Mullardman
Moderately extreme...
Anybody any idea of the value of a pair of Wharfedale E 30's, assuming good working order etc.?
Mull
Mull
Wharfedale 'E' series. Value?
- Thread starter Mullardman
- Start date
Robert
Tapehead
Hi Mull,
These date from the early 80's and the 'E' was for efficiency.
The E30 was the baby of he range and sold for about £200. Not well regarded in the press as the drivers were rather cheap and ragged and the cabinets were rather resonant. I have a review of the much larger £300 E70 if you are interested.
However, the press reviews came at a time when low sensitivity speakers were the norm with plastic cones and tube amps were nowhere to be seen. Times change as do opinions.
These date from the early 80's and the 'E' was for efficiency.
The E30 was the baby of he range and sold for about £200. Not well regarded in the press as the drivers were rather cheap and ragged and the cabinets were rather resonant. I have a review of the much larger £300 E70 if you are interested.
However, the press reviews came at a time when low sensitivity speakers were the norm with plastic cones and tube amps were nowhere to be seen. Times change as do opinions.
YNWOAN
100% Analogue
£50 tops
Mullardman
Moderately extreme...
Thanks to both of you for that. Rather as I expected really. Been offered a pair at a 'negotiable' price of £100. Can't see them bettering £1k worth of Rogers, efficient of not. 
rontoolsie
pfm Member
As correctly pointed out, the 'E' in the moniker stood for 'efficiency'. The '30' is the internal cabinet volume in litres. The largest of the E-series I think was the E-70.
PigletsDad
My intelligence test came back negative.
I heard a few pairs, and didn't like them one bit. They were hard and glassy; even with fairly good front-ends (LP12/Ittok/Asak) they were very tiring.
Never heard the bigger ones. Even at £100, have a listen before comitting, as they won't please many tastes.
Never heard the bigger ones. Even at £100, have a listen before comitting, as they won't please many tastes.
http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/hfw/oldeworldehtml/wharfedalee70.html
an old one so the prices are way off im sure. Interesting comment about using a valve amp to drive them.
John
an old one so the prices are way off im sure. Interesting comment about using a valve amp to drive them.
John
smegger68
Mango Enthusiast
The ones to have by all accounts are the E50 & E70 - the other models didn't quite get the balance right apparently. Of course now there is a bit of a buzz on the net,these old speakers are starting to go for silly money on ebay, quite out of context with their capabilities.
jackiechansthem
pfm Member
Seconded. I had a pair of E70's (briefly) and teamed them with a Thorens TD150 and a Rogers A70 amp. They weren't too bad all things considered especially with Chic, Donna Summer & Saturday Night Fever type discs. And hell, could they go loud!!!
I was relieved of them after a few months of ownership by some thieving ba@$£&d but when the insurance money arrived, I didn't get another pair..........bulliporker
pfm Member
i used to have a pair of yamaha ns 1000s in the 80s what i did not think they were anything special and lacked bass, and as i blew the bass units twice with a yamaha mx70 amp i gave them away , i replaced these with a pair of wharfedale e90 pro speakers which were loads better and could cope with the yamaha mx70 amp, i recently bought a late pair of late isobariks which when driven with a pair of naim olive 135s dont sound as good as the wharfedales through the 135s , and every one who has heard them agrees, i am soon to go active with the briks with 6 135s hope this improves things and gives me more like the power what the mx70 amp gave me though the e90 s, i heard wilmslow audio had replacement drive units as wharfedale had no imformation on the e series speakers as it was all lost in the fire,
F* me there are cheaper routes to audio nirvana!
DSJR
Between us and them
Active 6 pack 'Briks don't go loud at all. FFS get some big active ATC's, or Cerwin Vega's or summat...
The E series shrieked at the slightest provocation and that's with LP's as source too. Making them balance right removes the efficiency they claimed. Ghastly on long term listening and to the chap who blew NS1000's, I'm speechless. That Yamy amp must have been awful to do such damage.....
The E series didn't last long, fortunately. They're so harsh they go beyond "fun."
The E series shrieked at the slightest provocation and that's with LP's as source too. Making them balance right removes the efficiency they claimed. Ghastly on long term listening and to the chap who blew NS1000's, I'm speechless. That Yamy amp must have been awful to do such damage.....
The E series didn't last long, fortunately. They're so harsh they go beyond "fun."
SteveS1
I heard that, pardon?
Spot on. This is nostalgia gone mad. They were able to strip wallpaper with a vinyl source. Horrendous.
