Wharfedale W60?

Spec4

New Member
I picked up a pair of Wharfedale W60's at the local GW and after closer inspection they are similar on the outside with a non-removable front grill, single L-pad and screw type connectors.

WharfedaleW60_1.jpg



Now once I popped the backs off the similarity stops, for the most part. The first has the red-banded Alnico (dated '62) LF driver and the other has a black magnet (dated '64) driver. Both are ported 2-way, but the XO's are different then anything I've seen while researching them here and the web. Anyone have a clue as to which models these are?

Thanks in advance
JB


Wharfedale W60 #1:
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WharfedaleW60_6.jpg



Wharfedale W60 #2:

WharfedaleW60_2.jpg
WharfedaleW60_4.jpg
WharfedaleW60_7.jpg
 
Good speakers. Both are Wharfedale woofers, one just looks like a later woofer (red magnet alnico woofer is the earlier version)
 
Strange - are you missing the mids? Or was there a version(s) of the W60 that was 2-way.

Nope, AFAIK there are both 2-way ported and a 3-way acoustic suspension version.

Also is there a trick to getting the box off from around the tweeter? I unscrewed it, but something is impending the removal and I don't want to just rip it off and damage something.
 
Both W60's. Different yerars. Wharfedale changed materials(AFAIK) during production with all of their speaekrs. I have seen this with many different wharfes. Unless the two were bought at the same time and had very close serial numers they could be different. THey driver configuration will be the same from one w60c to another w60c, but what drivers and what cossover components that are inside might be different.

Still great speakers. Put them back togetehr and give them a listen. Seee if they sound the same to you. They may not. I have two sets of wharfes that the right vs left speaker do sound slightly different.

I know this doesn't help alot.
 
I was hoping you would chime in Jcricket, so you're saying these are the W60C version? I'll slap them back together and give them another listen, but I don't think I have the right amplification for these though.
 
I THINK they are the w60c. W60 something for sure. I'll see if I can find anything in my brochures that match exactly.

MArk
 
I just bought a few more pieces of literature. I'll know in a week. THose are more likely the straight w60's, but I need to double check something else too. I'll let you wonder about that until I know.

I'll post back more when I get that info - next week likely.
Mark
 
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I bought a couple more sales brochures from the bay. They should be here this week.

Wharfedale sold some speakers called expandables. This was part of the w series. I do not know a lot about them. Your speakers might be part of that series. I believe they would have been refered to as the E60's then. I'll let you know when the literature arrives.
 
Wharfedale sold some speakers called expandables. This was part of the w series. I do not know a lot about them. Your speakers might be part of that series. I believe they would have been refered to as the E60's then. I'll let you know when the literature arrives.

Interesting and I look forward to your findings, although the one has a badge that reads:

Model W60
Serial Number ??? (Have to check when I get home)
Made in England by
Wharfedale
Wireless Works, LTD.
Idle, Bradford
 
Acquired a set of the Wharfedale W60's (early version) a couple of months ago. :music:
One of them sounds pretty good (not a great presence on the mid\high) with good bass. Tho the bass may be somewhat muddy, but haven't tested them at all really.
The second speaker either has the single cap out or the tweeter may be blown.

Cabinets look OK, maybe a 5\10 due to some marks. I didn't help with a light sanding and oil... got some buildup off and exposed more marks. :(

At any rate, I will replace the caps and maybe the inductors. I also plan on bypassing the rheostat. Will use with an older receiver in a spare room. :thmbsp:

I really like the cloth... very retro.
 

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Whoops, forgot the other pics

Whoops, forgot the other pics :scratch2:
Oh, and serials are 59956 & 59993
 

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Acquired a set of the Wharfedale W60's (early version) a couple of months ago. :music:
One of them sounds pretty good (not a great presence on the mid\high) with good bass. Tho the bass may be somewhat muddy, but haven't tested them at all really.
The second speaker either has the single cap out or the tweeter may be blown.

Cabinets look OK, maybe a 5\10 due to some marks. I didn't help with a light sanding and oil... got some buildup off and exposed more marks. :(

At any rate, I will replace the caps and maybe the inductors. I also plan on bypassing the rheostat. Will use with an older receiver in a spare room. :thmbsp:

I really like the cloth... very retro.

I own W70's. Love them. Note that these speakers dont like alot of power. They work best with a low power receiver no more that 30WPC. i have also found that they work very well as part of an HT set up. Absolutely fabulous for movies.
 
My Dad has a pair of the W60C sitting in his living room that are mine for the cost of shipping. I don't remember much about them aside from the fact that they are in pristine condition, sounded nice to me 20 years ago and they were quite heavy. Is this model the one that has some sand fill? Is it possible to lighten these guys up for shipping by removing sand? This might seem like a silly question but I live in Calgary Alberta and he is back in Philadelphia so I can't easily have a look for myself.
 
My Dad has a pair of the W60C sitting in his living room that are mine for the cost of shipping. I don't remember much about them aside from the fact that they are in pristine condition, sounded nice to me 20 years ago and they were quite heavy. Is this model the one that has some sand fill? Is it possible to lighten these guys up for shipping by removing sand? This might seem like a silly question but I live in Calgary Alberta and he is back in Philadelphia so I can't easily have a look for myself.

I could be done I guess but your only saving a few pounds and ion a 650 pound package thats not really going to make a difference.
 
I think the back panels are sand filled, at least the ones pictured in the OP. I have a set and had them playing for a while and liked them but not overwhelmed. They are real lookers, though. I did like the "brilliance" dial which allowed you to tune them to your tastes.
 
Beautiful speakers with quality drivers and materials. I replaced caps, tried tube, SS, high power, low power but could never make them less than muddy and fatiguing to listen to. I tried selling my pair which was mint but could only interest one bidder who won them for a GW price.
 
Still have one tweeter not working. I agree, so far they do sound muddy. Good low end, mids and highs are weak, IMO.
 
Late posting to this discussion.

To sum up. The W60 (no suffix) was a two-way, bass-reflex system. 12" woofer and 5" (nominal) cone tweeter. Both drivers originally had alnico magnets. Crossover consisted of a coil and 12uf metalized capacitor.

If you want to open up the tweeter sub-enclosure, be sure to carefully remove the caulking around the tweeter leads and allow these leads to be free to slide through the holes. Otherwise you will rip the wires from the tweeter's terminals possibly destroying the terminal and the flex-lead to the voice coil.

The capacitor is a candidate for replacement. With a modern replacement, Non-Polarized, capacitor (how much to spend on this I leave to you) there will be an opening up of the sound and a better blend between the drivers.

Additionally, time spent adjusting the tweeter level control (l-pad, not switch) will pay off. Be patient getting the balance right.

Now, my main system has the old Quad ESLs. Nonetheless, I can listen with considerable pleasure to the W60s in the upstairs system.
 
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