Lowther time ... if it's worth it?

[lordmortlock]

A few months ago I helped a client sell some Lowther acoustas with DX4 drivers. Naturally I had a listen and the immediacy of the sound hit me, despite there being no real bass reproduction to speak of. I'd like to hear more but I don't want a massive pair of cabs in the front room ... the acoustas were too wide and ugly for my liking.

Are any of the more traditional looking designs any good? I know I won't be hearing the drivers at their absolute best but wondering if anyones living happily with Bicor 2000, Academy, Medallion II etc Cabs?

 

[JANDL100]

lowther drivers?

urk

 

[gjm]

I'm considering a pair of Mauhorns. Originally they wee designed for use with Lowthers - see http://www.lowtherloudspeakers.com/drawings.html.

I have an alternate driver, but the principles are the same.

 

[paulf-2007]

lowthers do some things very well but could you live long term with the peak in the midrange that is the lowthers best quality. I don't think so. Now voxativ is a different animal, having said that, I listened to John Howe's quarterwave, a voight style design that fires vertically to a half cone to disperse the sound and that to had the " shout " these were the " less " expensive of the voxativ drivers. I have been pondering over building the Mauhorns with voxativ drivers but the £6000 filed coils are now discontinued in favour of a £10,000 pair, ouch.

 

[gjm]

I'm looking at something far simpler - the Mauhorn IV.

 

[lordmortlock]

The Mauhorns are too deep for my space sadly, despite looking fantastic. It's the Bicor, Fidelio, Academy cabs that would fit here, are they any good?

 

[gjm]

The Mauhorns are too deep for my space sadly, despite looking fantastic. It's the Bicor, Fidelio, Academy cabs that would fit here, are they any good?

I may have reached the fuc stuff it phase of loudspeaker ownership.

I've only heard the Fidelio cabs. Nice.

Take a look at the appearance of the finished product... I know! But if the depth of the speaker is an important consideration, looks may be too.

 

[Tony_J]

The Mauhorns are too deep for my space sadly, despite looking fantastic. It's the Bicor, Fidelio, Academy cabs that would fit here, are they any good?

I have a pair of Bicors that I built myself, and have been experimenting with a pair of upward-firing cabinets based on 1/2 of an Acousta 124 - about the same width and height as the Fidelio - see: http://www.hifiwigwam.com/showthread.php?86783-Upward-firing-Lowther-cabinets

There's a way to go with the experimental cabinets but the results so far are promising - I plan to play with the configuration of the reflector to see what effect that has on the sound, and will probably build another pair that are somewhat nearer to the Bicors in height.

I like the Bicors, but the sound is noticeably more "in your face" than with the upward firing cabs. Lowther said to me that the Fidelio cabinets sound more "natural" than the Bicors, but I haven't heard any (or the Academy for that matter) so I can't offer an opinion on how they sound.

It is certainly the case that Lowther speakers tend to be light on bass - especially if what you are used to is a more conventional speaker design. However, the bass they produce is musical, i.e., the lower registers on a piano actually sound like piano notes rather than just a bass boom.

 

[paulf-2007]

I also had Fidelio, very good but not deep bass. I swapped out the EX3's I bought new because they still wouldn't do bass after six months run in. Changed to some cheap drivers from eBay, much better.

 

[lordmortlock]

lowther drivers?urk

Heh ... You weren't necessarily my target audience with this post J!

Interested to hear that the Fidelios impressed Graham, they're pretty boxy but they'd just about do looks wise. There's some pretty good looking academy or medallion boxes out there in DIY land.

EDIT Just noticed your last post Paul ... good feedback, thanks

 

[gjm]

Heh ... You weren't necessarily my target audience with this post J!Interested to hear that the Fidelios impressed Graham, they're pretty boxy but they'd just about do looks wise. There's some pretty good looking academy or medallion boxes out there in DIY land.

EDIT Just noticed your last post Paul ... good feedback, thanks

Can't say I recall what the bass was like. Mids were good... The usual female vocals (which I confess to enjoying, anyway) sounded fine.

 

[lordmortlock]

I have a pair of Bicors that I built myself, and have been experimenting with a pair of upward-firing cabinets based on 1/2 of an Acousta 124 - about the same width and height as the Fidelio - see: http://www.hifiwigwam.com/showthread.php?86783-Upward-firing-Lowther-cabinetsThere's a way to go with the experimental cabinets but the results so far are promising - I plan to play with the configuration of the reflector to see what effect that has on the sound, and will probably build another pair that are somewhat nearer to the Bicors in height.

