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Wharfedale Owners Thread

Always best to keep the originals if everything is working, just clean everything up as best you can without damaging anythinh
 
transmaster said:
If you have the last model 60E tweeter, not if it is working. But sound-wise wise they are not very good. Replacements are not expensive.

Search Results

www.simplyspeakers.com

$30 bucks

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This is the tweeter installed. Are these inferior to modern? What are the criteria for choosing a replacement, just size and impedance? I would rather not modify the cabinet. Or is it preferable to keep the originals if they work?
Thanks

Rich


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Tweeter technology has advanced; these early dome tweeters were very peaky. You can drop in one of these new tweeters without modifications to the 60E. The tweeter level control will compensate for any differences.
 
transmaster said:
Tweeter technology has advanced; these early dome tweeters were very peaky. You can drop in one of these new tweeters without modifications to the 60E. The tweeter level control will compensate for any differences.
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I’ve searched but I can’t find whether the tweeters in the W60E speakers are 4 ohms or 8. Does anyone know?

Thanks, Rich.
 
Richas said:
Hi,
I just purchased a pair of W60E’s. I pulled a tweeter and they appear to have the white rock wool insulation inside. I can see corrosion on the back of the tweeter, which I believe might be coming from that insulation. I’m going to open them up and go through the crossovers and check them out. Should I keep that rock wool or replace it with something else? What’s the general knowledge about how to install installation in these speakers?
Thank you
Rich
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Nice find! Leave the rock wool, it won't have caused the corrosion, that will be from spending time in a poor environment, probably a garage where the temperature was up and down. If everything is working just clean the pots and have the caps in the crossovers checked (including ESR) and replace only if out of range. Other than that, anything else you alter will change the sound. All those drivers are very reliable and there's nothing wrong with those tweeters if working properly. The reason people diss the tweeters is because they will be the first thing to blow if over-driven. These speakers were designed for low output amps, way before the mega outputs of the receiver wars of the late 70's onwards. They are very efficient and don't need much power to give their true voice. And they do have a voice. A beautiful one.
 
ziggydave said:
Nice find! Leave the rock wool, it won't have caused the corrosion, that will be from spending time in a poor environment, probably a garage where the temperature was up and down. If everything is working just clean the pots and have the caps in the crossovers checked (including ESR) and replace only if out of range. Other than that, anything else you alter will change the sound. All those drivers are very reliable and there's nothing wrong with those tweeters if working properly. The reason people diss the tweeters is because they will be the first thing to blow if over-driven. These speakers were designed for low output amps, way before the mega outputs of the receiver wars of the late 70's onwards. They are very efficient and don't need much power to give their true voice. And they do have a voice. A beautiful one.
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Thank you for the good advice. I replaced all the caps and kept the rock wool. All caps except one tested terrible. I’m so happy to have these speakers, all the drivers seem to be working and they’re in great shape. It’s a really good match for my Marantz 2230.
Thanks all for the help.
Rich

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HI,
I picked up a couple of pairs of W70 over the weekend , one in excellent condition (but may have driver issues - I hear a rattle out of one cab, and dead mid out of the other)

The second pair has battered cabinets but the drivers seem to work ( though someone fudged with the crossover in the past and set it up for biwiring ... .

Going to tackle the rough pair first
I could just replace the 4uf cap + clean the pot.
OR
Questions:
1. Has anyone tried the alternate crossover at https://www.ln271828.net/revision_to_the_w70_modification.htm . If so, could you comment on the sound after the update.
2. Has anyone tried isolating the mid driver from the woofer? If so, could you comment on the sound after the mod?
3. Building a larger cabinet is well within my capabilities but I'd like to retain the originals for NOW
These speakers are euphonic , rather than hifi, which is why I seek opinions on the effects on the sound rather than take a textbook approach to the mods.
Some pics follow

Thanks
 

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audiobliss said:
How do they compare to the PMC FB1i, I have a pair of FB1+ since 2007 still sounding excellent.
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The Lintons offer a much warmer, richer sound, which was exactly what I was going for when I bought them. Very different from the PMC's which are more accurate/precise. I haven't had the PMC's in the system since I bought the Lintons back in July.
I'm not going to say one is better than the other, just a different flavour. I love them both.
 
I recently acquired a set of Wharfedale W70E speakers and they sound amazing. Was looking online for more information on these and there is not a lot out there. I did find an ad from 1971 that says it comes with a 15" woofer. The woofers on these measure at 12". Were there different versions of the E model resulting in different size woofers? Thanks!
 
Jeepnmon said:
I recently acquired a set of Wharfedale W70E speakers and they sound amazing. Was looking online for more information on these and there is not a lot out there. I did find an ad from 1971 that says it comes with a 15" woofer. The woofers on these measure at 12". Were there different versions of the E model resulting in different size woofers? Thanks!
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Hi, There were indeed many variations across all the models, particularly in the USA. Certainly the 'D' model had 12" woofers, they were a 4 way and sometimes had sand filled cabinets. I have a pair of W70E's with a 15" three way driver set. But the sound across the whole range is unmistakably Wharfedale. The W7x range was never available in Britain though, an almost identical model was known as the Rosedale, again with 15" drivers but slightly different (simpler) crossovers. Have your woofers got a rubber or a mesh roll surround? If they are mesh (earlier) then often the doping resin has powdered away. They can be re-done. If rubber (later), depending on how much they have been used more recently they may benefit from lots of use. The rubber does harden up slightly if left for years without use, they will get better (better bass) with use. A good find!
 
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