The Workbench

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

Dillen — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:04:08 GMT

stevepe:

Good-hifi says other brands installed the S80 type woofers with rubber.

Thanks,

Steve

They may say so but it's not true.
The S80 woofers were custom produced to B&O (which also makes them impossible to buy elsewhere).
Still wondering why so many parts suppliers lie to their customers or give out wrong information.
What's the catch ?

Regarding the surrounds from that seller, well, I've posted about that many times before and I'll also
stick with wishing good luck 'cause that seems to have a huge influence on what you will receive.

Martin

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

Rich — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:44:44 GMT

stevepe:

And I've only got one opinion, from Soren, in favor of staying with foam surrounds instead of rubber. Anyone else?

Both are available from good_hifi. I liked the fit on the c75 surrounds from them. Those were foam. Good-hifi says other brands installed the S80 type woofers with rubber.

Thanks,

Steve

No opinion here, just wanted to chime in and say "Nice project." Keep posting the pics, you have readers.

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

Rich — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:40:30 GMT

tournedos:

If you decided to go the re-vinylling route, you wouldn't of course be limited to wood imitation... there's everything, from lime stone to something Rich's wife would approve

The only thing my wife approves of any more is "NO MORE BEO"! [:'(]

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

stevepe — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 17:28:44 GMT

And I've only got one opinion, from Soren, in favor of staying with foam surrounds instead of rubber. Anyone else?

Both are available from good_hifi. I liked the fit on the c75 surrounds from them. Those were foam. Good-hifi says other brands installed the S80 type woofers with rubber.

Thanks,

Steve

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

stevepe — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 17:10:09 GMT

See the subtle texture? But is it art?

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

stevepe — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 17:06:02 GMT

Above is one typical corner. This is the removed material. It's not very flexible when at room temperature. Some kind of textured moderately thick "plastic" sheeting.

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

stevepe — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 17:01:09 GMT

Photos

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

tournedos — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:30:04 GMT

I was flipping through ancient forum posts and happened to come across this thread:

http://forum.beoworld.org/forums/t/6655.aspx

...so it is very likely that the white surface on these speakers is indeed adhesive... something.

However, something very odd must've happened to your pair if nobody else has heard of it shrinking & peeling! Perhaps too long in a car in scorching sun sometime in the past?

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

Friedmett — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:02:37 GMT

I have both S80.2 and S120 in white edition as well as you might know.

I agree with laminate and that it holds up really well.

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

stevepe — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:15:40 GMT

Hi Chris,

Well, it's not cheapie vinyl at all. It's tough. It stretches and deforms when pulling it off with heat. Definitely not a melamine type thing. I don't know how these got messed up like they did. All the corners and some edges in front are separated and shrunk and detached. The particle board shows no signs at all of moisture damage. Very straight, no swelling, with perfect seams.

This system was brought down by a hamster. No joke. Chewed the wires on the remote and smoked the innards in the beocenter.

Steve

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

Medogsfat — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 09:17:14 GMT

I have to admit to having some curious interest in these speakers. I too have some white Beovoxes from this era (MC120.2's) & I always assumed the finish was an off-white type of durable laminate as it just "feels" so hard wearing. I suppose it could be vinyl but it has lasted extremely well if it is - it is like new!

Chris.

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

stevepe — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 09:14:48 GMT

tournedos:
If you decided to go the re-vinylling route, you wouldn't of course be limited to wood imitation... there's everything, from lime stone to something Rich's wife would approve

Hey, I'm a bachelor, so it's decided– glue on some centerfolds and then shellac!

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

tournedos — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 08:58:21 GMT

OK, I believe you... but on mine, the surface is so hard that I can't imagine it being any kind of vinyl. On the wooden ones, it is indeed real veneer, and I believe the base board material needs to be that much thinner in those (I have a tatty pair of those as well, oak I think, waiting on me to decide on their destiny).

If you decided to go the re-vinylling route, you wouldn't of course be limited to wood imitation... there's everything, from lime stone to something Rich's wife would approve

I myself try to preserve originality when ever possible, but as yours obviously can't be helped anymore, I certainly am not going to blame you for making anything you like out of them!

stevepe:
I think before during and after photos are in order when the time comes.

Yes, we love photos here!

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

stevepe — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 08:17:35 GMT

Hi Mika,

I now have this nice lady's whole B&O system she puchased new in Copenhagen in '83. She had these speakers buried in storage before and has now given them to me simply because I bought the beocenter and C75's and she like's me, I guess. So I'm acquainted with her enough to know they had to have come this way. It comes off nicely with a heat gun, like I said above. The vinyl has shrunk and could never be repaired.

I'm curious to know if yours are definitley painted. Maybe yours are in perfect shape, and still and haven't peeled apart and revealed that they are vinyl. Or– B&O did it both ways- vinyl and white paint.

A vinyl wood veneer is very thin, and would be the most practical way to go in terms of making them look decent, particularly for resale. I hadn't even thought of this. But a real rosewood veneer is what one expects to find on these, correct? (I have never laid eyes on any of this series before having these)

Vinyl wood grain wouldn't keep me from owning a good sounding set of speakers. I don't think I would want to do this for my own use, though. My home's decor would actually harmonize with plain partical board better than vinyl "wood". I've fallen somewhat under the spell of the "industrial" look, I confess, and in my region it's still the cool thing, (until it won't be)!

Why don't I say that these are "authentic" audiophile cabinets without the incosistent, inappropriate density, sound-muffling rosewood veneer!

Maybe I'll have the only pair in the whole world!

I think before during and after photos are in order when the time comes.

Steve

Re: S80.2 speaker repair

tournedos — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:40:56 GMT

stevepe:
I may be in untraveled territory here, as I think the white cabinets are somewhat rare, the same as with the white beocenters. Has anyone ever removed the white vinyl and applied wood veneer? The aluminum trim on the back is flush, and might make a veneer look awkward, IMO.

I have never heard of vinyl coating on B&O speakers. I have a pair of original white S80.2s myself, and for all that I can tell, they are painted.

An extra veneer coating on top of that would certainly ruin the rear edge as the aluminum is beautifully flush, as you say.

Are you sure somebody hasn't already tried to fix them with adhesive plastic sheet? Doing that again might be the easiest way to save them and you could choose any wood imitation you like.