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Leslie DVX speakers

pauldrewry

pauldrewry

Super Member
They just arrived, helped carry them into house. About 60 pounds each. The seller, bless his heart, wanted to keep them whole units, even though he had some large offers to part the top half. He's glad there in the arms of someone who will care for them. My first web searches haven't turned up much on the Leslie DVX's, but here's some info:
MODEL DVX-580 - The DVX-580 is one of several "audiophile" Leslies
developed by CBS in the mid-seventies for quad stereo music systems.
Other models in this controversial series were: 430, 450, 470, and
DVX-570. ("DVX" stood for "Dipolar Variable Axis.") These are the
only Leslie models that were not intended for use with electronic
musical instruments. Promoting Leslie Speakers to audio "purists"
for music reproduction was a tough sell and CBS quietly discontinued
the series a couple of years later.

Here's the numbers printed on the drivers. Tweeters 10460027998 2857441
Mid: 132517 1377507 rear tweet: 71 381 7449 Haven't pulled the woofer yet.

The woofers will need to be refoamed- a first for me. I'm sure the x-overs need recapping. The only downside right now is I don't own anything that will give them enough juice. [Fostex owner mind you] At least 75 w/ch needed. Any suggestions need to be cheap.

On to the photos:
les.jpg

les3.jpg

les4.jpg

les5.jpg

les6.jpg


:banana::banana::banana:
 
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Awesome pics. Keep them coming. There are many threads for refoaming drivers. You will have to measure the cone diameter and then determine whether or not you need straight or angled surrounds.

Check your DCR of the voice coils before ordering anything. :D

Would be interested on seeing some pics of the crossovers too.

Great piece of history you have and good luck on the restoration.

Yank
 
High Fidelity reviewed them in the early 70s, I think. My memory of the review from an annual that disappeared about a decade ago is that it was a somewhat mixed review, as would be expected for something so out of the ordinary. They said that Leslie was selling them with the notion that the whirling speakers would break up standing waves, which HF agreed seemed to be true. But the noise of the motor etc was audible, and spatial clues obviously suffered. But the fact that the review, while being unusually specific in its criticisms, was respectful was probably a sign that the speakers have real merits.
I think as a project, this is a first rate one, and I'll be waiting to find out what you think of them.
 
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Dang, pauldrewry, those Leslie's are super cool! I am glad that the original owner didn't have to part them out.
 
Out of curiosity, why the enthusiasm to part out the top? The components don't seem so incredible, and why would you want hem without the bottom?
 
Does the top section spin on it's own or is it just movable to make it easier to find the sweet spot?

Cool find.
 
I think they spin -- or at least I hope they do. Why on earth would you create that odd paddle shape and put it on an axle if all it does is point the drivers at the listener? And why would you put two tweeters that far away if you care enough about dispersion and imaging to worry about the listener being on axis.
I'm going to be really disappointed if this is simply a crappy design, with no weirdo justification...
 
They don't spin. No motor. The paddle arangement allows one to 'toe in" the mids and highs to hit the sweet spot or adjust to the room. Anyone figure out the driver codes? I think one is CTS.

As for parting them out- I guess someone in Arizona had bottom halfs and needed top halfs.

Seller claimed they sold for $3,000 1974. Wonder if they are in the blue book.
 
Odd shape or not, I have a hunch they are going to sound pretty darn good, once you get the woofers in order.
 
If they're like my 470s (of the same "hifi" series) the HF is given a "synthetic" spin via Leslie's motor-driven "Space Generator", which is comprised of a series of air capacitor lobes that electronically yeild a ping-pong-like effect. The LF of the 450/470 has a similar spinning drum setup as those that were built into many organs with a 12" driver aimed down into a rotating drum. I wouldn't be surprised if both halves of your DVX model get the Space generator treatment. Each unit also has a built-in SS amp, and they're intended to be driven from the headphones out of your stereo receiver to provide the rear channels of synthetic quad.

Yeah, they were sold for HIFI, to add to a stereo for derived "quad", but it only takes an album or two before the novelty wears off, and you realize no real performance sounds like this.

They are, however, very impressive as a stage amp/speaker combo behind a Wurly electric piano, or a Fender Rhodes. :thmbsp: They blow the Leslie 60/70s away in that respect, and that's what they were made for.
 
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Wow -- stranger and stranger!
I've only encountered the actual motor driven versions, and then only in bedraggled form down at the dump. Whonking great motors, and surprisingly heavy drum/wedge that the woofer fires into.
 
Into the belly of the beast so to speak with the next set of photos.

First up is the woofer. cone messures 12 &3/8th. Type of foam surround I need?
les7.jpg

no insulation.
les8.jpg

don't know my magnets.
les9.jpg

les10.jpg

les11.jpg

Good feature is the removable crossover.
les12.jpg

I know which are the caps, the rest is greek.
les13.jpg

les14.jpg
 
pauldrewry said:
Into the belly of the beast so to speak with the next set of photos.

First up is the woofer. cone messures 12 &3/8th. Type of foam surround I need?
les7.jpg

no insulation.
les8.jpg

don't know my magnets.
les9.jpg

les10.jpg

les11.jpg

Good feature is the removable crossover.
les12.jpg

I know which are the caps, the rest is greek.
les13.jpg

les14.jpg
Click to expand...


Woofer looks like a CTS. Leslie used a lot of 15" CTS woofers in its organ speakers.

Other than the caps, you are looking at resistors (the white rectangular items) and coils (the coiled items).
 
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