My pimped up classics...

edited October 2013 in Systems
I had the very great pleasure today of delivering my old Goodmans Goodwoods into the hands of their saviour, Paul of RFC.
Paul has built one of the finest pairs of speakers I've heard - the RFC Fidelos, and he continues to tweak and tune these, and push them with a variety of super amps. Intetestingly, as we examined the base of the Goodwoods this afternoon Paul remarked that they shared the same metal dome feet as do the Fildelos, so i presume that they will sound identical once he's finished with the Goodwoods. ;-)
On the list of overhaul jobs that Paul has drawn up for the Goodwoods are new tweeters, new internal wiring and attention/renewals to the crossovers, oh and relocation and replacement of the binding posts (currently tiny screw-downs on the underside of the cabinets).
I'm chuffed with the prospect of what might happen to the Goodwoods' performance, but more than that, i am delighted that as decent and as talented a human being as Paul will be working on the speakers.
He had talked me through (very reasonable) pricings for the various options and we have agreed a budget. Future developments have been discussed (e.g. new mid range drivers), so further investments in the 1973 units may be made if the old boys respond well to the first raft of attention.
Thanks Paul!

Meanwhile Colin has revamped my old Claymore (again at a generous price), which was sounding amazing before it had to return to its kind, genius and thoughtful maker for a second bout of tlc.

So soon i'll have 2 pieces of classic kit, revitalised and renewed. The sound of these pieces of equipment is the main issue, but also important to me is that 2 good friends, and brilliant human beings have given to them their time, energy and expertise.

:-)
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Comments

  • PACPAC
    edited October 2013
    It's a pleasure to be able to work on them Ben so you're very welcome.  They're in little bits now  (It is good fun ripping things apart)....only hope that I can remember how everything should go back without too many bits left over  ;)

    Crossovers insitu...note cotton-thread thin original internal wiring,...that's coming out:

    image

    Mid and bass drivers removed along with crossover:

    image

    Close up of crossover:

    image

    Note:  All capacitors are electrolytics...one has failed completely, one measures 400% out and another even more!  They're well dried up and will be removed.  A mix of electrolytics (to keep esr values) and polys (for all important HF) will be used as replacements and uprated for lower distortion.  Internal cabling will also be replaced.

    Original tweeters will be removed.  I'll be replacing them with these which were bought today:

    image
    SEAS 19TFF H0737 19mm 8Ohm tweeters.

    These have a great frequency response:

    image

    Bass drivers and mids tested and closely matched between speakers and all healthy, although baskets could do with re-painting!
  • PACPAC
    edited October 2013
    Edited:

    Re-checking the crossovers yields some interesting results.  I think that Goodmans may have started out with a different tweeter in mind as the pCB is set out as a 2nd order 3-way but that's not how it's been wired up.  With the ST3 tweeter in place, they musn't have liked the response of the original design as they've re-wired the circuit as 3rd order for the treble, explaining why its polarity was reversed in addition to the mid range unit's reversed polarity.  It'll be interesting to measure the in room response of the new tweeters and see what the response is without making any component value changes. Some tweakery may be necessary!

    X-overs now stripped of their leaky electrolytics and re-wired on the inputs and bass outputs with some chunky OFC.  An improvement on the original wiring.

    image
  • Ahhh.
    It's like the first 16 week ultrasound scan photo.
    Thanks for your time and care with these Paul.
  • My Magisters are still sat in a cupboard. Less majesty, more travesty... I am watching this thread with interest, particulary the tweeter transplant. I had fancied an emit ribbon myself... Perhaps with an ATC mid unit. Now that would need some tweakery!
  • You're a cruel man Alan.
    Paul is a tweakery addict. Spare the poor man your heartless opiate wafting.
    Seriously, Mr RFC is a music loving engineer. Utterly thorough in his quest to achieve the best performance possible. Thoroughly decent chap to boot.
  • PACPAC
    edited November 2013
    You'll have to stop the eulogies Ben as it's making even the mice blush  :\">  but thank you.


