Acoustic system Radiotehnika S90: description, reviews. Acoustic system Radiotehnika S90: description, reviews Soviet speakers s90

During that difficult period for Latvia and the world, a young engineer Roland Kerno worked at the company, who subsequently will create the first HI-FI acoustic system in the USSR. It is believed that the valuable experience in one of the best technical companies in Europe during the wartime had a significant impact on the thinking of the young engineer.

According to the memoirs of Likhnitsky, who in one of his publications mentioned a conversation with Kerno, it is known that he was involved in the creation of 300 mm loudspeakers and acoustic systems for radio receivers. Among other things, Likhnitsky mentioned that Roland Paulovich managed to find out several technological secrets associated with the diffusers of German speakers (I would not rush to make the first instance of information from his article, given Likhnitsky's love of hoaxes).
Some biographical data

After receiving a certificate of secondary education, Roland entered the Technical Faculty of the Latvian state university... During the years of occupation, as I already wrote, a graduate of the Riga University works at the enterprise Telefunken Geratewerk Riga, which then acquired the now well-known name “Radiotehnika”.

After the end of the occupation, Roland Paulovich continues to work at the same enterprise as a Soviet engineer. At that time, the future creator of the S-90 can literally be called a man of his time. His electro-acoustic engineering and design solutions often anticipated the inventions of Western engineers. Unlike many Soviet developers, Kerno did not repeat the already created samples, but developed either a fundamentally new technique, or simply original and not inferior to foreign analogues.

In the early 1960s, Roland suggested using a multiband design with frequency division using a passive filter to achieve high fidelity. Such systems were practically not produced in the USSR, and in the West, broadband was mainly used. This is one of the many innovative solutions that will find its application in both Soviet and Western mass products already in the 70s and 80s.

With his fundamental knowledge and bold technical solutions, Kerno earned the unspoken title of the patriarch of Soviet electroacoustics. He quickly became one of the leading developers of audio equipment at KB Orbita, which was part of the RRR Radiotehnika VEF software.
Prerequisites for the appearance of the S-90

As with the first Hi-Fi amplifier, on sheer enthusiasm, this speaker system could not appear. What was needed was the will of the leadership and the so-called. planned necessity. This need arose in 1975. At the exhibition "Svyaz 1975" the radio "Victoria 003" and the electrophone "Allegro 002" were presented.

The presented samples were being prepared for release over the next 2 years. With the serial production, a problem arose: for the radio and the turntable, there was no decent speaker system that could reveal their capabilities. The main criterion for the new speaker system was to be power. The terms of reference for developers included a nominal 35 W for each channel (i.e. about 100 W RMS).

The creation of such a system was entrusted to the Orbita Design Bureau. Kerno took advantage of the situation and laid down the new requirements of the HI-FI standard in the terms of reference for acoustics. By that time, having received several patents for electroacoustic inventions, Kerno decided to apply his developments to create speakers with high (by Soviet standards) fidelity of reproduction.
First steps - 35AS-1

As a result of an intense creative process, thanks to the intensive and well-coordinated work of the Orbita team under the leadership of Kerno, 35AS-1 was created in 1977. In fact, these are the same S-90s, only with a slightly different design. It was this speaker that became the first system to comply with the Hi-FI standard. The authors of the project are Kerno Roland Paulovich and Lasis Dzintars Arturovich.

Rated power ... 35 W

Nominal electrical resistance ... 4 Ohm

Frequency Response Range ... 31.5-20000 Hz

Nominal sound pressure ... 1.2 Pa

Overall dimensions of the speaker ... 360x710x285 mm

Speaker weight no more than ... 30 kg

The S-90 is a classic of Soviet column construction. According to the manual, the S-90 speaker system is designed for high-quality reproduction of sound programs in combination with various types of consumer radio equipment.

Well, for the early 80s, these were really outstanding speakers with high sound quality. However, foreign speaker construction is developing, and already at the beginning of the new century, the sound of the S-90 is perceived differently.

The high frequencies sound disgusting, the mids are simply NOT! And if we talk about bass, then a similar effect will be when a healthy bass player is placed in a large barrel ... Bottoms are mumbling in black. It's impossible to listen to D&B music, IDM also hits the ears. What can we say about classics and calm music. After an hour or two of listening, the ears begin to hurt (however, the head and stomach hurt no less). Despite these shortcomings, many people buy these speakers.

All of the following applies to speakers Radiotechnika S-90a (AC35-212). This is one of the very first releases (and one of the best), the characteristic features are 2 controls on the front panel, the treble and midrange speakers are shifted from the center, the speakers are paired, the impedance is 4 ohms. However, the meaning of the revision and the alteration itself can be easily applied to other S-90s (S-90b, S-90F, etc.), their counterparts (Orbit, Amfiton, etc.), as well as to homemade speakers ... The main criterion- the presence of 3 bands (speakers) and a bass reflex. The refinement of the speakers with a closed case (i.e. without a phase inverter) is somewhat different, I will write about this later. And yet - there are many options for improvement, so in some places I will describe in 2 ways. You will choose the most suitable one yourself.
I will not write a list of necessary materials - in most cases, everyone uses what is in this moment most accessible.