Nostalgic oldies that can actually perform would be AR, Heybrooks or some of the MS range. If you want classic Wharfies, what about the Lintons or Teesdales if you fancy something a bit more unusual. I'm just off to Laskys to gaze at some flashing LEDs and VUs....
bulliporker
pfm Member
if i wanted to go loud i would buy some turbosound speakers not cerwin vega,s everyone has the right to there opinion dsjr, but i certainly wont be taking any notice of yours
Snufkin
pfm Member
In the last two recessions didn't car manufacturers bring out 'e' models which were striped down economy versions below their normal base models. Perhaps that was the inspiration for the Wharfdale E series.
needlewise
New Member
The E Series Wharfedales were produced during the late 1970s / early 1980s and the range consists of 6 models - the E20, E30, E50, E70, E90 and E90PRO, the numbers relating to the volume of the cabinets in litres. The speakers were largely overlooked by the press when launched due to the new realisation that the source was the first key to high fidelity, not the loudspeaker as was the prior mantra. Almost overnight, media attention moved to the new philosophy of high precision turntables and pickups, high power solid state amplifiers and low efficiency speakers which were often difficult to drive with power sucking heavy duty crossover arrangements and highly reactive loads.
In stark contrast, the E Series were designed as a mid - high level speaker for use with the low output transistor and valve amps which had hitherto been the norm. The E stands for high efficiency which means that the speakers work well with low - medium power amps and are noted for their excellent performance with valve amplifiers. High efficiency speakers allow an amplifier to work less hard to produce a given level of sound output. This means that the amplifier operates with greater reserve power or headroom for transients and loud passages, and with a lower level of distortion, resulting in a more pleasant listening experience with less chance of damaging the speakers from clipping due to amplifier overload.
The Wharfedale E Series loudspeakers have been experiencing a renaissance in recent years as many audiophiles re-evaluate older loudspeakers in the light of the re-emergence of valve amplification, and a generation of new listeners comes to appreciate their build quality and open, exciting sound. The E50 and E70 models are considered the best balanced of the range and most sought after.
There's some background information on Wharfedale E70 in Mail#2 at Troels Gravesen's website.
In stark contrast, the E Series were designed as a mid - high level speaker for use with the low output transistor and valve amps which had hitherto been the norm. The E stands for high efficiency which means that the speakers work well with low - medium power amps and are noted for their excellent performance with valve amplifiers. High efficiency speakers allow an amplifier to work less hard to produce a given level of sound output. This means that the amplifier operates with greater reserve power or headroom for transients and loud passages, and with a lower level of distortion, resulting in a more pleasant listening experience with less chance of damaging the speakers from clipping due to amplifier overload.
The Wharfedale E Series loudspeakers have been experiencing a renaissance in recent years as many audiophiles re-evaluate older loudspeakers in the light of the re-emergence of valve amplification, and a generation of new listeners comes to appreciate their build quality and open, exciting sound. The E50 and E70 models are considered the best balanced of the range and most sought after.
There's some background information on Wharfedale E70 in Mail#2 at Troels Gravesen's website.
Everyone to his/her own..The Yam NS 1000's dont lack Bass as such, just not the thumping, Disco Bass you need..this post reads like a wind up..even given that everyone is entitled to their own opinion..if you want raw volume and excitement with little fuss, then the E 70's are up your street I guess..E 90's even more..each to his own I suppose..Like saying a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 5 is better than a Ferrari F355, yes the Lancer may Blow it into the weeds, but one is absolutely more refined than the other..depending on what your definition of satisfaction is again..
needlewise
New Member
Yes, it's to each his own I guess too. Some really like those 30 year old Tannoy 12 inch and 15 inch units and call their reproduction precise and delicate. To me they're quite boring lacking dynamics and both low and high end extention
Funnily enough I thought that the E70 and 90 were an attempt by W/dale to make a proper speaker with big magnet, light cones and real diecast frames instead of paper thin metal baskets. They didn`t have to be blasted and were very detailed ...........why wouldn`t they be?
At the time most high efficiency speakers were all unloved by flat earth press and pipe and slippers HFN/RR.
JBL Tannoy and Lowther et all got poor reviews (if any)in favour of dynamic killing Bextrene Woofers and power sapping crossovers that excelled in recessed midrange of the period.
Tannoy and Lowther only put tiny ads in the mags and did not push their products. No surprise that E series got the same treatment and the overhang is still there.
The listener always decides in the end.
At the time most high efficiency speakers were all unloved by flat earth press and pipe and slippers HFN/RR.
JBL Tannoy and Lowther et all got poor reviews (if any)in favour of dynamic killing Bextrene Woofers and power sapping crossovers that excelled in recessed midrange of the period.
Tannoy and Lowther only put tiny ads in the mags and did not push their products. No surprise that E series got the same treatment and the overhang is still there.
The listener always decides in the end.