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Does anyone know of a source for replacement black cloth for S-45 and S-75 speakers?
And if you do, how difficult is it to properly install the new black cloth?
Jeff
Beogram 4000, Beogram 4002, Beogram 4004, Beogram 8000, Beogram 8002, Beogram 1602. Beogram 4500 CD player, B&O CDX player, Beocord 4500, Beocord 5000 T4716, Beocord 5000 T4716, Beocord 5000 T4716, Beocord 8004, Beocord 9000, Beomaster 1000, Beomaster 1600, Beomaster 2400.2, Beomaster 2400.2, Beomaster 4400, Beomaster 4500, Beolab 5000, Beomaster 5000, BeoCenter 9000. BeoSound Century, S-45.2, S-45.2, S-75, S-75, M-75, M-100, MC 120.2 speakers; B&O Illuminated Sign (with crown & red logo). B&O grey & black Illuminated Sign, B&O black Plexiglas dealer sign, B&O ash tray, B&O (Orrefors) dealer award vase, B&O Beotime Clock. Navy blue B&O baseball cap, B&O T-shirt X2, B&O black ball point pen, B&O Retail Management Binder
Not that difficult Jeff, I'm doing another pair of S45-2's this week and now working on a total refurb of 2 pairs of M70's (new thread soon).
And a pair of Beolabs 8000 with aluminium look design
This pair M70 has been reclothed with grey cloth where one fret is broken. The 2nd pair will be black.
I bought some on Ebay
Brengen & Ophalen
I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus.
Jeff:Partsexperess.com sells speaker grill cloth, black definitely, and white. I have some white I bought to recover some speakers with, it's nice cloth. Madisound also sells this. Since you're up north of us you should be able to easily order from either place I'd think.
I have been using the Black fabric from Parts Express, its not really black, depending on the light it shows like very very dark blue to dark brown.
This one is really black
One more link but dont know the quality
And here how to
Collecting Vintage B&O is not a hobby, its a lifestyle.
Thanks Leslie, Jeff, and of course Søren.
I am probably making too much of this selection as both Partsexpress and the eBay link provided by Søren look like excellent choices.
I have three sets of speakers which require grill cloth replacement to varying degrees of necessity, so by the third one, I should be getting good at this.
I appreciate Leslie’s direct method of showing how this work is to be done, but I have to give a special nod to the comedic genius that is Søren! Bravo!
Thanks Søren for sharing the secret of intricate speaker grill cloth replacement: a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and a rum and Coca Cola.
Piaf:I appreciate Leslie’s direct method of showing how this work is to be done, but I have to give a special nod to the comedic genius that is Søren! Bravo!
Leslie: Piaf:I appreciate Leslie’s direct method of showing how this work is to be done, but I have to give a special nod to the comedic genius that is Søren! Bravo! Just wait untill my thread M70's has been placed. You'll get hundreds of pictures how it has to be done...
Hi Leslie,
I look forward to your pictures.
I think I kinda got it, the only thing that concerns me is the corners and how to make them look like the factory did them.
I don’t want them to look like an amateurish Christmas present wrapping job.
Piaf: I don’t want them to look like an amateurish Christmas present wrapping job.
Leslie: Piaf: I don’t want them to look like an amateurish Christmas present wrapping job. Some do...
Well that would certainly be an incomprehensible demoralization!
Søren Mexico: Jeff:Partsexperess.com sells speaker grill cloth, black definitely, and white. I have some white I bought to recover some speakers with, it's nice cloth. Madisound also sells this. Since you're up north of us you should be able to easily order from either place I'd think. I have been using the Black fabric from Parts Express, its not really black, depending on the light it shows like very very dark blue to dark brown. This one is really black One more link but dont know the quality And here how to
Søren,
Of your suggestions do you have a preference?
I like this one its IMO better quality, and the provider has more color choices
It is a done deal, I will order the material tomorrow.
Søren Mexico: I like this one its IMO better quality, and the provider has more color choices
Hi Søren,
I ordered the fabric from your referred source, enough to recover all 7 speakers (4 S-75’s, 2 S-45.2’s, and the lone ugly S-45.2 now veneered in faux-wood vinyl that I use for a stand vis-à-vis my TEAC 8-Track recorder)
I also went to Home Depot and picked up a very large can (It was all they had) of 3M Super 77 adhesive spray.
Once the black fabric arrives I can get started, probably on the ugly S-45.2 for practice.
Thanks, as always, for the GREAT advice and guidance!
Thank you Leslie and Jeff for your advice and a very special
Thank you
Søren!
