Hello everyone, im new to this forum but have been a loudspeaker collector for quite a while now.
Last year i picked up a large pair of 3 way speakers by a company called SMC loudspeakers the model is AS 40's.
I have searched around most of the net looking for info on these speakers, so far ive had no luck !
There a big ol speaker with a heavey braced in three places box, the drivers are a rectangular besel Audax 1" dome and Audax 4" midrange in its own enclosure, the woofer i dont know what it is but ive seen them before in dynatron boxes and older B&O boxes,
These are a 10" black pressed steel frame rubber surround, horseshoe magnet, vented coil through the cone under a hard pulp dustcap !
Anyone ever heard of these speakers ?? or know who makes the woofer ??
For an oldy there very smooth and life like, the only issue with the sound is the tweeters are a bit spitty,i think the damping has dryed out.
Last year i picked up a large pair of 3 way speakers by a company called SMC loudspeakers the model is AS 40's.
I have searched around most of the net looking for info on these speakers, so far ive had no luck !
There a big ol speaker with a heavey braced in three places box, the drivers are a rectangular besel Audax 1" dome and Audax 4" midrange in its own enclosure, the woofer i dont know what it is but ive seen them before in dynatron boxes and older B&O boxes,
These are a 10" black pressed steel frame rubber surround, horseshoe magnet, vented coil through the cone under a hard pulp dustcap !
Anyone ever heard of these speakers ?? or know who makes the woofer ??
For an oldy there very smooth and life like, the only issue with the sound is the tweeters are a bit spitty,i think the damping has dryed out.
Hello Alan,
Well, at this stage 'rosstifa' might be dead, or at the very least bored with his search, but I would certainly enjoy hearing more about these speakers.
As you were in the business in the UK in the 1970's, you might also remember the Leak 3050's. I have a distant recollection of a review in the hi-fi magazines of the day, but can find very little about them.
I just bagged a pair online and would like to do some upgrading of them as the sound, though dynamic, imho lacks subtlety. Any advice would be very welcome.
Best regards - Forster
Well, at this stage 'rosstifa' might be dead, or at the very least bored with his search, but I would certainly enjoy hearing more about these speakers.
As you were in the business in the UK in the 1970's, you might also remember the Leak 3050's. I have a distant recollection of a review in the hi-fi magazines of the day, but can find very little about them.
I just bagged a pair online and would like to do some upgrading of them as the sound, though dynamic, imho lacks subtlety. Any advice would be very welcome.
Best regards - Forster
Hi, guys, its more of a case of forgetting about it, i had given up in finding stuff about these spkeakers, a few people ive spoken to remember them but not much about...
i would love to hear about the company background,and the various models etc..
still have the speakers tho im not using them at the moment, curently have some IMF's ive been playing with... but if it wasnt for my bass eliminating room id still be using them....
I originally brought them for £20 off a car bootsale, they bloke says " there the best spekers in the world etcc... but my wife said they were too big" wasnt till i got them home i realise how the blew away the MS500 golds i had at the time, used them for 5 years at least...
Btw they are in great condition, grills are all intact, cabs just need a light rub and they would be perfect...
i would love to hear about the company background,and the various models etc..
still have the speakers tho im not using them at the moment, curently have some IMF's ive been playing with... but if it wasnt for my bass eliminating room id still be using them....
I originally brought them for £20 off a car bootsale, they bloke says " there the best spekers in the world etcc... but my wife said they were too big" wasnt till i got them home i realise how the blew away the MS500 golds i had at the time, used them for 5 years at least...
Btw they are in great condition, grills are all intact, cabs just need a light rub and they would be perfect...
SMC Loudspeakers
The company was started by Chris Pollard and Chris Frost in North Bedfordshire in the early 70s. We started out with a range of large transmission-line speakers with metal grilles. Models were AL12, AL20 and AL50. Some were on stands. We used KEF bass units originally. Then we introduced the small Saturn speaker with an 8" bass unit and Audax tweeter. I think the 3-way AS40 had a 10" Peerless bass unit. A 2-way system called SuperNova with 10" bass unit was also introduced.
