Newbie questions on Smaller Advent

[Wuchak]

Hello Everyone,

I am a complete newcomer to vintage speakers. Last week I stopped at a garage sale and picked up a set of Smaller Advents (w/orange tweeters). They are still in their original boxes and look like new except for the foam on the woofers. After reading through this forum I see that is a common problem. I was thinking of trying to fix them using this kit from ebay (auction ID:180117218004)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...18004&rd=1&rd=1" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...18004&rd=1&rd=1

Is this a good kit or is another recommended?

I'm planning on doing this myself but if there is someone good in the Kansas City area that does this kind of work well for a reasonable price I would take it to them. Anyone know of somebody?

Lastly I would like to use these with my Sonic T-amp but I'm not sure about their efficiency. Does anyone know what they are rated? The T-amp works best with speakers above 90db.

Thanks for the help,

Wuchak

[Wuchak]

I noticed on the woofers that they have a very visible glue line around the center cone (please see attached picture). Was this something original or is this a past repair job by a previous owner?

Thanks,

Wuchak

[JKent]

I'm not familiar with your speakers, so I'll be interested to see what the Advent experts have to say. The photo suggests to me these have been modified. In any case, I would not recommend the surround kit you found on ebay because it does not include new dust caps, and you will need them.

I have been happy with kits from M_Sound, They include the needed dust caps, shims and excellent directions. But would suggest until you hear from some Advent owners regarding how original yours are.

Good luck

Kent

[Carlspeak]

>Hello Everyone,

>

>I am a complete newcomer to vintage speakers. Last week I

>stopped at a garage sale and picked up a set of Smaller

>Advents (w/orange tweeters). They are still in their original

>boxes and look like new except for the foam on the woofers.

>After reading through this forum I see that is a common

>problem. I was thinking of trying to fix them using this kit

>from ebay (auction ID:180117218004)

>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...18004&rd=1&rd=1" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...18004&rd=1&rd=1

>Is this a good kit or is another recommended?

>

>I'm planning on doing this myself but if there is someone good

>in the Kansas City area that does this kind of work well for a

>reasonable price I would take it to them. Anyone know of

>somebody?

>

>Lastly I would like to use these with my Sonic T-amp but I'm

>not sure about their efficiency. Does anyone know what they

>are rated? The T-amp works best with speakers above 90db.

>

>Thanks for the help,

>Wuchak

I am familiar with your SA woofers from having refoamed a number of them. The ad is correct. Don't try to remove that very unique dustcap. It looks from your pic the glue job, which looks original, was hastily done and didn't fill in a nice fillet all the way around. Go ahead and get the kit and follow the directions carefully. Refoaming without shims (in this case) can be tricky.

Those T-amps are a bit marginal for power and I suspect they will not play these Small Advents very loudly without distortion. Older Classic speakers are typically in the 85-89 dB Eff. range. No telling for sure exactly what yours will be after the refoam.

Good luck!

It's all about the music.

Carl

Carl's Custom Loudspeakers

[Doug G.]

That kit is exactly what you need. He has surrounds that are just like the originals. You don't need shims and all that just to refoam.

The unique dust cap on the Smaller Advents was specifically made that way to add mass to the cone. Don't change them. I have seen otherwise acceptably refoamed Smaller Advents ruined because a regular dust cap was used to replace the original. This will definitely alter the bass response of the woofer.

Just not enough research done beforehand. It's a shame, really.

I agree with Carl that the T amp probably won't be enough to reach louder levels with the Advents. Prolly good enough for low level listening though.

Doug

[JKent]

hmmm.... I stand corrected. Glad I said to wait for the Advent experts. Probably should have kept my 2 cents to myself ;-)

[Wuchak]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I missed the end of the auction on eBay so I contacted the seller to find out when it will be relisted.

