Wharfedale Owners Thread

[newzealand]

i now to own wharfedales but not very well knowen ,they are pros not the domestic models

350watt
2x 8'' woofers 2'' voice coils
1'' tweeters
19kg each

model number 4190

 

[Van_Isle]

You mean the original Dovedale (no number)?

No ... as I said, different versions of Dovedale 3, as per info and the link posted by N1ckR.

Original Dovedale (no #) was a 2-way, was it not? ... yup, on Michael Otto's website as well ... and on vintageknob: http://www.thevintageknob.org/wharfedale-Dovedale.html

I haven't quite figured out how (or if) you can get higher resolution copies of the info posted on Michael Otto's website .... N1ckR, do you have copies of any info on the earlier Dovedale 3 version??

 

[Gang-Twanger]

i now to own wharfedales but not very well knowen ,they are pros not the domestic models

350watt
2x 8'' woofers 2'' voice coils
1'' tweeters
19kg each

model number 4190

Those sound like they could be from Wharfedale's pro-audio line (The MODERN entity of the Wharfedale company, that is). Although, I've heard that model # before, perhaps from a thread you may have posted. Are these them? http://www.wharfedalepro.com/Home/Products/INSTALLATIONLOUDSPEAKERS/90SERIES/4190/tabid/217/Default.aspx

No ... as I said, different versions of Dovedale 3, as per info and the link posted by N1ckR.

Original Dovedale (no #) was a 2-way, was it not? ... yup, on Michael Otto's website as well ... and on vintageknob: http://www.thevintageknob.org/wharfedale-Dovedale.html

I haven't quite figured out how (or if) you can get higher resolution copies of the info posted on Michael Otto's website .... N1ckR, do you have copies of any info on the earlier Dovedale 3 version??

Yeah, I figured you meant Dovedale 3, but I wanted to be sure because I couldn't find a picture of both Dovedale 3 versions (Also, I was a little tired yesterday, plus my dog ate the brochures, and... ). Yes, I think the original Dovedales were 2-ways (I believe they had an alnico woofer and, oddly-enough, a ceramic tweeter). They made so-many different variations of each of those '60's and '70's models, so it's hard to keep track. I've been at it for 5 years, and I STILL haven't gotten them all figured out.


Lately, I've been enjoying my Wharfies IMMENSELY. The past two weeks have been the best-sounding two weeks of my life. The Fisher 800C I've been using to power my W90's is an excellent match for the old Wharfedales from that era (early '60's). I now get why Steve Hoffman is such a big fan of the *00C series Fishers. Paired with the W90's, the sound is jaw-droppingly-good. Especially now that the W90's have the oil caps in them.

 

[Valvetype]

Just a bit of an update as regards the 'not working' tweeters on my newly aquired Wharfedale W60d's......
The seller refunded me $130.00 to go towards a repair... and joy of joys...the were able to be fixed ! I'm a happy chappie .I'll now do a recap and look forward to hearing them in all their glory..
Thanks once again for all your inputs ....

 

[Van_Isle]

Interior shots of the Dovedale 3's:

 

[Gang-Twanger]

Just a bit of an update as regards the 'not working' tweeters on my newly aquired Wharfedale W60d's......
The seller refunded me $130.00 to go towards a repair... and joy of joys...the were able to be fixed ! I'm a happy chappie .I'll now do a recap and look forward to hearing them in all their glory..
Thanks once again for all your inputs ....

:thmbsp:

 

[tyeeslayer]

Just a bit of an update as regards the 'not working' tweeters on my newly aquired Wharfedale W60d's......
The seller refunded me $130.00 to go towards a repair... and joy of joys...the were able to be fixed ! I'm a happy chappie .I'll now do a recap and look forward to hearing them in all their glory..
Thanks once again for all your inputs ....

Look forward to your listening impressions when they are all fixed up and you get a chance to give them a good listen.

 

[newzealand]

check out my wharfedales

 

[newzealand]

check out my wharfedales

it seems i have scared every one off hahahah post some pics of these strange looking wharfedales and every one stops ,they must be bad lol

what i have found is that they are very fond of lots of power and preform well fo what they are

mike

 

[vintage_love]

I have a pair of W12FRS. Not sure when exactly they were made, probably 1960s. I had them for about 5 years now.

Foolishly I tried to sell them on eBay for crazy low price, as was not listening to Analogue hifi anymore, but they were not selling even at rock bottom price for some reason. Maybe they are too large for most modern homes. It was one of the reason I was trying to sell them as well - although my house is very old about 60 years old, but my listening room is very small only about 3 x 4 metres, and these W12s overwhelm the space.