    For the inquisitively minded, I've had a look at the PCB, untangled the curl of tracks and this is what it revealed:  


    image

    Inductor values were measured in circuit and cap values are as stated on the caps. Interestingly the 2u2F closest to the tweeter is marked on the PCB as a resistor which leads me to believe that the original design was intended for another tweeter unit and would have been 2nd order with normal polarity.
  • I wonder how similar the Magister X-over is to those Goodwoods? I'll open them up sometime and compare them. Same tweeter & mid driver, just a bigger woofer.
  • PACPAC
    edited November 2013
    Don't know Alan but I'd be willing to bet pretty similar if not identical.  There's a slight error on my sketch in that the mid section should have the inductor shunted separately from the capacitor.  It's not a conventional 2nd order layout for the bandpass which is puzzling but simulated, it seems to (just) perform crossover duties with a reasonable transition, so I won't mess with what Goodmans designed.  I'm unsure about the cap values as they don't seem right to me, but again, best to reconstruct what was there, then test with a signal/mic in room and see what the resopnse is like before tweaking. The plan is to build/test/measure/refine/re-measure.  Won't go overboard as I'm not familiar enough with the axis/off-axis response of the drive units so providing they get somewhere reasonable, I'm hoping that Ben will be pleased with the end results.
  • When I had your magisters Alan, I opened one of them up.  The xover was the size of my palm with two tiny red caps, the cable to the drivers merely bell wire if that.  I should have been made a saint for selling those back to you.
  • Won't go overboard as I'm not familiar enough with the axis/off-axis response of the drive units so providing they get somewhere reasonable, I'm hoping that Ben will be pleased with the end results.
    [-X
  • Only jokin' mun. Please do not go overboard, and I WILL be please with the results.
    BTW how much would placing a "Fidelos-LITE" badge to the grilles add to the overall cost...?
  • :-?  you can have the work for £5.99 but the Fidelio badges are about £7,899.50 extra...cash on collection?  :D
  • Ah, i'd often wondered where the cash goes on the big boys.
    Badges made from telurium copper are they...? ;-)
  • X-Overs now rebuilt:

    image

    One 'speaker completed...one to go...
    :-SS
  • Looking great paul.
    Thanks for the blog and photos.
  • PACPAC
    edited November 2013
    Right

    just completed:


    image


    New tweeter fits well onto existing baffle.  All drivers now hard-wired with soldered connections.


    Goodwoods in front of Fodelios blasting out Led Zep's Houses of the Holy. Sounds well balanced although there's a slight noteable midrange lift.  Treble is very smooth indeed.

    Here's the pair, errr, slightly dwarfed by the Fidelios...given the Goodwoods 12 inch woofer, that gives an idea of scale >:)

    image


    I've measured the response in-room from 40Hz upwards.

    50Hz and they're slightly rolled off by 5dB but climb steeply so by 60Hz, they're up to speed. Very flat to 1 Khz just past the crossover point albeit there's a few peaks in bass, possibly due to room reinforcement.  They fall off steeply at the higher crossover point by almost 10dB at the crossover (big notch there) before climbing really quickly and the tweeter's fairly flat to 10KHz although it does fall off steeply off axis.  It does fall off steeply off axis suggesting that they need to be toed in to the listener.

    The replacement tweeter sensitivity was 88dB and in retrospect, it would have been better at 90 or 92 as its easier to pad down.  As it stands, it's a little dropped in treble response but at least its flat, giving a very relaxed and fatigue free listen.
  • Looking good!
  • Originals now put in and cross over seamlessly as the X-over was designed for these.  Less than 1dB change at higher crossover point which is very good.  The notch with the new ones means that they're actually rolling on later despite being the same impedance and a similar sensitivity so they'd require a change in crossover spec to get them seemless.  The latter's an interesting point as by 6KHz, old and new measure pretty much the same. This suggests that the ST3 is an 88dB sensitive tweeter.  It has more off-axis response than the H0737 (just) so I reckon best kept original as they work perfectly.  Strange that Goodmans designed them to have recessed treble and to be more prominent in the mids/bass but I guess that's the nature of some 1970's designs. Could be improved with higher sensitivity tweeters but pretty non-fatiguing as they stand...not too shabby at all!
  • Good job sir. Looking forward to firing them up. :-)
    And i appreciate (tho am unsurprised by) your honesty re the new v old tweeters.
    We'll see/hear over time whether a more sensitive tweeter is something i want to try.
  •  I like this thread as i will be collecting the ditton 44's that james on pinkfish has refurbed also using the seas tweeter. be interested on Pauls thoughts whether he would go any further with them or not. I'm led to believe that now the crossover has been altered that the ow1 tweeter can also be used at expensive of course..

