Wharfedales
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drknstrmyknight
Addicted Member
Early W70's are my go-to speakers to use with my Eico AF4 SEP
tyeeslayer
Super Member
Gang-Twanger
Resident Wharfedaliophool
Yes... Need lots more people for that... That British Audio forum really needs a jumpstart as well.
Gang-Twanger
Resident Wharfedaliophool
:yes:
Absolutely... I'm hooked on the early models with the cone-tweeters. So-smooth and yet so-open-sounding and dynamic. Pure British. "Golden Age Of Stereo" stuff. I'm a classic-rock fan, and those make that kind of music sound like butter (Listening to the Doors' "Soft Parade" right now).
My two main speakers are a pair of first-generation W90's and W60's (also first-generation). Both are front-ported and have alnico drivers. Never heard '60's and early '70's music sound so-frigging-good. Zeppelin, Hendrix, Beatles, Doors, you name it. And jazz, blues, and acoustic music are pure nirvana. I also have a pair of the later, 3-way W60E's. Also great speakers. They're like a British take on the east coast sound (Think east coast with some British lushness stirred in... The earlier ones with the ported cabs and cone-tweeters are straight-up, early '60's British).
Here are my W90's... Two 12" woofers, two 5" mid-woofers, and two Super 3 cone-tweeters per cab. No rear-venting and no port-stuffing. 12's are running full-range (no cap).
Here's one of those sand-filled rear panels... Heavy, they are... They put a lot of love into these things.
And here's the crossover that's hand-wired to the inside of the upper panel...
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Gang-Twanger
Resident Wharfedaliophool
I'd love to see some pics if ya' got 'em...
I think the W70 was their best-looking model, and the early '60's version must be one beautiful-sounding speaker. Like a W60 with better bass, wider dispersion, and a generally-bigger, better sound (The W60 is a damn-fine speaker in it's own right... It has the great separation, complexity, and dynamic response of the bigger models... it just can't bark like the big dogs can).
Gang-Twanger
Resident Wharfedaliophool
I'm surprised the surrounds on those were even bad (Cloth ones, right?). Usually they don't need more than to be re-glued or softened (or did the moths get to them?).
If you're able, try them placed on their sides (NOT mirror-imaged... tweeter on top left). I've mentioned this many times before, but I figure it's worth saying again because I still see most AK'ers still standing them upright. Placing the 3-way W60 versions horizontally creates a verticle mid/tweeter alignment and gives them a wider soundstage and a more-coherent, response (especially the bass). They need to be about 26"-27" off the floor to accommodate this (so that the tweeters will be at eye-level), but it's worth it.
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albowlly
Super Member
Whatever they were they are no more. I don't have them here now but I'll get a couple of pictures tomorrow.
Gang-Twanger
Resident Wharfedaliophool
Saw the pics... I really-like those W70D's. I've seen quite a few different cab-styles for that version. Yours are like carry-overs from the earlier style cabs. Perhaps they're EARLY W70D's. Both types look great. By the way, what does "OG" stand for?
@ albowlly - Be careful not to overpower those W60D's, otherwise the tweeters might give out (according to others). They don't need more than 30-50wpc anyway. And give them something warm for power (like tubes or tube-like solid-state).
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Gang-Twanger
Resident Wharfedaliophool
I've actually been wondering about this. I know the Rosedale name was used for the European version of the W70D, but did they use the Rosedale name for any OTHER W70 versions?
Ishmael
Super Member
We have a pair of Wharfedale Linton which when played through our Sansui 2000A receiver just nails the human voice and well recorded jazz. They are a smaller more intimate version of what we get through our Naim/Tannoy big system. Really effecient speakers just make the music move and alive in the room with you. Plus, you can remove the back and easily access all speaker parts, whose cabinet is inch thick marine grade plywood with brass enameled speaker badges, large magnets for the woofer and tweeter (which is inside its own wooden enclosure), you can feel the craftsmanship and quality, which you hear in the sound. To see them just look for our thread Wharfedale Linton.
Winters
Active Member
I have a pair of 1967 UK-made (as opposed to US and Hong-Kong versions) W70Ds. Bought them in landfill condition and painstakingly restored them. I got them hooked to a 1963 Fisher 500B receiver, I have been listening to this system for about a year now and I can most definitely say that this is a great combination. Pretty much everything I listen to, they do great. 1960s beat, folk, jazz, you name it - they nail it.
Not W70D but W70E (3-way, 15" woofer), introduced circa 1969-1970.
Not W70D but W70E (3-way, 15" woofer), introduced circa 1969-1970.
electra100
Super Member
I drank the kool-aid as well a long time ago. No looking back with my E90's, the sound is amazing and the build quality never ceases to amaze me.
Pics from the web
Pics from the web
albowlly
Super Member
I must have been in a hurry to get these out of the sale @$20 to have not looked more closely. The surrounds are intact although I've never seen any inverted and recessed so far back. There is one silent tweeter that I'm about to address but otherwise they sound pretty good.
PastTechFan
Super Member
Roll Call?
Yes (with apologies to Arlo Guthrie) I'm on the "Group W" bench.
W20's (Dentons), W60's (no letter suffix), and W90's (1963?)
And 2 years ago, I had none of them, and no idea who Gilbert Briggs was. (All thanks to AK):thmbsp:
Yes (with apologies to Arlo Guthrie) I'm on the "Group W" bench.
W20's (Dentons), W60's (no letter suffix), and W90's (1963?)
And 2 years ago, I had none of them, and no idea who Gilbert Briggs was. (All thanks to AK):thmbsp:
Gang-Twanger
Resident Wharfedaliophool
That's the thing... I've read posts from quite a few W70D owners from the UK who said theirs were Rosedales. I just hadn't seen anybody use the Rosedale name in regards to anything BUT the W70D's. Perhaps they had done this with ALL the European W70 variations. You're actually the first person I heard mention this about the W70E, although I don't doubt this is the case. Seems the W** series was not much-more than a name in terms of it being designed/directed towards the US market. The W** models were sold all over the world. Even the early ones. I wish I knew how to distinguish the British-made versions from the US-ones, and the US from the Australian, and so on. My w60's and W90's are both from the same area and have identical grillcloth and alnico drivers, and every other pair that I've seen with that same grillcloth has been the same way. Alnico all around.
The W70 debuted in 1961, and I know the W90 wasn't long after that because I've seen W90 ads in hi-fi magazines from 1962, and the W60, which introduced the series in 1960, was given that name to commemorate the year. That was Briggs' baby. He was apparently quite-proud of that model.
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