All systems go !
All systems go !
DRIVE UNITS BY MANUFACTURER:
SPH-135C
DISCONTINUED BY MANUFACTURER - ONLY 1 LEFT IN STOCK.
The SPH-135C is a versatile drive unit from the Monacor 135 series featuring a woven carbon fibre cone, vented pole piece and diecast chassis. When mounted in correctly aligned cabinets this long throw unit is capable of reproducing bass that is surprisingly deep and accurate - ported cabinets of around 14 litres can give an in room response extending down into the upper 30s (Hz) which is excellent for a driver of this size.
A fine replacement unit for a wealth of mainstream designs requiring a high quality 5¼ bass driver such as Rogers, Castle, Mission etc. Full details and dimensions can be found on the downloadable datasheet.
Resonant frequency (fs) | 40 Hz | Nominal impedance (Zn) | 8 Ω |
Mechanical Q factor (Qms) | 4.48 | DC resistance (Re) | 6 Ω |
Electrical Q factor (Qes) | 0.43 | RMS power handling | 50W |
Total Q factor (Qts) | 0.39 | Sensitivity (2.83V/1m) | 88 dB |
Equivalent volume (Vas) | 17L | Chassis diameter (pincushion profile) | 133 mm |
SPH135C, SPH 135 C
Great update to the original Castle drivers which started to crack anround the edges after many years of service.
More bass response and energy when playing rock tracks.
Would note that driver surround is slightly larger than original.
Thanks for the review Ian!
Will & Caroline
Ordered two of these to replace the original Castle IsIs units as over a period of 35 years the polypropylene cones had gone brittle due to UV degradation, a common occurrence, units arrived in quick time and came securely packed, they took 20 minutes to solder in and slipped straight in, they sound better than the original units as they develop quite a bit more bass something the originals were very light on, very good build quality, and most importantly, a very good sound quality I’ve just acquired a a pair of Castle Avons for £60 that need the same upgrade, I will certainly buy these again from Willys very competitively priced with a quick efficient service 10/10
Thanks very much Willys HIFI
Thankyou for your review !
Will & Caroline
Friendly technical support
40+ years in the trade
UK family run business
Excellent customer service
Quick dispatch
Has fixed the slight grainy sound on my old Mission 771s. The tweeter had a stain on the back suggesting the fluid had escaped. Make sure you release(unsolder) the coil wires before splitting the tweeter. Audax have replacement tweeters TM025C1 albeit 8 ohm which is another way to go.
Couldn’t be happier, more detail, more clarity. Vocals massively improved and less harsh sounding. Thanks Willys hifi.
Very flexible and easy to work with cable. Made up 6.5m cables shielded with some faraday tape and added PET cable sleeving outer and terminations of ChordOhmic bananas . After about 25hr ‘burn in’ compared with my NAC A5. IMO a better sounding cable, definitely better soundstage.
1990 Linn Index II LS120 Crossover and wiring upgrade.
Truly Outstanding performance upgrade flying in the face of conventional wisdom.
The resistor value is increased from 2.2 to 2.7 and is an official Linn Service 'performance' upgrade.
HF
C1 3.9uF Jantzen Superior z-cap
C3 1uF Mundorf MCap EVO Aluminium Oil
R1 Mundorf M-Resist 5W 2.7 Ohm 2% MOX
LF
C2 5.1 uF split
3.3 uF Mundorf MCap EVO Aluminium Oil
1.8 uF Jantzen Superior z-cap
Carded lambswool replacing original poly wadding. Increased weight replacing 132g ea. for 215g ea. This was weighed out in stages and determined by sonic performance.
Small amount approx 15cm sq of Bitumen foam panel placed in two pieces in base of cab. (leftovers from another project.)
Jantzen solid core speaker cable AWG 17/ 1.15mm stripped of PVC outer sheath to leave only high performance PE insulation. Doubled and twisted Star-Quad. 2.3mm
x2 400mm lengths ea.
Replace binding post steel nuts and locking nuts on back of PCB with copper nuts x8 and locktight. (steel nuts in signal path???= Nuts)
Remove all Plastic front panels and rubber securing bungs. Seal air holes in front baffle sockets. (Holes!)
Total cost £190.00.
