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Wharfedale Owners Thread

zobsky said:
Does anyone know why in the w70, the tweeter is run essentially in dipole mode i.e.mounted free-air on a pair of standoffs . Gotta be a bunch of reflections from the back wave bouncing around the small box that isolated it from the main cab.
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While I don't know why Wharfedale mounted a tweeter in such a manner, I wish to thank zobsky for his query as it opened much the same curiosity I had some 5 years ago. The best I could do is show how that chamber affects the sound, with or without some acoustic fill and then, with a baffle to isolate the front and back waves. As can be seen in my presentation, the largest effect is due to adding a baffle while the effect of acoustic fill is negligible. The best reason I can find for the minimal effect of fill in that chamber is likely due to the presence of the magnet which interrupts reflections from the sides. However, there is still the back panel reflection and this is where the baffle comes in.

Rather than try to piece all that together here, it was much easier to set up a web page in my website.

The link is Super 3 in W70 chamber
 
And I would like to mention my(our) appreciation for all the useful stuff on your webpage. I added a little bit of teased polyfill around the driver but haven't done the rigorous work that you have.

Interesting comparing my w70 and w90.

The w70 has a more colored midrange but is also a bit more coherent and has a bit more punchy bass (didn't expect this).

The w90 is a bit more linear and "correct" but not as fun.

Both cabinets recapped.

FWIW, I have another pair of rescued "cosmetically challenged" w70 that I love . That pair has all alnico drivers that unfortunately are fractionally mismatched wrt hole pattern to fit into this pair of W70. Just need to swap out a buzzy woofer on one of those cabs. I might try some crossover mods on this pair .

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Thank You, zobsky.

Given the variations of the W70, I'd hazard a guess that the difference you hear in the midrange may be due to the following.

Some W70 units have a 10"midrange which is open back and wired in parallel with the woofer. That 10" isn't filtered, low pass or high pass. Also, it will react to the pressure variations exerted by the woofer, like a passive radiator.

Some W70 units have an 8" midrange but I have no idea as to its wring. I know about the W70(D) which I modded for an AK member. That particular pair had the midrange wired in parallel with the woofer and was also open back. Plus, the W70D is a sealed cabinet which supposedly gives a tighter bass than a vented enclosure.

Those cabinets of yours are in beautiful cosmetic dondition.
 
I had a pair of w70ds which I recapped and eventually gave away. The were actually quite satisfying but I always wondered if I wouldn't have liked the w70s better. Never got a chance to find out.
 
klipschorn said:
Thank You, zobsky.

Given the variations of the W70, I'd hazard a guess that the difference you hear in the midrange may be due to the following.

Some W70 units have a 10"midrange which is open back and wired in parallel with the woofer. That 10" isn't filtered, low pass or high pass. Also, it will react to the pressure variations exerted by the woofer, like a passive radiator.

Some W70 units have an 8" midrange but I have no idea as to its wring. I know about the W70(D) which I modded for an AK member. That particular pair had the midrange wired in parallel with the woofer and was also open back. Plus, the W70D is a sealed cabinet which supposedly gives a tighter bass than a vented enclosure.

Those cabinets of yours are in beautiful cosmetic dondition.
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Both of mine are open back and run alnico mids unfiltered.

The older blonde cabinets also run red magnet alnico woofers and (I think) alnico super 3. The newer cabinets pictured run ceramic woofers and ceramic super 3 . Hard for me to be sure as I neglected to photograph the tweeters on the blonde cabinets when I was working on them . The other difference is that I bypassed the dead level controls on the blonde w70 so they run a bit hot - but clearer.

@klipschorn - I have the parts lying around to add your midrange cover tweaks to these cans when I get around to it

Also in the pic are a set of neglected w70E that I restored last year .
 

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zobsky said:
Both of mine are open back and run alnico mids unfiltered.

The older blonde cabinets also run red magnet alnico woofers and (I think) alnico super 3. The newer cabinets pictured run ceramic woofers and ceramic super 3 . Hard for me to be sure as I neglected to photograph the tweeters on the blonde cabinets when I was working on them . The other difference is that I bypassed the dead level controls on the blonde w70 so they run a bit hot - but clearer.

@klipschorn - I have the parts lying around to add your midrange cover tweaks to these cans when I get around to it

Also in the pic are a set of neglected w70E that I restored last year .
Click to expand...
Those pots can be cleaned; they come apart easily. They are wire wound resistors of 50 ohms.
If you can't clean them or if they are damaged, they can be replaced. They are available at Mouser Electronics. The Mouser part number is 774-026TB32R500B1A1 https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...s/026TB32R500B1A1?qs=GxOUx7aO6nxYN8lvmqMgiQ==
 
zobsky said:
Both of mine are open back and run alnico mids unfiltered.

The older blonde cabinets also run red magnet alnico woofers and (I think) alnico super 3. The newer cabinets pictured run ceramic woofers and ceramic super 3 . Hard for me to be sure as I neglected to photograph the tweeters on the blonde cabinets when I was working on them . The other difference is that I bypassed the dead level controls on the blonde w70 so they run a bit hot - but clearer.

@klipschorn - I have the parts lying around to add your midrange cover tweaks to these cans when I get around to it

Also in the pic are a set of neglected w70E that I restored last year .
Click to expand...
Are you sure those are 70e’s? I think they are w60e’s. The W70e has 15 inch bass drivers
 
klipschorn said:
Those pots can be cleaned; they come apart easily. They are wire wound resistors of 50 ohms.
If you can't clean them or if they are damaged, they can be replaced. They are available at Mouser Electronics. The Mouser part number is 774-026TB32R500B1A1 https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/CTS-Electronic-Components/026TB32R500B1A1?qs=GxOUx7aO6nxYN8lvmqMgiQ==
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Thanks . I kind of liked the minimalistic setup . I'll reevaluate when ai open that pair up again. The laminated back panel is coming apart and I'll have to use some diluted glue to stabilize that . Then try some of your mid-range tweaks.

Ironic that despite all their cosmetic flaws and being stored in a container for an extended period of time, that's the pair I like the best.
 
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