You confirmed what I thought about the T-amp. I am going to use these speakers and the T-amp in my office (10x20x7). I currently use the T-amp with a set of MTX high efficiency bookshelf speakers that I have sitting on the corners of my 6'x3' desk. The Advents will replace the MTX's although the Advents really stretch the definition of "bookshelf" when it comes to size.

I'm looking forward to hearing these speakers. Hopefully I'll be up and running with them in a week or so.

[dynaco_dan]

Hi Kent;

Your advice is always welcome and very much appreciated, thank you.

[Doug G.]

Ya Kent. Having a little more experience with Advents doesn't stop some others of us from shooting our mouths off. :^)

Like when I said sometimes the negative terminal on the woofers was marked with a black marker. That was pretty bone-headed.

Doug

[Wuchak]

My new surrounds will be mailed today so I should have them in time for the long weekend. I cannot wait to hear these speakers.

[Wuchak]

Excerpt from Carl's response:

>follow the directions carefully. Refoaming without shims (in

>this case) can be tricky.

Thanks Carl. Do you have any tips for how to do this without shims? I would hate to go through the effort to get them refoamed only to find that I messed up the voice coils.

[Carlspeak]

>Excerpt from Carl's response:

>>follow the directions carefully. Refoaming without shims

>(in

>>this case) can be tricky.

>

>Thanks Carl. Do you have any tips for how to do this without

>shims? I would hate to go through the effort to get them

>refoamed only to find that I messed up the voice coils.

I use a low voltage DC power source to raise the cone up. A "D" size battery would work also. Your instructions which will come with the surrounds should have something to say about it also. If not, call your supplier.

Other's who've posted here use the 'gentle push' technique and have had success. I started out that way and eventually abandoned it due to a significant failure rate. Perhaps some of them could contribute?

It's all about the music

Carl

Carl's Custom Loudspeakers

[Wuchak]

Thanks Carl,

I just got done with the installation. Once they dry overnight I'll put them back together in the morning.

The kit that I received from Rick Cobb, ebay seller id looneytune2001, came with great instructions. Alignment was achieved by using a 30hz test tone cd that came with the kit and allowing the speaker to self center to the spider. It was a piece of cake.

[Wuchak]

WOW!

I put the speakers back together this afternoon, hooked up the Sonic Impact t-amp and my old Onkyo DX-702 cd player that has been serving as the player in my office. The cd player has a headphone jack and volume control on the front. I'm running a line from there to the t-amp, setting the t-amp volume at 3/4 and controlling the overall volume with the headphone volume. Any concerns about the t-amp driving the Smaller Advents is gone. In my small office it will push them well beyond a comfortable listening level. I think the setup would work well in a small to med sized living room. I have spent the past 3 hours just flipping from one disk to another. I have tried everything from Sarah Chang performing Paganini Concerto No 1 to Pink Floyd to Simon and Garfunkel to Frank Sinatra to Lonnie Mack to Thin Lizzy to Cream to John Coltrane to Metallica and it all sounds better than I have ever heard it. It sounds like they are here in the room with me. I'm hearing breaths and fingers on guitar strings and sounds buried in the mix that I have never heard before. The overall sound is just entrancing and I cannot remember ever enjoying listening to my cd's this much. I think my little $30 amp and $37 ($12 at a garage sale and $25 for new foam)speakers are going to spoil me. I couldn't be more pleased with this setup. I wish I were more versed in the vocabulary of sound since I don't have the words to accurately describe the sound.

Thanks everyone for the great advice on getting these speakers up and running. Time to grab another armload of cd's.

Brian

[Doug G.]

Brian,

Congratulations on a successful refoam!

Advents are wonderful speakers and the way you described how they sound is quite alright with me. When you hear things that weren't "there" before, that's what it's all about.

I personally don't like it when reviewers get all flowery with their metaphors and similies in describing sound. You know, like "the violins bloomed like roses in a garden before my eyes," etc.

It's as if it's not good enough to say the sound itself is good. It has to be compared to something else. No thanks.

Anyway, enjoy those Advents and think about stacking, hehe.

Doug