sure that given the investment involved, it would be wise to make something new at this point.

I did not detect that Mike was difficult position. In those few conversations that I had with him he was quite rational and I did not detect any difficulties, as least in the limited scope of the subjects that we had under discussion.

Anyhow, Guy, I very much disagree with your expressed. I do not know if it is Mike’s attitude or your own views but regardless of whose it is I found it faulty. No mater what Mike do the new production of Vitavox S2 will NOT be the same drives as they use to be 50 years back. It is impossible to make it the same, regardless how much someone would like to convince themselves… not to mention: WHY SHOULD IT BE THE SAME? Is the old production of Vitavox S2 some kind of absolute reference that did better Sound? Of course not!!!! Furthermore, I can bring you examples of dozens and dozens companies and products where “reportedly” the same people, with the “reportedly” the same machinery and “reportedly” the same suppliers tried to reinstate former products and the products NEVER were the same. So, I have no doubts that the new production of S2 will sound different then the 50-years production – there is nothing wrong with it.

Still, even shaping the subject as “new production vs. the old production” does not sound intelligent for me. One of the reasons is because the old production drivers all sounded different anyhow…

So, to think - if the new Mike’s production will be repro or not repro is unnecessary. Whatever it will be it will be new drivers. If is will be inspired by the Vitavox S2 blueprint then it is fine but it itself said absolutely nothing about the Sound of those drivers. The originals Vitavox people fifty years ago, very much similar to Mike today are clueless regardless “where sound come from in drivers” and it is perfectly fine that the old guys and Mike do whatever they do just trying to get more “interesting” version of Sound…

Anyhow, it would be sad if Mike buys into the same believe regarding of the S2 driver as you Guy apparently do. Guy, you are and industry participant and your mind works in a certain industry-precompiled format, the format that I religiously reject. Thinking about the new production of the S2 driver you do not think in term of what actions might be take in order to get better Sound out of this driver but rather in term: what kind BS marketing statements the bogus people at far east would like to heard about this drivers in order to find it more attractive to buy. Sure, you would like to pitch to them the concept of the “the original one”? But what does it mean “the original one”? It is a reference to Sound or to the stupid brand cult? I hope Mike would not buy into the Label Drooling and go for the actual sonic results instead of the breeding the stupid marketing crap… the crap that unfortunately is the only thing that makes revenue in audio. Well, whatever, will see…

BTW, when you will be talking to Mike then to the questions for my former post add a question if Mile will be changing (did I say improving?) the shape of the bolt the attaches the phase plug to the center-poll.