Heathkit Range Extending SS-1B

This Section Last Updated: 9-30-2005




I inherited this loudspeaker box from a fellow that was moving and did not have the space for it anymore.

It is a Heathkit from 1958. This box is an "Extended Range" add on to the SS1 Heathkit loudspeaker that had an 8" driver and tweeter.

This box consists of a 15" Jensen P15 LS woofer and a Horn Super tweeter (if anyone has details on the super tweeter please let me know).

The SS1 was designed to cover 50Hz-12,000Hz. The SS-1B was made to extend the low end down to 35Hz with the 15" driver and extend the high end to 16000Hz with the super tweeter.

Woofer Information:
Heathkit part number 401-15
Jensen 15" P15 LS
56 ounce magnet
16 ohm
35 watts

Tweeter Information
Heathkit part number 401-16
Horn loaded super tweeter
6.8 ounce magnet

Box Design:
Vented enclosure
4.5 cubic ft.
Two slot vents 8" x 1" x 27"
"Furniture Grade" plywood

Crossover
Two constant-resistance divider networks
12dB per octave attenuation
16ohm L-Pad on super tweeter

I am not exactly sure what i am going to do with it yet. I would like to restore it to original, but i only have one of them. Plus i would need to purchase a pair of SS-1's or build something similar to them in order to truly enjoy these speakers. If anyone has drivers or SS-1's Please contact me.

What i might do in the mean time is try to find a replacement 15" driver and just use the box for a subwoofer for now.

Picture of right side vent. There is a vent exactly like this one on the left side.

With the rear panel off you can the crossover and how it is mounted to the panel.

This shot im trying to show how the ports are formed inside of the box.

You can see here two terminal cups on the back of the box. The right side terminal cup is where you input the single from your amplifier.

If you look closely in the right side terminal cup you can see the stem for the switch to change the crossover from 15" only mode to combining the SS-1 with the SS-1B.

The left side terminal cup is where you attach the SS1 speaker.

If you look closely the left terminal cup contains the stem to the L-Pad for the super tweeter.

I am pretty sure these capacitors are oil filled. If anyone has more information let me know. I will pull part numbers off of it soon.

This is one of the 4 large inductors. They are pretty standard air core inductors.
Project Sections:
Heathkit Range Extending SS-1B
1. Jensen P15LS

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