Mystery floor standing loudspeakers - any ideas? - Page 2 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Radio Wrangler · 11th Jun 2021, 1:50 pm

You can see the rivet holes for the brackets on the long sides of the bass driver, and the matching holes part way along the brackets So the mystery shifts to why the brackets are so much longer than necessary.

Anyway, the speakers are cobbled together from what someone had to hand. Difficult to criticise, because I did things like that when I didn't have much to do it with.

David

stevehertz · 11th Jun 2021, 1:51 pm

It's a Frankenstein build for sure.

paulsherwin · 11th Jun 2021, 2:16 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beobloke

Rigonda made all their drive units in-house and the loudspeakers that came with the Symphony radiogram were quite different to these - see below. They have a 10" bass driver, a 6" midrange and a 1.5" cone tweeter.

As an aside, they are astonishingly good speakers, albeit with somewhat limited power handling!

Thanks for that. I knew some Rigonda radiogram speakers were imported from the USSR, but I didn't realise that *all* of them were. Live and learn.

whiskas · 11th Jun 2021, 10:10 pm

Ahh yes, I see what you mean, vidjoman - well spotted!
(making previous suggestion sound rather silly now..

)

Quote:

Originally Posted by vidjoman

Look carefully and you'll see the tweeter is riveted to the brackets with through the tweeter fixing holes. These look like someone has bodged the speakers into an existing box.

ajs37 · 12th Jun 2021, 2:44 pm

Just for interest sake - there are a pair of these "Vintage 1969 Rigonda Symphony Speakers - By Radiotechnica Riga" for sale on Market place in Bristol for £149....

RDWER123 · 12th Jun 2021, 3:29 pm

Thanks all, much appreciated.

Yes, 'Frankenstein' builds makes sense, and although I can't take the front covers off, I can feel that the baffle cut-outs don't really line up with the drive units. There is possibly even a third hole, suggesting whatever the hell the 'Symphonie' cabinet was, it was meant as a three-way?

What to do with them though? Probably donate them to the Habitat Restore!

Edward Huggins · 12th Jun 2021, 4:06 pm

These still puzzle me. Apart from a bit of BAF wadding in the base, there appears to be no real damping in the cabinet which looks like a non-ported enclosure. These large EMI ellipticals were primarilly designed for use in reflex cabinets.....??
I bet these sound really "boxy".

Hartley118 · 12th Jun 2021, 11:01 pm

If they sound OK with the cabinet backs off, I’d be inclined to leave them that way rather than cramping the style of those rather good big EMI elliptical units by enclosing them in a small volume and hence pushing up their fundamental resonant frequency pretty horribly.

Martin

11th Jun 2021, 1:50 pm	#21
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,874	Re: Mystery floor standing loudspeakers - any ideas? You can see the rivet holes for the brackets on the long sides of the bass driver, and the matching holes part way along the brackets So the mystery shifts to why the brackets are so much longer than necessary. Anyway, the speakers are cobbled together from what someone had to hand. Difficult to criticise, because I did things like that when I didn't have much to do it with. David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

11th Jun 2021, 1:51 pm	#22
stevehertz Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 8,831	Re: Mystery floor standing loudspeakers - any ideas? It's a Frankenstein build for sure. __________________ A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..

12th Jun 2021, 2:44 pm	#25
ajs37 Heptode Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Bristol, UK. Posts: 900	Re: Mystery floor standing loudspeakers - any ideas? Just for interest sake - there are a pair of these "Vintage 1969 Rigonda Symphony Speakers - By Radiotechnica Riga" for sale on Market place in Bristol for £149....

12th Jun 2021, 3:29 pm	#26
RDWER123 Triode Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. Posts: 36	Re: Mystery floor standing loudspeakers - any ideas? Thanks all, much appreciated. Yes, 'Frankenstein' builds makes sense, and although I can't take the front covers off, I can feel that the baffle cut-outs don't really line up with the drive units. There is possibly even a third hole, suggesting whatever the hell the 'Symphonie' cabinet was, it was meant as a three-way? What to do with them though? Probably donate them to the Habitat Restore!

12th Jun 2021, 4:06 pm	#27
Edward Huggins Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 8,327	Re: Mystery floor standing loudspeakers - any ideas? These still puzzle me. Apart from a bit of BAF wadding in the base, there appears to be no real damping in the cabinet which looks like a non-ported enclosure. These large EMI ellipticals were primarilly designed for use in reflex cabinets.....?? I bet these sound really "boxy". __________________ Edward.

12th Jun 2021, 11:01 pm	#28
Hartley118 Nonode Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK. Posts: 2,198	Re: Mystery floor standing loudspeakers - any ideas? If they sound OK with the cabinet backs off, I’d be inclined to leave them that way rather than cramping the style of those rather good big EMI elliptical units by enclosing them in a small volume and hence pushing up their fundamental resonant frequency pretty horribly. Martin __________________ BVWS Member