I like the Bicors, but the sound is noticeably more "in your face" than with the upward firing cabs. Lowther said to me that the Fidelio cabinets sound more "natural" than the Bicors, but I haven't heard any (or the Academy for that matter) so I can't offer an opinion on how they sound.

It is certainly the case that Lowther speakers tend to be light on bass - especially if what you are used to is a more conventional speaker design. However, the bass they produce is musical, i.e., the lower registers on a piano actually sound like piano notes rather than just a bass boom.

I read your posts re the cabs with interest Tony. I've enjoyed single driver applications previously from Cain and Cain and Omega but both were Fostex based, which sounded a little thin here. The Lowthers did something very nice, despite obvious limitations.

The Bicor 2000 cabs interest me. Two units, a horn loaded front facing and one at the rear firing up at an angle.

 

[Tony_J]

I read your posts re the cabs with interest Tony. I've enjoyed single driver applications previously from Cain and Cain and Omega but both were Fostex based, which sounded a little thin here. The Lowthers did something very nice, despite obvious limitations. The Bicor 2000 cabs interest me. Two units, a horn loaded front facing and one at the rear firing up at an angle.

Yes, the Bicor 2000 is potentially interesting, although I suspect that having the driver firing more nearly vertically (like with the Academy) would provide a better balance. Right now I am musing on the possibility of a modified Bicor 200 or Fidelio design adjusted for an upward firing driver...might just have to try a lash-up with the existing Bicors to see if it shows any promise. Of course, the great thing with DIY cabs is that you can knock them together in a couple of weekends and try them out. My biggest issue right now is that my listening room really doesn't have enough space for sensible comparisons between different designs.

I think that a lot of the bass issues with Lowthers are due to the rising mid/high performance of the Lowther drivers; subjectively, my upward firing cabs seem to have a better balance, probably due to the upward firing driver/reflector combination acting to attenuate the mids/highs. Net result, you turn the wick up a bit higher to get the right sound level, and more of what you are hearing is at the low end. Maybe the cheap drivers mentioned by PaulF didn't have as much mid/high as the Lowthers, hence giving better bass performance.

I haven't heard any Fostex drivers, but I have seen similar comments, that they don't really stand up to the comparison with Lowthers.

 

[Tony_J]

I also had Fidelio, very good but not deep bass. I swapped out the EX3's I bought new because they still wouldn't do bass after six months run in. Changed to some cheap drivers from eBay, much better.

Which were the cheap drivers that you used? (and do you still have the EX3's?)

 

[paulf-2007]

No, sold the EX3 to vinylnvalves ( steve ) cheap drivers I have now not available but these are from the same source and I suspect much better http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PAIR-of-8-fullrange-drivers-copper-pole-piece-for-Lowther-horn-speakers-or-OB-/200938017613?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item2ec8d6d34d

Which were the cheap drivers that you used? (and do you still have the EX3's?)

 

[Tony_J]

No, sold the EX3 to vinylnvalves ( steve ) cheap drivers I have now not available but these are from the same source and I suspect much better http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PAIR-of-8-fullrange-drivers-copper-pole-piece-for-Lowther-horn-speakers-or-OB-/200938017613?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item2ec8d6d34d

OK - I also bought a pair of the older drivers from David a few years back - in my Bicor 200 cabs they worked & produced good bass, but to me, the top end lacked the punch of the Lowther drivers, so I sold them on. It would be interesting to try a pair of his newer drivers though - he thinks they perform pretty well, especially with the mod he does to increase the size of the whizzer cone.

 

[paulf-2007]

I would agree they lacked the lowther punch but also lacked the shout, compromises are the name of the game are they not? I have two as rears in my cinema/hifi room, ceiling mounted. Depending on what you would be willing to spend on Lowther drivers I would go with voxativ instead.

OK - I also bought a pair of the older drivers from David a few years back - in my Bicor 200 cabs they worked & produced good bass, but to me, the top end lacked the punch of the Lowther drivers, so I sold them on. It would be interesting to try a pair of his newer drivers though - he thinks they perform pretty well, especially with the mod he does to increase the size of the whizzer cone.

 

[Tony_J]

The Bicor 2000 cabs interest me.

There is a pair on the 'Bay right now:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221251143018?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

The starting price seems a bit steep to me...

 

[lordmortlock]

I'm going to have a listen on Weds Tony. The drivers are fairly new but the cabs look a bit tatty. Maybe a couple of hundred quid too expensive?