Woofer on B.A. A100 Series III speaker?

cnh

Hi,

I need some info ASAP. Going to look at a pair of Boston Acoustics A100s. I think they are series III so maybe mid '90s.

See bad pic below. Question, the original and the Series II did NOT have a glossy (doped) 10" woofer like the one in this pic.

Did B.A. replace the original paper cone with a polymer or poly-coated one in the series 3? In other words is the
woofer in this pic a real B.A. woofer.

And if so? How did the new woofer change the sound on the A100s if at all?

Thanks, guys.

I know Russman knows something about A100s because he replaced the woofers in them in a post here.

BTW, I called up B.A. CS and 'no one' had any idea what I was on about because the product was so old. Chalk one more up for Polk CS!

cnh

Joe08867

From what I have seen around the web the mids got muffled some by the poly cone. I have not heard them myself with the poly just the doped original.

Very nice sounding speaker in the original form.

cnh

Pics I've seen of the originals don't look like they are doped unless the coating is dull or transparent...non-gloss?

Thanks!

cnh

cnh

So I picked these up today for about 60 clams. The woofer is either re-foamed or it was kept in Cryo for the last 15 or so years.

Google image search turned up a number of poly coated B.A. woofers in the Series 3 A100s and the A150s?

Speakers were mint. Sounded OK. I brought my own HK 3490 to check them out. When I got them home and set up the HK for some FM, I was put off by how 'harsh' and digital it sounded at higher volumes on these.

So I walked upstairs and grabbed one of several Vintage receivers I have collected. The first available was a lowly Realistic STA-95 (45 watts x 2) about 28 lbs (heavier than the HK), whose tuner was just reconditioned, realigned and inspected by my repair guy. I was having trouble getting a stereo signal till then. This receiver was offered by RatShack from '78-'79, I believe. And it's a gorgeous looking piece...very Pioneer like, except with a gold/bronze metal face. About 400 clams in the late '70s. Certainly not the peak of Realistics but not the bottom either.

So I do an A/B comparison. And low and behold the old RatShack blows the HK 120 watt x 2 out of the water on FM stereo??

Warmer, fuller, more pleasing sound. The harshness is almost all 'gone'. So I hook up the HK again and my ears beg me to stop! And I've been telling people how 'warm' these HKs are.

Well, they're nowhere near as 'warm' as most '70s' era receivers. Almost without exception, on FM. I've preferred my vintage receivers, which include: Pioneer, Yamaha, Marantz, Technics, Kenwood, etc. I probably will thin the herd when I decide which ones have the most desirable sound.

So there we are. Now, I know someone is saying, why didn't you hook this up to your separates, or the NAD, or the tube amp. Well, because these speakers will most likely do basement duty in the home gym room? And I'm going for that '70s sound.

cnh

Joe08867

I must be remembering another woofer for some reason. It gets hard to navigate this mind with all the dead brain cells and bong resin everywhere. :afro