For the detailed step by step directions on how to recover speakers. I now have SEVEN recovered B&O Speakers. Three S-45’s and four S-75’s.
They absolutely look new, and I couldn’t be more pleased!
I really appreciate the help as I doubt I would have attempted this job without it.
My first try at this didn’t come out as planned, so here it is again.
Thank you Søren!
Pics or it didnt happen
Oh it happened alright.
We are in the middle of a ferocious storm with hurricane winds, or close enough, with the lights flickering. Flashlights are out and I see a “romantic” dinner with candlelight in our immediate future. Incredible rains with a HUGE rock wall collapsing near our house closing the road.
With the calm of morning I will post the pictures I took. Nothing great, but I was more interested in getting all 7 speakers done.
I meant what I said; I would not have attempted this without your excellent directions.
As a minor suggestion you might want to include in your step by step advice that the corners are not a problem with stretchy speaker cloth and instructions for releasing the clips that hold the B&O labels in place. They are a ***! If you try to pry them up it only makes them close tighter, they need to have the four tips pulled up for the clip to release. Just a suggestion.
Anyway, the speakers really DO look new and since the new cloth, which is gorgeous by the way (thank you) is more open then the original coarser material, I suspect they WILL sound better.
Thank you!
Piaf:As a minor suggestion you might want to include in your step by step advice that the corners are not a problem with stretchy speaker cloth and instructions for releasing the clips that hold the B&O labels in place. They are a ***! If you try to pry them up it only makes them close tighter, they need to have the four tips pulled up for the clip to release. Just a suggestion.
I will include the clips in the "manual", did not think about it, thank you, and yes it is a lot easier using stretchy cloth, I tried both types (FS suggested one) HMM. The labels I just fix with a drop of glue on the back side.
Hope you get through your "perfect storm", we have had nothing but bad weather since 3 weeks, couple of blackouts because of the rain, but the coastal areas are very hard hit, we are collecting help items for the worst hit areas, the whole street is participating, so my vintage is on the waiting list for a time. More in a mail.
You were absolutely right, the S-75’s DO sound better with the new cloth. Can’t say I actually believed you, but I am a believer now.
The storm “appears” to have passed us by, and welcome news that is! Hurricane winds in Mexico or Florida are one thing, but up here in the Great White North, you can freeze to death.
I remember vividly three days in Seattle with no power, no heat, only a wood burning fireplace. The first night it was kind of romantic with all the candles and cooking by Sterno….. but after that, the romance was OVER!
Cable is on, phones are on, and the power is on…. life is good!
OK Soren, here are the pictures, nothing like Leslie's, but....
For whatever reason the administrator is not allowing additional pictures.
Let's go at this again...
One more for the road...
Piaf: Anyway, the speakers really DO look new and since the new cloth, which is gorgeous by the way (thank you) is more open then the original coarser material, I suspect they WILL sound better.
Jeff, I wouldn't make a blanket statement like that. Perhaps the designer intentionally used a material like that to attenuate the highs a bit. But, of course, in the end your ears must decide. After all, some folks leave the frets off when listening to open things up a bit.
Good result Jeff, makes you kind of happy with these kind of DIY jobs isn't it?
I would like to see a picture of the final result...
Piaf:You were absolutely right, the S-75’s DO sound better with the new cloth
Cant say I remember having said that, maybe as a joke, or saying speakers that looks better, sounds better, as a matter of fact, my hearing is bad and probably going worse, at times I hear differences when changing bad caps, but thats more or less it. Normally you only see the front of the speakers, to see the beautiful wood finish, you will have to go nearer or look from an other angle, most people doesnt see it, and its a shame, I love the B&O wood finish, but when they see a nice front they presume that the rest is good too, and when they listen they are biased to, looks good must sound good. If the fabric was like the fabric on my 3702s it must be audible, the fabric was like cardboard when it came of, checking against light, I could hardly see through it.
I think Rich is right about, different fabric for different kind of speakers, my oldest speakers are Bv 1600, the fabric is a lot coarser and tighter woven, where the BL 8000 is very thin and very open in the threads, nearly as a pair of fine nylons.
Glad to hear your black out didnt last and the storm is over.
Rich,
I don’t believe I intended to be making a serious comment as in truth; I don’t think it makes any sense….. but I do believe the S-75’s sound a bit better. The S-45.2’s the difference is less obvious. Even if they don’t, what is the harm in my thinking I have achieved an improvement?