  • Chris, i'm sure paul will be happy to share his thoughts. He knows a lot about this stuff!
  • PACPAC
    edited November 2013
    Hi Chris

    The OW1 has a very flat response which extends very smoothly to well beyond audible spectrum. It was designed to be optimal at a crossover frequency of around 3KHz.  The SEAS tweeter really needs to be crossed over quite a bit higher than this (4.5 to 5kHz), the OW1 can be used as a drop in replacement for the SEAS 8 Ohm tweeter but the opposite may not always be true. Its also got to be borne in mind that they have different sensitivities.  The SEAS 8 Ohm tweeters are 88dB and the OW1 is 87dB.  Not a lot of difference, but it will affect some crossover values depending on design. The OW1 may also have a better off axis response as the one major drawback of the SEAS from my own measurements is that it is very directional.  

    If it were me, I wouldn't really put the money into taking the 44's any further James. The are alternatives that you may be able to pick up used which will give you  a far bigger upgrade for the cost of some fancy crossovers and better tweeters.  In that size bracket, I would always advise people to search out a Snell J, or ANJ.  I personally think that these are one of the most musical, natural sounding stand mounts ever made.  The great thing about the design is that a clone can be built for really sensible money (sub £1K if you search someone out to do it or for around £500 the DIY route).
  • Just taken back the Goodwoods from Paul and have fired them up with some of my favourite tunes...
    Will report in full soon, but initial response is that i've been a gibbering emotional wreck for the last 10 minutes.
    Love music, love these speakers and love Paul's work. :-)
  • Good enuff to give the Cubes the elbow, then?
  • I like both. Right now the Goodwoods I like more. Importantly i'd hope to get more for the cubes (should cover the cost of the goodmans, paul's works some short stands and a curry and bottle of chablis). I can't afoard to keep both. :-(
  • I want to add some concluding comments on Paul's work on my Goodwoods. The renovation / chamges to the crossovers, internal wiring, etc.,... has elevated them to my 'A Team' speakers.
    When I dropped them to him they were a...hmmm...interesting proposition. Wonderful bass, but with a very messy and ragged sound beyond that, especially upper mids where all snare drums sounded the same. The speakers that I collected yesterday retain all the bass impact, but are otherwise unrecognisable: smooth, natural, transparent and *literally* tear jerking.
    Paul is extremely thorough and painstaking in his approach, using both expert engineering knowledge and a keen ear. At the outset he
    worked with me to establish an efficient budget within my means (indeed acted a few times to disuade my spending more on the speakers), throughout kept me constantly up to date with his work and was open and honest when he felt that a planned alteration would not offer the best sound for pound performance.
    All in all a hugely gratifying customer experience, resulting in an above-expectation result.
    I gleefully recommend his speaker renovation services. I wish him all the best with it.
  • Understood ;-)
  • Many thanks Ben. Just glad they meet expectations and you have some new "A-Team" speakers  :D
  • Awesome result Ben, and Paul. I love old kit, I really do.

    My X-overs are from 1973, so got some replacement capacitors & binding posts a few months ago. I'm sure I took some pre-molested pics though.
  • edited November 2013
    Found them:

    image

    image


    So, if memory serves, I disconnected the Din socket & replaced the pins with proper sockets. The large cap in the middle is now a matching value 10uF ClarityCap (it's much bigger, and is cable-tied to the clamp), and the two smaller 5uF caps are replaced with some Solen Fastcaps. Only they were 4.7uF I think, so outside tolerance (but way better than previous).

    The Magisters aren't without issues TBH, I still wouldn't give them house room over my Royds. I may have another play in the winter, and get the correct capacitor values in there. I think I used similar OFC multi-strand to Paul for internal wiring, but I only soldered it to the bass drivers (as I'm still unsure about the mid & tweeter).
  • One point Alan is that when replacing old with new, the ESR (equivalent series resistance) will be different between electrolytics and polyprops so series resistance sometimes needs to be added to maintain correct voicing.  I'd rotate one of the two facing inductors by 90 degrees as well as the axis really oughtn't to be on the same plain.  In terms of rear connectors, Speakons are really the best ones to use.  Great electrical fit and cannot easily be accidentally removed or shorted.  Also, the bass inductor looks really quite small (and possibly high DCR?).

