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w-bins why are they "tabu" on here

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Forum Description: Discussion / Questions about all the other plans
URL: https://forum.speakerplans.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=108074
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 9:48pm
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Topic: w-bins why are they "tabu" on here
Posted By: BrainlessTekno
Subject: w-bins why are they "tabu" on here
Date Posted: 07 September 2023 at 12:00pm
Hello SP,
I've come across quite a bit of criticism surrounding W-bins, with some suggesting they should be utilized for reproducing mid frequencies. I attempted to find more information on this topic within this forum, but there seems to be a scarcity of relevant details. Can you shed some light on their performance characteristics? Specifically, how do they behave when stacked, what are their strengths, and where do they fall short? I've observed that many French sound systems use them, but here in Slovakia and the Czech Republic (Central Europe), they appear to be relatively uncommon.

I have an unused 1x18 W-bin just sitting here, and I'm not quite sure how to make the best use of it. Possibly trash it Shocked


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BarSick / barsik soundsystem
Dont want to toot my own horn but toot toot



Replies:
Posted By: smitske96
Date Posted: 07 September 2023 at 1:06pm
Don't go very low (even with multiples). 
Large from the start. These two combined are the most obvious reason for not seeing that mucg anymore.

Today you have high excursion, high power drivers which will take loads of power in a BR cabinet which goes low enough and still can be moved.


Posted By: KDW32
Date Posted: 07 September 2023 at 1:18pm
Originally posted by BrainlessTekno BrainlessTekno wrote:

here in Slovakia and the Czech Republic (Central Europe), they appear to be relatively uncommon.


I came across a CZ sound system called Cajovna (Tea room in english) that used just a big block of Ws and it was not going that low but it was still shifting a decent amount of air and bass. 


Posted By: Conanski
Date Posted: 08 September 2023 at 6:14am
Originally posted by BrainlessTekno BrainlessTekno wrote:

I've come across quite a bit of criticism surrounding W-bins, with some suggesting they should be utilized for reproducing mid frequencies.
Some people are clueless. This is a classic bass bin, that and the fact it is a folded horn makes it unsuitable for midrange frequencies. These things do have a sonic character all thier own and one I'm fond of... I have some great memories of hearing systems with Butterfly and Martin W bins back in the day. 


Originally posted by BrainlessTekno BrainlessTekno wrote:

I have an unused 1x18 W-bin just sitting here, and I'm not quite sure how to make the best use of it. Possibly trash it Shocked 
Stick a driver in it and find out for yourself. The optimum driver needed will depend on the exact design and how closely your copy is to the plan, but you should be able to get some idea of what it's capable of with just about any driver mounted.


Posted By: BJtheDJ
Date Posted: 08 September 2023 at 7:13am
Originally posted by smitske96 smitske96 wrote:

Don't go very low (even with multiples). 
Large from the start. These two combined are the most obvious reason for not seeing that mucg anymore.

Today you have high excursion, high power drivers which will take loads of power in a BR cabinet which goes low enough and still can be moved.

I have very fond memories of my pair of EV Eliminator 1A's 
back in the 70s, running them of a pair off H|H TPA100's 
(180 watts into 8R), they sounded absolutely incredible
and had far more bass than other discos - except the chappie
(whose name I can no longer remember, but his van was an 
old ambulance) who had a pair of EV Sentry IV's :)

My Eliminators went, along with my van, a Millbank mixer 
and a pair of Garrard 4HF turntables and two Schweppes 
crates of singles; I normally used to bring the music into 
the house with me but that night just the headphones - it
was late and I had work in the morning. CryCryCry

Didn't have insurance in those days :(


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I started out in this business with nothing.
I still have most of it left.


Posted By: FOO
Date Posted: 08 September 2023 at 9:49am
It is still possible to get them today.

https://en.toutlehautparleur.com/subwoofer-kit-tlhp-h221-with-cabinet-kit-and-speaker.html" rel="nofollow - https://en.toutlehautparleur.com/subwoofer-kit-tlhp-h221-with-cabinet-kit-and-speaker.html

I really like that design, but Celestion isn't my to-go brand. 


Posted By: jbl_man
Date Posted: 08 September 2023 at 10:08am
I loved the sound of a good W-bin, was no such such thing as a separate sub cabinet back then, 2 w-bins with a horn plonked on top, crossed over at 800hz, and that was it. Simpler times.  The only thing i did use was a simple MM low-cut filter below 30hz.

Martin (and the tasco copies of it) 115 and 215mk1  were the usual choice.

If space was limited, Altec made the excellent 1215A , which had an extra fold in it, and would give great results, with just a 2 foot x 2 foot footprint.






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Be seeing you.


Posted By: Robbo
Date Posted: 08 September 2023 at 12:11pm
One of my favourite W type bins was the Malcolm Hill 2x12 bass bin from the seventies---It was the only decent cabinet that Hill ever made as the rest were pretty crap---Most people in the industry took the piss out of Hill systems but if you heard any of the early AC/DC tours then they certainly did the business and they also performed quite nicely at Wembley for the big Live Aid concert.
Not strictly the same as the common W type boxes as the two 12" drivers faced forward but fitted as standard with the superb long coil rubber surround ATC units they could kick like a mule when stacked in multiples and also went down pretty low as well.
I had lots of friends with Hill rigs but we stuck to Martin Audio and Mega cabinets.


Posted By: Lucasdude
Date Posted: 08 September 2023 at 10:30pm
I had a similar pair of double 15s in the mid 90s. Both front facing PD1550, witht the horn mouths either side. They were really great bins. I think they were made by Tek, but there were no ID plates on them.



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