Vintage speaker identification

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aulday

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Joined 2011
Hi guys

I've had these speakers since I was about 12 and I'm now 31. My dad gave me them and I terrorised the neighbourhood for a further 8 years until I learned it was only fair to turn it down. I still have them but really want to ID them and look at restoring them to their former glory.

They were originally made using 4.5 inch woofers and a tweet: One in a bandpass enclosure as a subwoofer, one as a mid-bass, and then a tweet on top.

Anyway, in those 8 years I managed to blow all 6 drivers. I sourced various replacements and blew those too. Eventually I foolishly (not knowing anything about speaker design) cut bigger holes for the woofers and fit an 8-inch B&W as the subwoofer and a 6.5-inch as the mid-bass. And from then on the amazing deep bass response was nackered. Still there, but nothing like it used to be.

I then resprayed the tatty cabs satin black and put some vintage seas tweeters in them, sound amazing.

I would like to restore the cabs to 4.5 inch drivers and want to choose the best possible match.

There is a label on the back "The Radio People Ltd" Hong Kong and a serial number. So they could be Warfedales

They're fairly heafty speakers and the bass is lovely.

Here are some photo's of them:

http://www.aulday.be/files/DSCF1424.JPG

http://www.aulday.be/files/Photo0152.jpg

http://www.aulday.be/files/DSCF1423.JPG

http://www.aulday.be/files/Photo0155.jpg

If anyone knows anything of what they are then that would be wicked.

Thanks

Tom
 
GM

GM

Member
Joined 2003
I'm guessing it's an in-house design. If you still have an original woofer, then it may have a manufacturer's date code to at least tell us the brand and at least a range of time it and the speaker was made.

If there's no original make, model and/or T/S specs available, then finding a suitable replacement will be a crap shoot at best, especially for the BP 'sub' since these types of alignments are very sensitive to driver specs.

GM
 
A

aulday

Member
Joined 2011
The original woofer had nothing on it at all. Small 4.5 inch cones with huge magnets almost as big as the cones.

Nothing is printed anywhere apart from the radio people badge and I've heard they're often warfedales.

I built myself a sub using the exact same internal dimensions as the BP part of the floorstanders and sourced a 4.5" bass driver and it worked really well. So I recon I can use that, then I'll get a mid that's similar. It will prob be good I just wanted to find the actual original specs
 
Inductor

Inductor

Member
Joined 2006
aulday said:
...I would like to restore the cabs to 4.5 inch drivers and want to choose the best possible match.


Tom
Click to expand...
Tom,
If you need new drivers (x4?!) better you start your new project somewhere...
Look, (for the specs needed to start) supposing you designing a woofer/sub + mid/woofer (same size or similar model) + tweeter on that 4.5 inch diam. dimensions, then we need to know how to reverse engineering. If you are not measuring the originals for a replacement (they are not in working order anymore) then we need to know what the project is going to be. Let's say (let's going flexible for now with the internal net volumes here) You are going to need 3/4 vol for the woofer(s) and 1/4 vol for the mid/driver. Important:
1. How much do you measure to the total net volume?
2. By the way what tweeter do you have, or, are you going to buy new ones at a later date?
 
Inductor

Inductor

Member
Joined 2006
Elipson 1303

That's certainly very nice...
A vintage and classic.
(I will give a look later (tomorrow).
Le forum Audio Vintage • Afficher le sujet - Elipson 1303
Google

It would be very (of historic value) interesting and instigating to take those speakers to working order as a vintage statement with new drivers perhaps (to spec close to the originals or a little better if possible, not only because of new drivers available not always better for the purpose, but with the new tools and simulations) but with the same classic design philosophy and purpose that they were built for.
 
A

aulday

Member
Joined 2011
holy cr*p they REALLY look like the elipson 1303!

I was wrong I think it's a 5 inch setup sorry. Yes there is a woofer inside.

And the same little white internal vent tubes to the tweeter as you see here: http://www.passion-elipson.com/cabasseforum/1303/elipson_1303_1.jpg

Mine was the version with a 13cm bass driver as quoted in this post: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/212161-elipson-1303-replica.html

Pretty confident this is a positive ID.

I currently have SEAS H087 tweeters and I really like their sound. I have replicated the sub inside these floorstanders with success so I propose to fit these drivers to the cabs:

SPH-135KEP for the bass / mid

and SPH-135C for the sub

These are the correct size compared to the original so I think I may be in luck

These cabs have such a heafty solid bass response, sound firmly planted into the floor
 
GM

GM

Member
Joined 2003
aulday said:
I built myself a sub using the exact same internal dimensions as the BP part of the floorstanders and sourced a 4.5" bass driver and it worked really well.
Click to expand...

You were quite lucky then since historically many folks couldn't design a good performing BP even with specs, though in recent years one can now 'slide' their way to it with Hornresp's Wizard tool.

GM
 
GM

GM

Member
Joined 2003
aulday said:
I wondered why there was a strange port hole behind the tweeter. seemingly complex arrangement: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zcFD632aJQs/UYY-qW7F9ZI/AAAAAAAAa6k/a8RQO5GqC0Q/s1600/H33.jpg
Click to expand...

Here's a thread about modifying the mid driver's double bass reflex [DBR] alignment, so maybe another source of driver info: Modificatie Elipson 1303

Nifty speaker! Surprised I've never encountered it before, especially on the various DBR threads and design websites devoted to it and/or BP alignments.

GM
 
A

aulday

Member
Joined 2011
GM said:
You were quite lucky then since historically many folks couldn't design a good performing BP even with specs, though in recent years one can now 'slide' their way to it with Hornresp's Wizard tool.

GM
Click to expand...

That's what I thought. I basically replicated the external dimensions, fitted a large-ish telescopic 45 degree port, a couple henry's for a LP filter, and one of these twin voicecoil drivers: SPH-135TC

Using a tone generator in my bathroom I could hear down to 15Hz which is the lowest thing I've ever heard. It nicely starts responding where my JBL 4326p's roll off so compliments them well.

I couldn't tell you how efficient it is though, just that it makes the right noises and for a 5" driver takes a good amount of power due to twin coils.

----------

woaw that google page, they WERE the drivers! huge magnets. bringing back memories of taking them apart at aged 13 haha. they were SOO heavy for me to turn upside down then.

Thanks regarding the mid adjustment. I had no idea that was all going on behind there. I wondered why there was such a shallow wall behind the tweeter.

Mine was the type with the dome yes. I am itching to fit those Kevlar mid-basses though but need to make sure it'll sound right.

Very exciting to discover this! will be a while before I have space and time for the project but can't wait now
 
A

aulday

Member
Joined 2011
Just a side question here guys. I see that he glue-coated the cones. is this a good idea?

I'm currently diy refurbing a pair of BW DM110's by respraying and fitting seas tweeters. I want to do something to the cones can I PVA glue coat them and is this a good idea? or am I talking crap? :)
 
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