[Watson]

If you like the sound of your current speakers (and it sounds like you do! ), I'd stick with them, just get the one that crackles repaired.  Finding a pair of speakers you enjoy is the hardest part of this hobby, since they vary in sound more than any other component.

You might not even need to replace the tweeter.  It sounds like it could just be a leaky cap on the crossover that needs replacing.  That wouldn't be an expensive repair.  If you replaced the (presumably) electrolytic cap with a better quality cap, you'd even improve the sound of the speakers in the process.

About your receiver:  it looks like a good unit.  Many of those vintage solid state units do sound good, even though 15 watts/channel is very low for a solid state amp.  The one thing you should check, however, is whether it has developed DC offset over time.  You can check this with a meter.  It's possible that DC offset over time was what damaged your speaker.  I'd check it just to be careful.

Your turntable is a good unit.  I think it's the last thing I'd upgrade.

If you like the speakers, upgrading your amp is probably the most logical next move for you.  There are so many great possible directions (a vintage NAD integrated with more power?  a new JVC or Panasonic digital receiver?  something with tubes?) that it's really up to you.

If you don't like the speakers, of course, I'd suggest you upgrade those first.

[Aman]

Well, I love my speakers. It's just that one little crackle that just puts me off from it sometimes.

I guess I should call Ohm and see if I could repair it myself.

Thanks for the insightful advice! You laid it out quite easily for me! Would you suggest I send it to an expert, and get it fixed for an hourly rate, or is this most likely something that is better done with my own hands?

Thanks again!
-Andrew

[Watson]

You can replace the caps easily yourself.  Speaker crossover parts are big and easy to work with, even for a novice solderer.  The only "gotcha" is if the part values aren't marked.  In that case you'd want to measure the existing parts with a meter that can handle capacitance, or ask the guys at Ohm what values to use.  The caps are the only internal parts that can fail (electrolytics are in fact guaranteed to fail over time).  Sandcast resistors and coils never fail unless wildly overdriven.

If it's the tweeters instead that need replacing, they'd have to be ordered from Ohm anyway, but you could install them yourself.  So it's probably not necessary or that useful really to pay someone an hourly rate for repairs.

[Bemopti123]

Maxwalrath wrote:

huh? spl's doesn't equal quality

Power corrupts.  Aman, borrow someone else's newer, higher powered unit to run your speakers.  Make sure it is a brand that have some solid specs such as those that you are thinking about purchasing then run your speakers with the same sources.  You will be surprised.  Unless you have heard better, there is no way of knowing whether what you have is enough or just barely sufficient.

The problem that I see here is that you have some money that you can spend in upgrades, and yet, there are so many ways you can go, therefore you are looking at all the possibilities.  Some worth pursuying more than others.  

Amplification, is what I see is a major compromise.  You might have very fine speakers, but how do we know unless you have run them properly with better equipment.  The analogy might be that you are a Ferrari with a underpowered volkswagen engine.  It runs fine, it looks good, but it ain't no true Ferrari unless you got the balls, the power.

Of course, the source could be considered the Radio....the last thing to upgrade.

[Aman]

Some very wise advice!!

I think that what I am going to do is just play it safe and send it to my stereo repair shop. I know the owners very well, and they charge about 15 dollars an hour. Sure, it's expensive, but if he can do everything to my Model E's (including adding the extra drivers and such) then it seems worth it just to have somebody else do the whole restoration process for me. Unless I can get the guys at Ohm to do it themselves...

I build a lot of computers, though I haven't soldered one thing in my life. I also don't even have an entry-level understanding of electronics. I think it may be better to have a guy who knows what he's doing perform these tasks.

Check out all of the things I can do to the speakers!
http://ohmspeakers.com/store_item_detail.cfm?item_ID=14&cart_ID=84957492193

[Bemopti123]

Wow, it is great that Ohm still provides service to their older models at a decent cost.  Wish it was the same with other mass marketed brands such as Jbl and Infinity.  A rebuilt does not seem to be tough, just need enough money.  Not too expensive though.  The speakers you have are not nearly as power hungry as the Walsh series that people are refering to.  Nevertheless, do try more power.  I am sure you will like what you will hear.  

Paul

[maxwalrath]

The first amp I bought was a little Jolida 301 integrated. They can be found every now and then for about $250, and they retailed for $325. That shows they maintain their resale value amazingly well.

If you can find one used I'd recommend it, and if it doesn't float your boat you can resell it and not be out any more than $40 for shipping and maybe a slight loss.

...Just a thought if you want to keep your current speakers and want to try something new.

[Aman]

I am thinking about trying out tubes. It may be a nice change in feel, though I will also ask the guys at Ohm to ask what they may recommend for that particular speaker. It says 10-60 watts recommended, which seems like a great range for things like the Jolida 502b and the Onix tube amp.

And... were the Ohms really mass-manufactured? My mother had to travel almost two hours from where she lived to buy them And she lived in Cape Cod at the time...

[maxwalrath]

While the speakers may be great, if they really told you not to upgrade your amp because it plays loud enough, I wouldn't listen to a word they say.

Try the 301 hybrid if unsure about a jolida or tubes....

[Watson]

I agree with what's been said... Ohm deserves praise for supporting their older speakers this well!  Wish every manufacturer was like this.

[Aman]

I just talked to the guy at Ohm who has informed me that for 50 dollars plus the cost of parts, they will completely restore my speakers and even upgrade them by putting on another tweeter, which they say dramatically increases the soundstage.

What do you guys think of that?

Thanks guys!
-Andrew

[JLM]

Go for it!!

[Bemopti123]

Dang, that is almost nothing.  A no brainer.  After this, do try the better amp suggestions, although I sort feel a little hesitant about Jolida.  A good, well designed SS power amplifier will do.

PS:  I have had terrible experiences with the shoddy quality of Jolida gear in the later 1990s.

[Watson]

Agreed... you should go for it.  At that price it's almost a gift.

The only thing you might want to think about is whether you want the extra tweeter.  That might change the voicing of the speaker.  It'll probably be an improvement, but if you're satisfied now, you could always stick with what you have too.  Either way is probably good though.

[maxwalrath]

that sounds like a great deal. for that little money you can update the speakers and think about the amp later.


back in my more prosperous days (before I got this damn mortgage (oh wait...huge equity jump   )) I would scope out A-gon for good deals and buy a piece of gear to compare to my current rig, then sell the loser at a minimal loss so long as I did my homework and got a good deal.

With the speaker upgrade being so affordable you might be able to try this for a while with an amp....

[Aman]

Yeah, I'm really excited about this! I am going to call Ohm on monday and finalize the deal.

I think it's fabulous that Ohm is so dedicated to their older models. I was on the phone with the guy who hand-built and engineered the speakers when they were originally manufactured! How's that for awesome?!

He told me that they could bring it to a condition of BETTER than original, I suppose meaning that the driver upgrades and 2nd tweeter would bring better sound quality than originally possible.

In regards to the additional tweeter -- to my knowledge, it should probably take less stress off of the other two drivers. Am I correct with this assumption? I think this sounds like a great idea. Sometimes, when I am listening to an LP with instrumentation that goes up and down scales (particularly with bass lines and synth work) I can hear the placement of the image go up and down, around in circles -- I am assuming that the crossover is doing this because it has to go between the tweeter and the mid-bass woofer. Would a mid tweeter, then, on paper, make the imaging and soundstage more accurate and wide, with less of the "instruments traveling in circles" problem?

Thanks again for all of the advice guys! This forum rules!
-Andrew