Richard Allan Academy III info?

[altecman]

Just picked up a pair of Richard Allan Academy III speakers for $100, I think they were made in the mid to late 70's. As you can see someone thought it might be good idea to paint them black, the results are obvious!!!

When I played them I didn't expect that they would sound so good, better than other vintage English built speakers of that period (mid to late 70.s) IMO, the ones that I've listened to, that is, not the slow mellow sound one gets from e.g. KEF Concerto. A very pleasant surprise, very neutral, possibly the best speakers Richard Allan made or the best Richard Allan speakers I've listen to or had owned, worth the effort to restore back to original. There seems to be no information on these speakers at all, I must assume that they are quite rare.

 

My other question, does anyone have any information e,g prices, plans or anything different to the attached ad from Australian HiFi 1979.

Richard Allan Academy III.pdf

Edited August 5, 2014 by altecman

[soundfan]

I don't know anything about the speakers you have, but I used to own a pair of Richard Allan CG8T full range drivers.

IMO they were at least as good as a pair of Coral Beta 8's I owned at the same time.

[mwhouston]

Well, well some one likes Richard Allan speakers. I have two 10" and one 8" bextrene I want to sell really cheap. Working perfectly. Any takers? PM me.

[Benje]

altecman

 

The Acoustic Foundry sold Richard Allen Speakers in the early 1980's (and probably before in the late 1970's).  I recognise the red ring - I had a pair of Richard Allen bookshelf 8's (8" woofer) now used by a friend.

 

I believe the guy who was the Acoustic Foundry still does hi-fi work based in the barossa - I can't recall his name.  My understanding was that the speakers were assembled and built here using Richard Allen components.  Perhaps yours are English, but I suspect they may be Australian built using English components.  I believe mine were built by The Acoustic Foundry.  Of course, my recollection could be wrong.

 

Benje

[soundfan]

Well, well some one likes Richard Allan speakers. I have two 10" and one 8" bextrene I want to sell really cheap. Working perfectly. Any takers? PM me.

Well, well some one likes Richard Allan speakers. I have two 10" and one 8" bextrene I want to sell really cheap. Working perfectly. Any takers? PM me.

It's bad form to thread crap in some one elses thread.

Start your own thread in classifieds.

[soundfan]

Well, well some one likes Richard Allan speakers. I have two 10" and one 8" bextrene I want to sell really cheap. Working perfectly. Any takers? PM me.

Well, well some one likes Richard Allan speakers. I have two 10" and one 8" bextrene I want to sell really cheap. Working perfectly. Any takers? PM me.

It's bad form to thread crap in some one elses thread.

Start your own thread in classifieds.

[frankn]

altecman

The Acoustic Foundry sold Richard Allen Speakers in the early 1980's (and probably before in the late 1970's). I recognise the red ring - I had a pair of Richard Allen bookshelf 8's (8" woofer) now used by a friend.

I believe the guy who was the Acoustic Foundry still does hi-fi work based in the barossa - I can't recall his name. My understanding was that the speakers were assembled and built here using Richard Allen components. Perhaps yours are English, but I suspect they may be Australian built using English components. I believe mine were built by The Acoustic Foundry. Of course, my recollection could be wrong.

Benje

Paul Fenwick. The AF website is still there

[altecman]

The Acoustic Foundry sold Richard Allen Speakers in the early 1980's (and probably before in the late 1970's). 

 

 

Under good authority the gentleman who originally owned these speakers worked at Radio Parts in Melbourne and had to import them from England, the other models on the attached ad were sold as speaker component kits, as Radio Parts was the Australian Agent I suppose when other suppliers requested these kits to sell they would have given the customer the option to buy them as seperate components or have them fully built using locally manufactured enclosures.

 

All I know is that these speakers were expensive at the time.

 

It would be nice if someone had a copy of the review from the Stereo Buyer's Guide, Speakers No.6.

Edited August 6, 2014 by altecman

[altecman]

Has anyone seen this model before?

[grace1414]

I have a pair of these, bought around 1978 .... and will never sell them ... replaced the tweeters around 1990 (was a great party with an underrated amplifier) .... great full range design .... subwoofer?  who needs them ... made the slab in my house vibrate

[grace1414]

quick update if anybody still interested in this thread.

picked up a second pair of the academy 3 speakers, were going cheap here in adelaide, just in case i need parts in the future.

also, I i mentioned earlier i bought mine in late 70's, recall it was from Radio Parts, in Spencer Street, Melbourne.

struggling to remember, but I remember buying my first amp from them too, the Yamaha CA-610 (later went to Technics SU-7300).

Was the Yamaha that blew my tweeters, replaced them with 1" Vifas and overhauled the crossovers and serviced the attenuators.

The speakers are rated 12 ohm impedance so it took a bit to drive them.

I know now that I needed a more powerful amp and to hide them for parties (I miss the 70s), thank goodness we were able to record most it with our cassettes and reel to reel tapes.

Just had to keep the volume control no greater than 40% but party animals like cranking up the volume, totally unware the amplifier is clipping and cooking the voice coil (lesson learnt).

As an FYI, my woofers are ringed red but my mid range drivers are ringed blue.

And my enclosures too got a good coating of a flat black paint back in the 90's sometime.

Originally they were finished with a timber veneer, walnut I believe (could be off on the wood type, a dark timber finish anyway).

They were starting to delaminate, I think from the humidity up north (spent some time in Darwin and Sunshine Coast, Qld).

The grills got thrown out, used to connect via round metal buttons on the grill that clipped into metal receptacles with a bit of pressure, hard to describe (can't photo what are not there anymore either).

The veneer clad the 1" particle board frame. Along with all the internal bracing (same guage timber) and attached M shaped plinth, they were heay units.

I could only just carry one by myself (they were large too which made handling them a two man job).

 

And if you're interested, the speaker design was bass relex with the port firing out the bottom of the speaker.

The bass was ported into the middle of the M shaped plinth which focussed (radiated) the bass forward from underneath the speaker, clever design and extremely effective.

The mids and highs issued a truley mellow British timbre but the bass wasn't British, it was something else.

I remember the evening my mate brought around a CD player with a Dire Straits first CD, I knew then I was never letting these go.

 

These speakers have aged well as the speaker surrounds are rubber, not paper like Bose used to do for planned obsolesence (poor 901 owners).
 

Best speakers ever Richard Allan Academy 3

I dream of getting new cabinets professionally built but it's much easier to just shut ones eyes, relax and listen, bliss.

[AusyMike]

Hi grace 1414,

I picked up a set from Melbourne and got them back to SA Dec23.  They sound fantastic and in fantastic condition even with the original grille badges.