    There's not a great deal of internal wadding evident there so presumably you've addressed this now?  Magisters do benefit with internal bracing improvements (no need to damp surfaces if adequate bracing is used) but despite the fashionable wive's tales about no internal wadding being needed which seems to be prevalent these days, that's hogswash.  Without it, mid range is screwed up as reflections bounce back through the driver cone creating phase distortion.  Your mids may well be in their own chambers though which will be padded?
  • edited November 2013
    Hi Paul

    I didn't measure the inductors (I wouldn't know how to proceed), but it is small - the whole thing looks the same as the Magnum K2/SL series. Interesting about rotating one of the side inductors - I'll be sure to next time I open them up. TBH, just getting them out of the cupboard is a mammoth task.

    I agree they are in need of bracing, the cabs sing along way too much for my liking. There is plenty of internal foam - perhaps too much - this needs a good period of experimentation.  It appears to be cheap mattress type foam. I would actually criticise the bass as being slightly 'tubby' at the moment. It also has issues as it rolls off into the mid - this may be because of the incorrect capacitor values. As for the midrange, if I remember correctly (I haven't removed the mids in several years) it has an enclosed rear, rather than it's own chamber.

    I'd quite like to get a local sheet metal worker to make up thick new baffle plates one day, which could be bonded & bolted to the existing baffles. 4mm steel ought to do it.
  • PACPAC
    edited November 2013
    Hi Alan

    You need an inductance meter but most cheap ones are very inaccurate for lower values (anything much below 1 to 2 mH).

    You wont need metal plates.  The cabs will still vibrate and all you'll do is shift the resonant frequency.  This needs careful thought.  Adding mass pulls resonant frequency down and stiffening raises it up again, so you could be back to square 1 unless you can calculate the plate properties needed. Much simpler to use timber bracing to lift resonance by decreasing effective panel area.  The critical point is to lift it above midrange so it needs to be higher than 3Khz ideally.  Sufficient bracing can do that and reduce time of resonance and amplitude.

    RE foam...leave it in. They did use matress foam and it needs to be thick because it has a lower damping coefficient than modern acoustic foams.  Typically, it needed to be at least 3 inches thick minimum.  The amount of wadding inside the box affects system Q or damping.  Generally speaking, you should aim for about 25% internal wadding by volume for a sealed box.  You could replace it with some acoustic foam and use some lambswool/BAFF to make up the remainder of the wadding (acoustic foam behind the drivers).

    The roll-offf sounds almost certainly like crossover issues and the inductor would be where I'd look to begin with.  If I could have the driver details (ie electrical parameters) then I can calculate the correct inductance value for the roll off point which I believe was about 500 to 800Hz.  The midrange is best above 800Hz.
  • That's most kind Paul. When I can get them out again & dismantle them (and replace the bettery in my multi-meter IIRC!), I shall get the info to you.
  • Ahoihoi.
    So pleased was I with Paul's work on my Goodwoods, that I asked him to use his undoubted talents and expertise to push them even further.
    So phase 2 is underway. Some new tweeters, with associated crossover tweaking, additional bracing and other assorted malarkey.
    As his his wont, Paul sent me some photos of the work today and I want to share them here.

    I'm not sure there's any more room on that crossover board...!
    image

    As I said to Paul, those waveguides for the new tweeters look like they've been nabbed from the Batmobile.

    image

    As Paul said (moaned (deep down he loves it really...!)) to me, refurbing speakers to this extent is a bit like designing new speakers.
    I am very much looking forward to hearing the old Goodmans/RFC when the stage 2 refurb is complete.

  • They look a lot like IMF from the 70's.
  • Hi all. New on here so this is my first post.  Interested because I have a pair of goodwoods here that I am about to restore to working condition.  One of the base drivers and tweeters is damaged.  The previous owner last used them with a Quad 303 at high volume and blew one channel on both the 303 and goodwoods.  I have replaced the tweeter as I had a spare already. Interestingly they have the resistor rather than a 2.2uf cap before the tweeter. They also have a pair of resistors in series with C1.
    I also have a pair of magisters which I am restoring.  I have a thread on pinkfish about them:  http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=140261

    Still got to brace the cabinets and rewire internally, but they are up and running now.
  • PACPAC
    edited November 2013
    On Ben's pair, they have used a third order slope on the treble unit, hence the two capacitors.  Originally, they may well have used the same as yours (ie an L-pad arrangement as C1 is the main series cap for the tweeter) They did seem to vary the circuit a bit and the values for the mid and bass are both a little odd!  There will be the addition on an L-pad to come for the treble..just got to test the speakers first,measure the response, then decide on how much attenuation is needed.  That waveguide gives an extra 5 or 6dB sensitivity to the 93dB tweeters being fitted.  I'm guessing original system sensitivity was 93 to 94dB judging by measured response from  an 88dB tweeter I have here compared with mid/bass.  The mid frequencies measure low  compared with the bass but this is ok as our hearing is more sensitive in the mid range and they could well have been designed this way.  The balance of mid to bass certainly appears to be good.

