b_sdaddy
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Posts posted by b_sdaddy
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That's why everything was angled on the baffle. Well you learn something new everyday! Cheers.
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They came without base. Very nice speakers, but longer with me.
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Thanks. Will go ahead and order a sheet.
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here you go, Ditton 33 real wood venner. Any ideas?
Thanks
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I'm in the process of renovating a pair of Celestion Ditton 33's, and need to source a small sheet of veneer.
I owned a pair of AR4ax's a few years back, and they look the same. Are they?
I recall once reading that it's a type of bamboo? A light wood, with straight, thin grain..
Can any owners of either AR4ax's or Ditton 33's, advise as to what I need to use to repair dented cabinet corners on the Dittons.
Thanks!
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Hi All,
I've stumbled upon a pair of 'barn-find' speakers: 80cm x 50cm x 40cm!
Outside photos useless. Have got this one of the internals.
The quality of the cabinets suggests DIY. Is this confirmed by the internals?
Could drive for a hour, take photos and report back. Would rather take just the one trip.
Asking €50.
Last time I did this, I ended up with a beautiful pair of European Holophone Sopranos!
Cheers for any advice.
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So then J Kent, they're finished, and sounding amazing.
Recapping has worked wonders.
They're quite small for your typical floor-standers, so to get them a bit higher, I asked a local carpenter to make some stands. Continuing the trapezium form, they now sit 30 cm higher: perfect height for when I'm sitting in the big chair. I've invested in some granite blocks with spikes which do make a slight difference.
They're keepers as I suspect to better would be above my budget.
For speakers that were initially free, I suspect an end price of €100/$100. Not bad considering their original retail price of €3000 back in 1983!
cheers.
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Stumbled upon this thread which may be the best thing I've done all year.
I've recently acquired a set of "Holophone Sopranos" and after recapping, sound amazing! The sound stage is quite wonderful.
With my trusty Lenco L70, I'm afraid that my 1990's pre/power amp combo "Cambridge Audio" is letting the side down.
Although it's the best listening experience I've had at home, I think going in the direction of a tube amp is the way forward considering the quality and vintage of the other units.
So then, Dynaco? I'm not willing to dive straight in with €1500, but tipping my toes in for €375, I am.
I've seen this on a local secondhand site and am very interested.
(Apparently it's new and hardly used, as it wont fit into his cabinet!!)
No refunds, so if I don't like it, I'll have too try and sell it on.
Any advice on adding this to my set up?
Many thanks,
Stephen
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So then, found these in a junk shop for €25.
A bit dusty, and a few scratches on the wood venneer, but will clean up nicely.
Nothing on the web, save a few picys. SEAS throughout, and in "brand new" condition.
And what's "uni-phase"?
Nice graph?
Tried to get in, but all three drivers are stuck fast, or have been glued in! Would love to re-cap them, as they sound good as they are. Really good!
15kg each, real wood venneer, 25mm LDF cabinets.
BUT the thing that sold me, was that all three drivers are angled downwards? On the ledges that they sit above, strips of woollen fabric have been added. Nice touch.
Probably the best built cabinets I've come across.
If anyone has any tips on getting one of the drivers out, then please tell. Even a small screwdriver just digs into the front baffle when I try to lever it out.
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Thanks for the heads-up.
Actually, I intend to keep the grilles on.
I spent time getting rid of the caulk just as a matter of process. Could have removed just one of the drivers, replaced the caps and put it back.
As I knew nothing about these, taking them completely apart, was part of the journey. Thought the internal structure was going to reveal something interesting, but alas, "just a box".
Went with the matt black as it covers well.
Will be played with them on, and due to their shape, I think they look good with their grilles on.
Unlike these Leak Sandwiches which are too good to cover up!
(everything gets covered with sheets when I'm away for more than a day)
Cheers!
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Thanks for the compliment.
Going to start on the second one now. And for the foreseeable future, they're staying.
Stephen
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So after a week, one is complete!
Stripped cabinets, repaired, stained & varnished.
Recovered grilles.
Rebuilt crossover with Mundorf M-Caps: 6,2uF & 0,1uF
Rewired everything.
