As Jensen, and other HiFi market manufactures moved from the heavy use of coaxial and 2 way centric designs of the late 1940s/early 50s -- 3 way systems became more in vogue, and necessary for the ever present audiophile obsession...extended full range reproduction.... The designers at Jensen, preceeding bookshelf developments at AR -- found it imperative to include special "closed" back midrange drivers. Borrowing heaviliy on extensive experience gained, developing voicing drivers for the military's needs, Jensen lightend up the frames, and added powerful new Alnico V magnets to the motor assembles. Sound and performance wise, for detailed midrange properties, you're looking at fantastic usefulness and voice & music mid frequency reproduction properties ... just how I advise the use of the now expensive P8P driver.... You can use these in all the same ways and places.
Plan to add a smooth sounding vintage tweeter, like an EV T-35 or Altec 3000A for ultra clean highs, and add a tube friendly efficient, and low mass (examples being a P15N or P15R) that can keep up with the incredible efficieny -- runn it all open baffle or open-back, using an appropriate high pass filter cap and you'll have one of the nicest sounding 3-way setups around!
Or, if you don't need sky-high, etherial like shimmering highs, or you are enjoying older recordings that peak out under 10,000cps, like late 1940's Jazz on a 78 ... just use these 8" specials, and a good 15" in total full range configuration. Vocals will have presence like you won't believe.
This pair is in excellent shape, removed from low use early 1960s Jensen 3 way cabinets -- so they were well protected and still fresh. Cones are very nice (please study the reports and full photos below).
The small but powerful alnico magnets on these excell, coupled to the specially fixed suspension cones to give intense and clean mids ... like so many many early and expensive 1940s/50s all paper/silk drivers do. You might also compare the frequency range to the closed back Jensen Q 4 " all paper fixed cones, but since 8 inch driver is much bigger, so these can deliver alot more volume and handle a little more power (loaded) to your system.
I would also add, these model in particular have a celluloid-hardened senter dome, providing some really intense reponse in the 2000-3000cps region, the P8P had a similar setup, using phenolic instead. You don't see large domes on too many drivers, it's a key for really nice presence in the 8" size.
Properly used 2 or 3 way setups - you can have spectacular results. So clear and powerful in fact, your vocals and instruments will jump to life with type of efficiency every low power amp and only 2-10 watts! They also won't try to "step on toes" by going up too high or super low, hence they won't get cloudy at the edges of your music's most information filled region. The hard celluloid impregnated dust cap is an important part of the design. It helps to produce the extreme spritely (loud) response ... (they do produce effectively much lower & higher sounds if played full range too of course). The paper cones were also treated for optimal midrange response.
The cones are both in excellent condition, near mint!
Both have close DCR, original cones are nominal 8ohm (see tags below) and sound matched volume / tone to ear.
Few, if any modern drivers ever offer such intensity -- penetrating detail - yet smooth midrange frequencies. Properly used they would be in the center of your 2 way system, on a OB plywood baffle or lightly loaded wooden horn projector baffle with an excellent tweeter (if desired) and excellent LF box to go along -- you don't need to xover, as hopefully you're running low power.. T
Made only a short time using these, will result in smoother mids, verses the typical compression driver.
Full frequency swept with signal generator, good response and power...no rubs, or buzzes or rattles, ALL CLEAR & NICE SOUND, LIKE NEW -- please see exhibit (B,C,D) for the exacting inspection, and matched impedence charts.
The speakers work well and display nicely. The paper is fresh, non-brittle and very stable, from low use enclosure that kept them clean and safe for the last 50 years. If you are building a high efficiency 2 way or 3 way system, and have not yet decided on midrange, these are a smart buy -- and will give you much better sound, for far less cost.
Always a clever alternative to the many oversized and sometimes "shouty" squawkers, that would most certainly need more tweaking and crossover help. The prices on these and all heavy alnico drivers will likely continue to rise as more & more quality drivers from the 1930s thru 1950s vanish into HiFi systems and audio collector's hoards all over the world. Speakers such as these are made to play music & will easily serve you well for the next 100 years.
Will be packed in super double box, shipped quickly after payment with full tracking info. See happy 100% feedback on all vintage audio / Western Electric items.