Leslie,
I can take pictures, but the only difference is the fabric is MUCH blacker. The various imperfections did not show up in a general photograph. The photos I posted were chosen for one that did show some of the scuffs collected along the way.
You said “Here on stand, and I'm absolutely sure, it sounds better with new grill” in your how to change the speaker fabric instructions. I only listened more carefully because you said it….. I really didn’t believe you, but now I think you were right. And as I told Rich how could it hurt if I was mistaken?
My next project is re-capping the S-120.2 speakers and there I sincerely hope there will be a HUGE difference…. if there isn’t I will either sell them or give them away.
I'm not trying to beat a dead horse here, but what you wrote was the cloth was more open. You then wrote it may sound better because of that. What I was trying to convey was the extra 1, 2, 3 whatever dB of high frequency energy getting through the fret cloth because it was "more open" may make the response of the loudspeaker different to the listener. This may or may not be A Good Thing.
And I'm not even going to discuss a change in dispersion characteristics.
Every time we make a change - even as simple as taking off the frets - we may or may not like the results. And the guy next to you on the listening couch may or may not have the same impression.
Hi Rich,
I am not an expert on electronics or speakers and I don’t pretend to be.
My understanding is the woofers in particular NEED to push air and it seems reasonable to me that the more open the cloth, the easier it is for the woofers to do their job.
The upper end will of course benefit from not being masked.
The original cloth was more dense and I can only assume had collected a bit of dust and debris over the years. The new cloth is very porous as you can actually see through it.
Now the change in sound might well be viewed as a positive by one and a negative by another, no question about that.
So let’s deal in facts, I like the sound better and that is a fact. I will leave it to guys with audio test equipment to decide if it is technically “better.”
These are my speakers so for me replacing the cloth was a very good thing and oh my goodness, I am sure everyone would agree that they look so much better visually. 35 years of sunlight definitely had faded the original and now they look like they did when B&O manufactured them.
As long as you're happy with the result and enjoy the sound Jeff, that's what it's all about! You did a pretty good job...
I agree, naturally.
However my very good friend, “pretty good job?” The reason I didn’t bother to take more “after” photos is because the speaker grills look EXACTLY like the original did when new.
I followed Søren’s advice to the letter including masking the speaker backs before spraying the adhesive, so there is zero over-spray.
The only “difference” between the grills today and the originals is the fabric cut lines are neater then the factory job. I mean when someone is working on an assembly line they are trying to meet quota expectations. I had all the time I needed to cut carefully and with a really good X-ACTO-knife. (Retractable razor blade)
I think you’d be proud of my DIY workmanship.
Now that I have my new soldering iron work station let’s see what I can do with re-capping my horrendous S120.2 speakers. Hopefully the new capacitors will be here shortly.
Piaf: I think you’d be proud of my DIY workmanship.
That's what I meant! It's a good start and to be honest one of the easiest frets to recloth.Tomorrow I'm trying to do my 2nd exercise on a pair of Beolabs 8000. Let's see how that works out.
Honestly I was just being “funny” vis-à-vis the “pretty good “comment.
You had said recovering my S-series speakers wasn’t difficult and it wasn’t. Intimidating for sure, but not difficult.
I really was concerned about the corners, especially the tops with that 1” lip, but it was nothing. The cloth just lay down beautifully.
Once I got one done, the rest was a breeze….. even enjoyable.
The ONLY difference between my re-covering and Søren’s is I stuck to Diet Coke rather than one of Søren’s Cubas.
Good to hear that you at last go for the crossovers, that is always my first pick, check drivers, surrounds if needed, then crossovers. After that the optical work. For me it is essential that drivers and crossover are in perfect state.
As i dont intend to sell my collection, i can live with small failures in the optical appearance. Of course its nice when you get it all just perfect, but look isn't all. The best thing is, when finished, sit down and enjoy some Black Magic, like Mireille or a little more modern PINK.
Now heat your soldering iron. And good job Jeff.
I am delighted that you are pleased that I am addressing the crossover issue. I rather thought you would be.
The woofers needed to be repaired before anything else. After that I KNEW I had an overload circuit switch problem and really thought that might be the source of the problem.
In truth, bypassing the switch made a real difference, especially as one speaker went dead…. BUT the switch was only part of the problem.
These speakers are all but worthless the way they are, so re-capping became a necessity. Perhaps my package will arrive from Denmark today.
I have no doubt that one way or the other I will post the results of this next effort.
By the way for anyone foolish enough (like me) to have tried to use a standard household soldering iron to do circuit board work….. it is like the difference between a surgeon’s knife and an ax. The soldiering station is another world!!!!!