SONY SS-8150 (c. 1974)
A high-end 3-way bass reflex speaker system using carbon-fiber composite drivers and a balanced drive woofer design.
Overview
The SONY SS-8150 is a tall boy type speaker system introduced around 1974 as the top model in the RBOCON series. It is a 3-way design with separate drivers for low, mid and high frequencies in a floor-standing enclosure. The diaphragms are carbon-fiber mixed paper, and the woofer has a balanced drive mechanism meant to make its piston motion more accurate. It was priced at ¥245,000 per unit at launch.
Specifications
| Model Rating Method | 3-Way, 3-Speaker, Bass Reflex System, Tall Boy Type |
| Unit For low band | 30 cm cone type |
| Unit For Middle Area | 4 cm Dome Type |
| Unit For High Pass | 2 cm Dome Type |
| Effective frequency band | 30 Hz to 25000 Hz |
| Output sound pressure level | 91dB/W/m |
| Impedance | 8 Ω |
| Maximum allowable input | 100W |
| Crossover frequency | 1000 Hz, 7000 Hz (12dB/oct.) |
| External dimensions | Width 440x Height 910x Depth 385 mm |
| Weight | 55kg |
Design
The SS-8150 uses CARBOCON, a carbon-fiber mixed corn paper, for the diaphragm of every driver. The 30 cm woofer has a balanced drive system. The voice coil sits at the mass-balanced point of the cone, which improves responsiveness and extends the piston motion range. An R-shaped rib on the cone's outer edge adds rigidity. The magnetic circuit uses a four-layer short voice coil on silicon steel for low distortion. The midrange is a 4 cm dome with pure iron in the magnetic circuit. The 2 cm tweeter uses Permendur, also for low distortion. The crossover has silicon-steel core coils and Mylar capacitors, plus a continuously variable attenuator for adjusting to the room. The enclosure is 30 mm high-grade beech plywood and weighs approximately 30 kg on its own. The woofer faces upward to prevent boomy bass. The grill net has an open armpit design.
Context
The SS-8150 was the flagship of SONY's RBOCON series, built in the mid-1970s for extended frequency response and low distortion.
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