JR 149 help

[parossi]

Hoping someone can point me in the right direction, I have a pair of Rogers JR194 that my father gave me - he worked for JR in the 80s and having read the threads here I'll have to tell him they still have a bit of a cult following and ask him if he has any others stashed away!

They have be in storage as I've moved around but I recent got them out to use them. After a couple of months the bass speaker on one failed - I have swooped them around so I know its the speaker not the circuit board.

I have read various threads here and I am fairly sure they are the Mark 2s and the speaker is branded Focal. I have tried to talk to someone at Falcon Acquostics in the UK as several threads say they have a replacement but have had no response.

Can anyone tell me what the currently available equivalent speaker would be and where I might get one?

Thanks, paul

 

[Inductor]

Usually the speakers drivers can be repaired (call Simply Speakers). It all depends what is the fault.
If you want to replace the two drivers (for a matched pair in both speakers) you need to give us the original reference of the Focal driver or measure it (T/S parameters) yourself.
T/S (Thiele/Small) Parameters | Learning Center | Sonic Electronix

 

[Inductor]

Ok, some ideas.
LS3/5A Inspired Designs

"JR149" Jim Rogers, who set up J R Loudspeakers Ltd after the collapse of Rogers Audio, released the JR149 in 1977 using the same drive units as the LS3/5A in a cylindrical aluminium cabinet. A review of the JR149 in the May 1977 Hi-Fi News and Record Review found that the "general quality was very comparable" to the LS3/5A.[6]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_International

Note: You may buy only one driver if you get the model# in the chassis, in the back. Look in both drivers/speakers.
If you buy only one new driver, of the same model they will not be matched. (Buy pairs always, if you can)
http://www.falconacoustics.co.uk/drive-units-1/focal-drive-units.html
[PDF] A History of Kef Drive Units from the 1960s and 70s

 

[Inductor]

Jim Rogers JR149 - Vintage - Loudspeakers

JR149 Mk II

When the company moved to Unit 5, Morewood Close, Sevenoaks, Kent, JR Loudspeakers Ltd introduced the mark II (reviewed in Gramophone December 1981). The Kef drivers are replaced with a 110 mm bass unit Focal and the tweeter from Scanspeak, a 19mm doped fabric design based upon D200.
(...)
The cross over is partly enclosed in the bottom plinth and the black metal base is not as deep as on the early versions. The square, type 24 cross over, was released in 1991.
JR149 speaker

You need to find reference for the Focal mid-woofer or measure it as was stated above.

BBC - A History of the World - Object : Jim Rodgers JR149 LS5/3A design speakers
LS3/5A Rogers' History

 

[parossi]

Thanks, I assumed there was nobody left repairing things like this, I'll contact them. Here is the serial number. Should I assume given their age that the other one will fail at some point so its better to replace?

Thanks for your help

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

 

[dizmayed]

Dear Parossi:

You probably got some good advice from other forum members. My JR149s still sound worthy. You probably know they are <related> to the LS35a speakers. Join this very active yahoo group where the JR149 variant is frequently discussed/ critiques/dismembered, etc. Lots of smart users there.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ls35a/info

 

[parossi]

many thanks, I'll check out the forum