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View Full Version : JR149 - A Resto thread with upgrades.


Wakefield Turntables
20-04-2020, 16:33
Pt 1 - Genesis

I always regret selling my first ever pair of JR149's. I decided I wanted an early Mk1 pair and after doing extensive research and waiting a pair finally surfaced. I purchased them and then left them in the wardrobe for 2 years! COVID 19 has been the inspiration to get these things finished. I always wanted a pair of ls5/3a's but didn't really fancy the stupid prices. The JR149's have a better cabinet design but a poorer XO. So, after a little while I came across this thread detailing the external XO's available for the LS3/5a https://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/stirling-ls3-5as-with-cicable-crossovers.239380/#post-3962356 and then the light bulb moment struck. Why not have a hybrid XO. The Cicable XO's are designed to work with the LS3/5a and the limitations of it's cabinet, they will not work very well with the circular design of the JR149. A quick call to Paul @ RFC and I've commissioned an external pair of Cicable XO's modified to take advantage of the JR149. These will take 4-6 weeks to produce. I've gone for a nice walnut veneer and a clear see through top. I've also been told that I should have more damping foam in the cabinet and further improvements can be had by further damping the intrinsic surface of the cabinet. So apart from those minor mods it should just be a standard restoration. I'll post some pictures up later.

Stay tuned... :cool:
Alex_UK
20-04-2020, 20:02
look forward to this Andrew, always fancied a pair... :)
Wakefield Turntables
20-04-2020, 20:17
The prices are only going up. People snap them up for replacement drivers for ls3/5a's :doh: The smart money is to upgrade a decent pair of 149's and you'll have a pair of speakers which easily equal if not surpass the LS3/5a at half the price and then you can flog them easily enough if your short of cash.
grog
24-04-2020, 08:15
I sold a pair about 10 years ago before i went abroad with work, i wish i'd hung on to them!
Wakefield Turntables
24-04-2020, 08:24
I sold a pair about 10 years ago before i went abroad with work, i wish i'd hung on to them!

Buy a beat-up pair and restore them!
grog
24-04-2020, 16:18
tempting but too many other 1/2 finished projects right now
currently restoring a pair of Technics SB-F1mk2, replacing the bipolar Xover caps with film, the originals are way past it.
once that's out the way, and i finish a couple of the vale amps i might look at a pair,
although i have a 'spare' pair of B110's and you can get reproduction LS5/5a cabinets cheaply enough, i could make a clone?
Wakefield Turntables
24-04-2020, 17:41
tempting but too many other 1/2 finished projects right now
currently restoring a pair of Technics SB-F1mk2, replacing the bipolar Xover caps with film, the originals are way past it.
once that's out the way, and i finish a couple of the vale amps i might look at a pair,
although i have a 'spare' pair of B110's and you can get reproduction LS5/5a cabinets cheaply enough, i could make a clone?

You can but you'll get the nay-sayers complaining about them not being "REAL" ls3/5a's :rofl:
grog
28-04-2020, 11:25
true, i think that makes me like the idea more!
Wakefield Turntables
28-04-2020, 18:26
Now finally had time to sort some pictures out. First picture shows the underside of the XO container. It had slight rusting and pitting. The three rubber legs had been lost and lots of glue had accumulated over the years from people sticking the old ones back on and then replacing them. So to protect the original labels I masked them up.


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Second picture shows a complete restoration of the XO cover. I repainted both of them and applied several coats of lacquer. All the labels are still pristine, well especially since they are from October 1976! I fabricate 6 new feet.
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This picture shows an unrestored cabinet against a nearly fully restored cab. The cab on the left has numerous scratches to the veneers (teak) and numerous layers of old varnish and wood treatments such as teak oils. The cab on the right has been stripped fully back, lightly sanded and revarnished.


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This photo shows the underside of the restored speaker cab with the XO removed. I hand polished and ultrasonically cleaned all the retention screws, nuts, washers etc. They sure look a lot cleaner!


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Final picture shows a unrestored top cover (left) and a restored top cover right.

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More to follow!
grog
29-04-2020, 10:45
looks great, it's all the little things like cleaning the screws which add up to a huge overall impression
Wakefield Turntables
29-04-2020, 16:08
looks great, it's all the little things like cleaning the screws which add up to a huge overall impression

Thanks, I'll try and post some stuff tonight.