Walsh 2's

[donberry 44]

is it worth it ? well, I guess it is all pretty subjective.i used to be a "collector" when i got back into audio, buying everything I could get my hands on. After I found the sound I was looking for, i started dumping all of my extraneous stuff, just keeping a system for both my garages, a bedroom and my main system. Then, instead of collecting "new" gear, I started restoring what I had. As it is all vintage gear, just changing out the electrolytics made a huge difference to my ears, but after researching what to do with my magnepans, i started playing around with more expensive film caps. unless it is in the signal path, I pretty much just use them for my speaker crossovers as I have not yet educated myself on electronic crossovers (baby steps).. Sometimes there is a dramatic difference, usually it is a more subtle difference. Seems most of the time it is dramatic, it is for the worse (boomy bass etc). But, since I have started restoring/upgrading, to me, my system has been inching closer and closer to the sound I am looking for.

i always thought I had decent gear, but I never got that "I am there" feeling that many talk about. I tried to convince myself it did sound that way, but while sounding good (to me), it just always seemed lacking.I would read what others were saying about their system and i just felt mine did not reproduce sound that way.But I have found that since i quit buying every good deal that came along and started using that money to restore/upgrade, I find myself getting ever so closer to that sound and actually, I believe i am almost there. Now it is just a matter of fine tuning.

So, is it worth it, depends on what you are looking for. I would imagine that if i walked into a good hifi shop and listened to the best gear they had at say $10k and $20k, there probably would not be a huge dramatic difference between the 2, just more subtle nuances - that is what i feel I get by upgrading. Although, on the magnepans, although they are torn back down while i finish the wood frames, it made a pretty big difference. Upgrade cost me about $250.00, i paid $200.00 for the speakers themselves (MGIIc's that just needed some new adhesive) and i personally would put them up against any speaker i have ever heard. I know they make better and they are not for everyone, but for me - was worth every penny as when they are hooked up, i an see Brandi carlile, Gillian, Newton Faulkner etc sitting in my room giving me a private concert (I am on a folk kick at the moment) or I can crank it and see Jimmy Paige playing that solo just for me.

As for the HPM-150 - I have about $150 or so in those caps (no inductors yet as it has 3 per speaker) and while subtle, I believe them to be much more accurate, better clarity etc. While they do not have the imaging of the magnepans, I would stack them up against most every other box speaker i have heard - but again, what I like, you may not.

Sorry so long just to say imo, was worth every penny. i would rather spend my time and money restoring now as I believe i now have the gear to get me where i ant to go - if they are keepers, I spen the money on them

[ggans2 0]

Thanks for that post, I am restoring my gear for the first time. It's twenty five years old now. I am very nervous about my speakers, there on there way back now. I hope they sound good. I am so used to the 360 thing I don't know if I would be happy with anything else. 

I want to recap my amps also. It's been at least five or more years since I used my system. I started to get into it again and realized it was not sounding right. I learned I  had a few things to take care of first were the speakers from two pair I went from 4 drivers to 3 to 2 and two weeks ago one. So I am hopeing to save them by reconing .

Then I found this site and a few others and realized My old system was quite valuable and it was time to give it some TLC. I also learned much about carver gear , recapping, mods,ect  and now I have a bad case of OCCD ! And it's the fault of everyone here...

 

I am waiting for two M200t's to show up, they will be for the HT but first they will be my trial run of recapping. If it goes well I want to do my twin M400t's.

I am learning a hell of a lot thanks to you guys and one day hope to really know how to work on these things. I have been looking at scopes on ebay, not that I would know what to buy, I'm an RF guy, kinda..

BTW that woman wrote back about finding me some 750uf 50v caps and said:

 

I am going to give you a company that I think has your parts
They are a distributor as me yet they can be pricy so try your best to
Hold them down and don't act too eager with them for I would do it for you
but by the time I bring them in and out and charge a mark up I don't think
You'd want to pay the price I'd have to charge
They are in Vermont and the Company name is Basic E parts and ask for sales
dept.   # 1-802-425-5800   ok.....

I hope this helps you and let me know if they help you too.

linda

 

Wow , She was something else last night, when I told these caps did not  exist she took that on as a challenge !

 

 Oh well enough for now..