Beveridge Model 5 - Restore
- Thread starter Audio Fan
- Start date
Audio Fan
YT Channel - https://tinyurl.com/29zytwu9
Hi Bob,
Thanks for checking in. I've still not had time to dedicate to digging into them, we have just put our house up for sale, so that has taken all my free time. As a matter of fact, today I've been packing up audio items I am keeping to get them out of the way for showing the house.
Once things settle down though, I plan to get going on them.
Thanks for checking in. I've still not had time to dedicate to digging into them, we have just put our house up for sale, so that has taken all my free time. As a matter of fact, today I've been packing up audio items I am keeping to get them out of the way for showing the house.
Once things settle down though, I plan to get going on them.
Audio Fan
YT Channel - https://tinyurl.com/29zytwu9
Model 5's are still sitting idle waiting their turn, HOWEVER, the Model 3's are what I am currently working on steadily. Now having torn the crossover's apart and troubleshooted the issues (with LOTS of help from 24hrez), I am confident I can address any problem the Model 5's may have as they are almost identical.
I had to build a new base for one Model 3 speaker which I am finishing up now. Will need about two more weeks, I think, to finish everything, then they will be ready to play. After that, I'll tackle the Model 5 so I can do some A/B listening. Not many will be able to say they could listen to both models and compare.
I had to build a new base for one Model 3 speaker which I am finishing up now. Will need about two more weeks, I think, to finish everything, then they will be ready to play. After that, I'll tackle the Model 5 so I can do some A/B listening. Not many will be able to say they could listen to both models and compare.
Audio Fan
YT Channel - https://tinyurl.com/29zytwu9
Well, since my last posts to this thread, I have since sold my home and moved into a rental home until we find what we want to buy. Given the snow last night, I decided today was a great time to start working on the Model 5's and see what was going on with one of them.
I could not recall which one stopped working, so I hooked them up and they both fired up like they never had an issue. Now that I think back, I was running them in a bi-amp setup at the time and there was an occasional issue with some connection. At the same time I thought I was having an issue, I had just restored some AR 3a's and put them in place, then something else, then the Model 3's came home and here we are today finding out they were fine all along.
I've not had time for any critical listening, but they sound better than before. What is different here is they sit back much further away from the listening position than in our previous home and this makes a HUGE difference. Same with the Model 3's as well.
Tonight, I ordered the last cap I need and some additional red binding posts to correct their current setup. Will get them all recapped soon and ready for the long term.
I could not recall which one stopped working, so I hooked them up and they both fired up like they never had an issue. Now that I think back, I was running them in a bi-amp setup at the time and there was an occasional issue with some connection. At the same time I thought I was having an issue, I had just restored some AR 3a's and put them in place, then something else, then the Model 3's came home and here we are today finding out they were fine all along.
I've not had time for any critical listening, but they sound better than before. What is different here is they sit back much further away from the listening position than in our previous home and this makes a HUGE difference. Same with the Model 3's as well.
Tonight, I ordered the last cap I need and some additional red binding posts to correct their current setup. Will get them all recapped soon and ready for the long term.
Blue Shadow
Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
Well the good news is you don't have to work on the speakers. The bad news is you don't have a project for this weather you are having so I'm here to offer some relief.
My Model 2s are about to get the replacement banana pin necessary to get the signal from the amp to the speaker. I had one that was broken and one that was peeled when I got the speakers. The recent Mouser order had these in the box and its time. So to help you find a project, after I get the pins installed and these fired up to verify the last testing (top two panels in each speaker working and the bottom ones not), I'll need some help getting those third panels re-Mylared. You up for the task?
Actually, one speaker was working completely but one had two bad panels. I made the decision to give myself two 2/3rds working speakers and selected the top two drivers to be functional because those are at ear level and I had to fill the top spot due to wiring differences. My issue is tensioning the Mylar. I have only heard one comment, that equal tension on all 3 panels of each speaker is necessary...oh boy. Be nice if I knew how much tension needs to be used in the long and short axis so I can find some Mylar and get these speakers back to what they were.
Hopefully when I hook them up they will work as yours did, but I don't expect that to happen. Glad yours were as easy as hooking them up again.
My Model 2s are about to get the replacement banana pin necessary to get the signal from the amp to the speaker. I had one that was broken and one that was peeled when I got the speakers. The recent Mouser order had these in the box and its time. So to help you find a project, after I get the pins installed and these fired up to verify the last testing (top two panels in each speaker working and the bottom ones not), I'll need some help getting those third panels re-Mylared. You up for the task?
Actually, one speaker was working completely but one had two bad panels. I made the decision to give myself two 2/3rds working speakers and selected the top two drivers to be functional because those are at ear level and I had to fill the top spot due to wiring differences. My issue is tensioning the Mylar. I have only heard one comment, that equal tension on all 3 panels of each speaker is necessary...oh boy. Be nice if I knew how much tension needs to be used in the long and short axis so I can find some Mylar and get these speakers back to what they were.