1) Disassembly

We take one speaker and put it on the floor with its back wall (this is the most convenient way to remove the speakers). Using a curly screwdriver, unscrew the 6 bolts securing the decorative plastic cover from the bottom of the column. Unscrew 4 bolts with a flat screwdriver and remove the decorative nameplates from the speakers and protective grilles.

Next, you will need a preheated soldering iron! Then we unscrew the 4 bolts securing the woofer and gently prying on one side of it, take it out of the case. We unsolder the wires (you can, of course, mark which one was soldered to - but it is better then check with the diagram and solder 100% correctly) and put it aside. We take out the midrange speaker from the case (it was attached with a nameplate) along with the glass in which it stands. We unsolder and put it to the bass. We take out the HF (squeaker) - it was also attached with a nameplate and unsoldered. If there is no mark on it at one of the terminals (+), we mark which wire was soldered where, then we look where it goes according to the scheme and find "+". We put it to the rest of the speakers.

Be careful with diffusers! The loudspeakers can only be taken by the magnet or the diffuser support !!!
Unscrew 4 screws on the bass reflex and carefully remove it from the case. It rests on the sealant, the main thing here is not to use excessive force - it can break! We take out from the body 2 "sausages" of cotton wool (if it is there). We unscrew and remove the filter from the case (it can be either on an iron chassis or on a wooden bar). The wires leading to it can be bitten off with pliers (they all need to be replaced early). With disassembly, everything! Now we need to refine and assemble.

2) Modification of the case - it is advisable to strengthen the back side of the case with wooden slats (fasten with screws and epoxy). It is also necessary to put a wooden spacer in the center of the column (between the rear wall and the front one) at the level of the midrange of the glass. (The main thing is to pay attention to the possibility to put the bass reflex on then !!!) This is necessary to reduce the vibrations of the case - turn it on louder and put your hand - the case is shaking! It is also necessary to check the tightness of the case at the joints and, if necessary, coat the joints with epoxy glue or sealant.

3) Refinement of the filter: You will need a schematic.

The point is to remove the switches from the circuit, replace the wires with audio from oxygen-free copper, solder the speakers directly to the filter, solder the lead wire directly to the filter and shorten the signal path

In the absence of finance, you can also supply suitable copper from the Soviet. The meaning of the selection of wires is that the speaker is stranded to the woofer, the larger the cross section, the better (but not less than 2.5 mm2, and it is bad to solder more than 4 mm2), the midrange can be stranded at least 1.5 mm2, and to the high frequency - single-core at least 1 mm2 (I recommend using a twisted pair cable of the fifth category for + and -). It should be said that the selection of wires is a delicate matter. There is still fierce debate over the choice of speaker wire. I express my personal opinion. I advise you not to skimp and buy at least the cheapest audio cable! The sound quality greatly depends on it! Take my word for it.

I also highly recommend remounting all the filter parts on a small piece of plywood / piece of wood, so that you put the filter on the bottom of the speaker, next to the bass reflex. This is important (especially if the filter is mounted on an iron plate). It is necessary to fasten the inductors to the new board not with iron screws, but with something plastic or put on epoxy. So, we replace all the wires on the filter board - we install them directly to the outputs of the capacitors, removing the contact plates from them.

I will not give the sequence of replacing the wires. As well as tips where to solder wires from LF, MF and HF. I hope you figure it out :). If you can't cope, invite a knowledgeable person (one who can distinguish a capacitor from a resistor will do). As a last resort - write me an e-mail [email protected]... We're done with the filter - put it aside.

4) Casing damping:

The point is, if possible, to absorb and dissipate all standing waves inside the body. The criterion for choosing a material - the denser and thicker (felt) - the better it absorbs, the thinner and lighter (synthetic winterizer), respectively, worse. It is best to make a pancake - coat the body with sound-absorbing mastic (an automobile is suitable), then glue a layer of felt under 1 cm + LF part with another such layer and stick the pieces of felt randomly on top. It is also recommended to cover it with a layer of material for kitchen hoods - I don’t know, I haven’t seen it. I did it myself - everything is upholstered with felt 1.5 cm + the lower part is another 1.5 + pieces. The sound absorber must be glued all over the inside of the case. After installing the first layer of felt, I recommend putting the filter board (with wires soldered to it) and the phase inverter on the bottom of the column (otherwise you won't stick it in later!), Put the remaining layers of the sound absorber, closing the filter. and also wrap the bass reflex with a sound absorber (the main thing is not to close the inner section of the pipe and keep direct access from the bass diffuser to the bass reflex). It is necessary to look after the internal volume of the case - it should not be excessively reduced - it will affect the depth of the bass! With the body finished.

By the way - I advise those who wish to find household felt, with a thickness of under 1.5 cm.

5) midrange speaker and its glass.

