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Empire Grenadier 8000P

I would like to tap into the arsenal of knowledge on Audiogon and ask a question about the Empire Grenadier 8000P's. It involves something that has always confused me. On the back of the cabinet, there are 6 small ports. I've seen 8000P's with all sorts of configurations with regards to these ports. Some have all six ports plugged with a small plastic cap. Others have them all open and still others have every other combination of them plugged and un-plugged. Since I did not buy these new and have never seen an owners manual or any explanation for these ports, does anyone know what they are for and how or why you would use them, plugged versus un-plugged? Are they to be all removed, all installed or some combination based on speaker placement? Feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!
vintage_heath
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
2,651 posts
 
I've always wanted to hear those speakers. Have you listened to them yet?
vintage_heath OP
10 posts
 
Hi roxy54,
I did give them a preliminary listen to check to see if all the drivers worked. I had heard from some other folks that it was very common to find the tweeters and/or midranges nonfunctional due to an electrolytic corrosion problem between what they said were aluminum voice coils and the external interconnect. I don't know if that is true, but all drivers seem to work. My first test was a quick hook-up to a Pioneer SX-1250 I am restoring that I bought at the local pawn shop for $29.99! It was cosmetically beautiful and complete, but had a nasty 60 Hz hum on just the AM and FM inputs that was quickly diagnosed and repaired. They have a very 1960's sort of sound to them similar to the Harman Kardon HK-50 from 1969, but with more punch and power handling capability. I also want to check the crossover components as they are 50 years old now. After I complete the cleanup and spider web/dust bunny removal, the plan is to hook them up to the equipment I'll be using them with and give them a thorough listening too! So far I have been very pleased with what I hear. In addition, I really like the cabinet work and styling of the fluted column. I'm hoping that I might find the optional marble tops somewhere in the future as I think they would make these systems look even better!

dweller's avatar
dweller
2,152 posts
 
You can go to a countertop shop and have them made. The originals were white marble but you can have any color and material you want! How about green quartz sparkle? Or black marble?
vintage_heath OP
10 posts
 
I did give it a thought to get new ones made. I'll have to check into the pricing and selection. A friend of mine suggested I get synthetic marble and then drill and inset a series of individual LED's around the forward edge making a digital power meter of sorts on the top of each cabinet, built right into the top! I'm not so sure about that idea, but it does sound interesting! :-)

timlub
1,649 posts
 
I just looked these up and looked at images... I saw these in more like the early to mid 1980's... working on speakers for a long time.... Now that I go to images, I'm not sure if what I had been in was an 8000 or a 9000, but the woofer mounted on a plate firing down, below that plate was a slot with a screen mesh all the way around,  the bass was fired out of that slot.
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