Worth every penny! The cost of replicating this level of performance will be many, MANY times this amount. This understanding determined my budget. Happy to spend £200 upgrading on a gamble for the knowledge and experience. The results are very serious for this money.
I purchased these new in 1990 and paid £220.00. They were never highly regarded but always delivered a satisfying sound I never bored of even though Bass is not a strong point in this sealed design. Proximity to rear wall is everything here.
No previous experience with crossover upgrades. Never built a PCB. Very limited knowledge of electronics A beginner !
Every sonic element is vastly improved. Detail everywhere, Soundstage opened up. Depth, Clarity, Definition, Truly remarkable the level of performance these 'nothing special' loudspeakers are now delivering. They are being driven by Oppo 105 upgraded, John Sampson upgraded Musical Fidelity A1. All solid core power/interconnect/speaker cables.
This project was only completed 'confidently' with the kind, generous help and insights from Willys HIFI who supplied all the excellent Mundorf components.
Cannot thank Will enough for his patience and knowledge. My lack of knowledge and understanding was never a barrier to success only because Will was so helpful, enthusiastic and interested in my enquiries. Will cautioned against my extravagant choice of caps. The results could not be predicted and so a more responsible and cost efficient choice was Will's sagely recommendation. Trustworthy, Knowledgeable and Approachable. How refreshing. My choice was a gamble to push the limits and the budget, the results are beyond my hopes and expectations.
Highly commendable service and support. Outstanding in the Audio/HiFi marketplace.
Thank you Will.
John.
1990 Linn Index II LS120 Crossover and wiring upgrade.
Truly Outstanding performance upgrade flying in the face of conventional wisdom.
The resistor value is increased from 2.2 to 2.7 and is an official Linn Service 'performance' upgrade.
HF
C1 3.9uF Jantzen Superior z-cap
C3 1uF Mundorf MCap EVO Aluminium Oil
R1 Mundorf M-Resist 5W 2.7 Ohm 2% MOX
LF
C2 5.1 uF split
3.3 uF Mundorf MCap EVO Aluminium Oil
1.8 uF Jantzen Superior z-cap
Carded lambswool replacing original poly wadding. Increased weight replacing 132g ea. for 215g ea. This was weighed out in stages and determined by sonic performance.
Small amount approx 15cm sq of Bitumen foam panel placed in two pieces in base of cab. (leftovers from another project.)
Jantzen solid core speaker cable AWG 17/ 1.15mm stripped of PVC outer sheath to leave only high performance PE insulation. Doubled and twisted Star-Quad. 2.3mm
x2 400mm lengths ea.
Replace binding post steel nuts and locking nuts on back of PCB with copper nuts x8 and locktight. (steel nuts in signal path???= Nuts)
Remove all Plastic front panels and rubber securing bungs. Seal air holes in front baffle sockets. (Holes!)
Total cost £190.00.
Worth every penny! The cost of replicating this level of performance will be many, MANY times this amount. This understanding determined my budget. Happy to spend £200 upgrading on a gamble for the knowledge and experience. The results are very serious for this money.
I purchased these new in 1990 and paid £220.00. They were never highly regarded but always delivered a satisfying sound I never bored of even though Bass is not a strong point in this sealed design. Proximity to rear wall is everything here.
No previous experience with crossover upgrades. Never built a PCB. Very limited knowledge of electronics A beginner !
Every sonic element is vastly improved. Detail everywhere, Soundstage opened up. Depth, Clarity, Definition, Truly remarkable the level of performance these 'nothing special' loudspeakers are now delivering. They are being driven by Oppo 105 upgraded, John Sampson upgraded Musical Fidelity A1. All solid core power/interconnect/speaker cables.
This project was only completed 'confidently' with the kind, generous help and insights from Willys HIFI who supplied all the excellent Mundorf components.
Cannot thank Will enough for his patience and knowledge. My lack of knowledge and understanding was never a barrier to success only because Will was so helpful, enthusiastic and interested in my enquiries. Will cautioned against my extravagant choice of caps. The results could not be predicted and so a more responsible and cost efficient choice was Will's sagely recommendation. Trustworthy, Knowledgeable and Approachable. How refreshing. My choice was a gamble to push the limits and the budget, the results are beyond my hopes and expectations.
Highly commendable service and support. Outstanding in the Audio/HiFi marketplace.
Thank you Will.
John.