Hi Fi History required- Heybrook Sextet speakers

[johncaul]

hello all, i hope you don't mind me trying to pick your collective brains. I'm the long term owner of a pair of hebrook sextets. I love them. Simple, unfussy, transparent sound and built like little tanks. I've noticed the odd pair comes up for sale on ebay and a pair recently really caught my eye. Whereas my original pair were black cabinets with walnut edges, the pair for sale were full walnut. feeling bored i put a cheeky bid in and ended up winning them! when i got them home i noticed a number of differences, my original pair have chunky gold binding posts with a switch on the back to adjust tweeter sensitivity. The new pair have plastic screw down binding posts and no switch. Further research on the net indicates there were a number of different versions, but i cant find photos or descriptions to help differentiate. It looks like i clearly have different types so wondered if anyone knew the different specs and how to tell them apart. Thanks for reading. John

[NRG]

I still have my pair, one of the last pairs from the factory...the invoice said, AFAIK recall, that they are MK 4's. I think the biggest difference came between the MK1 and MK2. There was a HiFi World article about them and the new version came about due to a Fire (I think at the factory)...Mine are black with the walnut edges and 'standard' 'speaker posts. Again AFAIK the later versions all had the same xovers but the mid and bass drivers may have changed as could have some other design features. Years ago on the World Design forum there where a few threads running about the differences but I don't think there was any real info on the differences except for the xovers.

I found the treble excellent on mine and the bass very good but the midrange was a bit laid back. Also with the Tonigen you had to sit right in the sweet spot to get the full benefit from them.

[johncaul]

Thanks Neal, it sounds like my original pair with all metal binding posts and switch might be a pre mk4 version then. I'm struggling to tell either set apart sound wise to be honest.

Thanks
John

[Floyddroid]

This will likely as not be no help at all, but i have never heard a bad pair of Heybrook speakers. They majored on musicality and what we now know in the modern world as PRAT. The original HB2 remains to this day one of the best stand mounters i have heard. I think what i am trying to say is if they are a more than sensibly priced grab em! It is not rocket science to solder a better pair of binding posts on. My memory of the Sextets are that they sing with valve amps. Go for it John.

[NRG]

Thanks Neal, it sounds like my original pair with all metal binding posts and switch might be a pre mk4 version then. I'm struggling to tell either set apart sound wise to be honest.

Thanks
John

Could be a MK1. The midrange unit on these struggled to meet the Tonigen high crossover point or the Tonigen struggled to go low enough. I think the midrange unit was changed along with the xover but to my ears it still struggles and the midrange is a little 'recessed'....but its a great 'speaker all the same and can be pushed close to a rear wall if necessary without ill affect.