I highly recommend replacing the standard 15GD-11A (or its clone) with a broadband 6-GDSH-5-4 or 6-GDSH-5-8. The difference between them is that the first has a resistance of 4 ohms, and the second has 8 ohms. Accordingly, when installing 6-GDSH-5-8, the filter does not need to be changed, and when installing 6-GDSH-5-4 in the wire break (no difference, "-" or "+") put a 4 Ohm resistor large (6-10 W) power. For this, the resistor R3 (4.3 Ohm) from the midrange divider (column 35AC212) is just suitable. Don't be afraid to lose power from this replacement! You will only benefit in sound quality. The method has already been tested on many S-90s, there are no negative reviews, the power has not decreased. Moreover, competitors for the 6-GDSH-5 still need to be looked for (even among foreign analogues). And this is at the cost of a pair of these broadband (new!) $ 4-6. They have only one minus - appearance. Although I like it :).

For the midrange, you need to make a PAS. This means closing the windows of the diffuser holder for back side dynamics with a layer of foam rubber 0.5-0.8 cm thick. Quilted batting is also suitable. It is convenient to cut off a strip of foam rubber with a width of 4-5 cm and a length equal to a little less than the perimeter of the speaker, sew and pull over the windows (for 15GD-11A). Then sew with threads to the supports. We made a PAS (be sure to do it - it degrades the quality factor, which is vitally necessary for almost all Soviet midrange used in the S-90 15GD11, all the more so!) - you can install the glass and speaker in place. Insert the glass into the body and wrap the outside with 2-3 layers of good dense sound absorber. It is convenient to cut off the bootleg, suitable in height and width, from the felt boot, put it in the case, and already place the midrange glass in it. Inside, the glass must also be pasted over with a layer of sound absorber (felt just right). The meaning of such damping is to exclude the influence of the bass head on the midrange. Then you need to put fluffed cotton wool in the glass and you can put the midrange speaker in place. First check the correctness of its phasing.

When connecting penlight battery by 1.5V + k + dynamics, and - k-, the diffuser moves forward. Phasing check is important! We solder the wires to it (+ according to the scheme to + on the speaker) and put them in the case through a rubber gasket, between the midrange and the glass. Rubber 2-3mm thick. It is convenient to use window rubber insulation made in the form of hollow tubes and with a self-adhesive side.

We put the speaker, seal it with plasticine and fasten it with a nameplate on top, putting rubber pads on the screws between it and the speaker. It is better not to put a protective grille - it spoils the sound. Have you seen any good imported speakers with speaker grilles? When installing 6-GDSH-5 under the nameplate, it will be necessary to put rubber gaskets about 1 cm thick on the screws.

More about the midrange speaker. If you do not want to put another midrange, you can modify the old one, for example. Although, if you have a speaker with a rubber, rather than fabric, suspension, it is better to use a 6GDSH!

6) Vata:

This is a sweet word for vata ... It has a huge impact on both the overall sound and the bass in particular! So one day I reduced the amount by half. The speakers began to emit not a bass, but some kind of hum ...

So, we sew a couple of gauze bags (35 cm by 35 cm) and fill them with cotton wool from those 2 sausages that were taken out of the case, so that the first bag contains almost the entire sausage, the second one is less than half of the second. Fluff the cotton wool. We place these bags in the upper part of the case under the nest for

HF and next to the MF glass. Fluff the remaining half of the cotton sausage and simply throw it on the bottom of the column, on the filter wrapped in felt. In my opinion, this is the best arrangement of cotton wool in these columns.

7) HF head.

We solder according to the scheme. We put it into the case through a rubber gasket and fasten it with a nameplate on top. We do not put a protective grill either!
Uhh ... A hell of a job done, but not much left! Let's continue.

8) Woofer.

We solder (it is advisable to check the phasing, like the midrange) and put it through a rubber gasket (required!), Screw it with bolts, again through rubber washers and seal it with a plasticine sealant. We put a nameplate on top.

9) End of assembly.

We put the plastic front, tighten all the bolts and wipe the front panel.

Yes - a few little things (quite important!): Let the wires to the HF and MF under the layer of the sound absorber, and wrap them to the LF; carefully check the phasing, keep in mind that the bass and midrange in the S-90 are connected in antiphase; be sure to place the speakers on rubber pads; remove all parts from the plates of the disconnected HF and MF dividers, and cover them with a sound absorber; do not skimp on wires; remove the grills; do not stifle volume; the bass reflex pipe should freely communicate with the surface of the speaker cone; gauze is clamped inside the phase inverter pipe - it is needed there; put the speakers on spikes (for example); It is better to solder the connecting cable to the filter immediately, it is much cheaper than buying good connectors.

38444

Modernization of S-90 speakers by replacing standard cases with a labyrinthine design of bass dynamics

Upgrade of the labyrinth design S-90 stuffing squares with cotton wool and sticking on the inner surface of a woolen blanket
At first, only the frontal knees of the labyrinth were pasted over with wool, then the side surfaces too
Ready-made maze S-90 with wool-pasted inner surfaces

Alteration of the most famous speakers of the USSR Radio engineering S-90

Alexander Rogozhin came up with the know-how of how to translate the S-90 Radiotechnics speakers, most known to most Russian-speaking people, into labyrinthine buildings. The article is devoted to the most widespread acoustics of the Soviet period that was considered the standard for more than 20 years, which in its first generation was called 35AS-1. And Rogozhin proposes to make speakers with the name "Cheap, Loud and Super Bass" out of 35AS-1 (Radio Engineering S-90)!