In all cases the design objective was to produce a very smooth and wide frequency range. This demanded a good signal source with sufficient power. The cabinets were well braced to avoid vibration and colouration to the sound. The speakers were matched to provide a good stereo image. Our slogan was "A Revelation of Realism".
In 1976 we had about 35 dealers throughout the UK and a good dealership in the Netherlands via an agent. We exhibited at Hi-Fi shows at Harrogate, Heathrow, Paris and Las Vegas (the last two with the Federation of British Audio).
At the time there were 40 to 50 speaker manufacturers in the UK and it became impossible to achieve an economic price for the products and retain the hand built quality so we eventually ceased manufacturing - without going bankrupt!
There are many SMC speakers still in daily use.
The company was started by Chris Pollard and Chris Frost in North Bedfordshire in the early 70s. We started out with a range of large transmission-line speakers with metal grilles. Models were AL12, AL20 and AL50. Some were on stands. We used KEF bass units originally. Then we introduced the small Saturn speaker with an 8" bass unit and Audax tweeter. I think the 3-way AS40 had a 10" Peerless bass unit. A 2-way system called SuperNova with 10" bass unit was also introduced.
In all cases the design objective was to produce a very smooth and wide frequency range. This demanded a good signal source with sufficient power. The cabinets were well braced to avoid vibration and colouration to the sound. The speakers were matched to provide a good stereo image. Our slogan was "A Revelation of Realism".
In 1976 we had about 35 dealers throughout the UK and a good dealership in the Netherlands via an agent. We exhibited at Hi-Fi shows at Harrogate, Heathrow, Paris and Las Vegas (the last two with the Federation of British Audio).
At the time there were 40 to 50 speaker manufacturers in the UK and it became impossible to achieve an economic price for the products and retain the hand built quality so we eventually ceased manufacturing - without going bankrupt!
There are many SMC speakers still in daily use.
Wow thats cool info, the speaker market back then was totally saturated, so many good companies came and went...
like the sound of those transmission line units, the seems to be the only way i can get bass in my lounge...
the as 40's do have the 10 peerless unit, audax tweeter and mid, the response is good, very wide range, only the tweeters have a bad 6 k peak i think due to age... the midrange is slightly forward but very detaild, lots od people who heard them have been impressed by the sound..and size !
Ive had all sorts from that era and they are among the finest so far.
can easily beat any warfedale, Leak,m short, celestion unit of the same range....
i think my favorites are the SMC AS40, IMFstudio and i like the old Monitor audio MA7(my first proper hifi experience) and ma3's
Brilliant thanks for the info
Do you have any sales materiel featuring the AS 40 ?, that would be good to see, my friend has them on loan at the mo he would cream his pants with excitment
Regards
Ross
like the sound of those transmission line units, the seems to be the only way i can get bass in my lounge...
the as 40's do have the 10 peerless unit, audax tweeter and mid, the response is good, very wide range, only the tweeters have a bad 6 k peak i think due to age... the midrange is slightly forward but very detaild, lots od people who heard them have been impressed by the sound..and size !
Ive had all sorts from that era and they are among the finest so far.
can easily beat any warfedale, Leak,m short, celestion unit of the same range....
i think my favorites are the SMC AS40, IMFstudio and i like the old Monitor audio MA7(my first proper hifi experience) and ma3's
Brilliant thanks for the info
Do you have any sales materiel featuring the AS 40 ?, that would be good to see, my friend has them on loan at the mo he would cream his pants with excitment
Regards
Ross
Leak speakers
I haven't any info on the Leak speakers. I remember them around 1968-71. They all had a metal strip around the grille and were very solid.
I remember Harold Leak was the MD of Leak amplifiers when they were valve (tubed). I bought their first transistor amplifier in about 1960 - the Stereo 30 - a massive 15 watts per channel!
I remember Leak at the Russell Hotel Hi-Fi show many years ago - before they were bought by Wharfedale.
I also employed an ex-Leak salesman (probably their only salesman) as an SMC sales representative in the 70s.
Happy days!
I haven't any info on the Leak speakers. I remember them around 1968-71. They all had a metal strip around the grille and were very solid.
I remember Harold Leak was the MD of Leak amplifiers when they were valve (tubed). I bought their first transistor amplifier in about 1960 - the Stereo 30 - a massive 15 watts per channel!
