Fried Model 'Q' Loudspeakers - I think

[OldIsNewAgain]

Welcome aboard! Those speakers are Model Q (the first version), not a Q/2 or Q/3. The later versions would clearly state "Q/2" or "Q/3" on the terminal plate. You have a fantastic little speaker on your hands. One that will definitely surprise you. I recently came into a pair of A/3 from a dear friend and they are stunning. Bud Fried knew what he was doing.

A close up pic of the woofer will confirm this, but I believe the Q used a rubber woofer surround, which should not need replacement. The later models used a foam surround which needs to be replaced over time.

Since this is your first foray into vintage audio, I have to ask obvious questions like, "How are you going to power them?" Hooking these speakers up to a run of the mill received from Best Buy will make noise, but will likely not give you the experience you are seeking and will also not bring out the best these speakers have to offer.

Welcome aboard! Those speakers are Model Q (the first version), not a Q/2 or Q/3. The later versions would clearly state "Q/2" or "Q/3" on the terminal plate. You have a fantastic little speaker on your hands. One that will definitely surprise you. I recently came into a pair of A/3 from a dear friend and they are stunning. Bud Fried knew what he was doing.

A close up pic of the woofer will confirm this, but I believe the Q used a rubber woofer surround, which should not need replacement. The later models used a foam surround which needs to be replaced over time.

Since this is your first foray into vintage audio, I have to ask obvious questions like, "How are you going to power them?" Hooking these speakers up to a run of the mill received from Best Buy will make noise, but will likely not give you the experience you are seeking and will also not bring out the best these speakers have to offer.

Thank you very much for your reply. I checked the website well after November for other responses and was unable to see them. Thinking I had hit a dead end, I stopped visiting the site until now. So, thank you again.

You will probably shake your head as you read this, but I used to have this massive old Pioneer tuner/amp that would radiate enough heat to fry eggs and I got rid of it because I didn't like spinning the dial to tune in stations. I bought it used because it spoke too me. When I got rid of it, I wasn't listening. I was a kid - that's all I can say. At least it wasn't a '67 Shelby Cobra.

So yes, now I have a 10-year-old, family friendly, Best Buy Sony special, home theatre doodie that sits under our 1992, 27" Sony, tube TV. Admitting all that makes me feel no better. Ugh.

I'd love to dive back in though. I'm so happy to have found these speakers (Yes, the woofer surround does appear to be rubber). There are plenty of older audio components available near me...but where to begin?

 

[OldIsNewAgain]

By your request, rear view of Q2. As can be seen, the Q2 uses a circuit breaker instead of a fuse. The circuit breaker is for the whole system and not just the tweeter. Is the fuse the same ? The contacts in the breakers can be iffy. Q3's are fused as I recall.

Thank you for the photo. Your plate looks "legit" and mine looks like it was made in Bud's garage. I don't know what the fuse protects within the speaker - I'm more of a 110/220 guy, but look forward to learning more about these guys. Thanks again!

 

[OldIsNewAgain]

I had a very early pair of Qs, and loved them. Replaced them with IMF TLS 50s which were definitely better (as they should have been at 4 or 5 time the volume and complexity, and probably even greater price multiple), but the Qs were more dynamic.
I'd go ahead and play them but I'd pull out and reinsert the foam block in the vent so that it fully fills it and is flush with the baffle.

Nat, thank you for your reply and advice. Once I have a worthy tuner and amp, I'll give them a run.

 

[Joewag]

Ignore or comment on this as you see fit but I like to add this to any of the Fried threads concerning models using this tweeter.

This is the same tweeter as used in the Yamaha NS-5, a simple FYI if anyone is searching for a replacement. They also have a very similar serial number tag and crossover plate to the Q, even down to the circular single digit number sticker between the binding posts.

Does anyone know of something like this for the woofer? I'm trying to restore a pair of q's for a friend and one of his woofers is froze up. I can actually see through the dust cap that it is out of line, so I assume that the glue securing the magnets has given up. I've never had any luck trying to line those up again..spectacular failure with Yamaha ns-690's...so I'd rather find an appropriate replacement (if they're out there).

 

[HyKlas]

If I still had my NS5s I'd pull a woofer to compare but they left a short while ago... They do have an open weave cloth dustcap, cast basket, and rubber surround. I remember that much about them.