Ode to speakers Radio engineering S-90 (35AS-1)

There is no such person who speaks Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, who at least once in his life did not hear the famous Soviet speakers Radiotechnika S-90, or did not have one of their modifications made in the mezzanine, in the closet, at home or on the hacienda. over 30 years. You can think anything about their sound, appearance, rubber speakers, but in fact these are the MOST common "People's" speakers in the vastness of the former USSR. They still work in tens of thousands in the systems of music lovers who feel sorry for throwing them away. in comparison with the branded "remake" they play very, very worthy.

If a person has a choice on which speakers to listen to music: with bass, loudly, and for ridiculous money, then despite all the disadvantages of the S-90 Radio Engineering, they have practically no competitors, and before they were even less so. In the late USSR, in addition to the S-90 speakers, of course, there appeared "clones" ripped off from the best foreign samples, for example - Electronics 100AC063 or 75AC-063. But they were very expensive and not widely used, they could not compete in popularity with the S-90 acoustics. To get three full-fledged bands from any other speakers with the same power as the S-90, a 10-inch woofer and almost nothing was impossible in principle. Now it is even more relevant.

Tens of thousands of these speakers still work in the rooms of young and not so people who are unable to carry out complex projects on expensive imported speaker heads. For obvious reasons, many of our compatriots are in no hurry to abandon the acoustics of the Radio Engineering S-90. They are not eager to run to the store and buy beautiful branded speakers, which for the most part differ from the S-90 only in appearance, which often cannot be said about their sound.

Nevertheless, we all love to listen to music, we all have a good mood when we want to turn it on "to the fullest." Everyone loves high-quality bass, without which almost any music loses its foundation and most of its emotions. Many styles of music are impossible to listen to without bass. without it, the lion's share of important musical information disappears. The soul asks OOUH! And the low frequencies are actually quite thin thing, in order to adequately sound and make an impression, they ask for large speakers, enclosures and powers. But even with all this (in large speakers such as S-90), the bass often turns out to be buzzing, drawn out and indistinct, and does not give us the "buzz" that, in theory, it should give. We quickly get tired of such a bass and begin to turn the tone control knobs or switch the equalizer modes on the receiver. And instead of getting pleasure - to get irritated and think about the imperfection of this mortal world ... Almost all music lovers and owners of this acoustics, in particular, have found themselves in such a situation more than once.

Bass problems S-90

The reason that over the past 30 years the owners of the S-90 radio engineering acoustics and its numerous modifications are not satisfied with its sound and somehow they are trying to cope with this problem lies in several reasons. The main problem of the S-90 speakers, confirmed by repeated research by specialists, is a mistake made in the design of the low-frequency design of the 30GD-2 speaker. Having gone into the series, the error led to the fact that the potential of high-quality low frequency reproduction, originally laid down in the S-90 Radio Engineering model and its modifications, is not realized even by 20-30% of the possible ones.

A huge number of S-90 owners, almost from the moment they appeared on sale in the 80s and up to the present day, are trying to improve the low frequencies of these speakers by conjuring with filters, reworking bass reflex pipes, strengthening their native cases and filling them with anything.

Dear music lovers! I urge you to stop doing nonsense, because it is absolutely useless ... The S-90 speakers from the factory have a body with a volume of only 45 liters - NOT corresponding to the optimal operating mode of the 30GD-2, 75GDN1-4 speaker installed in it. You can trim it at least with the root of rare rocks and glue it over with porous rubber on all sides - it will NOT work correctly anyway.

That is, the question of drastically improving the performance of these speakers at low frequencies, it is regrettable as it may be - the question of replacing the case, rises in full growth.

The task is somewhat complicated by the fact that in 30 years it was released great amount modifications of speakers 35АС-1 with low-frequency speakers 30GD2 / 75GDN1-4 (8), having a wide range of parameters. In the new enclosures, this problem has been largely resolved and allows speakers from the earliest releases to the latest to feel right. The tuning of the new enclosures is "stretched" and allows NOT to engage in the selection of subwoofers on purpose.

Mid-frequency problemsS-90

Almost all owners of the s-90 speakers note disgusting overtones and a large uneven response at midrange frequencies, which become especially noticeable at medium and high volumes. All grandiose projects for reworking filters by installing expensive imported capacitors in them, replacing wires, resistors, etc. as well as the options for sticking half of a tennis ball, etc. to the midrange cone. fail.

The main reason for the unsatisfactory sounding at medium frequencies is not the 15GD-11 speaker at all, but its acoustic design. This "glass", covering the midrange head from behind, has a scanty volume and is the second mistake made by the engineers who designed the S-90 speakers. The “glass” of the mid-frequency head 15GD-11 (20GDS ...) has everything wrong, from the volume and configuration to the interior design. When replacing the casing of the s90 speakers with the correct one from the point of design of the woofer, the mid-range speaker should also be designed accordingly.

