HPM-60 Confusion - different designs ?

Kencat

Kencat

Super Member
I won a fixerupper set of HPM-60s for a good price (I hope) of 31$Cdn. Haven't picked em up yet so we'll see. The woofer surrounds are gone, hope the other drivers are all ok as seller says.

My confusion though is that a brochure on Ebay shows the woofer and midrange as square, and the speakers I won have round woofers and midranges, and the tweeter looks different. Pics attached.

I found drivers on Ebay advertised as HPM-60 and they are also round.

What's up here ? Two different designs called HPM-60 ? Have I been took ?? Haven't paid yet though.

History? Info? Opinions?

Most accounts of these are favourable on AK, but which design is the desired one?

Ken C.
 
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I don't know anything about it, but it looks to me like the aluminum rings have just been taken off the drivers. Only thing I can't figure is no visible screw holes for the ring for the woofer.
 
They're both the real deal. I always thought the ones in your second pic (with the accordian surrounded woofers) were the earlier version, but have recently been corrected. Interestingly, I acquired a pair of HPM-40's recently with a grey-looking paper cone, but the other drivers have that gold tone like yours. I'm wondering if that woofer (one is MIA, but I've got two on the way :thmbsp: ) was reconed at some point. - Mark
 
I saw an eBay auction today for a pair of those tweeters, calling them domes. They don't look like domes in your picture. Are they? - Mark
 
Kencat, I have the brochure for your model year HPM-60. It is dated 4-77. The matching speakers were purchased by a friend of mine in early '78.

Your brochure, above, is the later model.

The early version has 3 cone drivers, and a film supertweeter. The later version has the dome tweeter.

I will scan and post, in the a.m.
 
luvvinvinyl said:
Kencat, I have the brochure for your model year HPM-60. It is dated 4-77. The matching speakers were purchased by a friend of mine in early '78.

Your brochure, above, is the later model.

The early version has 3 cone drivers, and a film supertweeter. The later version has the dome tweeter.

I will scan and post, in the a.m.
Click to expand...


Fantastic ! Thanks.

Check out this auction http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Pioneer-HPM-6...ryZ50597QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The seller calls this the Dome Tweeter, and it looks like the one in my "early version". Is it really the cone ?

It'll be interesting to look into all this and I hope I can salvage these guys. Cool that it is so old...late 70's..wow.

Does anyone know the difference in sound between the different versions ? Hope I got the good ones :scratch2:

Ken C.
 
Uh oh

Well folks, I am not encouraged by this opinion. From http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread/t-61871.html

Copy of the text as follows:

"FORMD
I have just been given a pair of Pioneer HPM-60's with woofer surround rot. are these speakers worth restoring? thanks for input. FORMD
analog_sa
I used to have them around 1975 and really loved them. Ok, i was 13 :) If the volume and bass were turned high enough the air coming from the vent could extinguish a candle.

Today i would probably find them intolerable - unnatural balance, fake bass, a horror paper tweeter.

Still, they seem to have nearly cult like following in some circles."


I don't want to be part of a cult...I wanted a good sounding speaker :worried:

Ken C.
 
I've noticed the differances too, I think I have one of those tweeters floating around, never really new what it came from. I've seen them in a few other auctions and assumed they were replacements, but have seen too many to be a coincidence. I can't afford 100's and have been checking out the 60's as a plan B just to join the HPM club. As far as that review, well, if you don't have anything nice to say....
 
Kencat said:
Well folks, I am not encouraged by this opinion. From http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread/t-61871.html

Copy of the text as follows:

"FORMD
I have just been given a pair of Pioneer HPM-60's with woofer surround rot. are these speakers worth restoring? thanks for input. FORMD
analog_sa
I used to have them around 1975 and really loved them. Ok, i was 13 :) If the volume and bass were turned high enough the air coming from the vent could extinguish a candle.

Today i would probably find them intolerable - unnatural balance, fake bass, a horror paper tweeter.

Still, they seem to have nearly cult like following in some circles."


I don't want to be part of a cult...I wanted a good sounding speaker :worried:

Ken C.
Click to expand...

