I can't help myself sometimes...
...Just grabbed me another pair of large 70s speakers (just like these) for 25 quid...
(Wharfdfale Glendale 3XP)
Hopefully picking them up next week. :-)
No idea what I'm going to do with them. Have absolutely nowhere to put them. :-D
(Wharfdfale Glendale 3XP)
Hopefully picking them up next week. :-)
No idea what I'm going to do with them. Have absolutely nowhere to put them. :-D
Comments
* caution: there's a small lie in this last sentence
You had 3 pairs of course.
I'm thinking may be you could just glue all of my speakers together in a big heap and connect them up somehow... ;-) Will be collecting them from London next week. I'm heading over for a gig, so decided I could pick these up en-route. Probably wouldn't have purchased otherwise...
Righto.
Picked them up this morning.
Cosmetic condition is fine.
Plugged into my friend's Sony mini system they sound promising. Unfortunately one of the tweeters is gone.
So I'm going to need to find an original replacement for that tweeter, or try to find modern alternatives...
Tbh, I'm not that bothered. Less than I would have thought I'd be. I'm quite enjoying the idea of a bit of a project...
Any tweeter thoughts...? (E.g. if I go for newer ones, how do I know what spec to go for...?)
My back-stop plan is throw them at Paul RFC, but it'd be nice (/ fool-hardy) to try something myself. :-)
Singing karaoke in some bar through the wee small hours hasn't helped...
For starters, the plate on the front of the speakers list their overall specs as 86dB and 6 ohms.
Simply based on their being from speakers with the same ratings (6ohms 86db), and their being identically sized physically (so I didn't have to worry about additional work!). No idea how they fit with the crossover ratings etc.,...
They sound fine though. A little more forward than the old one, which I like as the old one sounded a bit...dull...? And also smoother. So, as the replacement came as one of a pair, I've replaced the other one too.
A couple more things I want to fiddle with before final assessments, but so far, so good. Except, that stupidly I automatically used the same screws for the replacement tweeters as had been securing the old. They were too large for the new tweeters holes and split the corner of the tweeter plate slightly (see top right screw). Annoying, but not a huge issue, these aren't going to be showcase units. Just me trying my hand at something.
Also, one slight solder burn to left index finger...
I wouldn't lose any sleep about stiff local competition if I were you Paul... ;-)
It's henceforth to be known as a "war wound".
Yes, so far I like what I'm hearing. Ressuring to get a thumbs up of validation there Paul. :-) They are never going to be in a position to challenge for top spot here of course, but before I set the Wharfdales in place properly and give them a decent listen, I want to change the binding posts (I need more war wounds) from the current choice of teenie weenie screw downs and 2 pin din plug X_X .
These were meant to be a quick and cheap bit of fun...
They've been fun, but a bit more complicated and slightly more costly than expected.
Firstly, the blown tweeter.
Based purely on similar overall specs and physical dimensions, I picked up a pair of replacements in the form of the tweeters from some Sony APM10ES, like these...
I fitted both of the Wharfdales with one of the Sony tweeters.
Secondly, one of the midrange units on the Wharfdales was rubbing. It looked like the surround and / or the cone itself had become warped.
I picked up some second hand replacements (they're handsome white perforated old Leak jobbies like these...)
....and that sorted that and left me with a spare for future.
Finally I fitted a new binding posts. As well as the inevitable drilling and soldering, this also invovled moving the crossover board down slightly as it was pressed up against the old connectors leaving insufficient room to accomodate the new bindinng posts.
All good fun and satisfying too.
The end sound was fairly pleasing. Bass especially was remarkably impressive. Imaging also very pleasing. Midrange was mostly fine, Buena Vista Social Club sounded very real, although the vocals on the Ella and Louis hi-res were thicker than I'm used to. Trebble was much smoother through the new tweeters, but still somewhat spitty - it made me appreciate just how good the tweeters are that Paul fitted in the Goodmans. One thing I noticed was that the cabinets of Wharfdales ring like a bell! After one hits the stop button after some loud music the boxes carry on reverberating for at least 5 seconds.
But I would definitely be happy to live with them in a second system. I supppose future work might includ checking the crossover components, changing internal wiring (it's just thin silver-coloured stuff) and possible bracing the cabinets. But I'm not looking to do any of that really. They're fine as they are, and I don't need another super-speaker. :-)
Anyway, here they are earlier this eveing in Suzy6toes listening room...
I realised last week that the little Class D amp I bought a few weeks back could be powered via a 12V 5Amp car cigarette lighter charger. I couldn't resist plugging it in to my little Daihatsu with the 2 Wharfdales squeezed on to the back seat. Drove through Gloucester like some sort of wide boy with my boom-boxes booming.
Loved it.
(No photos unfortunately...)
:-0
http://ebay.co.uk/itm/291476047099?nav=SEARCH
Get some professional help now :-)