Of course, replacing a "scanty" standard glass with an acoustic design that is optimal in terms of volume and shape will not make the 15GD11 head another speaker, but it will give it the opportunity to do what it can do initially.

What can you get

As a result, the updated S-90 speakers will sound radically different not only at low, but also at mid frequencies. On the Internet there are a large number of attempts to alter the S-90 speakers in order to "deceive everyone" and turn them into studio monitors. Attempts concern everything, just not replacing the main "weak point" - the case, and most often they fail. While keeping the S-90 speaker enclosures unchanged, to radically change the sound, you need to change the speakers to modern ones or design three-way speakers from scratch, which most music lovers do not dare to do.

I suggest leaving the original set of S-90 speakers intact. Their value is in the minimum budget and no matter how clever you may be, proven by decades of operation in the most severe conditions - performance.

In these speakers there is something that can be improved in principle, this is to "get the maximum possible" from its speakers. To do this, you need to make an acoustically correct case for the original set of speakers and filters. As a result, you can reach a fundamentally new level of sound quality of these speakers without spoiling anything.

As a bonus, the old cases can not be thrown away and, if necessary, the "stock" S-90s can be assembled back and sold to any lover of authentic speakers made in the USSR.

Problems of native boxesS-90

• The wrong volume of low-frequency design does not give the required level of pressure on the bass;
• Suboptimal bass reflex tuning frequency leads to uneven bass response and poor bass quality;
• The type of low-frequency design "bass reflex" in combination with a "tight" speaker on a rubber suspension leads to an extended and monotonous "hum" at low frequencies, instead of a clear percussive bass;
• Phase-inverted acoustic design leads to significant unevenness of sound pressure at low frequencies in the room, and makes demands on obtaining high power from the amplifier;
• Weak walls of the S-90 speaker boxes lead to a loss of efficiency at low frequencies and give noticeable overtones when working at high volumes;
• Poor sealing of the boxes does not allow even the low-frequency design that the S-90 speakers in the stock version have;
• The extremely small volume of the cap of the mid-frequency head 15GD11 (20GDS-) leads to a "jamming" of the mid-frequency dynamics;
• Suboptimal damping of a small boxing midrange leads to noticeable overtones and "nasal" in the midrange;
• The shape and dimensions of the S-90 speaker cabinets in the stock version require their installation on furniture, which leads to a "wobbly position" of the speakers, resonance of furniture at high volume and, as a result, to a deterioration in the sound of low frequencies;
• The “low-profile” shape of the speaker enclosures requires them to be mounted on specialized speaker stands, which ultimately increases the cost of the system. Placing 35AC-1 speakers on the floor leads to a lack of high frequencies and an incorrect scene.

Benefits of new enclosures

• The design of the low-frequency head is a quarter-wave labyrinth with its radical advantages at low frequencies over a bass reflex ( detailed description here);
• The optimally calculated frequency and Q-factor of the quarter-wave resonator give a wide bandwidth and an optimal level of low frequencies;
• The highest rigidity of the box gives the highest possible efficiency, clean, resilient and biting sound at low frequencies;
• Rigid boxing of a large volume of the midrange head gives a lively and open mids and clear vocals;
• The location of the mid and tweeters on the front panel with respect to the distances to the walls of the cabinet according to the principle of "golden ratio" reduces diffraction phenomena on vocals and high frequencies and makes the sound much more comfortable;
• With the new enclosures, the acoustics is transformed into a classic floor-standing design with optimally positioned midrange and tweeter speakers;
• The speakers have narrower and taller front bezels than the standard S-90 and do not require any stands. Appearance columns are improved many times over.

Who does not remember the famous C-90 speakers from the 70s? (In fact, there was the Latin letter S, and therefore this Riga product was called the Radiotehnika S-90 acoustic system, but the habit of not trusting everything foreign also came from that time, and then not everyone knew that the Balts use the Latin alphabet.) in the club (in the 80s called discos) they did not go into such details, and therefore they still call these columns C-90. This article will be devoted to literally legendary Soviet-era acoustics.

Nostalgia

"Radio Engineering S-90" was considered one of the better systems of that time and was in demand everywhere. Concerts in houses of culture in the most remote corners of our country, amateur performances, school evenings with songs and dances - everywhere this equipment was irreplaceable. Some irresponsible comrades risked rehearsals at home, and the C-90 speakers created an unforgettable sound effect in absolutely all apartments of the panel five-story building. The neighbors' "gratitude" was also indescribable. They can be understood. Even if the owner "turned on" the average volume, extraneous sounds simply evaporated: the howling of dogs, the knocking of neighbors on the batteries, and the sound of sluggish bass from ordinary speakers two floors higher disappeared somewhere.

The column "Radiotekhnika" announced either about an approaching earthquake, or about a military fighter jet, in low-level flight, touching the roof. The chandeliers bounced, the crystal in the sideboards tinkled subtly, and everything in the room that was not fixed clearly vibrated. Although it must be said that the C-90 speakers in their class were not considered the most powerful, and were not, an amplifier was installed to them. By the way, working versions of this equipment are snapped up today. It is worth such, even a heavily used retro technique is very expensive. Column "Radiotechnics" of any modification in working order will cost from four thousand rubles. One!

