Galu i gave them a good check and i can confirm my surrounds are similar to yours. They haven't deteriorated and they still feel soft, one does feel slightly harder but it also looks like its been in cold/humid conditions.
I just connected them both and they still sing and the bass had no issues, i didn't see any cone restrictions or shearing forces that may cause it to crease.
Infact they remind me of car subwoofers, how stiff and built they are.
I could always treat the surrounds with a chemical? Im sure ive read about a substance which treats rubber type surrounds?
I dont mind replacing the surrounds, it seems a ball ache as those drivers are built well.
Perhaps i may be lucky and my surrounds are actually ok?
Treatments for natural rubber (like those used for automobile door seals) are not effective for a synthetic rubber like Flexiprene.
Importantly, I would caution against employing any of the aggressive potions frequently touted on the interweb as they could damage synthetic rubber.
If the speakers are performing well, I would leave well enough alone.
At the most, the mearest wipe with a silicone oil moistened cloth will restore the colour and shine of the surrounds. Do not overdo this or the oil will soak into the paper cone. AG Silicone Oil - Professional Lubricant for Protection and Conservation - 100ml 5901764329459 | eBay
The small cone excursion of the Dovedale woofers is normal and, as long as the Flexiprene surrounds have not gone hard and brittle they will operate as intended.
I'll give this go Galu, I'll go ahead with the rebuild and once I've finished refurbishing it I'll do some testing and check all is well with them. Fingers crossed but I think we may be all good!
Hi,
I recently got a pair of Dovedale 3s. They seem to be in fine working condition. I don't know if they had been in use recently or not, but I have been playing them for 3 or 4 hours a day since and they have opened up where initially they had been muffled or veiled.
I have only ever had bookshelf style speakers before and am impressed with the weight or presence of the music from these large cabinet speakers. Though I think there could be more clarity in the mid range and tweeters.
I have positioned them on the floor, then tried them tilted upwards by jamming a few thick books under the front of them. The tilt worked. I am planning on making two wooden stands to raise them a few inches and tilt them.
Of course, reading all about them inevitability leads to discussions about recapping. I have never tried to recap anything, having no electronic experience. But watching videos etc has convinced me that i could give it a go.
I opened the front to reveal the crossover. The caps are elcaps, black with red ends. a + sign on each end suggesting a bipolar cap.
What brands or type of cap do posters suggest I use to recap? I see fancy Mundorff caps.. but with fancy prices too. Then "oil" and polypropylene etc etc. It is world all to itself. Do they fancy price varieties make that much difference?
All i really want is to lift the veil a bit more but would not want to change the signature sound of these speakers. What would be the best type or brand to get?
thanks
I recently got a pair of Dovedale 3s. They seem to be in fine working condition. I don't know if they had been in use recently or not, but I have been playing them for 3 or 4 hours a day since and they have opened up where initially they had been muffled or veiled.
I have only ever had bookshelf style speakers before and am impressed with the weight or presence of the music from these large cabinet speakers. Though I think there could be more clarity in the mid range and tweeters.
I have positioned them on the floor, then tried them tilted upwards by jamming a few thick books under the front of them. The tilt worked. I am planning on making two wooden stands to raise them a few inches and tilt them.
Of course, reading all about them inevitability leads to discussions about recapping. I have never tried to recap anything, having no electronic experience. But watching videos etc has convinced me that i could give it a go.
I opened the front to reveal the crossover. The caps are elcaps, black with red ends. a + sign on each end suggesting a bipolar cap.
What brands or type of cap do posters suggest I use to recap? I see fancy Mundorff caps.. but with fancy prices too. Then "oil" and polypropylene etc etc. It is world all to itself. Do they fancy price varieties make that much difference?
All i really want is to lift the veil a bit more but would not want to change the signature sound of these speakers. What would be the best type or brand to get?
thanks
Seems like the best time to put these pictures up!
Did a complete rebuild of my Dovedale 3's
Before, wood work needed some love
Lets strip them down
Start stripping and Sanding the woodwork
Parts laid out
Paint the Front baffle and rear of speaker
Lets use danish oil and treat the enclosures
Few coats laid on
Sort the crossovers out
before
After
Wasnt happy with the speaker cable, so replaced with 2.5mm OFC
Speaker wadding was just thrown in and loose, lets do it properly
Put it all together
Seal the drivers in so its air tight
New Terminal posts (proper ones!)
And Finally!
All new screws and bolts add to the finish and look.
and to finish off new grill cloth!
What a difference it all made, these are underrated speakers, with about it love you can have a really outstanding speaker, very fun and agile speaker and the bass is brilliant.
