DB PLUS 440, small project restoration

[bad_boo]

Found these underrated db plus 440's at a thrift store. I picked them up and gave them a new life. Speakers were refoamed and applied restore-a-finish and now they look like new. I put them to test and they sound great. I'm pleased with them.

Not much information about them online but they have been mentioned here on AK.

These are going to be a gift for a cousin of mine back home, so I'm confident he will like them, as pretty much there is no such thing as high fidelity speakers or whatsoever in my country of origin.

 

[newenglandj]

Nice looking speakers, good job on the refinish and refoam. It's nice that you're giving them to your cousin. I think one of the best parts of this hobby is introducing people to quality sound, so they can better enjoy their music.

 

[bad_boo]

Nice looking speakers, good job on the refinish and refoam. It's nice that you're giving them to your cousin. I think one of the best parts of this hobby is introducing people to quality sound, so they can better enjoy their music.

Thanks so much for your comment.
Yes, I really enjoy sharing this hobby with my family and friends and introduce it with them. Funny thing, we always liked music but we never listened to a high fidelity equipment but this is not existing back home. Until I came to Canada and learned about all of this.
My cousin is so excited waiting for it, and I'm so happy for that.

 

[getter365]

Found these underrated db plus 440's at a thrift store. I picked them up and gave them a new life. Speakers were refoamed and applied restore-a-finish and now they look like new. I put them to test and they sound great. I'm pleased with them.

Not much information about them online but they have been mentioned here on AK.

These are going to be a gift for a cousin of mine back home, so I'm confident he will like them, as pretty much there is no such thing as high fidelity speakers or whatsoever in my country of origin.

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Hello, great restoration job! They're nice sounding speakers. What's also great is there are many choices for the 6.5" driver if you didn't wanna repair a blown one.
I bought four of these back in the day - the '80s - probably at Numark and Lewis on Long Island. I used to attend the audio shows at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. I used them with a Sansui AU-D7 integrated amp and Cerwin Vega SW-12B sub. As a teenager I sure had a great sounding system.
Now I use two of them in my garage and two were used in my son's daily driver for a while, then his bedroom, but he gave them back to me recently. They sound real good, have ample sound deadening inside, and are front ported. They will outperform most smaller, modern bookshelf speakers, due to their larger cabinet volume.
Here are some recent pictures - this pair a long time ago I replaced the blown woofers with MTX ones, in a hasty move. My other pair I replaced them with 2 JL Audio 6.5" coaxial drivers, but disconnected their tweeters.

 

[bad_boo]

Hello, great restoration job! They're nice sounding speakers. What's also great is there are many choices for the 6.5" driver if you didn't wanna repair a blown one.
I bought four of these back in the day - the '80s - probably at Numark and Lewis on Long Island. I used to attend the audio shows at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. I used them with a Sansui AU-D7 integrated amp and Cerwin Vega SW-12B sub. As a teenager I sure had a great sounding system.
Now I use two of them in my garage and two were used in my son's daily driver for a while, then his bedroom, but he gave them back to me recently. They sound real good, have ample sound deadening inside, and are front ported. They will outperform most smaller, modern bookshelf speakers, due to their larger cabinet volume.
Here are some recent pictures - this pair a long time ago I replaced the blown woofers with MTX ones, in a hasty move. My other pair I replaced them with 2 JL Audio 6.5" coaxial drivers, but disconnected their tweeters.

Thanks for your comment and feedback.
Those drivers look great. Do they sound better than before for you, with the new drivers? They really look nice though.

The db plus 440 I sent to my cousin, turned out great. He says he hasn't heard anything better than them yet. Like you said, he has compared it with bigger speakers and the db 440 ends up winning, in his opinion.

I also restored a pair of db1010 plus, which were my first restoration project, and they sound incredibly nice. Refoam and recapped. I remember when I got them, the original owner tried to restored them and couldn't do it, so instead of dumping them he was better giving them away to someone else to bring them back to life instead of sending them to the landfill. And I see why. They are just great.

 

[getter365]

Thanks for your comment and feedback.
Those drivers look great. Do they sound better than before for you, with the new drivers? They really look nice though.

The db plus 440 I sent to my cousin, turned out great. He says he hasn't heard anything better than them yet. Like you said, he has compared it with bigger speakers and the db 440 ends up winning, in his opinion.

I also restored a pair of db1010 plus, which were my first restoration project, and they sound incredibly nice. Refoam and recapped. I remember when I got them, the original owner tried to restored them and couldn't do it, so instead of dumping them he was better giving them away to someone else to bring them back to life instead of sending them to the landfill. And I see why. They are just great.

Hello. Thanks. As far as the new drivers, I was pleased with them back when I replaced the originals (a long time ago). I should have just had the originals repaired, but didn't know where to go back then. I can't recall if the foam surrounds failed, or I fried the voicecoils.
I like keeping things original but I must say, being a 6.5", 4 Ohm driver, there are so many automobile drivers that are 6.5" and 4 Ohm, so you have a lot of quality drivers to choose from.
What size speaker is a db1010?
Lastly, I was thinking of trying these db440 with my old Sansui AU555A amp. It's rated 25 watts per channel into 8 Ohms, and 33 watts per side into 4 Ohms. Sure the amp will be working hard driving the 4 Ohm speakers, but it would be a fun experiment to compare the db440 speakers to the much newer Polk RTi-A3, 8 ohm speakers, which coincidentally also sport a 6.5" woofer and a dome tweeter, and are ported. Some day when I have time....

 

[bad_boo]

Hello. Thanks. As far as the new drivers, I was pleased with them back when I replaced the originals (a long time ago). I should have just had the originals repaired, but didn't know where to go back then. I can't recall if the foam surrounds failed, or I fried the voicecoils.
I like keeping things original but I must say, being a 6.5", 4 Ohm driver, there are so many automobile drivers that are 6.5" and 4 Ohm, so you have a lot of quality drivers to choose from.
What size speaker is a db1010?
Lastly, I was thinking of trying these db440 with my old Sansui AU555A amp. It's rated 25 watts per channel into 8 Ohms, and 33 watts per side into 4 Ohms. Sure the amp will be working hard driving the 4 Ohm speakers, but it would be a fun experiment to compare the db440 speakers to the much newer Polk RTi-A3, 8 ohm speakers, which coincidentally also sport a 6.5" woofer and a dome tweeter, and are ported. Some day when I have time....

Sorry for the late reply.
This is my best guess, so I believe what your original drivers needed were refoam. Anyway, I bet the new drivers felt good for your ears.

The db plus 1010 are 8" drive. My father in law still has them in his main system. I come from listening to paradigm and kef speakers and when I hear these db plus, when i come to the inlaws, they give me the wow factor. That's why idk why they are so under appreciated.

yes please, come back whenever you have time with your comparison and comments about your db 440 and the polk rti-a3.