Anyhow people were making silly offers to already rock bottom price on eBay for these gems, and in the end I just decided to keep them, and oh boy I am glad. I connected them up to old Sony receiver amp and CDP, and these W12 were singing again with most enjoyable sound quality.

Now I am back to all out listening to analogue system again, and recently added a couple of record decks and another pair of vintage speakers to my systems - Leak Sandwich 600.

Nice to see dedicated forum for British audio, and especially Wharfedale threads going in here.

Happy Xmas to you all. cheers.

 

[Valvetype]

I'm VERY,VERY happy with my Wharfedale W60d's now that the tweets have been repaired and I have done a re-cap on them (using Solens Caps) ..
They are being powered by a 1959 David Bogen 12 watt per side tube amp and hooked to a Marantz CD player...
The sound is warm,rich and luscious.... the Music I listen to is varied.... Gypsy Jazz for the most..a bit of Irish Trad,Bobby Dylan and the occasional Guitar shredder...all sound really good but I think these Wharfes really shine on acoustic Guitar stuff..
I now have these Wharfes,a pair of W30's and and a pair of later model E70's which are very good as well...
What will complete the line up and satisfy my Wharfedale Aquisition Syndrome will be a pair of W90's...then again,maybe they wont :sigh: ..

 

[tyeeslayer]

I have a pair of W12FRS. Not sure when exactly they were made, probably 1960s. I had them for about 5 years now.

Foolishly I tried to sell them on eBay for crazy low price, as was not listening to Analogue hifi anymore, but they were not selling even at rock bottom price for some reason. Maybe they are too large for most modern homes. It was one of the reason I was trying to sell them as well - although my house is very old about 60 years old, but my listening room is very small only about 3 x 4 metres, and these W12s overwhelm the space.

Anyhow people were making silly offers to already rock bottom price on eBay for these gems, and in the end I just decided to keep them, and oh boy I am glad. I connected them up to old Sony receiver amp and CDP, and these W12 were singing again with most enjoyable sound quality.

Now I am back to all out listening to analogue system again, and recently added a couple of record decks and another pair of vintage speakers to my systems - Leak Sandwich 600.

Nice to see dedicated forum for British audio, and especially Wharfedale threads going in here.

Happy Xmas to you all. cheers.

Happy to hear. Keep the music going.

 

[Gang-Twanger]

I'm VERY,VERY happy with my Wharfedale W60d's now that the tweets have been repaired and I have done a re-cap on them (using Solens Caps) ..
They are being powered by a 1959 David Bogen 12 watt per side tube amp and hooked to a Marantz CD player...
The sound is warm,rich and luscious.... the Music I listen to is varied.... Gypsy Jazz for the most..a bit of Irish Trad,Bobby Dylan and the occasional Guitar shredder...all sound really good but I think these Wharfes really shine on acoustic Guitar stuff..
I now have these Wharfes,a pair of W30's and and a pair of later model E70's which are very good as well...
What will complete the line up and satisfy my Wharfedale Aquisition Syndrome will be a pair of W90's...then again,maybe they wont :sigh: ..

Very-cool... That's great to hear.

Well, since you've already tasted the purple dome-tweeters as well as those funky horns they use in the E** models, I'd say it's time you tried some Super 3's. I'd say you're safe with alnico OR ceramic versions. Both are great apparently. Mine are all alnico as far as I know. One thing though. If you DO get some, keep in mind what I said about caps.

I recorded some new demo videos recently, including the one in my signature. Post-oil-recap.

 

[Gang-Twanger]

Seems that the W90's have been causing quite a stir lately. I guess I started it when I got mine, but they really seem to be catching on among AK members. First Crestwood23's friend got a pair, then HE had to have a pair, and now Sony6060's starting to eye them as well (after the apparent W90 listening party the three of them had... I love that).

Perhaps it's just something in the old Wharfie drivers that gives them that certain "I don't have a clue", but they definitely have that special something about them. Certainly must be one of the top 10 most-musical-sounding speakers of all time, that's for sure.

Was listening to some Hendrix earlier tonight. It's amazing how most music seems like it was meant to be heard through those speakers. I guess that's what they bring to the table.

 

[Brian]

The Sony 6060 with the W90s if similar to the W70 as they should be, the combo while quite euphoric will be a killer system to simply disregard and listen to beautiful sounds.

