Testing a 1920's RCA speaker 7-28-13
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- Testing an RCA 103 "Tapestry" speaker form 1927-1928 on my test jig. I am aware that the cloth is not original. Some day I might restore it with a reproduction cloth and rear silk cover.
Gorgeous too look at and listen too. When furniture was more elegant and treasured. Beautiful and it sounded good thru my headphones too. Thanks for sharing.
I still have my Model 60 Radiola that my father bought for me when I was about 7 years old. He bought it for $5.00 at the Goodwill. He didn’t buy it as an antique. Back then it was just an old radio that no one else wanted.
Dang, It's hard to believe that it is almost 100 years old and still works!
That really does sound gorgeous. You can still hear the nuances of the music for those with perfect pitch just as if you were listening to it on a modern system.
Hey again. I found and viewed your first video on the speaker test jig. Nice setup, but I better pass on building one for myself. It's quite a bit over my electronics head. It's why I studiously avoid the "Homebrew" section of the Antique Radio Forum. In three sentences those folks usually completely lose me.
But I do appreciate your kind offer. You're a good gent. Thanks much.
Regards,
John
Beautiful speaker and radio, sounds so nice and warm.
I have a Radiola 17 but my speaker is made of solid iron with matching cloth on both sides and weighs a ton. I would prefer the tapestry speaker, can't imagine why they would make a speaker cabinet out of heavy iron. That is a nice version of a great tune you are playing, one of my favorites from 1928, If I had you.
The speaker sounds great, much better then mine which is the same driver in the RCA 100A metal cabinet.
The radiola 60 uses cloth covered wiring which is fine to move :)
Yes I have, but I've made some revisions since the video was posted. It's been very handy! It also has very good battery life for just running on regular AA batteries. I'm still running on the same set that I originally installed when I made the video.
Feel free to send me a message if you would like the details on it.
Look at how fancy they made them look back then. Even some of the ones from the 1970's were made to look like real furniture.
What can I say, I'm probably one of her biggest fans.
Please show that radio playing through that speaker! That speaker has a nice warm sound for it's age, I know a few modern speakers that don't sound this good.
Really nice radio set.
-Michael
That is a gorgeous piece of antiquity..To bad they don't put that kind of aesthetics in to things today.
People today are too shallow, they can't handle it. That's why people like the fake shit.
This is very interesting. Got me thinking about how i could embroider some dogs or something onto the grilles of a pair of 1970s speakers i've got laying around when i've got some time.
Now that is Classy Speaker. thumbs up
the music fits so well haha
Beautiful !
Super cool 😎
I have some stuff being worked on, but it will be a bit before I finish it.
Very cool, i dont know why those old songs give me a creepy vibe when i hear them though
amazing. I mean, it doesn't really sound very good relative to a modern bookshelf speaker, even a cheap one from PartsDirect, but that's not a very meaningful comparison. But the bass response is respectable and the treble isn't terrible. It's just amazing how even back in the late 20s you could get some pretty good sound if you were willing to pay for it. I bet it cost quite a bit back when it was made. I'm just going to make a wild guess and say that the speaker itself, if they sold them separately, cost the equivalent of $4,000 today. If I'm even close, think about what $4k buys you today in loudspeakers! I love seeing old speakers like this. Is it a permanent or electro magnet?
I want to hear how house music sounds through that speaker.
RCA Radiola 60 I think. It looks like someone has had a go at refinishing the cabinet, the trim on it looks like it was painted black though that may be the lighting.
Wow, just wow
The speaker sounds great, but I have more interest in your speaker test jig. Have you done a video on it? If not, what say ye?
Regards,
John
Once I get the radio hooked up to a proper antenna, I'll make a clip of it in operation.
For the most part, it sounds like playing music through a normal speaker, but with less treble.
I think the non original fabric adds character,
Spotted Rainbow dash there :)
Can you play some modern music through that speaker? I did like the 1920s music, fits well but I'd like to hear what modern music would sound like on a speaker like that.
a good speaker it seems it don't reproduce the high frequencies well the way its made back in the day im not sure if u can add a tweeter on a 70 volt output if hooked to the antique radio. its the way the speaker was made then with barely any treble response till the High Fidelity radios came out and they sounded alot better and gotten smaller in size. nowadays i see people use these speakers for wireless bluetooth and that as i would keep the radio and speaker as is to preserve it if u can make a enclosure for the tweeter if the antique radio can reproduce high frequencies.
where is the USB input on that speaker??? J/K, good video
My Grandpa.
I think Bob Anderson (bandersontv) restored a radio very similar to that one not so long ago, but it was branded Brunswick.
It was a Brunswick 5KR, electrically it's closer to a Radiola 18 then a 60, an 18 or a 5KR is a TRF, a Radiola 60 is a superheterodyne.
Not sure. It came from an unlabeled reel to reel tape.
Now for a good tweeter to go with it...
...I just realized how much i want a computer-room in that style and quality, it's not very common in this use-and-trash-it age to see something like that
sounda niceeeeeeeeeee !!!!
Could you play some modern music on it and upload perhaps?
Hey Max, do you have any am/fm recivers for sale, looking to build a old style systym, thanks Gio.
How big are the chances that these still work?I have roughly the same speaker itself but has little trouble to test it:/
is me or that was 1920s music?
That looks a lot like a Brunswick 5KR.
So what does it take to hook one of these up onto my PC or Stereo? I'm a little bit into steampunk and I intend to get a pair of these (not as tacky/whimsey looking as yours though) and use them.
About 70 VDC or more to drive it, and no I am not joking, they are high impedance magnetic speakers. It would be much easier to just find an old speaker cabinet design and replicate it using a modern speaker inside, it would be less complicated and probably cheaper.
First comment woo, I'm surprised it still works after 93 years
But please, resolder those wires. The last thing you want is it shorting out and maybe destroying stuff, or even catching fire
Hey clem!
You're probably thinking of someone else. I don't think I've ever had that many.
How old music is supposed to be listened to!
Damn I was too late
Oh I forgot, I’m 67 years old now.
Play some gangsta rap through the speaker. :p
Bloody ipad! I meant bandersentv
Sorry, bandersontv