45 years and still works...

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  • JonMarsh
    Mad Max Moderator
    • Aug 2000
    • 15259

    45 years and still works...

    What's the oldest piece of speaker test gear you have?

    I am cleaning out a storage unit in CA, and a week ago brought this back home...


    Click image for larger version  Name:	White Model 140.jpg Views:	0 Size:	709.9 KB ID:	936754

    This is a White Model 140 Audio Analyzer- it outputs pink noise, and then via an external microphone or mic and preamp will do 1/3 octave analysis on the built in LED display. The LED's actually flicker at a pretty high frequency, they look steady to the eye, but taking a picture with an iPhone results in some looking dark. To the naked eye, they're all lit up.

    This was the cat's meow back in the 70's, and I used this along with a B&K 4133 pressure zone microphone with an HP preamp, and my Tektronix scope, when working with Bill Kennedy, in collaboration on speaker development. He died relatively young, from an aortic aneurysm in 1980 while I was away at a CES show. This killed out plans, but it didn't kill the passion.

    You can still find these used at times, like on the Reverb site, but I haven't seen one in the formica covered carrying case like this.

    Of course, sometime this summer I should hook it up into the Fuzzmeasure test system just for fun...













    the AudioWorx
    Natalie P
    M8ta
    Modula Neo DCC
    Modula MT XE
    Modula Xtreme
    Isiris
    Wavecor Ardent

    SMJ
    Minerva Monitor
    Calliope
    Ardent D

    In Development...
    Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
    Obi-Wan
    Saint-Saëns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
    Modula PWB
    Calliope CC Supreme
    Natalie P Ultra
    Natalie P Supreme
    Janus BP1 Sub


    Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
    Just ask Mr. Ohm....
  • technodanvan
    Senior Member
    • Nov 2009
    • 998

    #2
    Neat stuff! I'm struggling to determine what the metal object is on the lower right in the case?
    - Danny

    Comment

    • JonMarsh
      Mad Max Moderator
      • Aug 2000
      • 15259

      #3
      That's a male and female XLR to RCA adapter plugged into each other...
      the AudioWorx
      Natalie P
      M8ta
      Modula Neo DCC
      Modula MT XE
      Modula Xtreme
      Isiris
      Wavecor Ardent

      SMJ
      Minerva Monitor
      Calliope
      Ardent D

      In Development...
      Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
      Obi-Wan
      Saint-Saëns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
      Modula PWB
      Calliope CC Supreme
      Natalie P Ultra
      Natalie P Supreme
      Janus BP1 Sub


      Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
      Just ask Mr. Ohm....

      Comment

      • theSven
        Master of None
        • Jan 2014
        • 855

        #4
        Wow! I wonder how accurate it is compared to the tech used these days? Really cool share JonMarsh
        Painter in training

        Comment

        • technodanvan
          Senior Member
          • Nov 2009
          • 998

          #5
          Originally posted by JonMarsh
          That's a male and female XLR to RCA adapter plugged into each other...
          That's not even close to what I was thinking.
          - Danny

          Comment

          • Steve Manning
            Moderator
            • Dec 2006
            • 1879

            #6
            Circa 1950's does this count?

            Click image for larger version

Name:	il_1588xN.4836736413_4m7c.webp
Views:	185
Size:	333.6 KB
ID:	936773
            Hold on to your butts - It's about to get Musical!



            WEBSITE: http://www.smjaudio.com/

            Comment

            • JonMarsh
              Mad Max Moderator
              • Aug 2000
              • 15259

              #7
              I’m curious- how do you test speakers with that? Or what do you test with it?

              😂

              I'll grant you, it does look old as dirt!
              the AudioWorx
              Natalie P
              M8ta
              Modula Neo DCC
              Modula MT XE
              Modula Xtreme
              Isiris
              Wavecor Ardent

              SMJ
              Minerva Monitor
              Calliope
              Ardent D

              In Development...
              Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
              Obi-Wan
              Saint-Saëns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
              Modula PWB
              Calliope CC Supreme
              Natalie P Ultra
              Natalie P Supreme
              Janus BP1 Sub


              Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
              Just ask Mr. Ohm....