Hopefully when I hook them up they will work as yours did, but I don't expect that to happen. Glad yours were as easy as hooking them up again.
Audio Fan
YT Channel - https://tinyurl.com/29zytwu9
Mylar stretching sounds like a good project for sure. 
When I was talking with the former Beveridge employee, Kavi, he told me that Harold engineered a device that one person could manage alone to stretch the mylar. It had a foot pedal that pulled it in all directions to the correct tension so the frame could then be bolted on.
Thus far, I've not run across any mylar issues for the panels after the 2's, so it seems the process was somewhat more robust on the 3's and early 5's. 24hrez also has some panel issues with his 2's.
When I was talking with the former Beveridge employee, Kavi, he told me that Harold engineered a device that one person could manage alone to stretch the mylar. It had a foot pedal that pulled it in all directions to the correct tension so the frame could then be bolted on.
Thus far, I've not run across any mylar issues for the panels after the 2's, so it seems the process was somewhat more robust on the 3's and early 5's. 24hrez also has some panel issues with his 2's.
Audio Fan
YT Channel - https://tinyurl.com/29zytwu9
I've been doing some A/B listening between the Model 5 and 3 sets. I am pleasantly surprised at how similar the sound from each. They both have the same type of transducer, but I had expected the 5's to really sound much "smaller" given half the transducer. From what I recall in their prior placement, they are much better sounding now in the bigger room. The 3's are a little more "airy" with more sound everywhere but given their size difference, this would be expected (would be disappointing if not).
Room size/placement seems to be a big deal for these beasts, for sure.
Room size/placement seems to be a big deal for these beasts, for sure.
Audio Fan
YT Channel - https://tinyurl.com/29zytwu9
Brief update. Recapped the Model 5's and all is well. I measured the old caps and they were within margin, so really no noticeable difference in sound, just peace of mind knowing there shouldn't be any failures.
I go back and forth between the 3 and 5 sets listening to the same music. The 5's really are quite good, they could just stand to be a little bit taller to get the stat at ear level when walking around. Shouldn't be surprised really since they have the same stator as the 3's.
I go back and forth between the 3 and 5 sets listening to the same music. The 5's really are quite good, they could just stand to be a little bit taller to get the stat at ear level when walking around. Shouldn't be surprised really since they have the same stator as the 3's.
Audio Fan
YT Channel - https://tinyurl.com/29zytwu9
In some prior comments, we observed that some stators were missing some tines. It appeared to me and other Bev owners that these were removed intentionally, but did not have an answer as to why.
Thanks to new AKer, Seth, who has some Bev 3's, he has information from Rick Beveridge that indeed it was part of the manufacture process to remove "hot" tines with high carbon content.
If we can find out what the numbers mean that are written on each transducer, that will also answer another open question.
Thanks to new AKer, Seth, who has some Bev 3's, he has information from Rick Beveridge that indeed it was part of the manufacture process to remove "hot" tines with high carbon content.
If we can find out what the numbers mean that are written on each transducer, that will also answer another open question.
Attachments
Rick Beveridge once told me that his dad had a machine that could measure crucial variables of the transducers that was some combination of capacitance, leakage, mylar tension and maybe other things. This number became a reference to match replacement or mating panels and he called it, if memory serves, the panel's "characteristic" number.
I don't know how to decipher the number, but apparently the "sound" of each panel was described by it. I hope this helps, but suspect it will only add to the mystery of these remarkable devices.
I don't know how to decipher the number, but apparently the "sound" of each panel was described by it. I hope this helps, but suspect it will only add to the mystery of these remarkable devices.
Swedish Model? This came from Rick Beveridge's site.
i'm still reading through all of this because it's fascinating.
But the last line of the ad is just awesome "Intrusion into the room is limited."
HA! They are 7 foot tall boxes of sound! Gotta love marketing. :thmbsp:
The speakers in this photo are the original Model 1s and were never put into production, as far as I know. The production Model 2s were quite a bit smaller and didn't dominate any room I ever saw them in. The usual placement was against opposing sidewalls about 1/3 of the room length from the front wall.
jimfet
Lunatic Member
I'm sure he sold a few pair of the model 1's. I saw them in person one weekend at the IHF show in Atlanta, late 70's. They were there for orders to be placed. Spent some time talking to Harold too. Those speakers change my life on speakers. To this day they are the best I heard. Plus if you look on either the Beverage or Dialquist site, you will see that was the reference speaker for Dialquist. I know I spelled that wrong. I will change it later. He was also using them with a sub he made, he called bass comodes.
I just went to the Beveridge site, and the white ones above are custom Model 2s built for a Swedish customer -- don't know if they are original or current production. Here is a picture of the original 1s and the production 2s:
