Goodmans Achromat Speakers

[Spur07]

Hi guys,

I found a pair of Goodmans Achromat speakers in my local charity shop this afternoon. Not sure which ones though - didn't check. I don't suppose they'd want much for them - £5-10. Are they worth a purchase? I've read they don't do bass and they don't go very loud, but the mid/treble is sweet.

Any thoughts?

[spendorman]

Wasn't Achromatic a range of speakers. I seem to remember adverts in Hi Fi news, they looked good, but I think that some models did not get glowing reports. Anyway for that price, must be a good deal. If they are not to your liking you could experiment with them. Goodmans was usually well made stuff in those days. I worked opposite their factory in Wembley many years ago. Some pics would be nice.

[Spur07]

I might go back and get them. I'll post some pics if I do.

[DSJR]

They weren't bad (mid seventies) but the treble used to take off and this may upset neutral sources, while favouring dull LP pickups..

For the price, worth a punt. The larger Acromat 400's were rather pleasant in the bass and mid as I recall..

[Rare Bird]

They weren't bad (mid seventies) but the treble used to take off and this may upset neutral sources, while favouring dull LP pickups..

For the price, worth a punt. The larger Acromat 400's were rather pleasant in the bass and mid as I recall..

Around the time Castle Acoustics were formed yes they were good that time '73ish ;)

[Spur07]

Just got them for £10 . They're Achromat Kappas. Not bad condition - encased in retro brown leather! I quite like the look actually, they're growing on me very rapidly. We used to have a sofa made out of this stuff when I was a kid in the 70's. Extremely solid with no hard egdes - all rounded. The bass drivers differ in colour for some reason between the two speakers. Connected them up to my 72/250 and everything is working - sound good tbh, very 'round earth' I suppose. Quite a change from my Royd Abbots. I can't really judge them or crank it up as I have no speakers stands at the moment, and they're quite large and sitting on a fake wooden floor. Can anybody recommend a temporary solution for replacement speaker stands?

I'll post some pics when I can.

[DSJR]

These are later than the ones I remember. Glad you like them...

[monkfish]

Hi
I had a pair on loan recently, they were Beta's, smaller than yours, lovely sound and easy to drive.
Regards
Jim

[Spur07]

Wasn't Achromatic a range of speakers. I seem to remember adverts in Hi Fi news, they looked good, but I think that some models did not get glowing reports. Anyway for that price, must be a good deal. If they are not to your liking you could experiment with them. Goodmans was usually well made stuff in those days. I worked opposite their factory in Wembley many years ago. Some pics would be nice.

Here's some pics, apologies for the delay. Not sure why the bass drivers appear different, one is clouded. The centre cones are slightly rough and crystalized.

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/spur07/_MG_0006.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/spur07/_MG_0004.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/spur07/_MG_0007.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/spur07/_MG_0008.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/spur07/_MG_0009.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/spur07/_MG_0010.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/spur07/_MG_0011.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/spur07/_MG_0012.jpg

[spendorman]

They look very nice, possibly had a replacement bass unit and although looking different may well be the correct type. They look like they may be Polypropylene bass units.

A brilliant find.

[Spur07]

They look very nice, possibly had a replacement bass unit and although looking different may well be the correct type. They look like they may be Polypropylene bass units.

A brilliant find.

Are Polypropylene bass units good?

I've had lots of fun with these, a great find indeed. But I'm thinking I might pass them on and let someone else have a go.

[spendorman]

I would not rush to pass them on, have you compared to other speakers? You may find that they compare very well.

As for Polypropylene, good and bad just like any other materials used, paper, fibreglass bextrene, etc. etc.

However, I would suspect that Goodmans units are nice sounding.

I like the Spendor SP1, I believe that it uses Poly prop bass units, so does my Rogers LS7.

[Spur07]

As Monkfish says, they're very listenable - lovely mid/treble. I've only compared them to my Royd Abbots (early 90's). The Abbots are more detailed with considerably greater imaging and clarity. They also have slightly better soundstage, but the Kappas aren't far off in a different way, especially if you crank up the volume. They're quite boxed in when played at low volume. The bass on the Kappas go lower than the Abbots, probably because they're pushing more air, but it's not as tight. I suspect the Kappas would improve greatly in a larger room where they could be tweaked away from the wall/corners. The treble is where they excel over the Royds, it's much sweater but obviously rolled off.

I've considered keeping them longer, they're obviously a class act, especially for those who like a more rounded sound.

Do you think the crossovers will need a bit of work after all this time? - manufactured 1978-1982.

[spendorman]

Some extra damping inside may immprove them. If you have some loft insulation, that will do. Observe and handling recommentations for the material though.

Have a look to see what type of capacitors used. If reversible electrolytics, perhaps they should be replaced. If unsure of the type, post a pic and most likely the type can be identified.

[DSJR]

Hope you haven't been at your SP1 crossovers Spendorman, as the caps don't age unlike electrolytics and were selected for tolerance to very tight limits for the drive units used - tighter than any boutique caps...

Polypropylene can give a very smooth and "liquid" quality to the midrange and it doesn't "quack" like bextrene cones can, unless the latter is doped heavily as the previous BC1 and BC2 drivers were. Apparently though, the cone can self-absorb a little too much, so very subtle details and reverb etc can be a little muted when using this cone material. I seem to remember that Spendor also lightly doped the SP1 driver, so this may not be a problem (I love the SP1 as a breed in various incarnations).

If the Goodmans boxes are hollow and resonant, try adding some sound deadening sheets for car-doors to the inside panels as well as the wadding. The glue used to stick the stuff can be very "addictive" so make sure you're well ventilated and use two layers per panel.

[spendorman]

Hope you haven't been at your SP1 crossovers Spendorman, as the caps don't age unlike electrolytics and were selected for tolerance to very tight limits for the drive units used - tighter than any boutique caps...

Polypropylene can give a very smooth and "liquid" quality to the midrange and it doesn't "quack" like bextrene cones can, unless the latter is doped heavily as the previous BC1 and BC2 drivers were. Apparently though, the cone can self-absorb a little too much, so very subtle details and reverb etc can be a little muted when using this cone material. I seem to remember that Spendor also lightly doped the SP1 driver, so this may not be a problem (I love the SP1 as a breed in various incarnations).

If the Goodmans boxes are hollow and resonant, try adding some sound deadening sheets for car-doors to the inside panels as well as the wadding. The glue used to stick the stuff can be very "addictive" so make sure you're well ventilated and use two layers per panel.

No, not touched the caps in Spendor SP1, BC1, BC2, but the Elcaps in my Spendor Preludes probably need replacing.

[DSJR]

I think the Prelude had some cost cutting done here and there, although I remember they sounded a touch better than the more expensively made SA2 upon which they're based. At the very least the Preludes will be a source of replacement BC2 drive-units as mine came from SA2's.........:) That may explain the slightly better bass I'm getting as the later SA2 driver had revised damping......

[spendorman]

I think the Prelude had some cost cutting done here and there, although I remember they sounded a touch better than the more expensively made SA2 upon which they're based. At the very least the Preludes will be a source of replacement BC2 drive-units as mine came from SA2's.........:) That may explain the slightly better bass I'm getting as the later SA2 driver had revised damping......

My BC2's are early ones with the white surrounds (not too bad, but must have shrunk slightly). I have been thinking for a long time of trying the Prelude bass units in them.

[DSJR]

Terry Miles can re-furb BC1 drivers with white surrounds, but my Bc2 drivers which also had the wite surrounds needed fully re-building and the tooling no longer exists for this. if the mechanics of the driver are working ok, Terry may be able to re-surround them to great effect.

The Prelude and SA2 had the later driver (used as a mid driver in the Bc3), which the BBC also used as a replacement in one of their lesser known (domestically) models. I also bouht some port tubes from Maplin, the smallest one fits the port hole easily and improves the bass further IMO.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/DSJR_photos/DSCF0363.jpg

I still can't be a*sed to re-wire the Bc2's as they sound so good as they are. I have new sockets/posts and the wire already to go and will probably do this at some point.

[spendorman]

I can see that those are early BC2's by the old type crossover. The best port mod is the large diameter foam lined one as used in very late BC1's (I have a pair of these). I thought that the SA2 used a bass/ mid smaller than 8", but I have never owned or seen them.

I also thought that the BC3 used a special short voice coil 8" unit for the mid.

[Rare Bird]

They look very nice, possibly had a replacement bass unit and although looking different may well be the correct type. They look like they may be Polypropylene bass units.

A brilliant find.

Just thinking how old they are because i'm 99% positive Mission were the first to employ Polyprop units in a design.

[Martyn Miles]

To continue this thread, I saw a pair of Goodmans Achomat 100s in a local shop.
The roll surrounds are damaged.
Looking closely, the bass/mid. chassis looks very much like that of a Kef B200/SP1014.
The cone looks like Bextrene, but I don't really know.
The dustcap is slightly larger in dia. than that fitted to the B200.
The tweeter is probably about 1.5" in dia. Looks like the SEAS one used on some Dynaco speakers, but I really don't think Goodmans would have used a really high quality tweeter like that.
The cabinets are what appears to be veneered chipboard, and when knocked don't have that lovely dull 'thud' of a high quality plywood cabinet.
They look to me like an attempt by Goodmans to compete in the bookshelf loudspeaker market, competing against established names like Kef and Celestion.
I can recall when Goodmans were held in high esteem in the audio world...
M Miles.

[walpurgis]

The cone on the Achromat 100 is I'm sure a doped Bextrene (Polystyrene) item and you are right about the tweeter being the 1 1/2" SEAS dome. Goodmans bought these in huge quantities, as they employed them in several different speaker models (along with the ghastly hard clear dome Phillips tweeters).

[Martyn Miles]

The cone on the Achromat 100 is I'm sure a doped Bextrene (Polystyrene) item and you are right about the tweeter being the 1 1/2" SEAS dome. Goodmans bought these in huge quantities, as they employed them in several different speaker models (along with the ghastly hard clear dome Phillips tweeters).

I am wondering if to buy them. If I could get them for say, £10/£12 and repair them they could make an interesting project. Depends how much it would cost to fit new roll surrounds.
Possibly something I could do...

Your knowledge re. Goodmans and their use of bought-in tweeters is interesting, as I have now found some images.
They are on Dutch Discussion Forum.
From the legend on the tweeter it looks like a genuine Goodmans model, not a cheap Philips unit.
It's rather sad how Goodmans went downhill, especially after the superb drive units they made in the '60s.
The appeared to have have joined the, 'Buy in drivers, put them in a box and sell them' brigade.
No real input from Goodmans engineers themselves.
A bit like a lot of British industry over the years...

[Martyn Miles]

It looks as if it is going to cost about £25/£30 per drive unit to have new roll surrounds fitted, so if I can do them myself then I will buy these speakers.
That SEAS tweeter is an excellent one.( I was 'taken in' by the Goodmans legend on it)
Also, I suspect the bass/mid. driver is a reasonable unit, too.
After some research it appears to be a Dalesford unit. They also made a driver which looked almost identical to a Kef B110 .
( Did the same company press the driver baskets for Dalesford and Kef ?)


M Miles.

[walpurgis]

I wouldn't get too excited about those Martyn.

In my opinion, the Achromat series were made after Goodmans best period and were a not very successful 'catch up' product where Goodmans were struggling to compete with the like of KEF and B&W who were advancing the domestic market with what were then high-tech new products.

I wasn't desperately impressed with any of the Achromat speakers I've heard. I've not heard that particular model though. The SEAS tweeter is OK, but not that revealing, I've had loads of them.

I'd say, if they take your fancy get them. But don't spend a lot of money on them. They are not worth it and you may be disappointed.

[Beobloke]

I shall finally be digging my my Achromat 400s out of the garage this weekend for some speaker fun whilst Mrs. B is away - I've had them over a year but haven't unboxed them yet! :doh:

As an aside, the 100, 250 and 400 were the later Achromat series and the earlier line consisted of the Beta, Kappa and Sigma models. It is interesting to read some of the above comments as I've been a Goodmans fan for years but have found in the past that many of their models come under the heading of 'good but not exceptional'. However, I had a pair of Achromat Sigmas, and was hugely impressed by them. Their treble could have been a touch smoother but they had a big, relaxed gait and soundstage that I found very appealing.

Sometimes I still wonder why I sold them... :rolleyes:

[spendorman]

It looks as if it is going to cost about £25/£30 per drive unit to have new roll surrounds fitted, so if I can do them myself then I will buy these speakers.
That SEAS tweeter is an excellent one.( I was 'taken in' by the Goodmans legend on it)
Also, I suspect the bass/mid. driver is a reasonable unit, too.
After some research it appears to be a Dalesford unit. They also made a driver which looked almost identical to a Kef B110 .
( Did the same company press the driver baskets for Dalesford and Kef ?)


M Miles.

The Dalesford chassis do look similar to KEF ones, but they are not the same. In my view the Dalesford 8" Bextrene coned units (large and small magnet), are better units than the KEF B200. In fact Rogers used a version of them in the Export Monitor.

[walpurgis]

The Dalesford chassis do look similar to KEF ones, but they are not the same. In my view the Dalesford 8" Bextrene coned units (large and small magnet), are better units than the KEF B200. In fact Rogers used a version of them in the Export Monitor.

They made a rather nice ten inch version too (it did 'quack' a bit in the mid though).

[spendorman]

They made a rather nice ten inch version too (it did 'quack' a bit in the mid though).

Yes, my friend in Sheffield, that had the Fanes from you, which I never really thanked you properly for, has recently built speakers using the Dalesford 10" Bextrene bass unit, Audax soft dome mid and Peerless soft dome tweeter. He is impressed with them.

Incidentally, he has put the Fanes into Ditton 44 speakers, replacing the Celestion 12", he reckons that it's an improvement.

[Martyn Miles]

I wouldn't get too excited about those Martyn.

In my opinion, the Achromat series were made after Goodmans best period and were a not very successful 'catch up' product where Goodmans were struggling to compete with the like of KEF and B&W who were advancing the domestic market with what were then high-tech new products.

I wasn't desperately impressed with any of the Achromat speakers I've heard. I've not heard that particular model though. The SEAS tweeter is OK, but not that revealing, I've had loads of them.

I'd say, if they take your fancy get them. But don't spend a lot of money on them. They are not worth it and you may be disappointed.

Thank you.
On reflection, and your advice, I think it best to give them a miss.
Wouldn't mind those SEAS tweeters, though, as I have a pair of Dynaco a25s .
A spare tweeter is always useful...
Ah, the A25, now THAT is an interesting speaker.
I inherited a pair.
No 'stuffing' in the vents and the tweeter level controls missing.
My amplifier and loudspeaker designer friend helped and we now have a 5uf cap. in series with the + side of the SEAS tweeter and a 10 ohm resistor in the - side.
The vent was filled with the appropriate glass fibre and after some experimentation and adjustment that well-known A25 bass response is back.
Running them, I notice how they can surprise you with some aspect of a recording you hadn't previously noticed.
No Spendor or Harbeth, but they do get the music over to you.

M. Miles.

[spendorman]

Thank you.
On reflection, and your advice, I think it best to give them a miss.
Wouldn't mind those SEAS tweeters, though...
M. Miles.

If the bass units are Dalesford 8", they will make a very good replacement for the BC1 bass unit.

[Beobloke]

Thank you.
On reflection, and your advice, I think it best to give them a miss.

You could always buy them and sell them onto someone else to go with his Achromat 400s... :eyebrows:

[walpurgis]

I shall finally be digging my my Achromat 400s out of the garage this weekend for some speaker fun whilst Mrs. B is away - I've had them over a year but haven't unboxed them yet! :doh:

Of the Achromats, the 400 is the only one I'd entertain. It's a decent enough speaker, but the Goodmans DT3 tweeter is not the cleanest around at the top end. It can 'sizzle' a bit (yes I've used loads of them too). Perhaps a notch filter dropping output a few db at around 12kHz or so might smooth things.

I believe the tweeter may have been superseded in later 400s.

What was the dome midrange? Was it an Isophon? I can't recall.

[Martyn Miles]

I was thinking about this Achromat range and recall Martin Colloms testing a pair in Hi Fi News. I think it was in the 1970s sometime.
The work achromatic means 'without colour.' As speaker designers and reviewers were talking about coloration in speakers at that time, you can see where Goodmans got the idea from.
Quite clever, really...

Some may recall the strange Goodmans Dimension 8, and some of their other odd shaped models.
They had Goodmans drivers, but nothing like those superb Axiom and Axiette drivers.
Was it the beginning of the end for Goodmans?

[spendorman]

I was thinking about this Achromat range and recall Martin Colloms testing a pair in Hi Fi News. I think it was in the 1970s sometime.
The work achromatic means 'without colour.' As speaker designers and reviewers were talking about coloration in speakers at that time, you can see where Goodmans got the idea from.
Quite clever, really...

Some may recall the strange Goodmans Dimension 8, and some of their other odd shaped models.
They had Goodmans drivers, but nothing like those superb Axiom and Axiette drivers.
Was it the beginning of the end for Goodmans?

