SpeakerTalk

AndyS · Posted: Thu May 16, 2013 6:47 pm Post subject: Baobab/Cambridge R50s

I am now the owner of a pair of Cambridge R50s that appear to have had a chequered history.

My goal is to restore them to good working order and give them a new life.

Fortunately no B&O crossover but a R50/03 which will need looking at.

Will have to start selling old kit to finance this!

Don't think I realised how big they are, they are pictured below next to mt LNB Para-Lab 40s.

Can't find the button for adding pics! Confused

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AndyS · Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 12:02 am Post subject:

Tomorrow a closer look inside and some pics, probably, with some requests for info about what goes where?
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Always trying to figure out what will work and what won't!

AndyS · Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 1:11 pm Post subject: Baobab/Cambridge R50

Right. Taken the fronts off and had a good look around and snapped some pics.
They appear to be consecutive numbers to start with.
The cabinet makers initials are inside the cab's on the base. CW and RB.
lots different bits of filling, can anyone tell me how they were put together?
an odd roll of carpet felt, only one so could it have been just left behind by a previous owner?
front panels look original but the hole for the T27 has been butchered. New panel or plug it and start again?
Any idea on whet the 4 holes are on the tops?

Goodness me loading pics takes a bit of figuring out, got there though.
Note to self try to make the pics smaller.

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Always trying to figure out what will work and what won't!

clubsport911 · Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 10:29 pm Post subject:

Snakes Alive... I can almost smell the nostalgia from the piccies. What are your plans for these ? Return to "std" or perhaps fettle to suit ? Whatever the case, I'm intruiged to follow your fortunes !

Nice one

AndyS · Posted: Fri May 17, 2013 11:41 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the comments, I think return to original condition with an uprated Xover. I do love the sound of the HF1300 with the Coles.... wait and see. Not sure how cheaply I will be able to get T27s when I have some spare HF1300s.
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Always trying to figure out what will work and what won't!

AndyS · Posted: Tue May 21, 2013 3:53 pm Post subject:

On Sunday night I was chasing a pair of Large speakers for my restoration, no names given so as not to alert too many people, After some frantic bidding I lost out and kicked myself for not putting in a larger amount sooner! Never mind I thought to myself I am bidding on some complete units which looked promising and some speakers with broken cabinets for the tweeters.

Hooray I won the complete speakers I wanted and then double checked the makers Museum pages to discover that the speakers were rated at 15 Ohms, oh b***er I said to myself several times. Never mind they only cost me £25.00 plus £15.00 postage, less than the £45.00 before postage for the 2 I didn't win.

They arrived today, connected them up and for the size of the cabinet sounded quite good. Lets have a look inside, so undo all the screws and take off the backs remove the loft insulation and what do I see..... a lovely sticker that says 8 Ohms, someone is smiling on me at the moment. All shiny and as good as new!

Now if the broken cabinets arrive and the tweeters are good they will have cost me a fraction of the cost of others offered! Fingers crossed.

I feel sad that I will be breaking up a perfectly good pair of speakers but will try to sell on the T15s a a sensible price. Some of the most solid cabinets I have seen.

Very Happy

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Always trying to figure out what will work and what won't!

AndyS · Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 1:23 am Post subject:

I think I have found the source of that wierd looking fibrous stuff!

http://www.audiovintage.fr/leforum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=10207&start=10

On this French forum there is a repair project for some B&W DM2s and the pieces appear to be from thesse. I have copied the pic,

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Always trying to figure out what will work and what won't!

AndyS · Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 11:46 am Post subject:

Managed to clean up the baffle boards, getting the old wiring loom out of the slot cut for it was a pain, but I have managed to keep the cloth from the vents for the B110 ports. The wiring looms were pretty well built all neatly tied together.

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Always trying to figure out what will work and what won't!

TL 200 · Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 6:33 pm Post subject:

AndyS · Posted: Sun May 26, 2013 3:25 pm Post subject:

Just been flicking through some old hi-fi news' and the earliest Ad for Cambridge R50s seems to be March 1973, they were for sale at C C Goodwin for £98.00. They also sold the B139 for £12.22, B110 at £7.58 and T27 at £6.00. Herts Hifi had the R50s at £164 a pair so the Goodwins price may have been each!

Not found a price for the Coles 4001 so was probably only available at specialist shops.
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Always trying to figure out what will work and what won't!

TL 200 · Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 10:30 am Post subject:

AndyS · Posted: Thu May 30, 2013 1:10 pm Post subject: Progress

I have now built up the new crossovers from Falcon and started to put together the wiring while I get the drive units.
I have decided to make sure the baffle can be easily removed from the speaker so have bought some XT60 connectors. I think they are used in RC models but are a gold plated and appear to have a very good current rating. Photos below.
Still looking for Kef B110s at sensible prices so, pehaps foolishly, I have ordered a pair of MONACOR SPH-135C units, but they were inexpensive. I can see myself getting a pair of new B110s from Falcon if all else fails and perhaps some new Coles 4001 as well.

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Always trying to figure out what will work and what won't!

proffski · Posted: Thu May 30, 2013 5:21 pm Post subject: Re: Progress

Good luck with fitting the Monacor units, but please save for some proper replacements from Falcon in due course.

Thank you so very much for sharing your adventure with these lovely but ageing specimens, best wishes for successful completion and more pictures as and when you achieve your goal. Well done!
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man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
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AndyS · Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:21 pm Post subject: Progress

I have managed to get a pair of B110s at a reasonable price, and also a spare one at £35.00 including delivery.

Problems with T27s, managed to buy two but appears I was sent the wrong two, one open circuit and not the fitting gaskets shown. Have obtained a promise for a full refund including return postage, PO has tried to deliver twice but no-one there, fingers crossed for tomorrow!

Decided to try a pair of Morel Cat 298s from Falcon, always great service, then managed a pair of the older type of T27s at under £28.00 inluding delivery! Lets hope they work as described.

Wired the crossover with 16 AWG silver plated copper wire for Bass units and 18 AWG silver plated copper for the high frequency units all held together with heat shrink and +ves marked.

Decided to try to be clever fitting the crossovers so bought some M3 nylon standoffs and nylon short bolts for the crossovers and fitted to baffle with metal M3 bolts, no chance of shorts and seems to work well.

3 new pics

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Always trying to figure out what will work and what won't!

AndyS · Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 11:42 am Post subject:

Well after last entry things got interesting on two fronts.
Finally managed to get refund on the duff T237s that were sent, sorting office in London lost the package but it did turn up. Got payment a couple of days ago!
Also managed to get a full set of B139s, B110s and older T27s on ebay for under £60 inc delivery. They are early versions but work perfectly apart from a crap paint job! See pics below.

So this set of speakers as they currently stand cost:
Cabs £75 + petrol
Kef Units £58
Coles 4001s £30
Crossovers £85
Sundries £40

Not too bad, but I do appear to have spare speaker units now that I may have to sell.

I have managed to keep the original baffles, that were nearly murdered while with Baobab but have been rescued with the help of my son who made up some little threaded plates used to hold the T27s. Even the little bits of cloth covering the B110 ports is original.

I couldn't wait to complete the work on the cabinets so they went back together yesterday. Very different sound to my Paralabs, the top end on the R50s is more forward and not as delicate and the bass seems so much better and faster. I will live with them for a while and see if they grow on me. They sound better, this morning, than they did yesterday.

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Always trying to figure out what will work and what won't!