    I've adopted a 3rd order Butterworth slope for the tweeter capacitor values
  • I will look forward to seeing what results you come up with.  I will probably finish the Magisters before I start on the Goodwoods otherwise I will end up with far too much to do.  I already have 8 projects on the go and I need to clear some space.
  • edited November 2013
    They look a lot like IMF from the 70's.
    How will they suit the Claymore...?
  • They look a lot like IMF from the 70's.
    Not heard of those before, but having just Googled them, yes they do. Speakers were different in them days...
  • PACPAC
    edited December 2013
    Progress  :D

    One completed:

    image

    Crossover had to be re-designed for the new treble unit but it merges beautifully following some measurement and tweaking:

    The exisiting crossover has a few odd midrange impedance peaks:
    image

    The mid-range impedance rise accounts for the large rise in mid volume, so really needs a notch filter to flatten the impedance around this frequency.  I've applied an L-pad to the upper range and although there's a few impedance rises, it stays pretty well within a few Ohms. System impedance is about 4.5Ohm load with benign phase so easy to drive.

    The dip in impedance following the mid-resonance peak is the crossover point using the modified 3rd order which I suspect is not original. I might remove this and revert the crossover to a 2nd order as it should give a smoother transition without as much of a dip.  That's for tomorrow now!

    Sounds wonderful in the treble now and bass is much cleaned up too with much better detail down below.  The only part I haven't tackled is the midrange but that might involve a complete crossover rebuild to get right.  They sound great...slightly forward in the mids, but very balanced top and bottom now.

  • Another comprehensive job from Paul. That all looks thorough and well finished.

    When does a waveguide become a horn then?
  • PACPAC
    edited December 2013
    Thanks Alan

    A waveguide is a very shallow horn which increases efficiency and dispersion but a horn is not always a waveguide.  A horn is normally a longer, narrower profile specific to compression driver loading whereas a waveguide can be used to load dome drivers.  Horn loading a compression driver doesn't always lead to increased efficiency and dispersion. 

     Having thought about the graph above some more, the dip close to the upper crossover frequency isn't the 3rd order slope (it's too steep for that) it's more likely the waveguide loading (and increased distortion at that point) which is the trade off for efficiency.  It can be pulled flat again using an LCR circuit but 1: there's no room left on the board (!) and 2:  it sounds pretty good, so measurements are not always the final arbiter, they're just a guide.

    The main thing to take from the graph are that the mid and HF impedance match is pretty good despite the rise in mid resonance. Averaged impedance between the two using the L-pad now in place brings response measured in room pretty much within 1dB which is a decent result. 
  • PACPAC
    edited December 2013
    Job completed:

    image

    The tweeter is the Monacor DT300.  It uses an extended rear chamber and huge magnet to cheive both high efficiency and low crossover capability (high power handling).  With the waveguide, sensitivity is boosted to almost 100 dB/1W/1m.  

    image


    The HF section if the crossover has had to be re-designed to blend this arrangement in with the existing mid and bass units.  Actual system impedance measurements were used in preference to manufacturer's supplied data to get the blending spot-on. Several L-pad and capacitor combinations were calculated and used with the best one now getting the new HF section to within 1dB of the midrange (measured).

    I think that the front panel is now more purposeful and prettier (eye of the beholder thing!)

    image

    Part of this "stage 2" refurbishment included calculation of number and setting out of internal braces.  the cabinet's now heavily braced, tying front and rear panels together plus side panels together.  the cross-bracing is also jointed at each cross point making for a very rigid structure.  No single panel created by the braces splitting the main panels into sub sections are an equal multiple of any other in size and the bracing timber has a higher stiffness than the main panels.

    The effects of changing cabinet stiffness was twofold:

    Firstly, this required changes to internal damping and secondly, the cabinet stiffness and damping changed system "Q" (damping factor).  This can be heard in changes to bass response.  Some of the original large foam blocks were removed and replaced by 40mm acoustic foam and long lambswool and the system measured, plus listening tests undertaken.  Small amounts of damping were removed a bit at a time until just the right balance of bass accuracy and "life"  to the music resulted.

