Bought some CMC ls-170 speakers today.

[Dave N.]

Not sure what the tweeter is or the woofer. University horn mid though. just listening a little now. The high pot on the back doesn't do anything when adjusting. But I can hear the mid pot changing the sound when adjusting. Going to need some caps for sure. Here's some pics.

 

[Dave N.]

More pics

 

[Dave N.]

More pics

 

[Dave N.]

Woofer numbers

 

[goodolpg]

Those caps are said to often be way out of spec so replacement is a good plan. Clean the treble and midrange controls maybe the high range will come back to life.
I see light discoloration on the woofer baskets, is it just changing color or is there white power/dust on the basket? Power/dust might be a reason to read up on cadmium and how to carefully treat/remove it.

 

[Dave N.]

Those caps are said to often be way out of spec so replacement is a good plan. Clean the treble and midrange controls maybe the high range will come back to life.
I see light discoloration on the woofer baskets, is it just changing color or is there white power/dust on the basket? Power/dust might be a reason to read up on cadmium and how to carefully treat/remove it.

Thanks Goodolpg. I plan on doing caps already. There is no static in the pots when adjusting them. I still used deoxit in pne speakers pots to see if it helped and it didn't. I'm fairly certain there that it is the caps are bad. Now about the color on the woofers. I'd never seen that. But thought it was odd. I figured it was just the metal for some reason was lightly oxidizing. Anyway, I wasn't worried about that at this stage. Where my fingers touched it , it would come off on my fingers. I'm a house painter. It is exactly like when old paint oustide has a light film on it. Rub it with something wet and it will come off. Wasn't aware of cadmium. I will read on that subject.

 

[goodolpg]

I'm a painter too! 99% of my work is interior painting. We call that "chalking" when the exterior paint has dusty stuff on the siding due to old age.
Cadmium dust is bad stuff and it happens sometimes on old speaker drivers that's why I wanted to mention it. I wasn't aware of it until I joined here and then saw some posts about it.
Here's one thread about it. https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...-inside-some-vintage-speakers-cadmium.520981/
And another https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...mped-woofer-baskets-other-metal-is-ok.357664/ Trying to find a decent picture of it, I'm thinking it's kind of "fuzzy" like when a battery corrodes. One AK'er says to wipe it off with a wet cloth. Another said don't inhale it.
This one has good pictures but it's not absolutely identified as cadmium dust. https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/cadmium-in-speakers.579088/
Hopefully yours is something else and a result of age or conditions.

 

[maxhifi]

Looked like cadmium to me. A rag soaked in vinegar will help clean it up.

 

[Dave N.]

I do think it is cadmium. I'm not worried. Honestly I've been a painter for 30 something years and have had many, many things on my hands and absorbed into my skin. I'm still kicking. I'm going to clean it off with some orange cleaner on some rags. Throw those rags away and wash my hands. Thanks though. But if anyone can help identify the woofer and tweeter that would be fantastic.

 

[Dave N.]

Cadmium dust is gone. I just wiped it off with a rag soaked in orange cleaner . New caps are installed. They sound pretty good. Pretty good bass on these I need kore listening time with them though.