Spent hours removing all of that caulk!
Resprayed/touched-up drivers.
Made foam gaskets, replacing the caulk, as now with the grilles removed, you'll see everything.
Initial listening suggests recapping was necessary.
Now onto the second one......
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Gotta love the internet!
Just found a supplier of the ERO MKT1813 6,0uF (+/-5%) caps! UK based and as you can imagine, not going to break the bank.
Getting the smaller 0,33uF's is no problem.
Sorted, as the younger generation say.
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It's only 'non-purist' aesthetically.
And as for the original caps, if the designers opted for the small cap. in parallel, why shouldn't I go with the same, or as close as availability allows?
My usual supplier has;
5,6uF @ 1% & 0,65uF @ 5%
(or is 0,65 too high to be regarded as a bypass?)
And the original specs under the magnifying glass: ERO MKT1813 6uF 250v (+/-5%) and ERO1813 Film Cap 0,33uF 250v (+/-10%)
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17 minutes ago, JKent said:
hey b_sdaddy
I was glad ChrisM found your threads, just wish we'd known about them sooner. Very interesting speakers as it turns out.
A couple of thoughts:
- The 0.33uF is probably a "bypass cap." Some audiophiles think that putting a small value cap, often of higher voltage, in parallel with the main cap "improves" the sound. I'm skeptical. In the ones I worked on the arrangement was sort of the opposite of yours. The big cap was a yellow mylar and the small one was metallic green. Maybe PIO as Chris suggests. I don't think either one was marked in my case but I had to replace one pair because of a broken lead and I measured the big cap at 6.2uF, small one at 0.33 so I replaced them with 1.5 + 1.5 + 0.33.
- Are you sure these are 4 ohm nominal? The woofers in mine were totally shot and had no markings. DCR readings were all over the map IIRC. But the tweeters were Audax HD13D34H, which are 8 ohm. I think your tweets are SEAS though. That 6moons article is interesting but not 100% accurate. It says the woofers are 6" Peerless and they are really 5". And as Chris noted they sort of "look" British.
Keep us posted.
Kent
Got the 4 ohm from that article! Did also check with MM and from the inputs got 3,8ohm?
Just as a benchmark, switching between the Leaks and these, and with a constant , non adjusted volume, the Sopranos were 50% louder. Rarely go more than 3 oclock anyway.
Jury's still out on what cap(s). 40 years on, the range is immeasurable to what it was. If I 'just' went with a 6,2uF, surely only measuring equipment could record any audible differences.
6,2uF @ 1% now must be within tolerances of 6,0uF (+/- 10%) & 0,33uF (+/- 5%) 40 years ago.?
Or do I mix as they did, and go for the small 0,33uF, and two 3,0uF @ 1% (6,0uF are like hens teeth!)
Cheers
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So then,
the sad picture was due to fact that they had glued the panel to the cabinet. Chipboard was always going to break. Will fashion a new plinth.
Should I be exact both in values and type of capacitors? A readily available single 6,2uF surely would suffice?
Running a thread over on Audiokarma, but I'll post the first batch on here also!
So it's a full strip-down 100% restoration:
Cabinets are 9/10 already, but damage to some corners. Will fill, veneer and make good.
The wooden dowels have already been sanded away. To be replaced with plastic pegs.
All drivers working perfectly, but as you can see, there's four small bolts missing on one of the tweeters. Have taken two off of the other one for now, but will obviously source replacements.
The crossover's a simple job. Just deciding on what "exactly" to replace the old caps with.
As with my Leak Sandwiches (see photo), I'm going to have too 'modernize' the aesthetics: The front panel is 8mm mdf. Everything else, real wood veneer that will come up beautifully after a weekend's work.
They're keepers, so I'm not interested in maintaining the "period" look. Some things I do, example my Lenco L70 with existing arm and bakelite headshell, and this time, no.
The mdf panel with be filled and sanded, and then sprayed satin back. There will the nice detail of a 5mm frame of real wood still.
This panel was never meant to be seen. Coupled with half a litre of caulk that they used, it's not nice to look at.
