EV EVS-15B Help needed!!!!!!!

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Q8

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So I bought a pair of EV EVS-15Bs with 10" woofers (for $20) and I need some help. This may end up being more of a "lesson learned" than "great score!"

ForumRunner_20140811_204206.jpg

So the biggest glaring problem with them is the fact that the woofers are replaced. Not just replaced, but replaced with speakers that appear to be from "white van scam" speakers...

Also there is a fuse near the bottoms if you look closely at the pictures. Is this original? I'm thinking not. The mids and tweeters seem to be original though. I havent had the nads to check the crossover yet.

Firstly, do you think they added the fuse just as protection to the speakers and whatever they are connected to because they dropped in these el-cheapo drivers?

Secondly what model 10" woofer did they use for these? EV made a 15B speaker, but I think that is a later 15" bass amp speaker. Also if anyone can source originals, that would be nice.

Thirdly do you think they mucked with the crossover?

Fourth..ly? If I decided to go with a modern driver. Like lets say the lowest model 10" that parts express sells for vintage speakers, or the Dayton one they sell, what if any modifications would I need to do to the crossover? I am no engineer. I may know a little more than the average consumer, but I am still no wizard with a soldering iron. Everybody seems to talk about modding crossovers when adding new drivers. In this case though, the Parts Express/Dayton drivers are designed for vintage speakers and have similar power limitations. I wouldn't expect them to sound original (maybe better bass) but I wouldnt think dropping them in on an unmodded crossover would make them unlistenable.

Should I just throw up my hands and admit I bought 40lb door stops?

Preferably I would like to make them original, but I wouldnt want to spend as much or more making them original as I could buy another pair. Plan B would be dropping in replacement woofers like the ones I mentioned. I'm guessing at that point, thier only historical or financial value would be that of a poorly concieved homebrew Speaker that looks like a classic.

My main two questions are what drivers I need and if I would be commiting some sort of sin by dropping in better replacement woofers without mucking with the crossover. And if it would be a sin, what would I need to do to the crossover (in baby talk).

Also here is the PDF spec sheet:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...GymoEg&usg=AFQjCNHGRHYLS6maReB0troe9VZ9PKBnRA
 
Well,,,,,,,,,, this might not help, but I put aftermarket woofers in a pair of EV speakers with 10" drivers in a bar in the '80s and the bass wasn't as well defined. I saved the drivers and even tried to salvage a foam ring from a new white van special before finding out about replacement foam (and reconing). Experimented with some ported speakers and put an adjustable port in one to dial in the resonance, it was amazing when it was dialed in. Not flat-accurate amazing, but sounded good. I liked the EVs and other sealed box speakers better because they didn't have an artificial bump at the tuned resonance. However, tuning a driver to a cabinet is easier when there is a port. There is a bunch of science to look at free-air resonance, efficiency, etc., and I/we tried for a while to follow it and concluded it will get you close but there will still be big differences in results for various drivers in a given cabinet.

I wouldn't doubt some "cheap" woofers might sound better than some more pricey woofers (and vice-versa), it depends on the match with the cabinet.

No sin to drop in replacement woofers without altering the crossover if there are no originals at hand. Unless you know they are a better match for the cabinet, though, they might not necessarily be better.

I have some Parts Express or MCM drivers in Fisher speakes I use in the workshop, they sound fine but not studio-fine! I think I have replaced the tweeters at some point.

For the crossover, when the woofer is out is the time to visually inspect it. If someone has messed with it, it should be noticeable. I think when modders talk about tuning the crossover to the driver that they're on the right track, but it doesn't matter much until the driver is matched with the cab.

I'd just get some drivers and use 'em if you want. if the cabinet isn't modified, one can always drop in refoamed originals when/if they show up.

Oops, most importantly, have you tried them? I would check them with an ohmmeter and if it reads about 6 ohm, listen to them.
 
Well,,,,,,,,,, this might not help, but I put aftermarket woofers in a pair of EV speakers with 10" drivers in a bar in the '80s and the bass wasn't as well defined. I saved the drivers and even tried to salvage a foam ring from a new white van special before finding out about replacement foam (and reconing). Experimented with some ported speakers and put an adjustable port in one to dial in the resonance, it was amazing when it was dialed in. Not flat-accurate amazing, but sounded good. I liked the EVs and other sealed box speakers better because they didn't have an artificial bump at the tuned resonance. However, tuning a driver to a cabinet is easier when there is a port. There is a bunch of science to look at free-air resonance, efficiency, etc., and I/we tried for a while to follow it and concluded it will get you close but there will still be big differences in results for various drivers in a given cabinet.

I wouldn't doubt some "cheap" woofers might sound better than some more pricey woofers (and vice-versa), it depends on the match with the cabinet.

No sin to drop in replacement woofers without altering the crossover if there are no originals at hand. Unless you know they are a better match for the cabinet, though, they might not necessarily be better.

I have some Parts Express or MCM drivers in Fisher speakes I use in the workshop, they sound fine but not studio-fine! I think I have replaced the tweeters at some point.