              Comment

              • JonMarsh
                Mad Max Moderator
                • Aug 2000
                • 15259

                #8
                Originally posted by svenarajala
                Wow! I wonder how accurate it is compared to the tech used these days? Really cool share JonMarsh
                Well, it has a dynamic display range of just 20 dB, which can be adjusted to whatever input levels you want- no absolute level capability. And within that, just 2 dB per step. But if you can tune your system to hit a straight line of LED's, or just within 2 lines, that's going to sound pretty good...
                the AudioWorx
                Natalie P
                M8ta
                Modula Neo DCC
                Modula MT XE
                Modula Xtreme
                Isiris
                Wavecor Ardent

                SMJ
                Minerva Monitor
                Calliope
                Ardent D

                In Development...
                Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
                Obi-Wan
                Saint-Saëns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
                Modula PWB
                Calliope CC Supreme
                Natalie P Ultra
                Natalie P Supreme
                Janus BP1 Sub


                Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
                Just ask Mr. Ohm....

                Comment

                • tktran
                  Senior Member
                  • Jan 2005
                  • 658

                  #9
                  OMG that looks positively archaic. Not unlike the RTAs that the dealer would setup in the audio salon when I go started in audio in the 90s.

                  @JonMarsh
                  any ideas how much that baby costed? No doubt a pretty penny if you had your name engraved on it!!
                  If that was SOTAt then, then it’s a modern miracle that we had speakers that sound as good as they do.

                  you’d think with all the lasers/scanners and gizmos and automation (robots) and CAD and software and AI and 50 years of R&D (and globalised economy) we’d be that perfect sound by now…

                  One has to wonder whether the ear is also fairly crude instrument and not highly evolved compared to the eye-brain interface.

                  my oldest is a multimeter in late C20, a calculator and a piece of paper working out textbook crossover ASSUMING benign 8 or 4 ohm resistance for speaker loads. 🫣🙃
                  next came a multimeter with inductance and capacitance measurement for $XXX

                  Comment

                  • JonMarsh
                    Mad Max Moderator
                    • Aug 2000
                    • 15259

                    #10
                    Well, a TRAINED and EXPERIENCED ear can be a pretty useful instrument- I'd say peruse the reviews on sites like Stereophile, HiFi News, and Absolute Sound to get some idea... though their correlation with measurements is not perfect.

                    Sadly, few review sites attempt measurements, and the ones that do at times leave something to be desired in reference to our standards... humble DIY folks!


                    ​​​​​​​I recall something like $2K. was the original cost, but remember, there's been a lot of inflation since then- in today's dollars probably more like $10K.

                    Now, if you want to see a relatively rare example of actually USING all those potential design gizmos, check out the PuriFi SPK16 reference design...

                    https://purifi-audio.com/blog/tech-n...ence-design-12


                    All of the speaker companies have history about how they do things, and limited budget to expend on R&D, depending on their target market. And it takes money to make money, of course.


                    the AudioWorx
                    Natalie P
                    M8ta
                    Modula Neo DCC
                    Modula MT XE
                    Modula Xtreme
                    Isiris
                    Wavecor Ardent

                    SMJ
                    Minerva Monitor
                    Calliope
                    Ardent D

                    In Development...
                    Isiris Mk II updates- in final test stage!
                    Obi-Wan
                    Saint-Saëns Symphonique/AKA SMJ-40
                    Modula PWB
                    Calliope CC Supreme
                    Natalie P Ultra
                    Natalie P Supreme
                    Janus BP1 Sub


                    Resistance is not futile, it is Volts divided by Amperes...
                    Just ask Mr. Ohm....

                    Comment

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