I still have a pair of Axiette drivers, yes good, but not that good that I use them in preference to other stuff.

[Beobloke]

Was it the beginning of the end for Goodmans?

Well, as this was the 1970s and they made hi-fi loudspeakers until 1998 and didn't actually close until 2005, I'm thinking possibly not!

The problem was I left in 2003 - they clearly couldn't survive this epic loss... :D

[Reffc]

Well, as this was the 1970s and they made hi-fi loudspeakers until 1998 and didn't actually close until 2005, I'm thinking possibly not!

The problem was I left in 2003 - they clearly couldn't survive this epic loss... :D

...took the words right out of my mouth Adam! :D

(can I have my fiver now?)

[Martyn Miles]

Well, as this was the 1970s and they made hi-fi loudspeakers until 1998 and didn't actually close until 2005, I'm thinking possibly not!

The problem was I left in 2003 - they clearly couldn't survive this epic loss... :D

Yes, you're correct.
Didn't they get taken over, or absorbed, by a bigger manufacturer and used bought in drivers ?
Of course, they made the LS3/5a
Well, they screwed them together...
(Falcon Acoustics made the crossovers for the Goodmans LS3/5a )
Didn't Goodmans make a small speaker with a Tannoy type dual concentric driver ? It was probably 'badge engineering'. Shades of British Leyland...

[walpurgis]

Didn't Goodmans make a small speaker with a Tannoy type dual concentric driver ? It was probably 'badge engineering'. Shades of British Leyland...

Would you be thinking of the GLL Imagio range with the ICT drivers?

[Beobloke]

Yes, you're correct.
Didn't they get taken over, or absorbed, by a bigger manufacturer and used bought in drivers ?
Of course, they made the LS3/5a
Well, they screwed them together...
(Falcon Acoustics made the crossovers for the Goodmans LS3/5a )
Didn't Goodmans make a small speaker with a Tannoy type dual concentric driver ? It was probably 'badge engineering'. Shades of British Leyland...

No, what actually happened was that they were part of the Thorn EMI group and I believe they went bust in the late 1980s. One of the directors then cleared off with the rights to the name and this became Goodmans Industries, still going and now part of the Harvard international Group. He also took the rights to the 'Goodmans' logo and this is still the name you see stuck on Far Eastern tat sold in your local Argos/Tesco etc.

The loudspeaker manufacturing side of the business was bought out by the management team and re-born as Goodmans Loudspeakers Limited or GLL. This continued the supply of OEM car drive units to the likes of Rover, Ford, Volkswagen etc and also continued with the hi-fi loudspeakers. This included the re-launched Maxim 3 in the 1990s, plus its bigger brothers, the Mezzo and Melody. GLL also then developed the Imagio range of ICT-equipped loudspeakers, after buying the ICT rights from inventor Elei Boaz, as well as implementing these in various cars, television sets and Tannoy compact loudspeakers. They also made some larger versions for Martin Audio P.A. loudspeakers as, by this time, GLL were part of TGI Plc (Tannoy Goodmans Industries) and included Tannoy, Morduant Short, Epos, Martin Audio and Lab Gruppen amplifiers - they were actually Europe's largest loudspeaker manufacturing group at this point.

Of course, it didn't last - Epos was sold back to Creek, Mordaunt Short to Audio Partnership and TGI Plc was eventually bought by TCI Group of Denmark. As mentioned, Goodmans pulled out of hi-fi loudspeaker manufacturing in 1998 as the OEM car supply had been their mainstay for quite a while. They finally closed in 2005 - a very sad day for Britain's oldest loudspeaker manufacturer.

As to the bought-in drive units, I am only aware of them doing this for the BBC LS3/5A. To the best of my knowledge, everything else throughout their existence was made in-house.

[walpurgis]

As to the bought-in drive units, I am only aware of them doing this for the BBC LS3/5A. To the best of my knowledge, everything else throughout their existence was made in-house.

Not sure that's right Adam.

The SL variants (Magnum etc.) used a Phillips tweeter and the original Mezzo and (amongst other models I believe) used a 1.5" SEAS dome. I believe the dome mids in your Achromat 400s may be a German product.

