The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hiya friends across the big pond!

I was just looking at updates to a thread at another forum I frequent (HiFi Haven), which explores the Voigt Domestic Corner Horn design, here: https://hifihaven.org/index.php?threads ... horn.5240/, and I wonder if any of you have ever come across any in your travels?

Apparently the inventor, Paul G.A.H. Voigt, invented the design some time after he graduated from college in 1922 with a degree in electrical engineering. He went on to work at Edison Bell Works in London, until "...[it] went under, in 1933, [at which point] he set up his own company Voigt Patents, LTD. based in Sydenham, London."

"[His] domestic corner horn was released in 1934..." (to read the entire article, follow the link here: http://www.roger-russell.com/voigt/voigt.htm).

Eventually he met up with O.P. Lowther and formed Lowther-Voigt Radio. During the war he maintained his horn speakers which were installed in movie theaters. In 1950 he moved to Canada because of poor health and an ailing business, to sell his wares in N. America. (Attached photo pirated off the interwebs)

Cheers,
Fran

David, are you going to try building this too?

This unit closely recalls Columbia's Viva-Tonal Plano-Reflex design, in which the transducer is horn-loaded, but at the same time intended to deliver direct sound through a series of reflectors. In my opinion, the idea of hearing directly emitted sound through a horn is either pretending, or either means that the horn-loading is so weak that some soundwaves still find a tunnel through it, which is the opposite of what should happen.

However, just as the Plano-Reflex system delivers an amazinlgy good and highly regarded sound (although perhaps not thanks to its reflectors), in turn this system might also play remarkably well, or at least "interestingly".

I'd really be interested in that anyone may actually own an original, or may have ever auditioned one in person.

Cheers,
Fran

Orchorsol wrote:http://lowthervoigtmuseum.org.uk/index.html

Thank you very much for that link.

Cheers,
Fran

UK Columbia's Plano-Reflex system was based on the mistaken premise that sound waves behave in the same way as light beams.
The fact that the machines play so well is largely due to the excellence of their No.9 and No.15 soundboxes. Unlike HMV who regressed from brass to pot metal, Columbia progressed from pot metal to brass, so their soundboxes have stood the test of time without disintegrating.

epigramophone wrote:UK Columbia's Plano-Reflex system was based on the mistaken premise that sound waves behave in the same way as light beams.

Don't you agree that this cabinet relies on the exact same mistaken premise? Although not evident by the generic blueprint posted here, the fellow who built the replica unit has written that the top horn is basically a solid quarter of a tractrix; thus the speaker is horn-loaded, otherwise there would be no reason for the duct to have the profile of a tractrix. However, at the same time, it is also obvious by the arrows in the blueprint that the sound was intended to be reflected at the bottom, and then once again at the top at different angles, as if it behaved like a light beam.

Lowther are still in business and still produce hi-end speakers. They also still have a department for maintaining their classic vintage speakers. The vintage drivers are highly sought after and can be returned to original specs by Lowther.
The DCH was also available for home construction. Lowther supplied plans and a mold for the "Distributing Cone".

Here are a few of my behemoths.

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:David, are you going to try building this too?

*hold my beer

David