Wharfedale W90 Clone?

[Brad Muller]

I found a pair of speakers that are a dead ringer for Wharfedale W90s. However, they were made by THE Radio People. Would I expect to see Wharfedale drivers in them? I think they could be had for around $50.

 

[rvatfhunter]

Yes, Wharfedale inside. I am jealous of your hernia.

 

[Brad Muller]

Hmmmmmm.:scratch2:

 

[bhuskins]

The radio people were the Hong Kong distributor for wharfedale back then so everything sold from there was rebadged with the radio people...they are 100% wharfedale made.

 

[markshan]

Run Forrest!

 

[N8Nagel]

The radio people were the Hong Kong distributor for wharfedale back then so everything sold from there was rebadged with the radio people...they are 100% wharfedale made.

Well... yes and no.

Wharfedale made the drivers, don't know who made the crossovers, the cabinets were locally made. There are some deviations between RP cabs and Wharfedale (England) cabs. I have a pair of RP W70Ds and there are some notable differences:

1) the drivers load into the baffle from the front, not the back as per usual Wharfedale practice.

2) the back of the cabinet is not removable (easily)

3) the detail on the decorative woodwork around the grille is not as fine/nice as pictures I've seen of English cabinets.

HOWEVER... as others have said, run don't walk and get them anyway. They still have the sand filled backs and are overall high quality cabinets, and if the drivers are original, they are all Wharfedale.

My W70Ds sound fantastic, and I see no reason not to consider them "real" Wharfedales. I find it odd that the connection/crossover plate does not have the Wharfedale name on it however. Mine explicitly say Wharfedale W70D and then has the Radio People name and address at the bottom.

 

[bhuskins]

I have 2 pair of W70D and one pair is the radio people and the other is wharfedale. My two pair are indentical in every way...so there may have been some variation in what they sold.

 

[N8Nagel]

It's irrelevant at this point. If they are W90s (not W90D) they're worth $50 as long as the cabs are solid and the crossovers are still there IMHO. Every darn driver could be blown and it'd still be worth it, I see those drivers on that certain auction site all the time (unlike my persistent search for some purple nurples, although my W70Ds do sound just fine with Morels in them - I'd like to hear them "as original" just to educate my ears.)

In other words, go get 'em. Do not pass go do not collect $200.

 

[Brad Muller]

Whoops, I think they are W70's and not W90's.

 

[N8Nagel]

Still for $50? Even if they are W70s that just changed "screaming hot deal" to "hot deal" assuming that they're not complete garbage.

You'd need to wave significantly more than that in front of me to get me to part with my W70Ds...

 

[bhuskins]

Make sure the tweeters don't buzz and the mid bass drivers don't rattle under a heavy load

 

[jimtone]

Did you ever get them sorted? W-90? W-70?? Photos