[struth]

Used to have a big set of Goodmans speaks in the late 60's/early 70's.....cannot remember the model but they were rather good, and quite desirable in my age group at the time. was using a rotel amp at the time and the sound at the time appeared to me to be stonkingly good, although it may just have been youthful thinking :eyebrows:

[Martyn Miles]

Would you be thinking of the GLL Imagio range with the ICT drivers?

Yes, that's the model.
I recall glimpsing at a Hi Fi comic ( sorry, magazine ) and seeing a review for it. Wasn't it a reasonable review?
I remember thinking ' this isn't really a Goodmans speaker', or something along those lines.
M Miles

[Martyn Miles]

No, what actually happened was that they were part of the Thorn EMI group and I believe they went bust in the late 1980s. One of the directors then cleared off with the rights to the name and this became Goodmans Industries, still going and now part of the Harvard international Group. He also took the rights to the 'Goodmans' logo and this is still the name you see stuck on Far Eastern tat sold in your local Argos/Tesco etc.

The loudspeaker manufacturing side of the business was bought out by the management team and re-born as Goodmans Loudspeakers Limited or GLL. This continued the supply of OEM car drive units to the likes of Rover, Ford, Volkswagen etc and also continued with the hi-fi loudspeakers. This included the re-launched Maxim 3 in the 1990s, plus its bigger brothers, the Mezzo and Melody. GLL also then developed the Imagio range of ICT-equipped loudspeakers, after buying the ICT rights from inventor Elei Boaz, as well as implementing these in various cars, television sets and Tannoy compact loudspeakers. They also made some larger versions for Martin Audio P.A. loudspeakers as, by this time, GLL were part of TGI Plc (Tannoy Goodmans Industries) and included Tannoy, Morduant Short, Epos, Martin Audio and Lab Gruppen amplifiers - they were actually Europe's largest loudspeaker manufacturing group at this point.

Of course, it didn't last - Epos was sold back to Creek, Mordaunt Short to Audio Partnership and TGI Plc was eventually bought by TCI Group of Denmark. As mentioned, Goodmans pulled out of hi-fi loudspeaker manufacturing in 1998 as the OEM car supply had been their mainstay for quite a while. They finally closed in 2005 - a very sad day for Britain's oldest loudspeaker manufacturer.

As to the bought-in drive units, I am only aware of them doing this for the BBC LS3/5A. To the best of my knowledge, everything else throughout their existence was made in-house.

I stand corrected...
M Miles.

[Beobloke]

Just unpacked the Achromat 400s to find both bass driver surrounds mostly unstuck and both midrange domes absent and replaced with some cone drivers.

Add to this the hall is now covered with those bloody polystyrene packing chip things and I can feel a sense of humour failure coming on...

:steam:

[Barry]

Yet another fine UK audio manufacturer gone the way of so many others: Wharfedale, Rogers, Leak, Armstrong, Quad, ....

Goodmans made some fine speakers in their day; when I was starting out, I had a look at the little Goodmans 'Maxim' as that would have been convenient to use whilst at university. Another Goodmans design that interested me was the 'Magnum K'. In the end I built a pair of distributed-port speakers following a Wharfedale design using their RS8DD chassis. Goodmans of course supplied driver chassis units, which were often of better construction than the equivalent Wharfedale designs (more solid baskets, and possibly larger flux magnets). If I could go back in time I would love to try using some of those Goodmans's designs.

[Xapito]

Just unpacked the Achromat 400s to find both bass driver surrounds mostly unstuck and both midrange domes absent and replaced with some cone drivers.

Add to this the hall is now covered with those bloody polystyrene packing chip things and I can feel a sense of humour failure coming on...

:steam:

Oh dear :doh:...

[walpurgis]

Just unpacked the Achromat 400s to find both bass driver surrounds mostly unstuck and both midrange domes absent and replaced with some cone drivers.

Add to this the hall is now covered with those bloody polystyrene packing chip things and I can feel a sense of humour failure coming on...

:steam:

I'm pretty sure I saw some 400 mids and bass units on eBay yesterday.

[Martyn Miles]

Back to these Achromat 100s, I am going to buy them and replace the roll surrounds.
The correct ones can be purchased from the USA for about $23.
As I build and repair speakers, I know a customer these could well suit.
We all know that speakers are system related. For instance, the Dynaco A25s I have work very well with an Audiolab 8000A but on my system with a Quad amplifier things just don't sound correct.
A bit like my LS3/5as are superb with the Quad. The Audiolab/LS3/5a combination doesn't work for me.
M Miles.