I'm going to fashion foam gaskets instead. I'm also going to replace the period brown grill cloth with black.
Started with one today, getting it back to the shell.......
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Question;
Why would you parallel a 0,33Uf (+/- 10%) onto a 6,0uF (+/- 5%)?
0,3 is 5% of 6,0. Did they add the 0,33 to "compensate" for the tolerances in the 6,0uF cap?
Or with my limited knowledge, am I missing something?
This re-cap isn't going to break the bank, and prior to reading this, I was going to opt for just a 6,0.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
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Hi.
There was a link from my thread on Audiokarma, so I thought I'd add to this too!
Picked mine up last week. A round-trip of 50km and they were FREE. The seller was the daughter of the original owner. They were apparently very, very wealthy people.
I had suggested on email, that they looked DIY. She was NOT amused. It was those wooden dowels and banana plugs that got me thinking...as well as that god-awful caulk everywhere!
Actually I couldn't have been more wrong: The cabinets were hand-made by a Belgium violin manufacturer. The Grilles were never meant to come off.
I've managed to get an original sales invoice from 1983. They cost 75,000 Belgium Francs when new. I asked one of my older colleagues at work, what he earned back in 1983, as a general worker in a factory: 20,000BF.
So a few months pay. And google suggests that would be upto €4000/$4000 now. A significant purchase.
Aware that they're 4ohm, if someone can direct me to info. on how to protect from use with a 6-8 ohm amp.
Currently one is completely dismantled ready for a 100% renovation job.
btw. They used several different types of tweeter, as every model they produced had a "signature" version.
Have tracked down the original sales brochure (in french), from a Dutch guy. Hopefully he'll be able to send copies for my wife to translate.
Cheers.
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Watching closely.
I was lucky enough to find a pair that were in excellent condition. A very light sanding down, and then oiled, with new linen grille cloths, and they're cosmetically as good as I need them to be.
Interested in your next step, with regards to the crossover. I do all of my own work and have calculated €50/$50 for new capacitors. Would you see this as OK, or would you spend more? I have no idea as to the return on your investment when it comes to caps.?
I must say, I'm holding off on the 'goo' for now: I have too turn my two subs OFF, when I hook up the 5's. With everything else I have, they to 'add' to the overall effect.
The bass is that good. Could it be better? I'll re-cap first and then consider my options.
Rgds
Stephen
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So then, the caps arrived.
First impressions are very, very impressed. Thought it was going to be about the bass from those lovely woofers. But no, those tweeters! Will spend the weekend listening to them, and give them a side-by-side test against the Optimus T-200's. The KLH 5's and Wharfedale Dovedale III's are still being worked on.
When all are completed, only TWO will remain. I'm not a collector. Happy to enjoy the journey, repairing etc. but a room full of speakers isn't for me. The best two will stay, and the two others sold on for more funds for the next big find!
Me thinks the Leaks are well placed to be one of two keepers.
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Nice find! I bagged a pair for €50/$50 a couple of weeks ago.
Ordered new caps, and already sanded down the cabinets, re-oiled, and re-clothed the grilles with linen.
Bass is great, so holding off with the "goo" for now. Might be price-prohibitive, getting it to Belgium from the U.S.
Can't wait to hear the difference when the new caps are fitted.
If you're half as happy as me, with them, then you're one happy bunny!
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So the cosmetics are done. Just waiting for the caps. Long term might get the surrounds done, dependent on costs US to Belgium!
Happy with the result considering outlay. Definitely 'keepers'.
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A full range Wharfedale with no markings anywhere.
Any ideas on name or model number please?
Dynatron LS3138
in Other Speakers and Electronics
Posted
Dear All,
Only frequent this wonderful site, when all else fails.
I've stumbled upon a LOT of (UK) Dynatron speakers (two pairs), and after much surfing, have established that they didn't actually make the drivers!
Apparently they used the best available at the time from UK suppliers such as: EMI, Celestion, Wharfedale, Goodmans...
If anyone can add anything pertaining to the specific model: LS3138, then I would be so gratefull,
Kind rgds
Stephen
Belgium