• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Wharfdale speakers???

Rowrbazzle

Rowrbazzle

Active Member
I saw these really ugly, beat-up bookshelf speakers at a local thrift with Wharfdale badges attached to the grills. The grills weren't removable, so I decided to paid $10 for them just to take them home and have a look at the insides.

As the attached pictures indicate, they look like budget speakers. Someone could have even stuck some Wharfdale badges on them after the fact (which crossed my mind as I was parting with my $10).

On the other hand, the woofer/midrange speaker is diecast and very sturdy looking -- and the basket has "Made in England" embossed on it. I tried one speaker out and the bass is a little "boomy," but the mids and highs seem not bad at all. There's also the weird four-prong plug on the back, which I just bypassed.

Anyone have an idea what these are and when they might have been manufactured?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1304.jpg
    IMG_1304.jpg
    69.4 KB · Views: 156
  • IMG_1303.jpg
    IMG_1303.jpg
    89.3 KB · Views: 102
  • IMG_1306.jpg
    IMG_1306.jpg
    80.2 KB · Views: 105
  • IMG_1305.jpg
    IMG_1305.jpg
    67.6 KB · Views: 154
Register to hide this ad
I think I'm showing my age but isn't that an old style phone jack?
I'm guessing the last owner was using phone plugs for speaker connectors?!
 
Last edited:
Not sure, but at first glance they look like Wharfedale cabs with replacement drivers. If I recall correctly, the original woofers should have doped cloth hinges, not foam as your pic would suggest. The tweeters look nothing like any Wharfedale ones I've seen.
Again, not sure.
 
Yeah, it does look like an old-style phone jack. I'm old enough to remember those, but it was so many years ago....

I was also thinking "replacement," because even from the back, the surrounds seem to be much more "supple" than they would be if they were originals. But the "Made in England" suggests that they may have been originals that were refoamed. The cones appear to be paper -- or cloth (?)
 
that looks like a wharfedale woofer to me. right kind of frame, hardware. that square magnet looks wharfie.

more pics?
 
Here's another pic. There are two bolts coming out the board on the front of the speaker and they run through the two little nipple rings on the rim of the speaker basket and are held on with nuts.

The speaker seems to be in excellent condition but the action is very stiff.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1307.jpg
    IMG_1307.jpg
    75.4 KB · Views: 100
thats a wharfie. green felt is a giveaway. rubber surround from the looks of it.

take a close look at the rubber. i had a set of W60E woofers in which the rubber surrounds had lots of tiny cracks. really reduced the output.
 
Rogerfederer is correct. That's a wharfie all right. Still something odd about the whole setup. Does anyone know if Wharfedale made kits?
 
Thanks for the detective work, everyone. Are there any simple mods that would benefit these speakers? The crossovers are obviously basic, but would it be worth replacing any crossover components?
 
I would definitely replace that black and red capacitor. If you feel like going the extra mile you could replace that green resistor with a Mills or other quality resistor(not a necessity though) . Everything else should be just fine. Hope you enjoy them.
 
Well, that's the weird thing. On the outside, these speakers look ancient, but on the inside, everything looks new. That's why I was wondering if they were even Wharfdales. .
 
Also, I guess it would depend on the conditions under which they were kept or stored, i.e., dry, heated storeroom or back bedroom as opposed to damp basement or shed.

I guess I should ask, though -- are the speakers any good, at their best??
 
check out the wharfedale owners thread. some high quality speakers over time. i can't speak to yours but my W60Es sound great!
 
valvenator said:
attachment.php
Click to expand...

I think I'm showing my age but isn't that an old style phone jack?
I'm guessing the last owner was using phone plugs for speaker connectors?!
Click to expand...

This is a guess... and only a guess, but would banana plugs fit into those old style phone jack holes? :scratch2:

If so that's quite clever in a Macgyver kind of way.
 
Thanks again, everyone.

No reason to try to use the "phone jacks" that I can see. They just connect to the speaker terminals below them and are easily removed. The screws holding them go into the little crossover mounting board on the inside of the back panel.

BTW, I see that the W series was manufactured in the mid to late 60s. There's a handwritten felt pen notation on the back of the cone that says 6/70, so that's possibly the date that these were assembled.

Might as well replace the cap and resistor -- easy enough to do. Hopefully, the other driver will be in similar condition. If so, looks like my $10 was a good investment (not that I needed another pair of speakers)!!!

The other thing to do is to strip off all that black paint off the cabs and see what's underneath. Right now, they are butt ugly. I Know that there are other places on the forum when this information is posted, but can anyone recommend a good, readily available paint stripper which is used for such purposes?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom