The cap can definitely be improved, and figuring out what level you lik ethe tweeter at and just installing 1 R and losing the switch helps. Taking the metal grill offf the tweeter helps too. If you want to go all out i have drawn plans so one could build a proper plywood box.
Dynaco Enclosure Plans
dave
Thanks for those. Although admittedly I haven't been looking that long for her speakers, I have yet to come across a pair of Dynacos for sale. I don't know how common or rare they are in these parts.
As mentioned above, I may have a line on a pair of Polk Monitor Series 7s. I think they're the first version with the Peerless tweeter. I'm thinking those might be a good pair to get if I can get them for the right price. Then all I'd need to do is re-cap them.
Those old Dynaco-A25s are getting a bit ancient these days IMO. I mean, how long do you expect the glues and rubber to hold up? 
I've found some especial bargains down my local second-hand shop.
These MA7's weren't bad for a tenner in UK pounds:
A 5" bass in a big box works well in a small room.
These MA 300-MD's weren't too bad in a medium room:
Good cabinets and good drivers. Plenty of fun.
I've found some especial bargains down my local second-hand shop.
These MA7's weren't bad for a tenner in UK pounds:
A 5" bass in a big box works well in a small room.
These MA 300-MD's weren't too bad in a medium room:
Good cabinets and good drivers. Plenty of fun.
Remember he is ready to do some modification. I Denmark I can get e pair of A25 i good condition for 100$ or less.
There's a pair of Dahlquist PDQ-607s available here right now. Any good?
Also know of someone about to sell their NHT SB-1s. Worth looking at?
As far as the Polk Monitor System 7s I've got a line on go, here's a picture of one of them:
It looks like they're a later version with the SL-2000 tweeters, not the ones with the Peerless. They have black cabinets.
Both have dented dust caps on the woofers. Is that a big deal?
What years were this version made? How likely is it that the foam rings on the woofer and passive radiator will be deteriorated and will need replacement in the near future?
Does this version have the fuse on the tweeter that needs to be removed?
What are the recommended mods for this version? Re-capping obviously But what else?
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Dented dust caps can be popped out with sticky tape or a pin. No big deal.
There is not much to fix in the x/o. More like basket tricks and box bracing/damping. The passive radiator bass is good.
They should not have foam surrounds, rather the reliable butyl rubber that we like seeing in the thrift store. Or you can take on re-foaming, which is tedious but not daunting.
There is not much to fix in the x/o. More like basket tricks and box bracing/damping. The passive radiator bass is good.
They should not have foam surrounds, rather the reliable butyl rubber that we like seeing in the thrift store. Or you can take on re-foaming, which is tedious but not daunting.
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Most foam surrounds don't last much more than 10-15 years , it depends on where they have been located , sunlight destroys them quickly.
Dustcaps can be gently eased out , loads of methods from blu-tac to suction using a vacuum cleaner , given that someones obviously been poking them check for damage before parting with your cash.
Gently push on the surrounds applying even pressure all round and listen for any ' scraping ' noises.
The NHT's would be my choice .
Dustcaps can be gently eased out , loads of methods from blu-tac to suction using a vacuum cleaner , given that someones obviously been poking them check for damage before parting with your cash.
Gently push on the surrounds applying even pressure all round and listen for any ' scraping ' noises.
The NHT's would be my choice .
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I second the NHT recommendation. It is one of the few commercial bookshelf with good overall system design, sturdy cabinet and good piano finish. Particularly attractive is the used Super Zero pair can be had under $100, thus, meeting the budget goal. I have had the Super Zero and Super One and like both very much. The Super One was my main bookshelf for over a year while I finished my home built replacement.
Ken Kantor did a very good job in system integration that no upgrade would be necessary (or adviseable) if you get a pair in good condition.
Other brands such as Polk cannot touch NHT in sound quality at the same price point. Some of the budget Pioneer or Dayton Audio are good too, but their cabinet sings.
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Hello,
I just joined and this is my first post.
I am helping my friends' 12 year old girl who is really into retro music and audio put together her first sound system on a shoestring budget. I found her a good working Technics SL-Q200 turntable with the stock Technics cartridge for a good price. I put that together with a pre HDMI era Yamaha AV receiver and a pair of old 2 way speakers that I had kicking around and now we're all set to surprise her with her first sound system when she gets back on Monday from her summer holidays. She's been buying up old Queen and other classic rock LPs and has been jones'n to play them. She's going to be so surprised and happy...
