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Tangent Acoustics - ???

I stumbled upon a pair of Tagent Acoustics speakers Model SPL 5 . The cabinets are distressed but could certainly be revived, The woofers were "professionally" refoamed but may need to be re-done. ( second re-foam job I've seen that were "professionally" done and looks like it was done by a child in a Kindergarten class - The other offending re-foam exists on a set of AR3a unfortunately - They are also on my list to be re-done). Based on what I could dig up , the woofer cones were actually treated with a "glaze" of some sort, they almost feel plastic coated.

The down side of the this not so common find? .. they both have deceased Audax tweeters - model #HD13D34H.

Through searching the web, it looks like I'd have a better chance of finding the lost city of atlantis before I find these. Which is not surprising considering the growing list of "IN SEARCH OF..." Items I've compiled as of late. ( Gold stars to anyone who caught the loosely tied in Leonard Nimoy reference that I tucked in there).

In reading and reviving this ancient thread. It looks like no one ever posted any pics of the SPL 5 so here's one . If anyone else has a pair tucked in the attic ( where these came from I believe) or have a pair in use and can share some history or knowledge, I'd be interested in reading what you have to write about them.

And if anyone can point me in the direction of a pair of diaphrams for these, I'd appreciate it.

I'll get a rear shot and with the "GRILLS ON" posted in a follow up message:
IMG_8191.JPG
 
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Check eBay item 220459463239 for a sold pair but $$$. These are 8 ohm units IIRC. There is one HD13D37 up but it's 4 ohm. You must search under Audax, Polydax (US), and Sonaudax, and make your search international. Also, search for Rogers, Chartwell, and LS5/9 tweeters as these makes and models used the D34 unit. They do show up from time to time. Suggest search UK eBay and see if can get shipping to US or Canada.
 
What model and make is the woofer? Were these Tangents from UK or Canada? And did you test the tweeters separately from the crossovers or check the crossovers for damage?
 
Check eBay UK item 260815418913. You'll need to ask for model # to see if it's right, DC resistance looks good for 8 ohm though, ? Will he ship to US?
 
Bostown said:
The down side of the this not so common find? .. they both have deceased Audax tweeters - model #HD13D34H.

Through searching the web, it looks like I'd have a better chance of finding the lost city of atlantis before I find these.
Click to expand...

You might have a look at the Audax archives for alternatives...
http://www.audax.com/archives.php

I recently snagged a pair of ESS PS-620s, small two-ways using Audax (Polydax) tweeters, model HD100D25. Most of the HD series seem to have similar properties (?) and response characteristics, at least if you can't compare them to the originals!
 

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mech986 said:
What model and make is the woofer? Were these Tangents from UK or Canada? And did you test the tweeters separately from the crossovers or check the crossovers for damage?
Click to expand...

I haven't pulled the woofers yet. ( I will tomorrow, and will report back).


These were from the UK. One of the model/serial number labels was given to me ( it had fallen off the speaker, into the previous owners trunk) good thing too. there are ZERO photos of this model on the web . I started searching for it online and remembered that the guy had handed me this tiny piece of paper.

unfortunately I misplaced it and went on a frantic search looking for it. Luckily I found it, otherwise I wouldn't have known which model it was at all. The photo i posted in now the only visual reference for this model on the web.

The tweeters were soldered so I cut the leads and measured them alone. So while there could still be a problem with the crossover. I'm at least certain that the tweeters themselves are toast.
 
I've had several pairs of those tweeters, and all have given up the ghost in a couple of years, not because of abuse, but because of corrosion at the point where the leads make the transition to the voice coil. I live in a somewhat humid area, and that may matter, but I suspect there is something in the doping of the suspension that may eat through the insullation on the wire, exposing it to the air. Its not a solder issue since it happens to the wire and there is green corrosion at the break.
 
jimreeves said:
Worst case, you have a couple of options at Madisound...
http://www.madisoundspeakerstore.co...search&search_in=all&search_str=Audax+TW034X0
Click to expand...

Good call!. I was digging in deeper on the web last night and it looks like those options will work. (seems to be the only option actually) . I'll roll the dice and shoot for a pair of diaphragms and hope that gets them back up and functional. If they sound decent (fingers crossed) I'll dive into the rest of the refurbishment.
 
You might call Madisound with your issue before you take the plunge, make sure the VC diameter will fit the gap?
 
mech986 said:
Ebay item 380283007444 has diaphragms for the TW034X0 which I believe is an updated version of the HD13D34H. Maybe they would fit your gap as the voice coils are similar. There is also a pair of TW034X0's at item 190561236821

Tech sheet for TW034X0:

http://www.audax.fr/archives/tw034x0.jpg

Tech sheet for HD13D34H:

http://www.audax.fr/archives/hd13d34h.jpg

Sorry, didn't see the above posts but thought this may help.
Click to expand...

The TW034X0 Diaphram is the direct replacement , and fits the audax tweeter that I was looking for. They've even protected the leads so as to avoid the corrosion issue.

While not exactly a PLUG AND PLAY repair overall, I was able to source the right parts and finally got the speakers back up and running.

Here's what I've found since I last posted :

The speakers are the British made TANGENT ACOUSTICS SP-L5 , they're a fairly large 2 way design and aren't particularly heavy, Not much interior acoustic fill either, they used foam along the walls of the cabinet. Since these had new surrounds installed they may have failed to repack the woofer area , but ive come across atleast one photo of another model from tangent and they look the same ( sparse on internal "stuffing").

