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I got blocked??
That aside ,thanks to everyone that contributed to this thread ,especially Doug & Vladimir who continued to the end .
So , I heard the Missions and Ruark's . Sat all weekend internally debating .I thought of Doug's comments about his many pairs of speakers that he has and re connects every now and then to re assure himself that he made the correct choice with those he chose. I considered hauling bottom (I think I got blocked all be it briefly for using stronger wording else where here ,actually an acronym 2xf+1xs so being carefull) to the City center and listening to new in a shop. No guarantee that when I get them home they will sound as good though were my thoughts . So........ Rather than sit here listening to a sound I was not happy with until I find my ultimate speakers I rang the guy back that had the Ruarks.We arranged a deal.I collected them yest eve.After all ,I could always re sell them after a time and I knew they sounded better than what I have (Pioneer's) .
So , they now sit in what I think is the prime positioning in my main room . Only on single wire ,Bi wire is an option. What a sound (to my ears ,all compared to both my old Pioneer's and the Mission's) The body,warmth and last but not least the (insert expletive) Bass! .I just can't believe it. I've had to knock the treble up and Bass down,just a tad , loudness button , well... totally obsolete now !
They come in full tone much earlier on the volume dial than I figured to.They were demoed on a 150w amp so I had no idea. Maybe because of the front porting ( the pioneers were rear ported ).
But , in a way I think I over paid. Speaker grills are bobbling and unglued down the sides. Port foam missing . Worst of all on one base driver a tear 5-6mm on the rubber surround that I missed. I have glued it successfully but will replace the surround .A real shame as otherwise both are perfect.
I am a seriously happy chappy at this moment ,I mean "up there" and with no additives either !!!
So ,biggest thanks to all that contributed ,all help was gratefully received .
Next queery ,Bi wiring .Should I or should'nt I .If it is recommended what cable and connectors to use .Anyone care to chime in ?
Mark
Honestly,at this moment in time I could'nt be happier with them.
That aside ,thanks to everyone that contributed to this thread ,especially Doug & Vladimir who continued to the end .
So , I heard the Missions and Ruark's . Sat all weekend internally debating .I thought of Doug's comments about his many pairs of speakers that he has and re connects every now and then to re assure himself that he made the correct choice with those he chose. I considered hauling bottom (I think I got blocked all be it briefly for using stronger wording else where here ,actually an acronym 2xf+1xs so being carefull) to the City center and listening to new in a shop. No guarantee that when I get them home they will sound as good though were my thoughts . So........ Rather than sit here listening to a sound I was not happy with until I find my ultimate speakers I rang the guy back that had the Ruarks.We arranged a deal.I collected them yest eve.After all ,I could always re sell them after a time and I knew they sounded better than what I have (Pioneer's) .
So , they now sit in what I think is the prime positioning in my main room . Only on single wire ,Bi wire is an option. What a sound (to my ears ,all compared to both my old Pioneer's and the Mission's) The body,warmth and last but not least the (insert expletive) Bass! .I just can't believe it. I've had to knock the treble up and Bass down,just a tad , loudness button , well... totally obsolete now !
They come in full tone much earlier on the volume dial than I figured to.They were demoed on a 150w amp so I had no idea. Maybe because of the front porting ( the pioneers were rear ported ).
But , in a way I think I over paid. Speaker grills are bobbling and unglued down the sides. Port foam missing . Worst of all on one base driver a tear 5-6mm on the rubber surround that I missed. I have glued it successfully but will replace the surround .A real shame as otherwise both are perfect.
I am a seriously happy chappy at this moment ,I mean "up there" and with no additives either !!!
So ,biggest thanks to all that contributed ,all help was gratefully received .
Next queery ,Bi wiring .Should I or should'nt I .If it is recommended what cable and connectors to use .Anyone care to chime in ?
Mark
Honestly,at this moment in time I could'nt be happier with them.
Not sure what I actually contributed apart from my confusion with my own speaker search, (hehe), but you are most welcome, Mark. It's always a pleasure to hear that someone has found what they've been looking for, I'm pleased for you. Here's to hours of listening pleasure, (if I could work out how to get the bl**dy animated smileys working for me then I'd insert a few here) 
.
