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Thread: Refoaming and lacquering vintage Heybrook HB3 speakers

  1. #1
    Join Date: Jun 2012

    Location: Forster, NSW, Australia

    Posts: 278
    I'm Hal.

    Default Refoaming and lacquering vintage Heybrook HB3 speakers

    Ive owned a pair of black HB3s since about 1983 after falling in love with them at the Sydney HiFi show. They hadn't been used for about ten years and, with a downsizing move getting closer, I thought it was time to see if they still worked and sell them. Pulled them out of storage and straight off noticed that the foam surround on one midrange driver particulary was rotted, bit nervously i connected them up and gently started playing Neil Diamond thru them.
    I was utterly shocked at what followed, bunged down on the floor with only a few magazines to prop up the fronts, they sounded a touch boomy (as you'd expect being on the floor instead of on their stands, which are out in the shed) but rapidly came on song in a fashion I couldn't believe. Clear and articulate, effortlessly musical, they were utterly sublime. I asked my wife to come out and listen, not quite believing what I was hearing, and she was equally stunned that they sounded so good, easily matching the World Audio Design WD25Ts that I built several years back in most respects but utterly trouncing them in effortless musicality.
    Should point out my pair were extensively upgraded in the early 90s with a Plessy Leaf tweeter replacing the dome HF unit, the crossover was split to allow biwiring, the internal cabling thrown away and something exotic, can't remember which, put in instead plus a few other tweaks. I've never played them through my Jungson 88D amp and it must be a match made in heaven.
    My question is, how easy is it to replace the foam surrounds on the SEAS MCA 11FC midrange units, and what type of lacquer or similar can I use to freshen up the black veneer wrap which is showing all of its thirty something years. Other cosmetic details I can fix, but help on these would be appreciated

    Hal55
    Without music, powerboat racing, photography and a whole stack of other stuff that floats my boat, life is just a non stop procession of deadlines and bills.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

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    If you have a poke about in the forum Hal, I think you'll find that this repair has been featured on here in the past. It may take a bit of searching though.
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  3. #3
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

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    Found it for you: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showt...light=Heybrook

    It's a thread by 'Puffin' (Rob). I'm sure he can help if you want some advice.
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  4. #4
    Join Date: Jun 2012

    Location: Forster, NSW, Australia

    Posts: 278
    I'm Hal.

    Default

    Thanks, it was an interesting read and I liked Shane's comment that the 3s could sound special - they certainly were tonight sounding just so intrinsically "right" that I couldn't believe I'd left them sitting under a cover with an ornament on top for so many years. The Jungson amp, all 26 kilos of Class A output, seemed to match it far better than the 25Ts. I'll sand down the Heybrook stands and just use a spray on black metal polish, should bring them up okay, and on the speakers I'll strip off the narrow adhesives that held the foam covers in place and either paint over them or use a black masking tape to hide the chipboard. I'm hoping a simple furniture lacquer will bring the veneers up nicely. Thanks Wal for your help.

    Hal55
    Without music, powerboat racing, photography and a whole stack of other stuff that floats my boat, life is just a non stop procession of deadlines and bills.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: Sunny (occasionally) Devon

    Posts: 1,713
    I'm Shane.

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    I sold my HB3s on eBay many years ago, mostly for reasons of domestic convenience, and replaced them with Mission 782s, another PJC design. A few minutes after the sale finished I was a bit startled when my daughter's partner came in having placed the winning bid! He's run them ever since with a fairly horrid Wharfedale amp, but he's just got the bug and started building a 6550 pp amp for them. I've got a horrible feeling I'm going to regret parting with them even more than I already do!
    Time flies like an arrow.
    Fruit flies like a banana.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: NE England

    Posts: 4,173
    I'm Jez.

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    I've got a pair of these which has been on permanent loan to a neighbour for years (to make some space!). They're good, and certainly musical sounding, but ultimately they just didn't quite do it for me in terms of ultimate transparency and imaging etc... Nice tight tuneful bass from the sealed enclosures I recall.
    Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)

    Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
    ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
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    Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco

  7. #7
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Surrey

    Posts: 7,103
    I'm Rob.

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    How funny. It was only last week that I put the HB3 in to my system again and I have to agree with all that has been said about SQ
    Buy Bose...And get your parking validated!.

    https://youtu.be/ZCBe7-6rw4M

    No Highs...No Lows....It Must Be Bose!

  8. #8
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

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    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  9. #9
    Join Date: Jun 2012

    Location: Forster, NSW, Australia

    Posts: 278
    I'm Hal.

    Default

    Thanks for the Ebay link, I will need it. Thanks also to all for your advice.
    Shane, quite some time back you were playing with the idea of designing/building another turntable, how did this go?

    Hal55
    Without music, powerboat racing, photography and a whole stack of other stuff that floats my boat, life is just a non stop procession of deadlines and bills.

  10. #10
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: Sunny (occasionally) Devon

    Posts: 1,713
    I'm Shane.

    Default

    Depends how far back you want to go! About ten years ago I got hold of the motor from an Akai 4000DS R-R and built an idler using the bearing and platter of a TT2, firstly using ply, then a slate version. Both were good fun with loads of slam and drive, but for obvious reasons I'm never going to part with my TT2, and domestic sensibilities prevent the use of two turntables, so they ended up in the shed. I then got hold of the motor and electronics from a Dual 701 DD and built that into the slate from the idler. That was a bit more refined and a good deal quieter than the idler but didn't grab you by the guts in the same way, and ended up being sold to a French guy on the forum about five years ago. Don't think I've seen him on here since!
    I currently have the working parts of a Vestax PDX2000 (kindly supplied by Adam (Beobloke)) which I've modified the TT2 platter and sub-platter to fit, but that's an ongoing project still in its infancy.

    Original ply idler:
    http://www.thepippin.plus.com/Homebrew%20Idler/


    Slate idler (AKA Fakedeck):
    http://www.thepippin.plus.com/

    Slate 701 hybrid:
    http://www.thepippin.plus.com/SDD/

    Vestax project (AKA The Bastard):
    http://www.audio-talk.co.uk/phpBB3/v...hp?f=11&t=6889

    http://www.thepippin.plus.com/The%20Bastard/


    https://youtu.be/9BG3jWZKjm4
    Last edited by shane; 08-05-2017 at 12:30.
    Time flies like an arrow.
    Fruit flies like a banana.

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