Beautiful 1993 SNELL Acoustics "Type B Minor" Loud Speakers, 400W w/ 12" Woofers

Description: Beautiful SNELL Acoustics "Type B Minor" Loud Speakers Offered by the original owner that bought them 1996 for $3,390 40 - 400W Power Handling 12" Side Firing Woofers MTM (midrange-tweeter-midrange) configuration for a wide listening window Switchable Rear Tweeter contributes to the reverberant sound field Walnut veneered cabinets are selectively matched in sequential pairs Each pair is hand tuned to match the reference master within 0.5%dB - a remarkable performance standard Speakers are 48" Tall and Weighing 110 lbs each Includes Spikes and (2) 13' Long SoundStream SP-1 Bi-Wires with Lugs on the amp end and KnuKoncept BFA Banana Plugs on the speaker end. LOCAL PICKUP in Centerville, Ohio only - We will NOT provide shipping for these. See, hear and pickup at the DaytonIT Computer Shop in Centerville Ohio M-F 2pm-8pm Please refer to our feedback to see our success selling and shipping valuable audio equipment. Thanks Specifications: Type: 3 way, 5 driver loudspeaker system Frequency Response: 55Hz to 22kHz Recommended Amplifier: 40 to 400W Impedance: 9Ω Sensitivity: 90dB Bass: 1 x 12" long throw cone Midrange: 2 x 5.25" polypropylene cones Tweeter: 1 x 1" titanium dome, 1 x 3/4" rear dome Grille: black Finish: Matched Sequential Pair Walnut Veneer Dimensions: 48.5 x 10.5 x 16 inches Weight: 110lbs Exerts from a Stereophile Review in 1994 (Comparisons to the previous Type B model removed)... Snell Acoustics introduced the B Minor, at the 1992 Summer CES. Technical description The B minor has been described by its designer Kevin Voecks as being a "3½-way speaker" employing one woofer, two midranges, one tweeter, and the "half": a rear-firing tweeter that overlaps the front tweeter's range. The B minor resembles Snell's C/IV and E/III. A conventional tower, the B minor's cabinet is only 10" wide. The B minor uses a single 12" acoustic-suspension woofer. Unlike Snell's flagship Type A/III Improved loudspeaker, the B minor's woofer approach does not take advantage of bass reinforcement from the floor, as the woofer is mounted halfway up the side baffle. The 12" long-throw woofer has a cast basket frame and its double-thick magnet structure allows linear, high-excursion motion. It was designed to have superior power-handling characteristics. Snell's Kevin Voecks suggests that the B minor's narrow baffle enhances its imaging abilities. Midranges and tweeter are slightly offset toward the inside of the cabinet, to spread the interactions with cabinet edges out in frequency. The felt surrounds for the drivers also yield a smoother off-axis response. Along with the side-mounted woofers, this asymmetry means that the B minors come in mirror-imaged pairs. The B minor's tweeter is a brand-new titanium-dome unit. The company's literature suggests that this new tweeter has excellent on- and off-axis frequency responses and is said to exhibit "true pistonic behavior" throughout the audible range. It has increased power-handling capability due, in part, to a conjugate impedance-compensation circuit and a steep filter network. The rear-firing, ¾" dome tweeter is identical to the unit used in the Types B and C/IV. The B minor's crossover employs high-quality, non-polarized electrolytic capacitors, Mylar capacitors, and air-core inductors. The B minor's midrange drivers cover the same frequency passband, 275Hz–2.7kHz, with 18dB/octave low-pass and 24dB/octave high-pass slopes. The front tweeter takes over at 2.7kHz. The back-mounted ¾" tweeter begins to play when musical information includes frequencies higher than 5kHz, gradually increasing in volume using a first-order slope. At those frequencies, the rear tweeter contributes to the reverberant soundfield, reinforcing the speaker's total radiated energy in the highs. The B minor employs Monster Cable for internal wiring. There's a rear-tweeter on/off switch, a fuse holder, and a front tweeter-level control with continuous action. Instructions from Kevin Voecks suggested that the tweeter-level control should be set around 12 o'clock for the flattest frequency response. There are two pairs of five-way binding posts for bi-wiring/bi-amping. The speakers are shipped with flat metal jumpers configured in the shape of a capital "E" to allow the owner to drive the speaker from a single speaker cable. The slightly recessed input terminals did not interfere with my speaker-cable connections, which included both Sumiko OCOS and Levinson HFC-10 types. The B minor's manufacturing process involves tuning each driver's frequency response, with grilles in place, to within 0.5dB of Snell's reference master standard. This tolerance is far better than the ±4–5dB quoted by the vendors supplying the drivers. Each speaker is trimmed to match each loudspeaker's amplitude response to a reference master. This is done by overwinding inductors, then pulling turns off one at a time; starting with smaller capacitor values and adding trimmers; and, finally, adjusting variable resistors. The tweeter-level control is also calibrated against the reference master. The cabinet work appears to be first-rate, with fine fit'n'finish my review samples were finished in carefully matched dark walnut veneer. Cabinet sides are made from ¾" high-density particleboard, while the front baffle features 1"-thick particleboard. During the review period Snell added more internal braces to the cabinet to increase rigidity. The B minor rests on a particleboard plate and is supplied with carpet-piercing