View Full Version : A closer look at the Akai SW175 Loudspeaker
A few years ago now we were talking here about the high end Japanese speakers from the 1970s and wondering what they would be like in a modern context. Alex UK coined the term 'Hi Karate' speaker but I have since learned that they are also referred to as 'kabuki' speakers.
In any case when a pair of these Akais was offered to me I thought I would take a punt out of sheer interest. I'm glad I did since they are one of the most entertaining and enjoyable loudspeakers I have ever heard.
There is not much about them on 'tinterweb. They rarely appear on UK eBay but they do crop up on US eBay and sell for around $100. There have also been a few on Canuck Audio Mart. Not surprising as this was a loudspeaker very much aimed at the US market. Akai of America sold them from 1973 to 1976
Here is some blurb from an advert for a pair that gives some of the spec:
Vintage Akai from the early seventies. This set of SW-175 five way , six driver speakers were the flagship in the early days. The 5-Way six drivers configuration consists of an alnico magnet 2 x2.5"metal horn tweeter, two 3" metal dome super tweeters, one alnico magnet 2.5" paper cone super tweeter, one 5.25" alnico magnet mid-range and one 15" woofer with linear travel piston edge. Crossover network has high and midrange tone controls. Measure 25 x 17 x 11 inches, each speaker weighs in at 48 pounds. Published specs show 20 to 23,000Hz !! 94 dB sensitive. These 8 ohm speakers are rated for 80 watts
I tried the loudspeakers out plonked on the floor and they sounded wonderful, far exceeding my expectations. The next day I put them up on 12 inch stands which changed the tonal balance for the worse. Back onto the floor they went. I have to use them in free space due to room constraints but I suspect that the optimum placement would be on low stands (2 to 3 inches) and within a couple of inches of a solid rear wall.
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder and I doubt they would pass a serious WAF evaluation but I think they look quite swanky and definitely 'old skool':
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac233/Macca_photos_2009/akai2001.jpg (http://s903.photobucket.com/user/Macca_photos_2009/media/akai2001.jpg.html)
On the rear panel there are level controls for top and mids. Good quality pro-feel pots as well. A previous owner has replaced the spring clip speaker terminals with a quality set of binding posts that accept banana plugs and done a good job of it too:
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac233/Macca_photos_2009/akai2002.jpg (http://s903.photobucket.com/user/Macca_photos_2009/media/akai2002.jpg.html)
So what is so good about these loudspeakers? I ran a comparison yesterday with the Celestion A2 just to see if I could identify the differences. I concluded the following:
1) They are noticeably more efficient
2) They don't go as low in the bass (although more optimal placement I think would help here) but they do have more energy in the mid-bass that helps drive the sound along
3) They are very easy and open across the mid-band, presenting more detail than the A2 and sounding more natural, particularly with vocals. Applause was more realistic and differentiated too.
4) The whole soundstage is out of the box, there is never any feeling that the speaker is straining to reproduce the music. I feel this is mostly due to the sensitivity and the lack of distortion in the bass due to the 15 inch drivers.
5) despite sitting on the floor the soundstage reaches 6 feet in height (on recordings were such soundstaging exists) possibly helped out by that horn loaded tweeter (the central silver unit) spreading the sound. It is surprising to hear.
6) They never shout at you even with a rough, heavily compressed rock mix. I suspect a mid range dip but I really don't know. The mid is beautiful and detailed but is just 'hung back' a little. You can listen to these loudspeakers for hours and hours with any material totally without any fatigue.
Although I had a good few hours with the Celestions hooked up and enjoyed the sound I was getting swapping back again to the Akai there was just no contest, the Akai present the music very differently but I would be surprised to find anyone who did not prefer their presentation. It is positively moreish.
I have been trying to find fault with these 40 year old loudspeakers and it is not easy. They could do with a little more weight in the low bass but as I noted before I cannot really position them absolutely perfectly. There is maybe just a hint of tizz in the very top, only noticeable with some material, it doesn't detract but it does give a little bit of unwanted character. I am really picking hairs here though.
What would these Akais retail for if made today? We can only hazard a guess as to my knowledge no manufacturer is making anything like this anymore. (For good reason, cynics may say, but I think it a huge shame). Having discussed a similar project with a loudspeaker designer I would hazard a guess that you would not get much change out of six grand. Scary.
