Wharfedale Owners Thread

tyeeslayer

Super Member
Seems like many W series showing up around here as of late, so let's see where this goes.
At least we may be able to get put together a good info thread.


So I have a set of W60's that I replaced the foam on the mid/tweets and refinished the cabs. New grill cloth as well.
Any questions I am happy to help if I can.
Right now they are being powered with a Marantz 2015.
More info and pictures in this thread.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=534554

******IF you have a set of w60's and want to know what version they are go to #280 of this thread. GT has a very good explanation of the series.******
Thanks GT for all the great info you are supplying to this thread
 
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I can't believe I went six months without knowing there was now a British Audio forum... :bash:

Currently-own three pairs of Wharfies. W90's, 2-way W60's, and W60E's. The W90's (in my avatar) are the first-generation, dual-3-way version with alnico drivers all around. Both 12"woofers are running full-range (And the date on the first woofer I looked at was 9/63 - That's 50 years ago this month... Pretty-cool). The W60's are from the same era and have alnico drivers and the same grillcloth. And my W60E's are actually from a good 8-10 years later (Say '71-'73).

Here's a link to the photo album on my user page for the W90's: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/album.php?albumid=2395

And there's a link below in my signature for a W60's demo video.

Don't have any modern Wharfedales though...
 
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Figured I'd give this thread a bump... It needs more folks.

Cmon, Wharfie owners... Bring the noize.
public-enemy.jpg
 
******

*Sigh*

I put together a nice little system for my brother-in-law and gave him several choices on speakers.
We sat and listened to them all for a few hours... He picked the Wharfs.

So sadly I am now without any Wharfedales - but I guess this is a good time to look for another pair.
 
I have W-35's/W-45's/W-60E's/W70E's. I love them all for smooth jazz/easy listening/classical/jazz vocals. I have owned the W60E and W70E's since 1972.
(When I want to really rock out I use Cerwin Vega D-9's.)
 
I've got a couple pair of Diamonds, they count too or is this only a W owners thread :scratch2:

Dave/ChairSpud
 
Happy owner of 3 different "Wxx's"!

Okay, well, I got my W60's first. Recapped them with GE paper-in-oils, and replaced a (wrong) replacement tweeter. No sooner restored than my dear wife took them away, to play in her shop! Now they're back, and I have to give them more listening.

Next score was some early Dentons (W20's). Running those in my office, with Sherwood s-7300.

Finally, my W90's. :banana: With these, I think my (relatively brief) search for the ultimate speaker pair is over. "....cold dead hands" etc.
 
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Sorry but I have to say I wouldn't put Altec 19's anywhere near my W90's ever:)

19's would certainly stomp all over the W90's in the low-bass department and would get much-louder. However, the W90's are absolutely-perfect when it comes to the upper-bass all the way up to about 14khz. They nail that core frequency-range. The 19's apparently do as well, but the Wharfies are off the friggin' chain in terms of musicality. Probably one of the all-time most-musical, engaging speakers ever made, plus they really-shine at cruising altitude. They don't need much volume to sound great, and it doesn't take much to get them to their sweet spot (You give them a bit of volume, and those woofers fatten up, and the mids and tweeters spring to life, and that's when the magic starts happening). Perhaps you could think of it as the difference between a '63 Bentley S3 Continental and a '70 Pontiac GTO Judge (I would have used a car from 1975, but that year was a disaster in terms of American cars).

Listening to Zappa's "Watermelon In Easter Hay" at the moment (the "Joe's Garage" version). My God, these things LOVE tubes. The depth and openness of these speakers with the 800c is incredible. To have the clarity AND such raging musicality is like a dream for me. When listening to a choir or a large group of backup vocalists performing an intricate harmony, each individual voice has plenty of space around it. Pretty-amazing for a 50 year old speaker with cone-tweeters.
 
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I'm being tempted by a pair of 70 Rosedales.

I'm curious of what the consensus is on these. Will I love them.

What's better to drive them with 100+ watts of SS power or 15 watts of magnavox console pull?

Thanks

Eric
 
I'm being tempted by a pair of 70 Rosedales.

I'm curious of what the consensus is on these. Will I love them.

What's better to drive them with 100+ watts of SS power or 15 watts of magnavox console pull?

Thanks

Eric

Well, it kinda' depends on which version it is. If it's the W70D model, it'll handle a bit more power, but none of the W** models need any more than 50wpc anyway. If it's the early ones with the cone-tweeters, then you'd want to go with the 15wpc tube amp for sure. I use a 30wpc Fisher with my W90's and don't need anymore than that. Very-sensitive. The W70D's have all ceramic drivers including a different style tweeter (It's an early dome-tweeter of some kind), and they're a bit less-sensitive than the ones with the cone-tweeters and are good for another 10wpc. I should note that ALL of the W** models (including the W70D) are great with tubes. They sound best with something tube or tube-like. They feed off of that warmth.

The W70D's (if that's what they are) get great reviews. All of the W70 versions do. The W**D and W**E series have the dome-tweeters and sealed cabinets. The W70C's have a sealed cab with a ceramic woofer and an alnico mid (The tweeter is the last of the Super 3 cone-tweeter variations, all of which get great reviews). The earlier W70 and W70B versions have a ported cab and alnico mids and tweeters (The first-generation W70 has an alnico woofer and the W70B I think has a ceramic woofer).

Anyway, if you can find out which version it is (or what type of cab and what kind of drivers), that would help to best answer your question, but none of the W** variations do well with neutral-sounding gear (like Adcom for instance). With that stuff, they just kinda' sit there, lifeless. But throw something tube/tube-like at them, and they spring to life.
 
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19's would certainly stomp all over the W90's in the low-bass department and would get much-louder. However, the W90's are absolutely-perfect when it comes to the upper-bass all the way up to about 14khz. They nail that core frequency-range. The 19's apparently do as well, but the Wharfies are off the friggin' chain in terms of musicality. Probably one of the all-time most-musical, engaging speakers ever made, plus they really-shine at cruising altitude. They don't need much volume to sound great, and it doesn't take much to get them to their sweet spot (You give them a bit of volume, and those woofers fatten up, and the mids and tweeters spring to life, and that's when the magic starts happening). Perhaps you could think of it as the difference between a '63 Bentley S3 Continental and a '70 Pontiac GTO Judge (I would have used a car from 1975, but that year was a disaster in terms of American cars).

Listening to Zappa's "Watermelon In Easter Hay" at the moment (the "Joe's Garage" version). My God, these things LOVE tubes. The depth and openness of these things with the 800c is incredible. To have the clarity AND such raging musicality is like a dream for me. When listening to a choir or a large group of backup vocalists performing an intricate harmony, each individual voice has plenty of space around it. Pretty-amazing for 50 year old speaker with cone-tweeters.

Agreed GT but if I wanted to have more BASS I have other Speakers that will get the job done.Being a Bass Player running over 500-1000 Watts through double 18" Woofers when I played and now using 15" at home my W90's are a great change of pace that anyone who has never owned any will not know about,their loss!...:):thmbsp:
 
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