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Pimping the Classics

Spica TC-50

 

One of my current projects is to try and tweak the venerable Spica TC50 loudspeaker.  I bought a pair used and were using them as a test speaker as a I rebuilt my McIntosh MC240 amp.  Boy they sure sounded good.  My brother had a pair for a few years in the early 90's and I had fond remembrances of his system.  Maybe some tweaks existed for those babies, so I started doing some research. 

I wanted to at least do the Xover caps and resistors.  I had also heard about adding a brace piece of wood between the tweeter and the woofer to strengthen the support.   Maybe some better speaker terminals to replace the el-cheapo plastic ones that came stock.  And certainly better internal wiring.  Is that speaker fluff they jam in there of differing quality?  

The bottom line is I'm hoping these speakers can be improved upon by the right choice of components and some careful tweaking. 

Cool Stuff to Download

Spica TC-50 Owner's Manual

Spica Crossover Schematic

Spica TC-50 Product Specs  (PDF)

Spica TC-50 Brochure (PDF)

AudioReview - Review of TC50 from 1984

click to enlarge click to enlarge
spica and mac.jpg (166239 bytes) gutted spica.jpg (153068 bytes)
The MC240 rocking the Spicas.  The wiring is Cardas SE11 to the speakers.  Still use the VAC preamp with the MC240 and Audience AU24 innerconnects.  
The carcas of the enclosure after pulling everything.  Hopefully it'll all go back together and actually work!
spica Xover2.jpg (134901 bytes) back of Xover1.jpg (232602 bytes)
The Xover which uses 9 caps, a couple resistors and the magnetics.  I'm not doing the magnetics since I've heard they're too hard to duplicate.  Hopefully I won't screw up the sound of this classic.   The back of the Xover board.  I've mapped out a schematic, but need some time to get it finetuned.  Might post this later....
proto stands1.jpg (131399 bytes)        spica stands1.jpg (364902 bytes) spica woofer1.jpg (125924 bytes)
The company I work for bends stainless steel all day long.  Got some stands made up for me by Ken Calder and Lou Jasarou.  Filled with sand, they do the job.  I'm thinking of further damping or maybe some sort of speaker/stand interface? The Spica woofer
spica brace.jpg (368332 bytes)  spica brace2.jpg (317077 bytes)
These are some of the braces I'm putting into the Spica cabinet to help add additional support between the tweeter and woofer.  I used Gorilla Glue and cut the wood dowl with a slope.  The I just glued them and shimmed them into place until dry.  
cap burnin1.jpg (276678 bytes) 
old new crossovers1.jpg (239005 bytes)     spica Xovers3.jpg (233958 bytes)  Xover backing1.jpg (228472 bytes)  Spica Xovers2.jpg (196248 bytes)     Spica Xovers1.jpg (230113 bytes)

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