Description

The "Radiotekhnika" acoustic system of the highest (zero) class 35 AC-1 went on sale in 1977 and was immediately named S-90. The loudspeakers had the best characteristics for those times, especially considering that only Soviet equipment was in use. They were developed purely for domestic use, and this was done by the Orbita design bureau at the Radiotekhnika Riga production association. Subsequently, the entire series of these acoustic systems received the C-90 brand.

The columns of their characteristics fully and completely justified, they were not inferior to imported ones in anything, significantly surpassing all domestic ones. In order for the sound of the acoustic system to be complete, an amplifier such as "Electronics" or "Amfiton" was necessarily connected to it. In the frequency range from 31.5 to almost 20 kHz, the speakers worked with a nominal power of 35 watts. Moreover, the passport had a capacity of ninety. The sound pressure, the results of which are written above, was 1.2 Pa.

About disadvantages

The weight of one column sometimes exceeded thirty kilograms. They cost three hundred rubles per pair (the engineer earned from ninety to one hundred and twenty rubles a month). However, few people saw them on free sale. Loudspeakers Many people bought the S-90 one at a time, despite the fact that there were no guarantees that when buying a second one, it would be possible to make a well-tuned pair out of them. However, even if a pair was bought, no one guaranteed its balance either: for example, the right speaker of the C-90 gathered all its power together and persistently sounded louder than the left. This is despite the fact that the equipment was positioned as having the highest quality category.

This shortcoming is not the only one that the C-90 column could have. The tweeters often broke down as thin and weak wires themselves were not very practical. At midrange, the sound was frankly bad and often spoiled the whole impression. Other electronics next to these masses of the acoustic system could not withstand, and the magnetic field created by the speakers negatively influenced a person. And yet it was the S-90 that could ideally create surround sound in an ordinary apartment of a standard panel house. In general, there were no particular complaints about the sound.

Installation

The shortcomings that the Soviet S-90 speakers had did not stop music lovers of all Russia. They remained for several decades the most popular acoustic system. Many thousands of pages on the forums are devoted to them today. This is one of the brightest symbols of a bygone era, which, moreover, possessed reliability and durability, which modern gadgets do not even have a trace of. The C-90 columns were impressive (36 x 71 x 28.5 cm), so they required correct installation, which was not always combined with the possibilities.

The apartments were rather cramped (and even now the conditions are the same), and therefore one could see the speakers half a meter from the listener. While the ideal way for the best sound is to put them on a pedestal just half a meter high and keep at least two meters from the listener's ear. A rare room has such advantages, the required area is often not enough, and therefore they listened to the real sound that this equipment was capable of, perhaps the neighbors.

Appearance

The column S-90 has a simple and soundly made case - a non-separable rectangular box made of chipboard, finished with high quality veneer made of valuable wood species. The wall thickness is sixteen millimeters, and the bezel is made of twenty-two millimeters aviation plywood. The joints of the walls and inner sides are reinforced with special elements that increase the rigidity and strength of the body.

The heads are decorated with black decorative frames, stamped from aluminum sheet. They are also protected by a metal mesh. On the front panel, the mid-frequency head is insulated inside by a conical plastic casing, the low-frequency head is located along the vertical axis. In the lower part of the column there is a cover plate made of plastic with a nameplate. There is also an opening of 100 x 80 millimeters - this is the output of the phase inverter. Amplitude-frequency response (AFC) is displayed on the nameplate, all curves correspond to the positions of the regulators. There is also the actual name of the speaker system and the brand name. The above-described frame with fabric is attached to the front panel with bushings. At the bottom of the rear wall there is a terminal block.

Inside

The internal volume is filled with a sound absorber made of technical cotton wool, covered with gauze. Thus, the influence of sound pressure on the frequency response is reduced and a better sounding of the speaker is achieved by eliminating resonances in the internal volume. Inside the case there are electrical filters on the board that separate the bands of the speaker system. The set also included four plastic legs for attaching to the base of the case, as well as a decorative removable frame with knitted fabric, adding acoustic transparency.

A rare speaker system of those times possesses such qualities as the C-90 speakers - the sound power is simply off scale! But at a volume close to the maximum volume, the low frequencies become illegible and booming, and the tops begin to clatter - this is a characteristic feature of the 6GDV-1-16 high-frequency heads. A little later, when similar products began to go on sale - "Amfiton 35AS-018", "Orbit 35AS-016" and others, a different head was used. Sometimes analogs of this speaker system gave a deeper and more balanced sound than the original S-90 speakers.

S-90 ruler

All modifications of the S-90 and even all its analogues were certainly aimed at using cassettes. The tweeter reproduces sound quite well in the upper frequency range thanks to a cassette deck and a Soviet amplifier. But if the lower and middle parts of the high-frequency range are reproduced just fine, then the very top is different from them, therefore it receives complaints for the alleged blockages of the frequency response and unevenness.