Frank Zappa once asked 'what happened to all the fun in the world?' I want to know 'what happened to all the fun loudspeakers?'
brian2957
08-02-2014, 11:01
Nice write up Martin . I've been reading about your adventures with these on another forum with interest . I already use an old pair of Rega speakers ( EL8s ) which I love . They just seem to suit my room and my tastes . However , at the sort of prices which these go for they've definitely got to be worth considering . As you say my big problem would be getting these past SWMBO :lol:
walpurgis
08-02-2014, 11:08
I recognise that tweeter. Eagle used to sell it in the UK, rebadged and called the HT21. I've had a few pairs of them, it was a Foster (now Fostex) product I believe. The other drivers may well have been bought in from Foster and Coral, who were the big OEM suppliers in Japan back then (I believe Pioneer were too). The bass unit looks very much like a Coral product.
Thanks Brian. The previous owner did mention to me that his lady was glad to see the back of them :) Fortunately I have no such constraints and I've not enjoyed my music as much as this in a long time if ever.
istari_knight
08-02-2014, 11:15
Nice write up Martin, they look smart :thumbsup:
If they are Foster as Geoff say's then its no surprise to me they sound fab, they've made some quality no nonsense drivers over the years.
They're a great find and talking point, Martin.
I recognise that tweeter. Eagle used to sell it in the UK, rebadged and called the HT21. I've had a few pairs of them, it was a Foster (now Fostex) product I believe. The other drivers may well have been bought in from Foster and Coral, who were the big OEM suppliers in Japan back then (I believe Pioneer were too). The bass unit looks very much like a Coral product.
Interesting. It would be good to find out for certain but I would have to open them up to look at the backs of the drivers and that would probably be a silly thing to do.
One thing I forgot to mention which is quite important in their presentation is the amount of punch and slam you get with good rock and blues recordings. It is a sound that demands your attention and keeps you listening. So few speakers do this nowadays unless they are very big and expensive. The big ATCs for example, or the big Tannoy DCs.
It's the JBL style presentation, derived from lightweight cones and big magnets.
The Grand Wazoo
08-02-2014, 11:52
Nice.
I expect lifting them off the floor nadged up the bass did it? I think designs like these were probably intended to use the floor to their advantage in that regard.
Nice.
I expect lifting them off the floor nadged up the bass did it? I think designs like these were probably intended to use the floor to their advantage in that regard.
Not just the bass but the whole balance of the loudspeaker. On the floor they drive the whole room and you are never aware that the sound is coming out of boxes. Wouldn't work on a suspended floor I don't think and given that is most American houses (as they like to have their basements over there) I suspect low stands and a close rear wall for boundary reinforcement was the intended set up.
walpurgis
08-02-2014, 11:58
See here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-PAIR-OF-VINTAGE-EAGLE-HORN-TWEETERS-8-OHMS-20-WATTS-/310748633897
Interestingly, the same tweeters were used in the legendary Lecson HL1 horn speaker. As here: http://lecsonaudio.com/?page_id=68
They generally have Alnico magnets, but there was also a ceramic magnet version.
brian2957
08-02-2014, 12:01
Hah!Took me a bit of looking to find these Geoff . There's so much going on with these speakers :lol:
Found this post on tinterweb about the Akais:
I've google translated it from German but I am struggling with '. and it relies mostly on the so-called acoustic short circuit, which should prevent the Einzeltrieber above the crossover frequency on the Wietmarschen earning full level.'
Does anyone have any ides what this means?
Below is the full post:
Re: What is it for an AKAI speakers?
« Reply #6 at: Sunday, 10.Mai.2009. 11:17:22.
Moin,
This more plantains were correct until the mid of the 1970s time early in... the problem is the distribution of the frequency range given according to brochure (20 Hz - 23kHz) on the individual driver...
... says for example, that the 15 "Woofer in a such small housing still closed theoretically more inhibited playing, the midrange driver (pictured the dome top right) quite deeply connected to (actually much less than 500 Hz) and then not very far upward also plays... Add comes then the phase position of drivers, which can not be corrected with a passive crossover and the voice coil of a 15" Woofer is located in this arrangement just significantly further back in the housing, as the voice coils of the other drivers...
... and it relies mostly on the so-called acoustic short circuit, which should prevent the Einzeltrieber above the crossover frequency on the Wietmarschen earning full level.
Comparable is probably this LS with the CORAL BX-1201... 5-way, 6 drivers... but only with 12 "-woofer... There are the crossover frequencies at 800 HZ, 1000 Hz, 5000 and 7000 Hz..."
... you hear that subsequently rather far out... in certain frequency ranges even very clearly as hole... as in the keynote range between 300 and 800 Hz plays a construct... These are usually relatively thin in the bass usually but relatively quickly with clean tone color / timbre... it can even properly fixed to crossover frequencies and sustainably influence the taste... Low - or kick bass but isn't.
Nevertheless, the very impressive LS with high efficiency are... ideal for a class A / single ended tube (= 94 dB SPL)...
You don't need... much power so for a proper operation of this LS...