I'd like to eventually upgrade the speakers in this system as I think the ones I gave her are the weakest link in the system. What I'd like to do is find a pair of cheap underrated bookshelf speakers that I can make some simple mods to (like re-capping and/or replacing crossovers or tweeters) to make a lot better.
Perusing the local classifieds, I have found the following speakers that are in my budget range which is less than $100 CAD (~$75 USD) excluding the cost of the modifications. The asking price of these listed below are $80 CAD (~$60 USD) or less.
Polk R20
Dalquist PDQ-607
ProLinear PL3.5B
Sony SS-CCP1
Yamaha NX-E300
Polk Audio Monitor Series II Bookshelf
Do any of these have particularly good potential with modification? What mods are required to make them better?
If none of the above have very good potential, is there another brand/model that I should look for and what mods would I need to make to them?
Thanks in advance for your advice.
You're better of giving her cash to spend on other stuffs.
Elac B5 or B6
I see these new for 200.00. Used should be half that.
Hello,
I just joined and this is my first post.
I am helping my friends' 12 year old girl who is really into retro music and audio put together her first sound system on a shoestring budget. I found her a good working Technics SL-Q200 turntable with the stock Technics cartridge for a good price. I put that together with a pre HDMI era Yamaha AV receiver and a pair of old 2 way speakers that I had kicking around and now we're all set to surprise her with her first sound system when she gets back on Monday from her summer holidays. She's been buying up old Queen and other classic rock LPs and has been jones'n to play them. She's going to be so surprised and happy...
I'd like to eventually upgrade the speakers in this system as I think the ones I gave her are the weakest link in the system. What I'd like to do is find a pair of cheap underrated bookshelf speakers that I can make some simple mods to (like re-capping and/or replacing crossovers or tweeters) to make a lot better.
Perusing the local classifieds, I have found the following speakers that are in my budget range which is less than $100 CAD (~$75 USD) excluding the cost of the modifications. The asking price of these listed below are $80 CAD (~$60 USD) or less.
Polk R20
Dalquist PDQ-607
ProLinear PL3.5B
Sony SS-CCP1
Yamaha NX-E300
Polk Audio Monitor Series II Bookshelf
Do any of these have particularly good potential with modification? What mods are required to make them better?
If none of the above have very good potential, is there another brand/model that I should look for and what mods would I need to make to them?
Thanks in advance for your advice.
I see these new for 200.00. Used should be half that.
Why not get a speaker kit and help her build her own speakers? She can finish it to match her décor. The PE C-Note looks to be a pretty impressive speaker for $100 and I have to believe better than most vintage speakers that would need some kind of repair.
C-Note MT Bookshelf Speaker Kit Pair with Knock-Down Cabinets
C-Note MT Bookshelf Speaker Kit Pair with Knock-Down Cabinets
I'm seriously leaning toward a pair of Pioneer SP-BS22-LRs and doing the Dennis Murphy modification to them as per this article.
Dennis Murphy Pioneer SP-BS22-LR DIY Modifications | Audiokarma Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums
I reckon my total cost will be somewhere about $200 CAD after the mods are done. I'm pretty sure I could get her grandparents to chip in for half putting me back on my budget.
Anybody done this mod on a pair of those speakers? I'm interested to hear how much better it makes the speakers.
Dennis Murphy Pioneer SP-BS22-LR DIY Modifications | Audiokarma Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums
I reckon my total cost will be somewhere about $200 CAD after the mods are done. I'm pretty sure I could get her grandparents to chip in for half putting me back on my budget.
Anybody done this mod on a pair of those speakers? I'm interested to hear how much better it makes the speakers.
Have you checked how much the Pioneers currently sell for ? here in the U.K. the price shot up by ridiculous amounts after they got good feedback , i've seen them at GBP 350 which is an insane amount of money for a pair of ' budget ' speakers that , to me , sound dull and lifeless , another example of a product selling on the back of over hyped press reviews.
I second Deadpirate's suggestion, a kit handbuilt and finished to personal taste would have much more of a 'cool' factor than any mass market product regardless of mods, on top of the suggested kit the Overnight Sensations are insanely good for the money and you could improve during the build doing things like adding cabinet bracing , quality cable better x -over parts etc .
A $200 budget would get a lot more for your money this way.
I second Deadpirate's suggestion, a kit handbuilt and finished to personal taste would have much more of a 'cool' factor than any mass market product regardless of mods, on top of the suggested kit the Overnight Sensations are insanely good for the money and you could improve during the build doing things like adding cabinet bracing , quality cable better x -over parts etc .
A $200 budget would get a lot more for your money this way.
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