I remember Leak at the Russell Hotel Hi-Fi show many years ago - before they were bought by Wharfedale.
I also employed an ex-Leak salesman (probably their only salesman) as an SMC sales representative in the 70s.
Happy days!
Alan,
Many thanks for this interesting snippet of audio history.
I worked for a while in 1972, between University and emigration, in a speaker cone manufacturing plant in the UK - Hemel Hempstead to be exact.
We made both paper and plastic cones and supplied KEF, Rogers, and numerous other manufacturers. I forget the name of the Company. It was family owned, and when I left the generous owner gave me a collection of superb speakers which went into cabinets, now sadly all distributed to family and friends.
As you say, good days!
Best regards - Forster
Many thanks for this interesting snippet of audio history.
I worked for a while in 1972, between University and emigration, in a speaker cone manufacturing plant in the UK - Hemel Hempstead to be exact.
We made both paper and plastic cones and supplied KEF, Rogers, and numerous other manufacturers. I forget the name of the Company. It was family owned, and when I left the generous owner gave me a collection of superb speakers which went into cabinets, now sadly all distributed to family and friends.
As you say, good days!
Best regards - Forster
Well I'm astonished.
I was on another website a few minutes ago and the question posed by a poster was "How often do you change your 'speakers?" and I was trying to remember the model number of the SMC's I bought in the late '70s - possibly about '79 - from the dealer in Kempston, Bedfordshire. AS40s.
They replaced a pair of Goodmans Maxims and were eventually replaced themselves by some Rogers LS7s which I eventually biwired with the assistance of a Rogers hand-drawn circuit diagram, a couple of copper covered boards, an etching pen and some acid (not the LS7t which were biwired and had a titanium tweeter). I think my Rogers were probably unique and I sold them to a mate of mine in Luton around 2001 and he's still using them.
The SMCs were also sold to a lad I worked with and he was very happy with them.
It's great to come across this thread and it brings back a lot of memories of the late 70s/early 80s.
I was on another website a few minutes ago and the question posed by a poster was "How often do you change your 'speakers?" and I was trying to remember the model number of the SMC's I bought in the late '70s - possibly about '79 - from the dealer in Kempston, Bedfordshire. AS40s.
They replaced a pair of Goodmans Maxims and were eventually replaced themselves by some Rogers LS7s which I eventually biwired with the assistance of a Rogers hand-drawn circuit diagram, a couple of copper covered boards, an etching pen and some acid (not the LS7t which were biwired and had a titanium tweeter). I think my Rogers were probably unique and I sold them to a mate of mine in Luton around 2001 and he's still using them.
The SMCs were also sold to a lad I worked with and he was very happy with them.
It's great to come across this thread and it brings back a lot of memories of the late 70s/early 80s.
Have owned a pair of SMC AS 40's since 1980
Hi, Just come across this thread re SMC AS 40 loudspeaker. I purchased mine in 1980, from a Hi Fi shop in Woowich. They take a bit of driving, but have loved them right from the beginning. The reason I came across this thread was that I have just discovered the original 'yellow' coloured technical spec about the SMC range of speakers, a copy of the Guarantee and a single sheet flyer for the SMC range. If anyone is still looking for copies of this type of info, just drop me a note. Happy listening.
Hi, Just come across this thread re SMC AS 40 loudspeaker. I purchased mine in 1980, from a Hi Fi shop in Woowich. They take a bit of driving, but have loved them right from the beginning. The reason I came across this thread was that I have just discovered the original 'yellow' coloured technical spec about the SMC range of speakers, a copy of the Guarantee and a single sheet flyer for the SMC range. If anyone is still looking for copies of this type of info, just drop me a note. Happy listening.
I know those also. A friend from my youth of me had those in his shed (our meeting point as teenagers), and in the living room of his house (the one of his parents), they had SMC AL30 wich were big floorstanders. We spend hours there to listen to music as he had the best speakers of our friendgroup. Even the Warfdale Dovedale 3 of my parents could not keep up.
I've been on the lookout for good deals for these for some time, but they are all too expensive now.
I've been on the lookout for good deals for these for some time, but they are all too expensive now.
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