... given the low spread and the impressive facilities of the driver - AKAI drivers never even made my knowledge and always... bought this during this period aka slide tone probably through Mitsubishi - would be realistic prices certainly up to EUR 200 for it.
Mr Kipling
14-06-2014, 16:05
Pay differentials in speakers? A product of their time indeed! No doubt the 15" Woofers are on top whack.
The Grand Wazoo
14-06-2014, 16:19
This more plantains were correct until the mid of the 1970s
Yeah, bananas started going incorrect in about '73
Yeah, bananas started going incorrect in about '73
Yes, you can generally trust the Germans to get their facts right, particularly when it comes to fruit and fruit related produce.
I ma really struggling with what an Einzeltreiber and Wietmarschen are. Einzel means single and treiber means driver so that sort of answers that but Wietmarschen only seems to be a town in Germany: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wietmarschen
so:
and it relies mostly on the so-called acoustic short circuit, which should prevent the Einzeltrieber above the crossover frequency on the Wietmarschen earning full level
means
and it relies mostly on the so-called acoustic short circuit, which should prevent the < single driver > above the crossover frequency on the < town in Germany > earning full level
WTF?
The only thing I remember about German lessons at school is "mein Fahrrad ist jah auch Kapput"
Very useful for everyday life:eek::eek:
my german was picked up solely from COMMANDO mags.
not much use hifi wise for DONNER UND BLITZEN, DONNERWETTER and heavily accented VOR YOU ENGLANDER....ZERR VOR IST OVFERR!!!!
Not forgetting ACHTUNG! and GOTT IN HIMMEL! which is what any one member of a group of Germans will shout when a hand grenade lands amongst them.
I never understood when going up to secondary school why they tried to teach us French when we already had a good grounding in German from reading war comics. Very few of the stories featured the French as they had all surrendered in 1940, well before things really got going.
Ah Look what I have found! The brochure for the Akai SW175. And it is just ten Canadian dollars. That's like only about fifty pee or something! But I changed my eBay password after that hoo-hah last month and I'm damned if I can remember it. You can read the first page just from the photo though.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/AKAI-SW-175-6-Speaker-System-BROCHURE-/151072836894
istari_knight
25-07-2014, 22:22
It may interest you to see that "Puresound-UK" have a rather minty looking pair of SW-175's for sale, apparently... http://www.puresound-uk.com/index.php?option=com_hikashop&ctrl=product&task=show&cid=5&name=vintage-akai-sw-175-top-of-the-range&Itemid=2
walpurgis
25-07-2014, 22:30
It may interest you to see that "Puresound-UK" have a rather minty looking pair of SW-175's for sale, apparently... http://www.puresound-uk.com/index.php?option=com_hikashop&ctrl=product&task=show&cid=5&name=vintage-akai-sw-175-top-of-the-range&Itemid=2
No prices shown though.
That hasn't changed since Adam was a lad, I doubt they still have them. Cheers for the heads up though.
If anyone has a pair of these speakers laying about I am interested in purchasing them. If you are overseas (i.e outside the UK) I can arrange shipping.
walpurgis
25-07-2014, 22:44
If anyone has a pair of these speakers laying about I am interested in purchasing them. If you are overseas (i.e outside the UK) I can arrange shipping.
Are they that good? As an alternative, what about the big seventies Sansui speakers, they're quite similar in design and superbly made, they sound rather good too.
Yep have my eye open for some of those. I really want a second pair of Akais so I have one pair to experiment with. They are that good, I would not swap them for a pair of Tannoy 15'' DC, put it that way.
I'm thinking of putting the bass units into separate IB cabs at optimum volume, and mounting the other units in separate, handed enclosures. Get rid of the level controls and a do full crossover re-build. Sounds ambitious I know and will be a long term project but first - catch your Akais ;)
walpurgis
25-07-2014, 23:01
Yep have my eye open for some of those. I really want a second pair of Akais so I have one pair to experiment with. They are that good, I would not swap them for a pair of Tannoy 15'' DC, put it that way.
I'm thinking of putting the bass units into separate IB cabs at optimum volume, and mounting the other units in separate, handed enclosures. Get rid of the level controls and a do full crossover re-build. Sounds ambitious I know and will be a long term project but first - catch your Akais ;)
Part 1. Have you heard a good pair of 15" Tannoys on the right system?
Part 2. Sounds like a lot of work. Bigger cabs for the bass may pay dividends (definitely sealed though). As for the rest you'll have all sorts of driver sensitivity matching issues. I'd certainly keep the crossover component values the same, unless you have a crossover design wiz available. You could get rid of adjustable 'L' pads and use circuitry to achieve the same individual driver attenuation, but it's a lot of messing about with unpredictable results.