As Jensen, and other HiFi market manufactures moved from the heavy use of coaxial and 2 way centric designs of the late 1940s/early 50s -- 3 way systems became more in vogue, and necessary for the ever present audiophile obsession...extended full range reproduction.... The designers at Jensen, preceeding bookshelf developments at AR -- found it imperative to include special "closed" back midrange drivers. Borrowing heaviliy on extensive experience gained, developing voicing drivers for the military's needs, Jensen lightend up the frames, and added powerful new Alnico V magnets to the motor assembles. Sound and performance wise, for detailed midrange properties, you're looking at fantastic usefulness and voice & music mid frequency reproduction properties ... just how I advise the use of the now expensive P8P driver.... You can use these in all the same ways and places.
Plan to add a smooth sounding vintage tweeter, like an EV T-35 or Altec 3000A for ultra clean highs, and add a tube friendly efficient, and low mass (examples being a P15N or P15R) that can keep up with the incredible efficieny -- runn it all open baffle or open-back, using an appropriate high pass filter cap and you'll have one of the nicest sounding 3-way setups around!
Or, if you don't need sky-high, etherial like shimmering highs, or you are enjoying older recordings that peak out under 10,000cps, like late 1940's Jazz on a 78 ... just use these 8" specials, and a good 15" in total full range configuration. Vocals will have presence like you won't believe.
This pair is in excellent shape, removed from low use early 1960s Jensen 3 way cabinets -- so they were well protected and still fresh. Cones are very nice (please study the reports and full photos below).
The small but powerful alnico magnets on these excell, coupled to the specially fixed suspension cones to give intense and clean mids ... like so many many early and expensive 1940s/50s all paper/silk drivers do. You might also compare the frequency range to the closed back Jensen Q 4 " all paper fixed cones, but since 8 inch driver is much bigger, so these can deliver alot more volume and handle a little more power (loaded) to your system.
I would also add, these model in particular have a celluloid-hardened senter dome, providing some really intense reponse in the 2000-3000cps region, the P8P had a similar setup, using phenolic instead. You don't see large domes on too many drivers, it's a key for really nice presence in the 8" size.
Properly used 2 or 3 way setups - you can have spectacular results. So clear and powerful in fact, your vocals and instruments will jump to life with type of efficiency every low power amp and only 2-10 watts! They also won't try to "step on toes" by going up too high or super low, hence they won't get cloudy at the edges of your music's most information filled region. The hard celluloid impregnated dust cap is an important part of the design. It helps to produce the extreme spritely (loud) response ... (they do produce effectively much lower & higher sounds if played full range too of course). The paper cones were also treated for optimal midrange response.
The cones are both in excellent condition, near mint!
Both have close DCR, original cones are nominal 8ohm (see tags below) and sound matched volume / tone to ear.
Few, if any modern drivers ever offer such intensity -- penetrating detail - yet smooth midrange frequencies. Properly used they would be in the center of your 2 way system, on a OB plywood baffle or lightly loaded wooden horn projector baffle with an excellent tweeter (if desired) and excellent LF box to go along -- you don't need to xover, as hopefully you're running low power.. T
Made only a short time using these, will result in smoother mids, verses the typical compression driver.
Full frequency swept with signal generator, good response and power...no rubs, or buzzes or rattles, ALL CLEAR & NICE SOUND, LIKE NEW -- please see exhibit (B,C,D) for the exacting inspection, and matched impedence charts.
The speakers work well and display nicely. The paper is fresh, non-brittle and very stable, from low use enclosure that kept them clean and safe for the last 50 years. If you are building a high efficiency 2 way or 3 way system, and have not yet decided on midrange, these are a smart buy -- and will give you much better sound, for far less cost.
Always a clever alternative to the many oversized and sometimes "shouty" squawkers, that would most certainly need more tweaking and crossover help. The prices on these and all heavy alnico drivers will likely continue to rise as more & more quality drivers from the 1930s thru 1950s vanish into HiFi systems and audio collector's hoards all over the world. Speakers such as these are made to play music & will easily serve you well for the next 100 years.
Will be packed in super double box, shipped quickly after payment with full tracking info. See happy 100% feedback on all vintage audio / Western Electric items.