Did a complete rebuild of my Dovedale 3's
Before, wood work needed some love
Lets strip them down
Start stripping and Sanding the woodwork
Parts laid out
Paint the Front baffle and rear of speaker
Lets use danish oil and treat the enclosures
Few coats laid on
Sort the crossovers out
before
After
Wasnt happy with the speaker cable, so replaced with 2.5mm OFC
Speaker wadding was just thrown in and loose, lets do it properly
Put it all together
Seal the drivers in so its air tight
New Terminal posts (proper ones!)
And Finally!
All new screws and bolts add to the finish and look.
and to finish off new grill cloth!
What a difference it all made, these are underrated speakers, with about it love you can have a really outstanding speaker, very fun and agile speaker and the bass is brilliant.
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Sorry, but I missed your post of 26th March!
I would replace the deteriorating ELCAPS with decent quality bipolar electrolytics in order to reproduce the original electrical characteristics.
No need to go overboard wih prices, in my opinion. Don't know your location, but I'd be happy with these ones from Wilmslow Audio:
Mundorf Electrolytic ECap Capacitors
You've done a great job there, vishalk! 😎
Thanks for the comprehensive set of photos. I've still to look at them in detail and am looking forward to it!
Your cabinets differ from mine in that the front baffles are removeable and are recessed to take the tweeter and woofer.
You've not stinted on the crossover components I see!
Can't fault your cabinet renovation work and the oatmeal grills really set it off.
You've not stinted on the crossover components I see!
Can't fault your cabinet renovation work and the oatmeal grills really set it off.
I thought you would appreciate it Galu, when I tested the components they were out of spec and some had drifted quite badly. Just decide to go all out a replace them, they deserved some quality components.
It was certainly easier that the front Baffle come away and much nice that the tweeter and woofer were recessed.
Overall it was nice build and now they can be enjoyed for many more decades to come!
It was certainly easier that the front Baffle come away and much nice that the tweeter and woofer were recessed.
Overall it was nice build and now they can be enjoyed for many more decades to come!
Fantastic work. I heard these speakers years back.
I was curious about the midrange polarity, because that seemed debateable. But +-- is usual in these sort of three ways:
SEAS-3-Way-Classic
I always like to give the crossover some air, so don't cover it in foam. Keeps it cool.
What did you do to the cabinets? Sand and varnish? I have some you see... 🙂
I was curious about the midrange polarity, because that seemed debateable. But +-- is usual in these sort of three ways:
SEAS-3-Way-Classic
I always like to give the crossover some air, so don't cover it in foam. Keeps it cool.
What did you do to the cabinets? Sand and varnish? I have some you see... 🙂
Well the components in the crossover are over rated, I used 10w resistors, I also wanted to limit vibrations from the bass unit, I'm sure it will never get that hot.
It a just 3 coats of Danish oil on there, each coat was dried and then I went over it with fine wire wool till i got the finish I wanted.
It a just 3 coats of Danish oil on there, each coat was dried and then I went over it with fine wire wool till i got the finish I wanted.
For the record, the wiring diagram I made at the time of disassembly confirms that only the tweeter is wired reverse electrical phase in the Dovedale 3.
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Hello Guys, i've also rebuild the x overs of my dovedale 3s. Out of the Factory the midrange was reversed conected. I' tried it a several time, but midrange connected the same like the woofer make the sound really thin. At the moment i tried a dynaudio d260 tweeter whith the dovedales. Sounds pretty well in my ears��regards ludwig
Just saw your post, Ludwig!
There are two versions of the Dovedale 3 crossover. One board has the switches mounted directly onto it and the other has remotely wired switches
I have schematics for both, and each shows the mid and woofer to be wired in the same phase and the tweeter in reverse phase.
However, it's what sounds best to you that counts - there's no hard and fast rule! 😎
There are two versions of the Dovedale 3 crossover. One board has the switches mounted directly onto it and the other has remotely wired switches
I have schematics for both, and each shows the mid and woofer to be wired in the same phase and the tweeter in reverse phase.
However, it's what sounds best to you that counts - there's no hard and fast rule! 😎
Gilbert Briggs himself said, not specifically in regard to the Dovedale 3, but of 2nd order crossovers in general:
"The phase shift is 180 degrees and it is worth while to ensure that the bass and middle speakers are acoustically in phase (by anti-phase connection) to avoid a dip in response around the frequency of crossover."
Seems, Ludwig, you pay your money and you take your choice!
"The phase shift is 180 degrees and it is worth while to ensure that the bass and middle speakers are acoustically in phase (by anti-phase connection) to avoid a dip in response around the frequency of crossover."
Seems, Ludwig, you pay your money and you take your choice!