HiFi Separates Speaker advice

[mikees]

I have an old HiFi system from the 90s that I have in my office based on an Arcam 7 CD and 8 Amp wired to B&W 601 speakers.

I've noticed one of the speakers has become muffled so suspect tweeter has gone. Looks like it possible to change the tweeter but not sure I can be asked if I can get some cheap replacements from Richer.

What do you think chaps? Have speakers moved on so would a pair of, say Mordaunt Short M20 at £99 be any good? Or just bite the bullet and order a replacement tweeter which might be a bit expensive (seems maybe 75 quid for the full swap unit)

[rjfp1962]

I'd be buying the Mordaunt Short MS20's myself.. A friend of mine really liked their speakers, and for £99 you can't go far wrong...!

[Funk]

Agree with the above; you'd probably also want to replace the tweeters as a pair anyway, so factor that into the 'fix' option...

[hyphen]

Buy used.
look for largest diameter
If possible, get floorstanders.

If in your office, are you listening to them 7 hours a day regularly? Then consider spending more. Always spend a lot on things you use a lot.

[mikees]

hyphen said:

Buy used.
look for largest diameter
If possible, get floorstanders.

If in your office, are you listening to them 7 hours a day regularly? Then consider spending more. Always spend a lot on things you use a lot.

Good point. Have a Sonos thats on 24/7 with radio (R3 or classic) only use the separates for the occasional visit to the vinyl back catalogue or opera/classical CDs

[Some Gump]

OP,

IMO...

DM601's are much, much better than anything RS do at a ton. Just order the tweeter diaphram, NOT the full unit. Should be a lot cheaper.

Replacement is dead easy - 6 screws to take out the mid, reach in and twist out the whole tweeter as one assembly, 3 bolts and the diaphram lifts off. Just be careful putting in the replacement as it's a "line it up and go easy" not brute force (the coil is not that sturdy).

Youtube if you need it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1jzCwY3--8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXIsqqTOwSM

[dundarach]

One of the cones in my Mission 734's cracked.

Nipped on eBay and £50 for a replacement, whipped in and sorted

Love the sound, always have, why change them!!

[mikees]

Some Gump said:

OP,

IMO...

DM601's are much, much better than anything RS do at a ton. Just order the tweeter diaphram, NOT the full unit. Should be a lot cheaper.

Replacement is dead easy - 6 screws to take out the mid, reach in and twist out the whole tweeter as one assembly, 3 bolts and the diaphram lifts off. Just be careful putting in the replacement as it's a "line it up and go easy" not brute force (the coil is not that sturdy).

Youtube if you need it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1jzCwY3--8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXIsqqTOwSM

The challenge I have is that I dont think its the diaphragm which looks good and is unmarked and not dented so I suspect it needs a whole new tweeter which will have to be 2nd hand.

[Some Gump]

Easy to diagnose - the back end is just a magnet, doesn't do anything! If you whip it out, look at the coil. If it's all blackened, then bingo.

If its not the tweeter coil, then it's a crossover. Again easy to diagnose, just swap left and right tweeters and if the problem moves with the driver change, then it's a diaphram and if it stays with the cabinet, its a crossover (or you've lost a biwire link but i guess you'd have already checked that!)

[Sheetmaself]

Do you ever come over East Midlands way?

I have spare pair of b & w somethings you can have if you want?

Also is anyone able to say which version these are as can’t find anything that looks similar! About 40cm in height to give a reference.

[Some Gump]

My guess is dm302's:

https://www.bowerswilkins.com/sites/default/files/...

[craig_m67]

Some Gump said:

My guess is dm302's:

https://www.bowerswilkins.com/sites/default/files/...

(They are) what he said ^
… and quite funky things in their time, mind you they be full of wasps nests if used around here (tropics)

To the OP, just repair as already advised. You might also contact B&W, they’re surprisingly helpful with spares / help in my experience

[Sheetmaself]

Some Gump said:

My guess is dm302's:

https://www.bowerswilkins.com/sites/default/files/...

Brills, thanks you very much always wondered. Sorry op for taking off thread but offer still stands if you want them.

[mikees]

Some Gump said:

(or you've lost a biwire link but i guess you'd have already checked that!)

Well, swapped the tweeters, seemed ok on the faulty one. Put the other one back and cleaned biwire link and it seems ok. Doh! Turandot sounds great again!

Thanks all

[The_Burg]

Sheetmaself said:

Some Gump said:

My guess is dm302's:

https://www.bowerswilkins.com/sites/default/files/...

Brills, thanks you very much always wondered. Sorry op for taking off thread but offer still stands if you want them.

These are decent speakers, would sell easily on Facebook or eBay.

[Sheetmaself]

They’re on Facebook marketplace for £55 and no one seems interested!

[craig_m67]

Sheetmaself said:

They’re on Facebook marketplace for £55 and no one seems interested!

That’s a marketing issue^
Only somebody who knows who or what these are will be interested, ie already searching for B&W

Stick them on eBay or gumtree


^ May be country specific, I’m in Aust.

[Lucid_AV]

Sheetmaself said:

They’re on Facebook marketplace for £55 and no one seems interested!

If the pictures above are the ones you're using of FB, then I'm not really surprised that there's no interest. You've got a few red flags:

• For a start, they're dusty as hell. That suggests to me that they haven't been loved, and maybe there are problems that I can't see in the pictures
• You need better pictures - I can't tell if you're selling one speaker or a pair, and pictures all round to show the condition of the the sides and the rears and the tops. Also, some pictures without the grilles in place to see the drivers. Maybe include something familiar such as a CD jewel case for scale
• The grilles could do with a clean too

Shoot them as a pair standing on a table or some kind of support with a cloth over so that the main focus is the speakers. Get the background out of focus so that it emphasises the speakers.

Here are a few shots I did about a week ago for an Ebay listing








The easier you make it for people to understand what you're selling then the better the chance of a sale and, more importantly, the better the price too.

Mod edit. No links to items for sale please.

[Sheetmaself]

Thanks, i guess I’ve half heartedly put them on as not really bothered about selling them.

A mate was going to throw them so had them for £15 but have never used them.