And the "Orbit" column of the S-90 line of the Moscow plant turned out to be a truly worthy alternative to the Riga "Radiotekhnika". This modification with a similar set acoustic heads differed only in the presence of a double-tube phase inverter at the very bottom of the case. As a result, the bass became lower and thicker. However, problems with hum and illegibility remained at high power, and the upper frequencies clinked in the same way as in the "Radio Engineering S-90".

Manual upgrade

Many music lovers nevertheless made their own dream come true: they bought the legendary S-90 speakers and began to modify them with a "file". The solution is budgetary, exciting, and then the sound is the envy of everyone. Outside, over the past thirty years, the speakers, of course, have lost their former chic in almost a hundred percent of cases, but the main thing here is that no one dig deeper inside. You need to start work, enriching your arsenal with tools. You will need a basic set of screwdrivers, pliers, and a soldering iron. The first step is to remove the front panel, for which you need to unscrew a dozen or two different screws.

When disassembling, it is imperative to check whether the filling corresponds to the passport. So that at high frequencies it was 10GD-35, at medium frequencies - 15GD-11A, and at low frequencies, for example, 35GD (well, or whatever is stated in the passport). Loudspeakers are most often damaged, since it is possible to ditch the equipment in one day, and even more so in thirty years. For example, a lot of furniture rearrangements and removals could have happened. Most likely something is damaged. For example, a woofer. Its reanimation will require additional work. We need to rewind the reel. In principle, it is not so difficult if you know some of the subtleties and at least a few times previously encountered the rewinding process. After winding, centering and drying, the sound of the speaker will be perfect - all extraneous overtones will disappear.

Domes

Columns S-90, as everyone knows, most often upset with the sound of HF - with overtones. And at the middle frequencies, voicedness is often absent. Craftsmen recommend basically the same thing: replace the midrange, high frequency and damp the body. But it's better not to look for easy ways. It's just that the speakers are covered with plastic domes. This material is absolutely inappropriate.

Silk domes will remove overtones and make the sound more transparent. Therefore, the speakers can be safely replaced. While one speaker is being upgraded, it is imperative to test the sound and compare it with the one that the upgrade is just expecting, that is, with the original. Then it becomes absolutely clear whether to leave the alteration or return everything as it was. The main thing is that the owner of speakers and golden hands also has good hearing.

Wiring and housing

To improve the sound of low frequencies, the body needs to be reworked. Down with cotton-gauze mattresses! The stores sell inexpensive batting, which will make an excellent filling pad. And for just a little over a hundred rubles! All this can be done quickly and without any effort: the batting is two meters wide, enough for two columns, but you need a furniture stapler or a friend who has one. Before installation, just in case, it is better to change all the wiring, remove the switches. Cut out the batting in two layers and boldly sheathe the body.

The bass reflex pipe is placed on the sealant, and then it is also covered with batting. There is not much work with the filter itself. Switches are never needed, so they can be removed, like all unnecessary items from the board. All these thirty-year-old thin wiring should be replaced with normal copper wires at all connections. Next, the filter freed from all unnecessary things must be carefully installed in the case and closed with batting. The entire midrange box outside should also go under the material mentioned above.

Outcomes

Judging by the reviews of home craftsmen, such simple modifications have changed the sound of the technique for the better, just indescribably. The bass became clear, the top - transparent, light. After replacing the speaker at the midrange, the vocals sounded completely different.

Whatever the snobs might say, the Soviets were at the highest level. Even now they can bypass many modern "buzzer". And after appropriate refinement, even budget speakers from Yamaha cannot be compared with them. And now we will look at the legendary Radiotehnika S90. This is a symbol Even abroad they celebrated high quality this (in due time). Therefore, it makes sense to consider these columns. Moreover, many use them to this day.

A bit of history

Speakers Radiotehnika S90 were first released in the early eighties of the last century. They were produced by a plant located in Latvia, which became an additional incentive for citizens to purchase them. Despite the rather high price, the speakers flew like hotcakes. People saved up for a long time, malnourished, hiccuped them wherever possible. They even bought used acoustic systems. If only to decorate their closets with "Radiotekhnika".

Nowadays, many audiophiles are still chasing this speaker system. Columns "Radiotekhnika" are the dream of every connoisseur of high-quality sound. But now they can only be purchased on the secondary market. And it is far from the fact that they will be in an acceptable state (they are, nevertheless, this speaker system can give odds to many modern speakers. And after appropriate refinement, it turns into Hi-End class acoustics. And this is a completely different level.

Appearance and design

Looks impressive from "Radiotekhnika". This is very large speakers... Each of them weighs about 15-20 kilograms. This is not to mention the fact that it is not very convenient to carry them due to their bulky and voluminous body. The front panel (like the entire body) is covered with veneer. There are some color combinations... The speakers are covered with a metal mesh. Only the tweeter is not covered with protection. This, of course, is good, but it does not affect the acoustic properties of the speakers. the best way... Nevertheless, the design is quite acceptable. Much better than other "clumsy" Soviet-made columns.

FROM right side there are two mode switches from the mid-range and tweeter loudspeakers. It is not known why they were put here. A normal amplifier itself is capable of switching modes. And the work of the speakers is to reproduce the sound correctly. Nevertheless, such switches are available in Radiotehnika S90. But in the process of revision, they can be removed, because they affect the overall sound quality in a very negative way. But for those who appreciate retro and antiques, such offers will seem like blasphemy.