They seem pretty efficient, I ran them with a low powered Denon receiver before giving them the business with The MC7300. I really didn't expect much from them, i was into it more for the prospect of bringing them back to life. IMPRESSED? Hell yeah! they image amazingly well although being a bit on the bright side ( maybe break of the tweeters will help) Not a whole lot of low end but it's balanced, they don't seem to sound like they are lacking but clearly not as low end heavy as the A/D/S L710's that just left here a couple of weeks ago.

Banana plugs only! and a rather bland aesthetic - it's a box with a pair of drivers inside. nothing fancy .. but overall they sound good and not just because I had low expectations, they genuinely sound decent.

The cabinets appear to be a walnut veneer, lots of room for improvement there for restoration ( same for the grills - lots of pilling and a few tiny tears).


Sooo.... if you happen to come across a pair of TANGENT ACOUSTIC speakers in travels ( local thrift, yard sale, CL posting, trash dump whatever) , they may be worth loading into your vehicle.

Orion Blue Book shows the List price of The SP-L5 at : $630pr
who knows what they really sold for, and certainly have no mainstream re-sale value since they're pretty obscure, but it was fun getting them to work again, even it meant dipping into my Beer funds.

Here's a few pics as promised.
_DSC8273.JPG


_DSC8274.JPG


Dusty grill -before getting cleaned. :)
_DSC8272.JPG
 
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packrat said:
hhhm,
A couple of months ago a pair of Tangent speakers showed up at the local thrift. They were 2 way, with an 10" heavily coated woofer (with inverted dustcap) and a tweeter. The tweeter was not a T27, as I know what they look like, but it was a cloth dome. Large box (14x12x24?), but not very heavy. Foam surrounds were rotted, so I could tell the basket was stamped steel. Wonder what they were? (They had a Tangent logo on the grill)

I passed (sorry) as I had just purchased, the day before at the same place, a pair of Energy ESM-1s (late 70's model, Canadian make). ahhh, regrets......

[/QUOTE

]Klipsch made a model called Tangents....that probably what they were!
Click to expand...
 
More often than not the KLIPSCH Tangent brand is what shows up in a search. I've found a few references on websites in the U.K I think there is more information on this site about them than anywhere else. oh and there's also this site: http://www.thunders.ca/tangent/index.php

but it too has limited information.
 
Bostown:
Are those the original woofers? They don't look like the pictures I've seen of Tangents, though it was a long time ago so my memory isn't all that clear and you quite possibly have a model I never saw a picture of. But my guess would be that Tangent used KEF, RA, Dalesford or similar drivers, probably bextrene, and those look like doped paper.
 
to the best of my knowledge, they are original drivers, I saw a pic of similar Tangents, and the woofer looked pretty much the same. These were actually re-foamed several years back as I learned from the original owner. I got the Tangent SPL-5 and a pair of OHM C-2's which I will be re-foaming in the next couple of weeks. There are quite a few references of the woofers being heavily coated and these fit that description perfectly.

SPL is a proper name, they are very easy to power and require only a gentle twist on the volume to get them to fill the room ( and then some). I'll continue the re-furb effort by cleaning up the cabinets and grills. ( maybe a re-cap of the crossover). I have collected a few pair of oddball brand speakers that have nearly zero information out there, these will fit in with the rest of them.
 
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The first generation of Tangent speakers had particle board (or whatever that is) behind the grill cloth. I believe they were the TM and RS series. My buddy has the RS2 and RS4, I have the TM1, RS6 and RS8 models. These are them! :)

Bostown said:
http://www.thunders.ca/tangent/index.php
Click to expand...

The second generation (and it really is a second generation from a reformed company because - I believe - they went broke because of the development of the Tangent amp & turntable!) all had the veneer behind the grill cloth. I have the small two way speakers from the second generation. There's no model number on them so I have no idea what they were called.

I found a website once that had pictures of the second generation speakers but as my old computer died so did the link. One interesting speaker was triangular shaped - but a two way, much smaller than the RS8!

The original series used KEF T-27 tweeters except for the RS8 model which used a Audex tweeter. The next generation seems to have used all Audex tweeters.

For drivers, they used various versions of KEF (TM series) and Audax (RS series) except for the RS8 which used a Dalesford woofer. Unfortunately I don't know what the mid is but it might be an Audex driver.
 
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GaryP said:
The first generation of Tangent speakers had particle board (or whatever that is) behind the grill cloth. I believe they were the TM and RS series. My buddy has the RS2 and RS4, I have the TM1, RS6 and RS8 models. These are them! :)



The second generation (and it really is a second generation from a reformed company because - I believe - they went broke because of the development of the Tangent amp & turntable!) all had the veneer behind the grill cloth. I have the small two way speakers from the second generation. There's no model number on them so I have no idea what they were called.

I found a website once that had pictures of the second generation speakers but as my old computer died so did the link. One interesting speaker was triangular shaped - but a two way, much smaller than the RS8!

The original series used KEF T-27 tweeters except for the RS8 model which used a Audex tweeter. The next generation seems to have used all Audex tweeters.

For drivers, they used various versions of KEF (TM series) and Audax (RS series) except for the RS8 which used a Dalesford woofer. Unfortunately I don't know what the mid is but it might be an Audex driver.
Click to expand...

The midrange is an Audax driver, a bextrene coned equivalent - HD13D25xxx - to the KEF B110. You can identify them by the white circle trim gasket over the rubber surround edge. Similar to the ones used in the Jim Rogers JR150.

jr150.jpg
 
Looks like a pair of TM3's sold recently via auction in the UK.
I'm still looking for information on the SPL Series ( specifically the SP-L5).
 
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