If read elsewhere that they don’t. Either is very expensive or they just don’t have it anymore. Have emailed them but don’t expect anything back. Those speakers are 50 years old.
Always glad to help. https:/www.fwhifi.co.uk Or email [email protected] Or 0121 427 4740 The firm is Fiveways hi fi. Based in Birmingham. The Web site is very informative. They will restore drive units, cabinets and crossovers. Bci rated very highly.
Spendor can't offer any help or advice. A couple of different speaker driver makers, on the other hand, will probably point you in the right direction. Contact Vifa and Scanspeak directly to ask about a BC1 woofer equivalent. One of them probably has a drop-in replacement or something more than close enough.
The trick is to find the cheapest paper 8" and coat it with wood glue - like the original. And keep the sensitivity below 87dB. 8" speakers these days are not so keen on such a huge ported box. Here's one with similar Fs: Peerless by Tymphany HDS-P830869
I think the original BC1 woofer had a bextrene cone, not doped paper? The Peerless driver in your link should work well in a BC1 - good find.
Yes I realize the speakers are old, and therein lies the problem. Have a look thru the page below, there may be some info for you to follow up on getting repair options. Spendor BC1 Speaker Repair jeff
The Vifa poly cones are indeed capable of good midrange sound (having heard them in Vandy 1Cis) but I cannot comment on compatibility in terms of size and mounting. If you haven’t already, maybe reach out to Derek Hughes through the Spendor group: spendor groups.io Group
There is SO MUCH BAD ADVICE here! Never replace a driver with a different one.It will ruin the sound.The box and crossover has been specifically designed to suit that driver and to integrate with the other drivers. The best option is to have the voice coil rewound to the original specifications.If that is not possible try to track down a second hand one. The Spendor BC1 is an excellent speaker and worth spending money on.
Thanks all. Have some options. My local recordstore guy is using the BC1's with Warfdale woofers. Will let you know what comes out of the options.
Fortunately, someone has done an extensive measurement and documentation of at least the ceramic magnet woofer version of this speaker, and we can see for example, how putting a different woofer such as the Peerless/Tymphany I linked would respond with the same enclosure and same crossover: As is evident, the BC1 woofer has a high Q; no other 8" speaker is like it in this mass-loaded resonance to go along with lower efficiency. The Peerless can be padded down 1dB for identical crossover matching, and the sound would just be "warmer", instead of the original's "Bose". Bass rolloff of a too-big box is showing, and could then benefit by putting 10 liters worth of bracing in the 1/2" plywood box to reduce the box volume. Replacing both woofers ensures the other won't blow tomorrow and they are matched again, and the peaking crossover can also be re-examined. Modern, we'd put a truncated tweeter right next to the truncated woofer frame high in the box. I've got Infinity 8" that are mostly good for holding up better speakers for that reason.
I spoke to the proprietor sometime ago. He was quite clear that the BC1 was In a class of its own. The drivers will need overhaul to Attain original spec. Once done they are as new To my mind the only option.
Good suggestion if the voice coil bobbin has not overheated and warped, but this could be replaced. I like your solution. A talented tech could keep the spider intact, and all of the originality of the driver. But I don't think the other suggestions are bad!
Nothing else will sound like those bextrene cones.Not just because of the bextrene material but because of the unique cone profile .Harbeth have gone to a lot of trouble to replicate the sound and construction of those woofers but even their drivers will not the sound the same.
John replied. I think he can fix the woofer. Might send it to the UK then. Thank you so much for the tip!
Heard that the B&W DM4 (also bextrene) woofer can be used as a replacement. DM4 is still a very common speaker here in the Netherlands. Of course you need to replace both woofers then.
As a matter of fact, they are being advertized here: ≥ Bowers en Wilkins dw 200/4 woofers dm4 — Luidsprekers — Marktplaats 15 euro per woofer
So yeah. I can send them to the UK and then they will fix my original for 155 pounds plus shipment back and forth. Or i can change the two woofers with vintage Warfdale or B&W woofers for 100 to 200 euros. I know its not a original BC1 anymore then but will the difference be very big?
Important is to use bextrene replacements. I had dozens of them in the past. They are special and contribute to an exceptional sweet midrange (vocals). Have you noticed that the DM4 also uses a Celestion tweeter and Coles supertweeter? I noticed that you are in the Netherlands too. So, what's keeping you?
Those are 4 ohm so completely unsuited.The Spendors are 8 ohm.The crossover point would be out by an octave.