Bi-wiring - it's only a length of cable and it's your cash so why not give it a whirl and see what you think? I'm not into exotic speaker cable and I believe many would say 2.5mm or 4mm van damme blue is sufficient for purpose, and I would agree, (there's a table I found somewhere on the net which gives swg requirements for a given length). Connectors: none, banana or spade, (Marantz will accept none and banana but not sure what the posts on the Ruarks will accept), all available on the Bay or Amazon.
I have tried bi-wiring on all my speakers but could not tell any difference; I now run single. Currently use Nakamichi or Voso banana plugs, I have tried bare wire and spades - again could tell no difference - banana plugs fitted as I like to experiment.
If your amp is getting too fruity too quickly when playing cd's then I can highly recommend in-line attenuators to give you a broader range on the volume dial, (all thanks to Vlad).
.Bi-wiring - it's only a length of cable and it's your cash so why not give it a whirl and see what you think? I'm not into exotic speaker cable and I believe many would say 2.5mm or 4mm van damme blue is sufficient for purpose, and I would agree, (there's a table I found somewhere on the net which gives swg requirements for a given length). Connectors: none, banana or spade, (Marantz will accept none and banana but not sure what the posts on the Ruarks will accept), all available on the Bay or Amazon.
I have tried bi-wiring on all my speakers but could not tell any difference; I now run single. Currently use Nakamichi or Voso banana plugs, I have tried bare wire and spades - again could tell no difference - banana plugs fitted as I like to experiment
.If your amp is getting too fruity too quickly when playing cd's then I can highly recommend in-line attenuators to give you a broader range on the volume dial, (all thanks to Vlad).
Congrats Mark. You did great and have no worries about cosmetical issues or the surrounds. It's all typical of second hand buy and almost always the surrounds need replacing anyway.
Biwiring... don't bother.
Regarding turning up treble and too much bass. You need to get the tweeters to your ear height level when you are sitting in your listening position. You can do this with granite/marble/wood/MDF platforms under the speakers (they are not very tall speakers). You can combine one board with spikes or just two boards stacked. These things are cheap, from home centers (kitchen sections) or online. I'd just stack two thick boards for a noncarpeted floor (for carpets spikes are a must). Bottom board wider than the top board, which is wider than the speaker base (like Aztec pyramids).
Bare in mind while you google about speaker platforms, don't get sucked in with the audiophile talk of vibration reducings special powers mumbo jumbo. What you need is Height & Weight from those platforms and nothing else.
Experiment using stuff you have arround the house to get the speakers taller to ear height and get an estimate what height is ideal for you.
Biwiring... don't bother.
Regarding turning up treble and too much bass. You need to get the tweeters to your ear height level when you are sitting in your listening position. You can do this with granite/marble/wood/MDF platforms under the speakers (they are not very tall speakers). You can combine one board with spikes or just two boards stacked. These things are cheap, from home centers (kitchen sections) or online. I'd just stack two thick boards for a noncarpeted floor (for carpets spikes are a must). Bottom board wider than the top board, which is wider than the speaker base (like Aztec pyramids).
Bare in mind while you google about speaker platforms, don't get sucked in with the audiophile talk of vibration reducings special powers mumbo jumbo. What you need is Height & Weight from those platforms and nothing else.
Experiment using stuff you have arround the house to get the speakers taller to ear height and get an estimate what height is ideal for you.
The guy provided a set of banana connects to plug into the speakers so that is sorted.I do need to buy replacement cable though as my lengths are now too short ,I read of the VD Blue before and it seems a good bet. Though I am maybe going to run the cable under the carpet ,I will see what they do.I will also look out for something to use as platforms .The speakers came with spikes fitted which is a real pain on a carpeted floor especially when having to keep moving them to try n find the best positioning ,light they are not . You are right Vladimir ,they are not very tall ,part of their charm I think.But the fronts are sloped backwards, maybe a design feature to direct the sound wave up to your ears to compensate for the lack of height ? I have emailed Ruark asking for availability on rubber surrounds,the port foam and acoustic nett for the grills. I would enjoy bringing them back up to their best look and possibly sound; if the port foam and surrounds have any effect.