Specifications

So, let's move on to the stingy numbers. The normal power of the speakers is 35 watts. But these handsome men can easily betray even 90. That is why they were called "the neighbors' nightmare". However, for their full disclosure, stereo amplifiers of appropriate power are required. Only then will this speaker system really sound. The frequency range starts at 20 hertz and ends at 25,000 hertz. This wide range allows the speakers to reproduce almost all instruments fairly faithfully. The frequency response is quite acceptable for a speaker system of this level. No miracles can be expected from her. But the sound is quite decent.

Now for the fun part - the woofer. This is the legendary "Dean 75 GD". The thing, of course, is good, but it does not come out of it with a perfectly authentic bass. If the woofer is at least something of itself, then the mid-range and low-frequency speakers, although they cope with their task, cannot be called "kosher". Plain paper "bubnelki". It is much better to replace them with Kevlar or silk domes during rework. That's when the big speakers will sound. And it's better to rewind the low-frequency speaker, as in used speakers it is often burnt out due to "super-mega bass".

Sound quality

As mentioned above, the "Radio Engineering" speakers with standard components cannot boast of a very clean and correct sound. But the quality is enough for not very demanding listeners. Acoustic system copes well with instrumental music (light rock, jazz, blues), electronic music is also good. But heavy and other subgenres of great and terrible metal are not very good. That is, the speakers reproduce it as expected, but the subwoofer twitches so that it can easily break. Especially when listening to those groups that often abuse the gimbal on the "barrel".

The classics also go well. This is probably the only genre that the Radiotehnika S90 copes with perfectly. All instruments sound crystal clear. Nothing is running ahead. Even audiophiles may well enjoy listening to classics on these speakers. However, it will not work to call this speaker system a Hi-End item. To reach this level, the columns will have to be modified. In the standard configuration, this is an average but confident hi-fi. And the Soviet man did not need more.

Amplifiers for S90

In order for passive acoustics to sound good, you also need quality amplifiers stereo. It should be noted that the "nineties" can only swing and fully reveal a very powerful amplifier. The Soviet machines "Brig" and "Odyssey" will perfectly cope with such work. These monsters are able to squeeze everything out of the speakers. The Amfiton U-001 will do well. Just do not try to connect this speaker system to "Vega 50U". The amplifier will immediately refuse to work even at minimum volume.

The "Radiotekhnika" amplifier is an ideal option for this speaker system. They were produced in huge batches, with varying power and resistance. Therefore, finding such a thing in the secondary market is not a problem. There are more than enough amplifiers suitable for the power of such a plan. You can, of course, puzzle yourself and connect these speakers to a completely modern receiver such as Yamaha. But then such a kit will go far beyond the "budget" one. And such a decision is not worth the trouble. It's like putting a Porsche engine into a Zaporozhets. It is possible, but it makes no sense.

Price S90

Now let's analyze the most interesting quality of Radiotehnika S90. The price on the secondary market depends on the "kill" of the kit and its originality. Speakers in a standard configuration and in good condition will cost from 1,000 to 2,000 rubles. Depending on how good they look. Columns with a whole internal system cost almost the same. You can even find almost unused ones. It all depends on the seller and the buyer's degree of awareness. Speakers modified according to all the rules will cost more, since this is already a speaker system of a completely different class. They will cost about 3,000 rubles.

Amplifier "Radiotekhnika" will also cost about the same amount. Monsters such as "Brig" or "Odysseus" in perfect condition, will pull somewhere for 15,000 rubles. But the problem is that finding them is almost impossible. In total, the approximate cost of a complete set will be approximately 6,000 rubles. Much better than an obscure Chinese speaker system for the same price. However, this is an approximate cost. It may vary depending on the degree of development of the speaker system and its condition. But it still turns out to be much more profitable. And the sound quality will be up to par.

Positive feedback from the owners

Now let's look at the reviews about the Radiotehnika S90 speaker system. The amplifier is a separate topic, so we will not consider it here. So what do the owners say? Positive and negative reviews about these speakers go head to head. Literate audiophiles have long finished their "nineties" and therefore their responses are laudatory eulogies to the Soviet speakers. There is a clear sound, clearly traced bass, wide range, versatility (for all genres) with some equalizer settings. Also, a completely wooden case has become an important plus for many. And the power of these speakers is the talk of the town. This quality was noted by everyone.

Negative owner reviews

However, there are also such snobs who are not satisfied with the sound quality of this speaker system. They note the lack of rendering of the mid and high frequencies (and this is true). The case just rattles after so many years of use. The woofer thumps out of place. But, comrades, you need to monitor any thing and carry out timely prevention. This also applies to speakers. After the appropriate procedures, they will sound completely different. Disgruntled S90 Owners - Take Note!

Conclusion

Radiotehnika S90 is one of the most preferred budget options... It copes with its duties much better than any modern acoustics originally from China, perfectly lends itself to refinement and can provide Hi-End sound. What else does a music lover need to be happy?