 

[Nat]

Joewag: There are a couple of different methods people have used successfully to realign magnets on woofers -- magnets getting loose is not exactly uncommon. My method is a lot more invasive than the ingenious method that another poster came up with, so I recommend his. The issue is that the pole piece wants very badly to get closer to whatever point on the pole plate is closest - which is why you have the problem to begin with. So to glue it in place, you have to keep it in place. The other method uses a periphery clamp on the magnet, which allows you to leave the woofer and voice coil in place (though getting the pole piece into the voice coil without it suddenly jerking isn't the easiest thing in the world).
Not knowing of this method, I cut out the woofer (peeling up the surround) and used copper flashing in a roll, in the gap, to center the pole piece. Unfortunately, this method requires cutting the spider. I cut it on the side and deliberately cut it in a jagged line so that it could be realigned, and than glued and reinforced (since it was on the vertical side, reinforcement didn't affect the compliance at all).
Whether I needed to or not, I jammed the copper in there to make sure that that gap was symmetrical, so usually it took a big pair of pliers to pull the copper out. I used shims to center the voice coil, glued the spider, and then the surround.
The three times I've done this it has worked like a charm, but a very complicated and tedious charm. I'd bite the bullet and spend the time making the clamp and follow the other guy's method. But be assured it is possible to do. And the Qs are a lot more worth it than the first speaker I dealt with -- a big Sony, which was surprisingly good, but didn't billow my sails. The subsequent ones, one of which was a Time Window, were more rewarding.

 

[sound man]

Joewag: Another vote for the clamp on the magnet technique. I bought a pair of Nova 8's and one had a detached magnet. I whipped up a clamp, and tested the technique a few times and then just went to town. You will have to be careful that the magnet doesn't slam into place, but that is what the dry runs are for. I had never done any speaker repair before that, so I was really nervous, but it dropped right into place. Good luck!

 

[Joewag]

My thanks to all of you for your responses. I'm first going to check with my friend and if he wants me to try this clamp technique, I guess I'll give it a whirl. Heck, if I destroy it, there'll be some happy q owners out there when I part out the rest for him.

 

[Hegeman_dude]

My dad bought some Fried Q3's back in the late 70s. He loved those things. He paired them with a Harman Kardon HK550 integrated amp, and also mentioned that at one time he had two Citation 16s (one for each speaker) bridged with the HK550 controlling them. These things can take a ton of power for their size. Sadly, my dad passed away recently and his HK550 degraded too much for regular use. I've swapped it out with a Marantz 1060 and find it pairs really well with the Q3's. I wouldn't call myself an audiophile, but these are the best speakers of this size and this design that I've heard. I have the large advents, and compared to them the Frieds have much more, and more accurate, midrange. The woofer on the Advents is bigger so they can go lower, but bass is a bit boomy compared to the Frieds. The Frieds are just a really smooth, really flat speaker with good response. Luckily they're still in great shape, so I have something from my dad that I can enjoy every day. I'm trying to learn more about Bud's philosophy when making these (transmission lines, crossovers, etc.). He did a good job.

 

[WickedWillie]

I have a set just like them. Bought them back in the late 70s. Compared them with the Polk Model 7 monitor...no comparison. The Frieds were more defined and dynamic. I had to replace a woofer in one...got a woofer installed that completely changed the sound. After about a year, I scored a set of Q2 woofers from ebay and replaced mine. I'm going to replace the porting foam next...Ace Hardware has some air conditioning foam that looks to be the perfect "drop in" replacement. They are a great speaker, detailed, dynamic and fairly accurate. They are worth doing whatever it takes to maintain them.

 

[jim249]

Ignore or comment on this as you see fit but I like to add this to any of the Fried threads concerning models using this tweeter.

This is the same tweeter as used in the Yamaha NS-5, a simple FYI if anyone is searching for a replacement. They also have a very similar serial number tag and crossover plate to the Q, even down to the circular single digit number sticker between the binding posts.

Thanks for the info. I have a pair of these with a pushed in dustcap on one tweeter. I have never hooked mine up because one of the crossovers is in tatters and needs to be fixed.

 

[jim249]

I have a set just like them. Bought them back in the late 70s. Compared them with the Polk Model 7 monitor...no comparison. The Frieds were more defined and dynamic. I had to replace a woofer in one...got a woofer installed that completely changed the sound. After about a year, I scored a set of Q2 woofers from ebay and replaced mine. I'm going to replace the porting foam next...Ace Hardware has some air conditioning foam that looks to be the perfect "drop in" replacement. They are a great speaker, detailed, dynamic and fairly accurate. They are worth doing whatever it takes to maintain them.

Air conditioning foam? Could you be more specific please?

 

[Nat]

I'm dubious about the NS 5 and the Q sharing the same tweeter. I believe Yamaha made their own drivers, whereas Fried use a Carbonneau woofer and a HiQphon tweeter. Different models might have used different drivers, but this is the first mention of Yamaha that I have come across.