Yes, that slope of the front baffle exists to improve directionality. Still, experiment with different positionings (can take sometimes up to 2 months).
The port foams should be removed by default. Those are used if the speakers are too boomy due to walls being too close. The speakers will sound their best with no foams and with decent amount of room arround them.
It's possible that the missing foam plug is inside the speaker. When the woofers are removed for surround change, check if its inside the cabinet.
The port foams should be removed by default. Those are used if the speakers are too boomy due to walls being too close. The speakers will sound their best with no foams and with decent amount of room arround them.
It's possible that the missing foam plug is inside the speaker. When the woofers are removed for surround change, check if its inside the cabinet.
They are in fact close to the wall,but angled away and side on if that makes sense?I will try and sort a picture out ,though I need to do some housework first !
As for the foam I purchased this (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141368081289 )a while back,for just such occasions I will have a peak inside.
As for the foam I purchased this (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141368081289 )a while back,for just such occasions I will have a peak inside.
*biggrin* There were remnants of the port foam in the bottom, just pieces. I assume they degraded over time and broke up.........
Vladimir said:
Took me more like 6 months of continual fine tuning before I found the sweetspot!
I have the worst shaped room Doug.I don't think I will find a nice neat formula to use to set the speakers up.It is my living room so there will be compromises made . On the plus side I live alone so no kids ,wife etc to worry about much shortening the list of compromises I have to make. As I said ,I will sort a pic (when ive tidied up).
steve_1979
Well-known member
MeanandGreen
Well-known member
Glad to hear you have found a suitable pair of speakers
It can take some time to get it all fine tuned, Vlad has given good advice with regards to getting the height and isolation right.
With regards to biwiring IMO it's a complete waste of time/money. All of the speakers I've biwired have sounded no different before or after. From an electrical perspective I don't see what possible benefit can be achieved from it.
If you want or need new cables spend the budget on the best single wire runs you can afford. I'm a fan of silver plated speaker cable. In my experience it brings out the top end sparkle, which is something you would appreciate I think!
It can take some time to get it all fine tuned, Vlad has given good advice with regards to getting the height and isolation right.
With regards to biwiring IMO it's a complete waste of time/money. All of the speakers I've biwired have sounded no different before or after. From an electrical perspective I don't see what possible benefit can be achieved from it.
If you want or need new cables spend the budget on the best single wire runs you can afford. I'm a fan of silver plated speaker cable. In my experience it brings out the top end sparkle, which is something you would appreciate I think!
Thanks M&G , you are the 2nd person (at least) to say not to bother with Bi wire . I only need a relativly short run 10 ish feet or less for each ,just depends whether I decide to go under the carpet or around the wall.Just reading up on AWG rating and which to go for . I have read a few times now inc your recommendation that the silver does bring out the best top end .The Ruarks are so much better on the Bass than the Pioneers ,huge contrast .I listened to Lilly Allen today,not my usual music at all but I just love the contrast of that sweet voice and the filth that comes out in the lyrics ,love it ! Anyway ,my god the bass in her tracks (Alright still album) no need for a sub, the Ruarks really do rumble .The Pioneers in comparison ,well there is none .As for the BX2's (sorry Doug) they don't even register by comparison.I do miss some of the brightness of the Pioneers ,but have absolutely no desire to re connect them ,don't get me wrong ,I don't feel the Ruark's lack high end I just think the Pioneers were pretty bright.
Vladimir .If you are still reading, I got a response from my Email to Ruark's about spares (I also asked if they could date my speakers) No spares available as it seems (You maybe knew already) they stopped manufacturing speakers in 2006 .I gave my serial numbers and they were made in 1992 ,just typing that it seems so old,had to look twice ! As far as rubber surrounds,acoustic grill cloth and port foam, any recommendations for suppliers other than general ebay search ? Oh and Doug mentioned "Attenuators" do they effect sound quality/tone or just volume level?