spikes. Speaker location & adjustments Detailed instructions for room setup were not included with the B minors sent for review. As with any installation, listening revealed the speakers' optimal room positions and toe-ins. It seemed evident that the side-mounted woofer grilles should face each other across the center space between the speakers. Via telephone, Kevin Voecks told me that the B minors were designed to be used out in the room, not against the back wall. I began my review by placing the B minors near the room's narrow back wall, as suggested by Snell's room-analysis software. The B minors were positioned 24" between the rear of speaker enclosure and the wall, which put the loudspeakers' front panels about 45" from the rear, 36" from the side walls, and 84" apart. The speakers were toed-in slightly. My listening position was 18' away from a center line between the speakers, and the seat placed my ears about 34" off the floor (about the level of the B minor's tweeter). I then adjusted the tweeter-level controls. As Voecks had suggested, I found that the 12 o'clock setting gave the best treble response for my taste. After this, I did the "sit down, stand up, walk around" procedure with pink noise, and found that neither on- nor off-axis treble responses differed markedly. I later tried other positions, but this initial setup proved to be the best. The B minors produced the best tonal balance when set up with bi-wired speaker cables. I disconnected the jumpers between the B minor's tweeter and woofer five-way binding posts, and connected the double spade lugs at the end of each parallel run of OCOS cable. I swept the loudspeakers with a Heathkit sinewave generator before I began listening to music. No 42Hz prominence was found during the room sweeps—just a slight increase in output between 47 and 60Hz. Sweeping downward, I was able to hear the low-frequency response clearly down to 35Hz. So far, so good: The B minors were easy to set up, and had a much less prominent bass emphasis. Listening I'll cut to the quick. The B minor had a mild midbass peak in my listening room. The good news is that this more felicitous tonal balance allowed the Snell B minor to image well, show greater midrange and treble clarity, and play with transparency. I tested the B minor's bass performance with a variety of musical sources: rock recordings for kickdrum bass peak; male vocals, including FM announcers, for upper-bass excess; organ and synthesizer recordings for deep bass; and synthesizer recordings for bass transient speed. With Rock studio recordings featuring kickdrum. The B minor did well with "Behind the Veil" from Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop (Epic EK 44313). When bass and kickdrum played together, bass notes remained distinct. The drum kit had generous bass slam and snap without being overblown. The kickdrum on Richard Thompson's "She Misunderstood," from Rumor & Sigh (Capitol CDP 7 95713 2), showed decent pitch definition, but did not overpower the other instruments when played over the B minors. Next I checked the reproduction of male voice. The B minor did not color the voices of FM announcers. José Carreras's wonderfully light, lyrical tenor remained pure and open with the B minor, showing little of the nasality heard with the B at the beginning of the "Kyria" on Ariel Ramirez's Misa Criolla (Philips 420 955-2). Harry Connick, Jr.'s rendition of "I Don't Get Around Much Anymore," from the When Harry Met Sally... soundtrack (Columbia CK 45319) was clear without any of the added warmth and overly resonant low frequencies. Next I checked for bass extension. With César Franck's Chorale No.1 for pipe organ (Marcel Dupré, Mercury Living Presence 434 311-2), the Snell B minors sustained the deep growl of the organ pedals and shook the room. The B minors had ample bass dynamics, as shown by their rendition of the powerful bass drum in Owen Reed's La Fiesta Mexicana (Fiesta, Reference RR-38CD). At the same time, the clarity of the upper registers was maintained. On the My Cousin Vinny soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande VSD-5364), the Mark Levinson No.27.5 delivered ample amounts of subterranean bass on Randy Elman's "Something's Wrong," but did not muddy the keyboard notes. The stair-step descent of organ notes on Saint-Saëns's Symphony 3 (Marcel Dupré, organ; Paul Paray, Detroit Symphony; Mercury Living Presence 432 719-2) was best heard through the Bs with the Krell KSA-250, or with the Muse Model 18 subwoofer coupled to Quad ESL-63s. The B minors' woofers played a few notes at the beginning of the descending scale, but did not reach as low as the Bs or the dedicated, biamped subwoofer. This is to be expected, and is not a fault of the B minors. The better-balanced low frequencies of the B minor mean that the bass does not interfere with instruments playing in the other parts of the sonic spectrum, as it does in the Type B. The Type B minor, however, can separate the flute, Maggie Boyle's soprano, and the 35Hz bass synthesizer chords on "Main Title," from the Patriot Games soundtrack (RCA 66051-2). There was an effortlessness, such that even the most dramatic fortissimo orchestral selections, and the loudest sections of Jeff Beck's "Behind the Veil," retained their senses of air and acoustical space. Richard Thompson's voice on Rumor & Sigh, clear and untarnished by the kickdrum, floated between the B minors well-defined and almost palpable. Despite the lack of transient bass speed, the B minors have plenty of pace, as evidenced