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Help with some Wharfedale W70s

Drugolf said:
Fish, I assume yo have the cable for these? Can't quite tell if the connections at the back are a banana hole or if they are the RCA type? That may be something worth changing at some point. Let's see what others think about that. one of my pairs has an even odder connection with a single hole and cables that came with the speakers.
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Drugolf, no cables were supplied.....just some banana plugs that were affixed to cabling of your choice. I was thinking of just deoxiting them by spraying some deoxit on the banana plugs and working them in and out of the holes to remove any oxidation that might have accumulated over the years.....Good idea or not?
 
El Cavano said:
I opened my cabinets a few months ago, and it was hard to read the date code. I thought it said 68, but I need to open them up and take another look. Might take the tweeter isolation box off as well to inspect the driver.

One thing about mine that I haven't seen elsewhere is the badge is on the upper right part of the grill, but at an angle (see attached pic). It says "Wharfedale 70". So many variations in the W70 speaker. Very interesting. I think mine might be the B model (split Alinco/Ceramic and ported).
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El Cavano, you are correct and I noticed this as well when I looked at the picture of yours.....that seems to be the only difference as otherwise they appear identical!
 
Fishead said:
Drugolf, no cables were supplied.....just some banana plugs that were affixed to cabling of your choice. I was thinking of just deoxiting them by spraying some deoxit on the banana plugs and working them in and out of the holes to remove any oxidation that might have accumulated over the years.....Good idea or not?
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No, thats good. I couldn't tell what the jacks on the back were. If they were banana or the older RCA type you see some times on older speakers.

Here is the jack on one of my W70's which came with their own cables (fortunately). As I am restoring I am contemplating if I should just install real 5 way binding posts or not.

09151514.jpg
 
Drugolf said:
No, thats good. I couldn't tell what the jacks on the back were. If they were banana or the older RCA type you see some times on older speakers.

Here is the jack on one of my W70's which came with their own cables (fortunately). As I am restoring I am contemplating if I should just install real 5 way binding posts or not.

09151514.jpg
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Drugolf, you raised an excellent question and have me thinking now too.....it would make sense, since we are going for the best possible restore, to replace those speaker connections with some really good ones, much like the ones I have on my B&W speakers.....would not be original, but sometimes original doesn't give you the best results as I can't imagine those banana plugs nor the one on yours to make as positive a connection as the newer as on my B&Ws.....thanks!
 
If yours are banana jacks, you are probably okay. Just deoxit them to make sure contact is clean I guess. Mine just doesn't allow me to use anything other than the old and very stiff cables that came with them.

Man, it just seems to me that there more than just the a,b,c version of the W70 pre D version. So many different versions, even within the same year. Hell, a pair I have though they appear the exact same on the exterior, and were purchased together back in the late 60's, have different drivers and crossovers. I have also seen numerous different 66 year versions too including different cap vales and so on. Wharfedale has some explaining to do. Someone call Briggs!
 
Very attactive speaker!I would recommend a pio cap,worked very well on mine. Curious,just where in Ky did your Dad live.That is my birth state as well.
 
[QUOTE="Man, it just seems to me that there more than just the a,b,c version of the W70 pre D version. So many different versions, even within the same year. Hell, a pair I have though they appear the exact same on the exterior, and were purchased together back in the late 60's, have different drivers and crossovers. I have also seen numerous different 66 year versions too including different cap vales and so on. Wharfedale has some explaining to do. Someone call Briggs![/QUOTE]

Plus Rank, The Radio People, different speakers, different cross overs, different labels on the back connector plate, no labels, different connectors, and other dfferences I don't know about. Wow, it's a whole separate Wharfedale sub-culture. Still much to learn, and I kind of dig it. If they did not sound so incredible, I'd have lost interest after reading post number one!
 
phatster said:
Very attactive speaker!I would recommend a pio cap,worked very well on mine. Curious,just where in Ky did your Dad live.That is my birth state as well.
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Thanks for your take on the PIOs, will definitely get a set of those.

Dad was retired Department Of The Army Civilian, Commissary Officer in Nurnberg, Germany. He and Mom moved to Radcliff, KY in 1986.
 
El Cavano said:
Any reccomended source for PIO caps 4MF?
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Not sure, there have been some suggestions earlier in this thread but I too need to know exactly WHICH PIOs and metalized film capacitors to order. Perhaps drbiggles or others will share what they have put in theirs and exactly where they sourced them? Clearly, I'm brand new at this and don't really understand what can and can't (shouldn't) be used. I'm ready to order, just waiting on the specifics....my soldering iron is already heating up!!!! :rockon:
 
Metalized film, I have used Dayton 1% from Parts Express and also Solen PB from Madisound. Mostly based on recommendations here, price, and what was available/in stock in the values I needed them when I needed them. Both seem to work fine (have used Daytons in several KLHs and a pair of Wharfedale W70Ds, the Solens in a pair of Rectilinear IIIs) I haven't tried any PIOs yet.
 
Muchas gracias, N8Nagel! Will go to Parts Express and order those Daytons.....now I just need the PIOs.....tried to reach gangtwanger but no luck yet.....perhaps I should offer him my Gibson ES335TD 1965, that might get his attention??? :D
 
N8Nagel said:
Metalized film, I have used Dayton 1% from Parts Express and also Solen PB from Madisound. Mostly based on recommendations here, price, and what was available/in stock in the values I needed them when I needed them. Both seem to work fine (have used Daytons in several KLHs and a pair of Wharfedale W70Ds, the Solens in a pair of Rectilinear IIIs) I haven't tried any PIOs yet.
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Are you referring to these:

http://www.parts-express.com/dayton...ropylene-capacitor--027-430#lblProductDetails

Or these:

http://www.parts-express.com/dayton...on-audio-capacitor--027-246#lblProductDetails

Scroll up on the page when it comes up to see the pictures of each.....
 
Read thru a few of the Wharfedale threads over on British Audio to get an idea for what brand caps guys have had the best results with. There most with the 4uF have gravitated to the PIO's. With the 12's, I am not sure if there has been a preference like there is with the 4's.

GT helped me pick some out off ebay.
 
Don't just run out and buy stuff on my recommendation, I have much less experience than some of the guys here. Your second link are the 1% tolerance ones, I don't know that it really makes that much difference but the cost difference is small.
 
Thanks, Drugolf, and all.....just looked at those and now have a better idea of what I'm looking for. I will be patient and hopefully get it right!

Drugolf, just noticed you have the SA-9100 AND TX-9100.....wouldn't mind picking up the tuner if I can find one in great shape to complete my setup.
 
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N8Nagel said:
Don't just run out and buy stuff on my recommendation, I have much less experience than some of the guys here. Your second link are the 1% tolerance ones, I don't know that it really makes that much difference but the cost difference is small.
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I notice that the values are not identical to what my originals are.....250VDC instead of 50VDC on the originals. Someone said earlier that this is not a problem, is that so? Are you using these currently in your W70s?
 
Yes. The voltage rating is the maximum the caps can handle; going higher is perfectly safe, going lower is a bad idea if you listen at high volumes. Likely all the PIOs you'll find will be similarly rated. The capacitance value is the really important one, deviating from that will change the crossover point.

A higher voltage rating may increase ESR which is bad but my understanding is that this mostly applies to electrolytic capacitors not film or PIO.
 
I went with 200 volt caps(Russian) and I play loud,it seems they sound better as they break-in.My seller was from Estonia as well...had very good feedback with occasional ding for slow shipping which seems to be out of sellers control.
 
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