Rectilinear IIIa

[dxho]

I just acquired a pair of these, with a couple of issues: inoperative midrange on one, weak woofer surrounds on both. Are they worth the effort to fix (and perhaps recap)? What I've read is they were low-price versions of the original IIIs. I have not opened these up yet.

[Martin]

Are you sure of that model number? Could it rather be a Mini-III?

[JKent]

Here is a thread with photos of the Mini III

http://www.classicsp...?showtopic=4175

But there certainly WAS a IIIa. Do a google search.

There are Rectilinear enthusiasts on AK. IIIs--even Minis-- are nice speakers. Worth fixing up IMHO. However, this B.A.S. article suggests that later IIIs, possibly the the IIIa's, had "new" woofers and sounded like a "jukebox" so proceed with caution.

http://www.bostonaud...04-06-7603b.pdf

A brief skim of some comments on the IIIa seems to confirm what you fear--cheap versions. Vinyl cabinets, inferior woofers, odd port where it doesn't belong, may or may not have Peerless mids.

Kent

[dxho]

Mitsubishi mids, as I recall, one of which I ruined on removal. The woofers were Radio Shack replacements, so I kept the internals and broke down the rest. No big loss, purchase-wise.

[Tyreman]

I just noticed this thread by accident and must confess to having owned a number of Rectilinear speakers in the 70's and 80's.

Also had a pair of the newer 3's, with the XII's on the "rear" channel, The newer III's didn't give a jukebox sound at all.i would not buy into that observation as my memory recollects from extensive personal experience.

Yes the port was moved from its original location but that was to improve low end slightly.

The woofer was different and easer to purchase as it was a newer model and quantities were available so it was indicated to me.

The cabinet was actually built better, braced slightly differet thou had a vinyl exterior(so do hundreds of speakers today.

The cabinet sides extended up about an inch on the top

One time I had in fact sent their engineering department a letter after noticing this with the other changes when I bought them(1974-1975 long era ago)

Received a letter from M. Weiner and he answered my questions thoroughly.

Its too bad I hadn't kept all those pertinent data and such but alas I moved on to B&W 2000's in the '85 year.

I used these III's with XIa's(very good two way in its day), newer XII's, older XII's and a also an older set of III's in various configurations and separate to see what the old/new sound was like.

Most of their models were pretty good , if you could have snagged a pair of V's I belive they were with the inclined back stands they were pretty clean.

Additionally in the 1992-93 ish era just for fun got a pair of mint used III's in their white triwall ship boxes(with the pic of the III outline on the outside) off an original owner and put them against the '2000's but their was no point in continuing with that unfair contest.

[dynaco_dan]

I just noticed this thread by accident and must confess to having owned a number of Rectilinear speakers in the 70's and 80's.

Also had a pair of the newer 3's, with the XII's on the "rear" channel, The newer III's didn't give a jukebox sound at all.i would not buy into that observation as my memory recollects from extensive personal experience.

.

Hi there

I just returned from BAS and they show a 1 1/2 amp fuse for the Rectilinear 3 speaker system.