Part one - yes I have on a few occasions. Notably the Prestige Canterburys and another pair at Scalford in massive custom cabs. Also heard some in Lancasters but not sorted ones and unimpressive. I like them they are a speaker I consider to be way above the pack. I've not heard them in my room though. The Akais are faster, have a cleaner mid and more top end. They suit the sort of music I play.
Part Two - That's all someone elses' problem :) - I'm not competent to do all that myself. I understand the basic principles but I'll be getting a man in to do the actual mods and builds.
walpurgis
25-07-2014, 23:31
The Akais are faster, have a cleaner mid and more top end.
I don't know about the Tannoys you've heard Martin, but for mid speed, clarity and extended, detailed response the Tannoy DCs take some beating. Mine are stunning.
The good ones I have heard were stunning too. But the Akais sound like an electrostatic with balls. I had my previous speakers for 13 years, very happy with them. Never heard anything I could afford that even came close. Took me about three minutes to decide the Akais were better.
The Grand Wazoo
26-07-2014, 00:06
my german was picked up solely from COMMANDO mags.
not much use hifi wise for DONNER UND BLITZEN, DONNERWETTER and heavily accented VOR YOU ENGLANDER....ZERR VOR IST OVFERR!!!!
Well, I can confirm (and Steve Accudazed will back me up here) that the only German phrase that you need to know in relation to hi-fi is ABSOLUTE SPITZENKLASSE!!!
But you must remember that the three (not four) exclamation marks are vital to the true meaning.
And remember to pronounce and annunciate. Any phrase in German should be delivered as though you were giving the order to invade Poland.
I think this may have been on here before but never mind, worth a re-visit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UQDTZcpsDE
Audio Al
26-07-2014, 15:07
I think this may have been on here before but never mind, worth a re-visit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UQDTZcpsDE
On numerous occasions and several different subjects
Properly big Sansuis for sale here:
http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/sansui-flagship-speakers/1073474321
Properly big Sansuis for sale here:
http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/sansui-flagship-speakers/1073474321
Absolutely fantastic! Can someone in Glasgow hire a transit and go and get them for me and then bring them down here? They look like they could bring the world to an end with a few watts up 'em.
Accudazed
27-07-2014, 12:01
Well, I can confirm (and Steve Accudazed will back me up here) that the only German phrase that you need to know in relation to hi-fi is ABSOLUTE SPITZENKLASSE!!!
But you must remember that the three (not four) exclamation marks are vital to the true meaning.
I never tire of hearing and seeing ABSOLUTE SPITZENKLASSE!!! It's a classic. It was Chris who 'discovered' it in a 1986 edition of 'Stereoplay' magazine. The words summed up the magazine's view of an Accuphase E303X (great amp by the way but, as usual for Accuphase stuff, was largely ignored by the UK).
Armed with just those two words, the world of German hifi magazines is at your feet! All this is good because the Germans take their hifi very seriously. I like that.
Sehr gut!
BTH K10A
27-07-2014, 12:35
And remember to pronounce and annunciate. Any phrase in German should be delivered as though you were giving the order to invade Poland.
My wife has now added your name to "the list". :eek::acid:
I mentioned the War and I thought I'd got away with it. Damn!
Anyway I didn't start it...;)
Had to go inside one of the Akais to fix a broken binding post. Here are some snaps that I took:
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac233/Macca_photos_2009/akai%20internal%20002.jpg (http://s903.photobucket.com/user/Macca_photos_2009/media/akai%20internal%20002.jpg.html)
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac233/Macca_photos_2009/akai%20internal%20001.jpg (http://s903.photobucket.com/user/Macca_photos_2009/media/akai%20internal%20001.jpg.html)
Drivers are all Akai branded:
midrange - 13M-70 8 ohm 50 watt
Bass 385-70 5.2 ohm 50 watts
Horn tweeter H7-70 8 ohm
Supertweeter CT-45A
Tweeters - both DST-70 4 ohm 30 watt
Interesting, Martin. They look like pretty simple crossovers... Not sure about the quality of the inductors, though. I could be wrong, but I suspect there could be some scope for some significant tweakage! ;)
Marco.
Yes thinking about carting them down to Paul at RFC for him to work some magic. The binding post needs a proper fix anyway, I have just bodged it for the minute. I've a mate with a van and time on his hands at the minute so should be doable.
Probably a good move, mate. I reckon a recap and full service (including upgrade of binding posts) would pay significant dividends :)
Marco.
Yep. Could take the Xover external, too. Get the components away from all that vibration.
Indeed - never does any harm :)
It's something I've often considered doing with my Tannoys, but have never made it past the 'can't be arsed' stage... ;)
Marco.
That is the difficult stage I agree. ;)
For some reason I seriously like the looks of these Akai bad boys but I can't figure out why.:scratch:
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