In 1993 I bought a second hand pair of Rogers Ravensbrook speakers. It took me two years to get around to it, but I eventually started work on reconditioning them.
This is what I did...
I started by removing all the existing acoustic padding (that nasty loft insulation stuff), took out the crossovers, and removed the 2 pin DIN connectors & rear connection plate. I replaced the acoustic padding with 2 Deflex Acoustic Panels glued to the rear of each cabinet with a rubber latex adhesive. The crossovers were dismantled, and the contacts on the PCB & component leads were cleaned with IPA, then treated with Kontak fluid, before they were re-soldered onto the pcb with silver core solder.
The Deflex Acoustic pads glued to the inside rear of the cabinet.
Next, I made a pair of rear mounting plates to hold gold plated 4mm banana sockets. The sockets were mounted onto the plate using cable grommets to prevent the speaker shorting the amplifier and to ensure a good firm support while adding some degree of cable strain relief. The drivers, crossover & 4mm sockets were soldered together using The Chord Company Rumour speaker cable and the silver solder. The rear terminal plates were then glued to the cabinet with the rubber latex adhesive, and held in place with 4 small screws. The driver panel was then fixed back into the cabinet.
The crossover & drivers.
Due to the unusual dimensions of the Ravensbrooks, I have had to get stands especially made for them. These are open stands, consisting of open rectangular top & bottom planes, supported in each corner, and spiked top & bottom. As usual, Neil Ramsden at The Den proved invaluable. He recommended the Chord Rumour cable, and also arranged the design & build of the speaker stands (affectionately know as the 'fish tanks').
One of the finished speakers sitting on the un-painted 'fish tanks'.
So, was it all worth it...?
YES!!!
The sound from the speakers is tight & clear. Vocalists are so clear & well defined, that I can almost touch them. Bass is deep & tight. Stereo is wide & focussed, each instrument has space around it and is clearly defined in the mix.
Above all, these speakers have a sense of, for want of a better word, right-ness. They are incredibly musical & a joy to listen to.
The speakers cost me around £40 to buy, the components cost me around £90 (excluding stands), so for around £120.00 (the price of my original Celestion 3s) I have got a set of speakers that, in terms of sound quality, would have cost me around £300+ to buy.
Since the introduction of the Gyro, these speakers have really let rip, causing trousers to flap when King Tubby hits those low Jamaican bass notes!!
| Item | Quantity | Price | Source |
| Rumour Loudspeaker cable | 2 metre | £9.95/m | Chord Company / The Den |
| 4mm banana connectors (surface mount, gold plated) | 4 | £5.00 each | The Den |
| Silver Core Solder | 1 roll | £10.95 | Maplin Electronics |
| Deflex Acoustic Panels | 4 | £7.95 each | Spectra Dynamics |
| 'Fish Tank' Loudspeaker supports | 1 pair | £95.00/pair | Custom Design / The Den |
| Kontak electrical contact cleaner | 1 bottle | £15.99 | The Den |
Contact telephone numbers :
The Den - 01535 606086
Specta Dynamics - 01565 650 605
Maplin Electronics - 01702 554 000