New use for old 'hi fi' ?

Hudpod25

Is it possible to replace the old electronics in an obsolete a 35 year old Rigonda record player and its' speakers? Even if I could remove the old components, would the acoustics work? Good quality speakers (I presume) have their cabinets designed to match the acoustics.

Rigonda was below average acoustically (imported from the old Soviet Union) but the cabinets were made of real wood and are:j truly beautiful. I had forgotten that I had banished this old favourite to the loft. Perhaps it is fit for the tip or as display only, but I have never got over scrapping my 1968 Triumph Herald car with its real wooden dashboard!

Any good ideas?!

Stuart

Fifer

Do you want to use the existing turntable and cartridge? I've no idea what Rigonda gear is like, but garbage in, garbage out. If you start with a poor source, improving the amp and speakers might just reveal more of the inadequacies of the source (assuming it's not brilliant). That said, replacing the amp should be straight forward and better quality speakers should be an improvement in the existing cabinets. And you could always add a switch and socket for an alternative source, like a CD player or DAP. Could be an interesting project.

googler

Does it work at the moment?

fiddiwebb

Is it this one?..............

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/radiotehni_simfonija_2.html

Jeff_Bridges_hair

fiddiwebb wrote: »

Is it this one?..............

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/radiotehni_simfonija_2.html

i saw somethig similar in a junk shop a hwile back. Fully working too.. but expensive

googler

At the end of the day, what are you looking to achieve?

Get this HiFi working for nostalgia reasons, or -

Have a HiFi that works well for music reproduction?

Did you replace this with something else when you put it in the attic? If so, what?

You're also right when you say speakers should be matched to their enclosures. I'd also suggest that (assuming the pictured set matches yours), that you can modern speakers in real wood that look far better than these..... all depends on how much you want to spend on them...

Hudpod25

Fifer wrote: »

Do you want to use the existing turntable and cartridge? I've no idea what Rigonda gear is like, but garbage in, garbage out. If you start with a poor source, improving the amp and speakers might just reveal more of the inadequacies of the source (assuming it's not brilliant). That said, replacing the amp should be straight forward and better quality speakers should be an improvement in the existing cabinets. And you could always add a switch and socket for an alternative source, like a CD player or DAP. Could be an interesting project.

Rigonda acoustically was poor at the time. The cartridge was scratchy when the unit was banished into the loft and was a special import from Russia that I doubt would be obtainable. I am not sure that I have explained properly - the turntable and amp are in the one cabinet and LP's overhang the turntable - it is a smallish unit. With this in mind, perhaps a use for this cabinet is unrealistic, however, perhaps I could put new speakers in the speaker cabinets which could connect up with an amp and better quality turntable? Hope i am not misunderstanding your advice?

Stuart

googler

Hudpod25 wrote: »

however, perhaps I could put new speakers in the speaker cabinets which could connect up with an amp and better quality turntable?

That's a possibility, but you've realised already that merely placing new speakers in the cabinet may not form a good match, and that you might get better results from a modern speaker where the drivers have been matched to the cabinet.

You could try people like Wilmslow Audio, Lockwood Audio for chassis speakers, but you'd need to establish exact size of those in the cabinet already, whether or not you need to do cabinet work to get new ones to fit, and the suitability of the existing crossover network

Again.... how much do you want to spend? Have you any other HiFi that replaced the Rigonda?

Hudpod25

googler wrote: »

At the end of the day, what are you looking to achieve?

Get this HiFi working for nostalgia reasons, or -

Have a HiFi that works well for music reproduction?

Did you replace this with something else when you put it in the attic? If so, what?

You're also right when you say speakers should be matched to their enclosures. I'd also suggest that (assuming the pictured set matches yours), that you can modern speakers in real wood that look far better than these..... all depends on how much you want to spend on them...

The pictured set looks nothing like my own.

I have an adequate music system (Arcam 7 CD and Amp and Castle Isis speakers) and as of this minute an old record player (Bush A1005 BSR deck with perspex lid) just given me by a neighbour. I am not that concerned about very high quality reproduction when it comes to my records - I don't have plans to increase my collection but I have a room that would look good with a 'record player' and speakers and it would be good to play my old records.

I also note that you seem to be confirming my original thought that speakers are designed to work with particular cabinets and that a decent quality speaker needs a cabinet specfically designed to get decent results so putting new speakers in my Rigonda cabinets would not be likely to cause sonic improvement.

I think I need to find out if I can get a new cartridge for the Bush and check that whatever i attempt to use will work with the Rigonda speakers'. However, I also have a feeling that the Bush is also going to be obsolete so perhaps I am looking at a new deck which can go with my sound system and I keep the Rigonda for nostalgia and nothing more.

Stuart

Hudpod25

googler wrote: »

You could try people like Wilmslow Audio, Lockwood Audio for chassis speakers, but you'd need to establish exact size of those in the cabinet already, whether or not you need to do cabinet work to get new ones to fit, and the suitability of the existing crossover network

Again.... how much do you want to spend? Have you any other HiFi that replaced the Rigonda?

I have just spoken with Terry at Wilmslow Audio in Leicester. He says there would be no problem upgrading the speakers (I should send pictures and dimensions) but that I would have to pay around £200. I don't know if this is reasonable or not but i am very glad to know that this company (in business for 40 years) has the capacity to do the job. He is less sure that he could help with the player although he says that he has contacts who might be able to help with this as well. However, I must admit that I am also considering what I said in my previous post - namely to buy a modern turntable and keep the Rigonda (for the moment) for non playing nostalgia.

Thanks for moving me forward.

Stuart

Hudpod25

googler wrote: »

At the end of the day, what are you looking to achieve?

Get this HiFi working for nostalgia reasons, or -

Have a HiFi that works well for music reproduction?

Did you replace this with something else when you put it in the attic? If so, what?

You're also right when you say speakers should be matched to their enclosures. I'd also suggest that (assuming the pictured set matches yours), that you can modern speakers in real wood that look far better than these..... all depends on how much you want to spend on them...

The pictured set looks nothing like my own.

I have an adequate music system (Arcam 7 CD and Amp and Castle Isis speakers) and as of this minute an old record player (Bush A1005 BSR deck with perspex lid) just given me by a neighbour. I am not that concerned about very high quality reproduction when it comes to my records - I don't have plans to increase my collection but I have a room that would look good with a 'record player' and speakers and it would be good to play my old records.

I also note that you seem to be confirming my original thought that speakers are designed to work with particular cabinets and that a decent quality speaker needs a cabinet specfically designed to get decent results so putting new speakers in my Rigonda cabinets would not be likely to cause sonic improvement.

I think I need to find out if I can get a new cartridge for the Bush and check that whatever i attempt to use will work with the Rigonda speakers'. However, I also have a feeling that the Bush is also going to be obsolete so perhaps I am looking at a new deck which can go with my sound system and I keep the Rigonda for nostalgia and nothing more.

Stuart