Baffled by Wharfedale Instructions--Technical Questions

toups

Well-Known Member
Recently acquired a pair (2 speakers worth) of Wharfedale Unit 5 kits. These were on the auction site recently and the drivers have never been out of their boxes except for inspection as far as I can tell.

The drivers appear to be the same 12" woofers as used in the W60D series, similarly the mid-range (except maybe coated?) is the same as the W60D. However the tweeter is the smaller tweeter similar to that used in the W60E.

The baffling (pun intended) part of the instructions says:
WARNINGS
...
2) Under no circumstances should the speakers be played in other than an airtight cabinet.

3) Do not use these units in cabinets larger than the largest recommended as this will also cause damage.

4) Do not test the system with an oscillator
...

I almost understand 4, it is easy to burn out a tweeter by pumping it with lots of power from an oscillator or to hit the resonant frequency of a woofer and over drive it.

Regarding 2 and 3, I assume the issue is with the woofer in that it may be a very high compliance driver and that the driver is counting on the sealed air volume to supply the required restoring force. So without a sealed box, they are susceptible to being over driven with a small amount of power.

Evidently the woofer is not a candidate for an open baffle system. This is not a problem for me since these are destined for a (potentially modified) W60E cabinet that needs drivers.

I'll have to measure the TS parameters, but that may be a project for a different time. Has anyone measured the TS parameters for similar Wharfedale drivers?

Did the Wharfedale woofers used for ported versus sealed units have different compliance and Qs? Or were the TS parameters similar, just different box alignments?

Also does anyone have a copy of G.A. Briggs "The Cabinet Handbook"? The assembly instructions reference cabinet sizes shown on P. 1 (I assume page 1) The paper does have a size range that is probably the same as that referenced, but I am curious if there is any additional info on that page of the book.
 
I'll give you a bump. I assume the woofers in the ported W60 are tuned differently/have different specs/TS parameters than the ones used in the sealed ones. Pretty-sure it's not a good idea to mix & match. I don't have the cab handbook (I know SOMEONE has a copy, but I can't remember who).
 
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Ha! I knew someone here got those. I'd be asking the same questions right now if you didn't outbid me. Good luck with them. They looked like a very worthwhile investment and a fun project as well. You should post pics of the kits and build. Glad a member here got em.:thmbsp:
 
I figured someone here was looking for them, but it would have been unethical to ask during the auction.

Big question is: "What happened to the person who won the auction the first time around and why did they become available again?" I guess we'll never know.

The build will probably look a lot like a W60D/E hybrid. I have a W60E cabinet that needs drivers. The tweeters and woofers are a perfect fit. The mid-ranges are more like the W60D mids rather than the squarish BIC drivers used in the W60E. The volume behind the mids is different for the Unit 5 kit so I may redo it to use the new mid isolation tubes. Plus some minor woodwork will be required to get the new mids to fit. Of course, there are some W60E mids available, but then I don't think the cross-over would be quite right. I also have a cross-over for a W60D and corresponding drivers (but one woofer has a bad case of coil rub and the dust cap has been removed.)

Not surprisingly, the overall volume is within the recommended range. However for even better bass extension, a slightly larger cabinet is recommended. My plans may morph as time goes along.
 
Good thing you got these because I wouldn't have even known where to start. Is this the kit you got?
 

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Waiting for the other bidder who came in third to join the conversation. :yes:

Wonder it it might be another AKer?
 
Hi there, I know it's been a while but would you have a copy of the assembly instructions for the unit 5 speakers as I too have acquired a boxed set but am a bit confused with the cardboard tube, max cab size and wiring of the cross overs any help would be much appreciated
 
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Also does anyone have a copy of G.A. Briggs "The Cabinet Handbook"? The assembly instructions reference cabinet sizes shown on P. 1 (I assume page 1) The paper does have a size range that is probably the same as that referenced, but I am curious if there is any additional info on that page of the book.

Actually, I think I misread the instructions. The reference quatoed is to Paragraph 1 on the assembly instructions not page 1 of "The Cabinet Handbook." The reference to the handbook is for construction details and not the sizes.
 
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