    End result:

    Massively improved detail, imaging (huge soundstage now) and clarity without any sacrifice in bass output (it was measured in-room).  The bass only sounds slightly more subdued because the mid and treble are now properly in balance with it. The biggest shock was remembering how these 70's classics originally sounded (reasonable bass, rather muddy and dull throughout the frequency range) compared with how they now sound.  To get anywhere near the level of fidelity, openness and naturalness to the sound,you would have to be spending three figures.

    I'll leave it for Ben to express how he finds them once he's had some listening time but I thought I'd share what has been I believe to be a very worth-while project.


  • Thanks for posting all this information, Paul. I hope it brings you some well-deserved enquiries.
  • Have just collected the speakers from Paul (along with a coffee and 2 chocolate digestives courtesy of Mrs. RFC).
    I'll post something more detailed soon, but suffice it to say initial judgement is...

    image
  • You're feeling demented?
  • edited December 2013

    de·ment·ed

    adjective \di-ˈmen-təd\


    : not able to think clearly or to understand what is real and what is not real : crazy or insane

    From here like.


    I like the bit about a diffiulty in understanding what is real and what is not real in the context of my newly refurbed speakers.

    There's a cymbal strike towards the beginning of "Let's Get it on" (high res) that is, in sonic terms, the high point of my entire music collection. Sounds even more bloomin marvelous today, with the final incarnation of my Goodwoods than it has ever before. All extended, sweet and smooth but metalic and raspy at the same time. Extremely realistic. Which is what I'm always after with my hifi.

    On their return from their first visit to Paul's the speakers were revolutionised. Paul did however suggest that if a further piece of work were to be carried out it would be to the tweeters, which he felt were letting the (very good) side down. I seem to remember Paul mentioning something of a drop in sensitivity in the upper registers.

    At first I was so blown away by the improvement in sound quality after the original refurb (mainly cross over work and new internal cabling) that I was completely satisfied that the speakers were where I wanted them. However, over time I did sometimes find myself thinking the speakers were just a little mid-forward and that I would occasionally hanker for a bit more detail and high-frequency sparkle.

    Paul agreed to take them back and complete part 2, which was led with the new more sensitive, large magnet, bat mobile tweeters. Also included were accommodating tweaks to the crossovers, more bracing to the cabinet, adjusting internal wadding, cleaning up of the bass and mid drivers and sealing them in place.

    When I heard them last night at Paul's it was immediately apparent that the exact progress to the trebble detail that I had wanted had been achieved. And more besides. They sounded more dynamic, more separated and more realistic. Absolutely terrific across the whole frequency range. Tremendous.

    The bracing has had a remarkable effect too. Just tapping the panels is enough to signal how much more rigid they are. And, previously, when stopping loudly played music, there would be a definite reverberation for perhaps a second or so. I had assumed that this was all to do the room echoing to the efforts of the woofer. Well apparently it wasn't, as now most of the post-stop reverberation has disappeared. More importantly, the effect of this in normal listening is that the speakers sound more accurate and cleaner.

    One unexpected effect (unexpected by me that is, rather than by Paul, who actually predicted it) is that of the wave guides on stereo image. I am subconsciously used to the sound of the system changing as I move about. By moving about I mean incidental moving such as reaching for a cup of tea, bending forward to pick up a book from the floor, or standing up. It was really startling this morning when I lent across the sofa to reach for something on the side table and the sound remained utterly  unchanged. This isn't a major issue under normal listening conditions, but was really weird when I experienced it.

    Any comments on Paul's work must include his methodical genius. He blends artistic creativity with scientific rigour to achieve the best possible results. All too often in the hifi world, the "subjective" and the "objective" are presented as alternatives. Well, Paul clearly shows what a crock of arse that is. Paul is both an objectivist and a subjectivist (a realist..?). He talks eloquently about the musical qualities of a particular design feature and then pulls up a graph that might indicate a particular measureable aspect that tallies with perception. This of course enables his engineering knowledge to work in tandem with his creative intuition during any design process.

    I feel a little uncomfortable bigging up Paul's refurbing work on my speakers. I am aware that he is soon to launch his own second speaker model. I am sure they will be superb. However, the work that he has carried out on my Goodwoods has gifted me a pair of speakers for £700 (including the original ebay purchase price) that are better than speakers that I have owned costing a grand more than that. I fear his outstanding refurb work has, in this case, done him out of one customer for his forthcoming Rhapsodies... Sorry Paul.


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