in listening to Giorgio Moroder's score for Cat People (MCA MCAD-1498). If playing track one—David Bowie's "Putting out the Fire"—on the B minors doesn't make you get up and dance, nothing will. Pace was also evident on "Assault on Ryan's House," from Patriot Games—composer James Horner tightens the emotional screws by mixing a variety of unusual rhythmic effects, including a synthesizer-generated one that sounds like a jet engine mixed with bass-drum whacks. The B minor's midrange response contributed to its ability to image, producing a soundstage of considerable depth. My standard CD selections showed that the B minors' soundstage was able to hold its own with those of more expensive designs, like the Quads. On the Stereophile Test CD, the B minors placed the post-performance "Well done!" at the extreme left-hand stage—an accurate re-creation of the soundstage perspective. Similarly, Larry Archibald's voice on track 10 of Stereophile's Test CD 2 changed its apparent location in my listening room, as intended (see Vol.15 No.6, p.202). The B minors' imaging abilities can be heard at the very end of Richard Thompson's "Why Must I Plead," when the sonic image of Thompson's acoustic guitar plays just to the right of the right speaker. The B minors' back-to-front depth of imaging helped render a sense of the hall on Shostakovich's Symphony 6 (Leopold Stokowski, Chicago Symphony, RCA LSC-3133). The B minor's prominent midrange produced a "forward" sound. Female vocalists sounded up-front and close. Sinead O'Connor's voice on Peter Garland's "Don't Give Up," from Willie Nelson's Across the Borderline, is one of the most challenging to bring out. O'Connor sings with a tiny, thin, thread-like voice that's compelling, and dramatically undercuts Nelson's rich tone. On the B minors, O'Connor's voice retained its character and was easily heard. Not so with other loudspeakers. For example, the colorations of the Charios damped and muted her voice so that it was barely audible. The B minor's treble response was excellent, showing an ability to produce open, effortless highs. Driven this time by the Mark Levinson No.27.5, the B minors played Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet, Suites 1 & 2 (Stanislav Skrowaczewski, Minneapolis Symphony, Mercury Living Presence 432 004-2) with a considerably deep, transparent, detailed, up-front string tone. This extension was evident on the LP version of the Glory soundtrack (Virgin 90531-1). In the opening cut, "A Call to Arms," the choir voices were spread from wall to wall and had considerable depth. The sound of the vibes on Joe Beck's "Unspoken Words," from The Journey (DMP CD-481), remained detailed, clear, and open. Comparisons Compared with the Snell A/III or the Quad ESL-63/Muse Model 18 combination, the B minor didn't extend as low in the bass; the midrange-presence effect made it sound more aggressive and forward. The bass was not as fast or as capable of delivering the hardest "slam"; the B minor continued to have a bass emphasis in the 40–60Hz range. The Quad/Muse system, currently retailing for $7000, plays with greater speed and more transparency, midrange neutrality, and a wider soundstage. The $2500 Muse Model 18 subwoofer optimizes the response below 50Hz, yielding the best overall rendition of deep bass. This reference combination is capable of rendering the deepest organ notes, which are played at the beginning of the cadenza on Saint-Saëns's "Organ Symphony" LP (Eugene Ormandy, Columbia MS 6469). E. Power Biggs holds each note for about two seconds as he plays a descending scale. With the Muse, each note sounded as if it was a step on a staircase, with clean pitch and putting "a lock" on the room. The B minor/Krell KSA-250 combination did not reach as low, nor did it have the Muse's pitch definition. Through the Quad system the Stokowski/Chicago Symphony recording had an enormous, seamless soundstage that reached almost beyond the walls of the listening room. The Quad system was less compressed and more dynamic-sounding than the B minor. The Snell Type A/III Improved loudspeaker ($5890/pair when it was last available) shared two of the B minor's characteristics: wide dynamic range and pellucid treble response. Its low frequencies had better pitch definition, however, and its soundstage was wider and more panoramic. On the other hand, the A/III was not as transparent as the B minor; its wall-to-wall soundstage didn't have the B minor's image depth. LG Sums Up The Snell B minor does not suffer from the exaggerated bass that many of Stereophile's writers heard with the Type B. The B Minor's redesigned midrange and treble sections give the loudspeaker better soundstage depth and overall transparency, even though the speaker has more midrange "presence." It's much easier to optimally set up the B minors. At its $3599/pair price, the B minor encounters stiff competition, including the Thiel CS3.6 ($3990/pair), the Apogee Centaur Major ($3785/pair), and the Acarian Alón IV ($3400/pair). However, the B minor's transparency and imaging win it a "B" recommendation in "Recommended Components." While its bass is still prominent, the overall tonal balance is pleasing. The B minor's trim tower configuration, easy setup, match with a wide range of amplifiers, good price point, wide dynamic range, and transparency will be key points for those interested in a full-range, floorstanding dynamic loudspeaker.

Price: 1800 USD

Location: Dayton, Ohio

End Time: 2025-01-16T22:20:41.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD