I know I've talked before and had some advice administered on the internal ballasting of speakers with dry sand bags etc.
The Gales are specced as having two ports, which lie at the front. Round back, there is a plug over an aperture I could only assume to be some kind of ballasting facility.
Mr. Gale's literature suggests you may have an internal ballast box on these speakers. Okay, so here is my question:
After finally applying the supplied spikes, I pulled out the stopper, just for fun, and sat down for another listen. There is a definite difference to the sound if you do this - and it's a very favourable 'warmth' which comes to the sound. The bass seems to be projecting backwards and I swear the picture extends up and to the sides rather significantly.
Putting a hand inside, I'm feeling this little room has a ceiling to it, which tells me this is has to be the ballast chamber. Okay, so they'll resist the force applied by my cat's back legs as she launches herself off the top, causing a very frightening wobble (She's already had one pair over!) - but how will it affect the sound to pack it with an acoutically dampening substance, such as sand?
See, I actually love the effect having the stopper out produces. It does not sound wrong, or artificial to me (otherwise I'd have popped it staight back in). It's this lovely warmth and bass extension I get with the backdoor open which makes me think against ballasting.
I would have thought leaving it open would make no difference to the sound, as it's a space which is sealed off from the main cabinet. Because of the logistics of my room, I'm unable to set them against (but not touching, I know) the wall. There's a good deal of space around them to the back, but not at the sides.
So this aperture is working like another bass port with the stopper out!
Any thoughts?
Cheers,
V
J. Vigne
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Since Gales haven't been sold in the US for more than a decade, I can't give any advice on your problem. I have no idea why a port that, if as you say, has no connection to the actual speaker enclosure and driver's backwave would affect the sound. This would be a reason to call Gale or the shop you purchased from, I would think.
Oh, but J, it's not a problem, you see.... I really like the sound!
Just thought it'd be a good idea to ballast them.
Instead, I shall be making my famous wooden 'pyramids'. They sit on the top, weighed with sand and I use a softwood which can be stained easily to match whatever speaker they were desgned for.
They are that shape for two reason: one, so they can hold more sand than a flat rectangle and two, they deter cats from climbing atop them.