Vladimir .If you are still reading, I got a response from my Email to Ruark's about spares (I also asked if they could date my speakers) No spares available as it seems (You maybe knew already) they stopped manufacturing speakers in 2006 .I gave my serial numbers and they were made in 1992 ,just typing that it seems so old,had to look twice ! As far as rubber surrounds,acoustic grill cloth and port foam, any recommendations for suppliers other than general ebay search ? Oh and Doug mentioned "Attenuators" do they effect sound quality/tone or just volume level?
Any of you heard Carmel? Saw her in around 88 when Freelancing (Photography) blew my mind live , she can really sing . Next day I bought her album of the time "Everybody's got a little soul" . Purchased on vinyl of course . Just wanted to share as was listening last night .Again ,not my usual listening.But thought Some of you may like it .Trying to give a little back as all I've done is ask of you all thus far .
Here is a track from said album, not my favourite but still good.
Carhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dslrTI8w5sgmel
Here is a track from said album, not my favourite but still good.
Carhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dslrTI8w5sgmel
From Warpaint self titled album .
Warpaint: love is to diehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnuFYYJHaY0
Warpaint: love is to diehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnuFYYJHaY0
The Ruarks you got are the 90s generation. In 2004 they started generation III. You can buy speakers 40 years old that will blow your mind. Yoda worry not about age. These are seriosly well made speakers that would cost a pretty penny today as new. The III's are £1500.
Cast driver baskets, ferro-fluid cooled, real silk tweeter, easy load to drive, deep bass, good crossovers, double layer MDF, real veneers... No wonder they sound so good. And so does Carmel, breathtaking...
Changing the electrolytic capacitors in the crossovers with fresh ones is also a good idea to do in one go when you change the surrounds.
Everything you need is on ebay.com. But you may want to go to a nearby repair shop, since you have no experience changing surrounds.
I had vintage AR-11 speakers. I ordered a refoam kit from ebay, took it to a local speaker repair shop, job done. Guitar shops near you will know repair techs or do repairs themselves. Pro PA drivers often get abused and blown. Those are bloody expensive, they are not thrown away but reconed at pro repair shops.
Cast driver baskets, ferro-fluid cooled, real silk tweeter, easy load to drive, deep bass, good crossovers, double layer MDF, real veneers... No wonder they sound so good. And so does Carmel, breathtaking...
Changing the electrolytic capacitors in the crossovers with fresh ones is also a good idea to do in one go when you change the surrounds.
Everything you need is on ebay.com. But you may want to go to a nearby repair shop, since you have no experience changing surrounds.
I had vintage AR-11 speakers. I ordered a refoam kit from ebay, took it to a local speaker repair shop, job done. Guitar shops near you will know repair techs or do repairs themselves. Pro PA drivers often get abused and blown. Those are bloody expensive, they are not thrown away but reconed at pro repair shops.
You may also find vintage audio restoration services but IME those tend to overcharge and be sloppy unlike the pro gear techs.
As I am sure everyone that has read my post's is aware,spelling,grammar and punctuation are not my thing . My education was .... well not the best . But , hands on I'm very good. I will give the re build/restoration a go myself .If I fail I will seek a professional service .
I am,or was when physically fit , a very good panel beater and paint sprayer ,"Light vehicle Body Repair Technician" I think they call it these days . Worked on everything from Lada to F1 cars.
You were alraedy familiar with Carmel then I take it Vladimir. Me , I had much more Alternative tastes at the time I was assigned to take pics of her live , stunning ,just draw dropping sound.................
I am,or was when physically fit , a very good panel beater and paint sprayer ,"Light vehicle Body Repair Technician" I think they call it these days . Worked on everything from Lada to F1 cars.
You were alraedy familiar with Carmel then I take it Vladimir. Me , I had much more Alternative tastes at the time I was assigned to take pics of her live , stunning ,just draw dropping sound.................
steve_1979
Well-known member
sparks68 said:
When I read that line I heard Yoda's voice saying it in my head which made me laugh so I though I'd share the joke.
"Hmmm. Funny it was." (in Yoda voice)
Overdose
Well-known member
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