Hey Kencat,
That's probably the opinion of an "audiophile". Pay it no mind :D . I, personally, cannot offer an opinion on these, but they (the HPM series in general) get enough good press around here that they can't be bad. Can they? - Mark
 
Here are the scans. I have HI-res versions, too large to post here, 1.5Mb each, if you would like them. I can e-mail them to you. Just pm me, with your email address.
 
I have listened to my friend's pair, for years. He bought his 60's, new. They are not dogs, by any means. You know they are a step down from the 100's, but the family resemblance is unmistakable.

Once you get the surrounds done, you will forget about the 'naysayers'. IMO, the reviewer's problem was that he couldn't brag about how much they cost, 'no cachet = no sound'. :bs:
 
Kencat said:
Well folks, I am not encouraged by this opinion. From http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread/t-61871.html

Copy of the text as follows:

"FORMD
I have just been given a pair of Pioneer HPM-60's with woofer surround rot. are these speakers worth restoring? thanks for input. FORMD
analog_sa
I used to have them around 1975 and really loved them. Ok, i was 13 :) If the volume and bass were turned high enough the air coming from the vent could extinguish a candle.

Today i would probably find them intolerable - unnatural balance, fake bass, a horror paper tweeter.

Still, they seem to have nearly cult like following in some circles."


I don't want to be part of a cult...I wanted a good sounding speaker :worried:

Ken C.
Click to expand...


First of all, if the guy liked them when he was 13, and hasn't listened to them since, I don't understand how he could possibly come to his conclusion.

Secondly, I owned a pair and liked them just fine. In fact, I wish I hadn't given them to my younger brother.
 
Nice score, Ken. Get 'em refoamed and then make your own accessment of what you think of 'em. Damn, what others think. If they were mine and I got 'em the price you payed I'd be very happy :yes: And If you don't like them I'm sure you could sell them for a profit.
 
Glad to hear some good words !

Whew !

I'm relieved to hear some good words on these after that review. I knew it was only one person's opinion (but the only one at the time), and that it could be an error in memory .....or error in something :screwy:

Reading the brochure - man, sounds like some high tech and innovative designs in there. I like the part about the cabinet volume being larger than ususal for a 10" woofer. Don't know why, but bigger MUST be better..... :D

A downside might be that the original woofer surround was made of an "Ester type urethane foam edge" (is that just fancy words for the regular ole foam ?). If it truly was something unique, then that uniqueness will be gone with the replacement foam. And the carbon filled cone....whoo boy...I've heard they are real delicate for doing a re-foam.

I'm planning on picking them up this Sat. I'll either be posting with glee or....naw, they'll be good, just maybe a bit more challenging. They need grills btw.....like i said, they're fixeruppers :)


luvvinvinyl - check for a PM, sure would like those scans :yes:

Thanks for the support guys !


Ken C
 
Next time just check out the "Members Photo Gallery", I posted pictures of both HPM 60's a couple of years ago.


Retro
 
HEY RETRO , Come Back....

Retro,

were the two different sets yours ????

If so, what was the difference in sound between them?

Ken C.
 
Kencat said:
I won a fixerupper set of HPM-60s for a good price (I hope) of 31$Cdn. Haven't picked em up yet so we'll see. The woofer surrounds are gone, hope the other drivers are all ok as seller says.

My confusion though is that a brochure on Ebay shows the woofer and midrange as square, and the speakers I won have round woofers and midranges, and the tweeter looks different. Pics attached.

I found drivers on Ebay advertised as HPM-60 and they are also round.

What's up here ? Two different designs called HPM-60 ? Have I been took ?? Haven't paid yet though.

History? Info? Opinions?

Most accounts of these are favourable on AK, but which design is the desired one?

Ken C.
Click to expand...
The early models used foam surounds, they should sound sweet once refoamed, the later models used treated accordian surounds, as you find the two styles of HPM-60's--they both sound very good, so for $31 cdn--you did a great score---wish i can find some HPM's for cheap--so get those refoamed and let us know how they sound. :yes: :thmbsp: the bird
 
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