For the crossover, when the woofer is out is the time to visually inspect it. If someone has messed with it, it should be noticeable. I think when modders talk about tuning the crossover to the driver that they're on the right track, but it doesn't matter much until the driver is matched with the cab.

I'd just get some drivers and use 'em if you want. if the cabinet isn't modified, one can always drop in refoamed originals when/if they show up.

Oops, most importantly, have you tried them? I would check them with an ohmmeter and if it reads about 6 ohm, listen to them.

I was hoping you would reply. I enjoy your tech talk, no BS, lots of facts. :)

I figured it would probably be best to leave the crossover alone. Especially given my lack of experience on the matter. I do hope to find the original drivers for these particular speakes since EV claims to have put a lot of research in mayching the drivers to the cabs. The only thing I would be concerned about is the fact that a lot of people complain about this era of EVs being too bright, and I'm already not a huge fan of bright sounding speakers. Thats one reason why I would hope a well made modern woofer could bring in more powerful lows. That may be a tall order with 10" woofers in an air suspension cab?

As for finding the original woofers. I have been combing the internet obsessively since Sunday and cannot figure out what model the original woofers were. EV made and used a lot of 10" woofers :) Anywhere I could find that info? Kinda hard to find the original woofers if I don't know what I'm looking for.

You are right, I need to check them with the ohm meter. I haven't hooked them to anything in fear of the taiwan clear woofers and the added fuse (I certainly hope they chose the right fuse for the power). My guess is that the fuse is connected through just the woofer and they placed it there cause they were afraid of cooking the white van speakers (people online seem to think they catch fire easily). I wonder if the woofers and fuse were done by someone so they could sell the cabs to an unsuspecting mark and sell the woofers on ebay. Maybe I will be shocked by the clearity and response of the taiwan woofers :p

Thanks for making me not feel bad about putting better replacement woofers in without modding the crossover. I have been reading too much written on the internet by people more concerned about what the gear is worth and if it is original than what it sounds like.
 
It turns out I have a pair of EVS-15B deep in the vault. . Looks like original woofers, the foam is rotted. My camera is not working.

I pulled a woofer. It has four hex head wood screws and sealed by a waxy substance (like a "glue stick" residue).

There are two numbers on the frame. 78757 and 719823.
The cardboard ring on front has 831 but that is likely a part number for the ring.

The drivers look thin and cheap, the crossover looks decent, and the cabinet is decent. Thin, cheap looking drivers can sound great though. When I get some more foam I'll redo these and check them out. I have a bunch of speakers with 10" woofers that need foam.

They still have the thrift store tag from 10+ yrs ago, when I could still find good deals on distressed '70's speakers.
 
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It turns out I have a pair of EVS-15B deep in the vault. . Looks like original woofers, the foam is rotted. My camera is not working.

I pulled a woofer. It has four hex head wood screws and sealed by a waxy substance (like a "glue stick" residue).

There are two numbers on the frame. 78757 and 719823.
The cardboard ring on front has 831 but that is likely a part number for the ring.

The drivers look thin and cheap, the crossover looks decent, and the cabinet is decent. Thin, cheap looking drivers can sound great though. When I get some more foam I'll redo these and check them out. I have a bunch of speakers with 10" woofers that need foam.

They still have the thrift store tag from 10+ yrs ago, when I could still find good deals on distressed '70's speakers.

Wow! Wasn't expecting that. I'm pretty sure ive seen pictures of other EV woofers with those sorts of numbers on the frame. No far, doesn't pull much of anything on the internet. Not a lot of info or even ancecdotes about those. I saw a forum post where some guy had the 16b, which had 12" woofers, same cabinet, maxes out the width of that cab. And the 16b sits horizontal where the 15b sits vertical. They are supposed to be bookshelf speakers (I guess you would have to have one heck of a bookshelf, these guys are big and heavy for that task).

Are the magnets square or round?

The foam they used really didn't seem to last. At least refoaming looks easy. I've never done it, but I have repaired a torn cone.

There was none of the sticky stuff around the woofer when I popped it out. Must have been clean. I wonder if the other drivers have it. Probably part of the sealing process. The spec sheet boasts of how well sealed the air suspension cab is.

Maybe the drivers are thin so they can really use that air suspension to sing.

Yeah I bet

An yeah, seeing decent looking 70s speakers at bargain prices doesn't happen as often anymore. And Goodwills seem to trash a lot of things that are "broken" now. Thats why I jumped on these even though they have been altered.

Thanks for unearthing those!
 
Magnets are square U-shaped with two sides open, you can see the cylinder shaped magnet on those sides.
 
Having a hard time picturing that. If you are able to get a picture some time it would help. Or even a picture online of a similar design. Thanks again for all your help on this.
 
Got back to this. Refoamed one of the woofers so far, attached a pic of the frame. It is a weak magnet as speakers go, and the mid and tweet seem cheap. It seems they put cheap speakers in a heavy decent cabinet. I hope to have them in a quad garage system within a few days if the tweeters/mids are OK.
 

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