 

[Gang-Twanger]

The Sony 6060 with the W90s if similar to the W70 as they should be, the combo while quite euphoric will be a killer system to simply disregard and listen to beautiful sounds.

Oh no, I meant Sony6060 the AK MEMBER (and Fisher tech).

But yes, if the Sony 6060 is similar to the Sansui 2000x, then yes, it would most-certainly be the makings of a great system. I'm powering my W90's with a Fisher 800C right now, and it's the greatest thing I've ever heard (ESPECIALLY after oil-capping the W90's). A few other AK'ers have tried the same combination and reported similarly-jaw-dropping results.

And as you probably remember, my W90's are the first-generation, all-alnico ones just like your W70's. For some reason, they seem to sound best with tube gear. More-3D. I originally-auditioned them with an old 20wpc Radio Shack tube-powered integrated amp, and it sounded wonderful. But throwing the 30wpc Fisher at them was off the friggin' hook. Sounds incredible. I have never heard analog-based instruments sound so-real (horn instruments, electric and acoustic guitars, Hammond organs, clavinets, percussion, etc.).

 

[N1ckR]

I forgot about this picture I took of the crossovers from my Dovedale 3s (note there is a 4th coil to the right, only just managed to get all the caps in shot).
Just bought a set of polypropylene caps to recap - mounting them is going to be interesting !

 

[Gang-Twanger]

Hey, if I can get big mondo oil caps in my W90's, you can fit some poly caps in those. Could always hot glue them if you have to. I'm surprised those have 3 caps. That's wild. I mean, my six-driver W90's only have two of them (Thankfully).

Listening to Zep's HOTH right now. God, I wish I could describe it in a way people can truly-understand. The W90/800C combo is beyond words (And the oil caps in the 90's have burned in real nice now... I don't know if I've reached the 100hr point yet or not, but who cares... This is awesome). "Thriller" is playing now (HOTH just ended... Both are killer 24/96 vinyl rips). The howling hounds in the beginning of the title track had the neighbors' dogs barking. It's incredible. Shouldn't be possible from a 50 year old setup. I had read where Steve Hoffman was gushing about the old Fishers, but damn... (I think he would dig the W90's a lot... They fit right in with that whole "breath of life" thing he talks about a lot). The depth and separation is wicked. And this is at conversational levels. I'm just cracking the volume.

 

[Crestwood23]

Seems that the W90's have been causing quite a stir lately. I guess I started it when I got mine, but they really seem to be catching on among AK members. First Crestwood23's friend got a pair, then HE had to have a pair, and now Sony6060's starting to eye them as well (after the apparent W90 listening party the three of them had... I love that).

Perhaps it's just something in the old Wharfie drivers that gives them that certain "I don't have a clue", but they definitely have that special something about them. Certainly must be one of the top 10 most-musical-sounding speakers of all time, that's for sure.

Was listening to some Hendrix earlier tonight. It's amazing how most music seems like it was meant to be heard through those speakers. I guess that's what they bring to the table.

+1 :thmbsp:
There really is some secret audio sauce in those old Wharf drivers - they are truly intoxicating. Especially in the midrange - and paired with the magical midrange of a tube fisher it's game over. I also think they're a "guitar players" speaker - I've never heard a speaker reproduce a classic electric guitar sound so "right" - they have my JBL L300s and AR9s beat in this department. Just awesome! :yes:

 

[Gang-Twanger]

+1 :thmbsp:
There really is some secret audio sauce in those old Wharf drivers - they are truly intoxicating. Especially in the midrange - and paired with the magical midrange of a tube fisher it's game over. I also think they're a "guitar players" speaker - I've never heard a speaker reproduce a classic electric guitar sound so "right" - they have my JBL L300s and AR9s beat in this department. Just awesome! :yes:

Yeah... It's like a drug. It's weird.

They are very-amp-dependent, apparently, because yeah, this Fisher is just like hitting the "high-end" switch on these things. It must have been wild for the salesman to audition them back in the day. You'd have little kids hanging out in the store all the time (like I did with Bozaks back in the day).

And these caps seem to be improving. I have to think yours will as well. Each listen seems better and better (I was looking at oil caps on Freakbay today... Been toying with the idea of trying some 1000VDC ones on the tweeters, since the mids turned out so-well... Maybe do some cap-rolling and see how far I can take these speakers, you know? Keep looking around until I find two 1000VDC ones that both measure the same value, +/- 2% and get them perfectly-matched... That sort of thing... Get them as finely-tuned as possible... I've also been looking hard at those nos KGB caps as well... I think the first thing I need to do is get a proper meter).