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Thread: TDL Studio 3

  1. #1
    Join Date: Dec 2013

    Location: Edinburgh

    Posts: 5
    I'm Kevin.

    Default TDL Studio 3

    Looking for anyone who has knowledge of the original TDL studio 3. I have acquired a pair of what I believe to be early studio 3, all the pictures I have seen of them have a 2way binding post on the back. Mine have a single pair of banana sockets flushed into the back of the cabinets. These could possibly be an early version of the studio 3 and also looking at possibly upgrading crossover components, esp the tweeter caps as they will be old now. Any ideas or help appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: A Strangely Isolated Place in Suffolk with Far Away Trains Passing By...

    Posts: 14,535
    I'm David.

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    They weren't bad at all and were available for some years I remember. The best thing regarding upgrades is to check and/or replace all the electrolytics in the crossover if present and to leave the rest well alone for now.
    Tear down these walls; Cut the ties that held me
    Crying out at the top of my voice; Tell me now if you can hear me

  3. #3
    Join Date: Dec 2011

    Location: Far Away

    Posts: 1,396
    I'm Gone.

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    Hi Kevin,

    Very good speaker, I had a pair briefly mine had single connectors IIRC. Also had TDL Studio 1Ms those are the ones I remember being bi-wirable. Lockwood Audio are the official spares people for the older TDLs and should be ble to sort you out if you have any problems. When I checked over a mates TDL 1Ms earlier this year, all the crossover components were still perfect and there was no need to do anything to them. On my last set, I did take out the crossovers completely and made them active with a stack of 4 MF MA50X power amps and an active crossover I built myself. That was a bloody awesome sound and if I had another set of TDL transmission line I would do it again in an instant.

    Hope you enjoy them, they do need a bit of drivin g though

    Cheers

  4. #4
    Join Date: Dec 2013

    Location: Edinburgh

    Posts: 5
    I'm Kevin.

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    Thanks to Dave and Paul. Over next week or two I will open them up and check crossovers. I was considering rebuilding the crossovers with newer higher quality caps and winding aircore coils with lower gauge wire. Just need to find the values of the coils and hope the caps have their values written on them. The TDL guy who worked at Lockwood is no longer with them, phoned them last month.... Running the speakers at the moment of an early cyrus2, the one with the 4 led's on the front.

  5. #5
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: A Strangely Isolated Place in Suffolk with Far Away Trains Passing By...

    Posts: 14,535
    I'm David.

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    I doubt the power handling of the drivers could take much advantage of wholesale 'boutique' crossover mods and I believe some eq was present too in the design. My honest advice is to leave well alone unless absolutely necessary
    Tear down these walls; Cut the ties that held me
    Crying out at the top of my voice; Tell me now if you can hear me

  6. #6
    Join Date: Mar 2012

    Location: Gloucestershire

    Posts: 3,377
    I'm Paul.

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    Quote Originally Posted by DSJR View Post
    I doubt the power handling of the drivers could take much advantage of wholesale 'boutique' crossover mods and I believe some eq was present too in the design. My honest advice is to leave well alone unless absolutely necessary
    Good advice unless original electrolytics present. I have the values for the crossovers but they are generic. The only real improvements imho are from the matching of the tweeter (or even replacement of the tweeter). Some tended to be a little brightly voiced. Good speakers though and a great find.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Dec 2013

    Location: Edinburgh

    Posts: 5
    I'm Kevin.

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    They don't come up for often, saw them on ebay, drove from Edinburgh to Wrexham to collect them. I am also part way through building a pair of Lynn Olsen's Ariel speaker, 1st one is built and he is heavily in to the quality of the crossover components. I wondered just how much emphasis was put into the quality construction of the crossover for the TDL. I know my original venture into proper HiFi was mission equipment, speakers were 780 Argonaut MKII, these crossovers had the cheapest components possible. Paul if you have the values of the crossover components that would be great, once opened and all looks good and no electrolytics present then will prob be left alone. Other thing that crossed my mind from TDL pictures is that the crossover is behind the lower bass driver and how microphonic are the capacitors.... And again thanks for the contributions.

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