Reference 3A upgrades!


Posting this as both a thank you to Mr. Tash and as information for anyone who’s contemplating upgrading their Reference 3A’s. I just received back my Royal Virtuoso monitors with every viable upgrade option and what I have here before me is a VAST improvement over the original. I’m running them 24/7 to break in, the beryllium tweeter is pretty badass, superb definition with apparently zero fatigue. Communication was good and turnaround time was about 2 weeks after all the options were decided. Bonus points to Tash for tolerating my relentless questions. Exemplary customer service from Divergent Technologies, I couldn’t be more satisfied.

Here’s the work order:

  • Larger bucking-magnets added to the existing magnets.
  • Solid Delrin acoustic lenses are installed to the core of the driver magnet.
  • New set of multiple KPM polypropylene capacitors in parallel, with a Mundorf oil and small Teflon by pass capacitors installed.

This replaces existing old paper in oil capacitors (also excellent but a little too slow for the new beryllium dome tweeters).    

  • Heavy steel tension rods are installed across the cabinet and new more effective  acoustic materials added inside.
  • Gold plated copper binding posts are installed replacing the old connectors.
  • Beryllium dome tweeters with microfiber textile material clad flanges installed.
  • New shorting jumpers made of 7Ns pure OCC copper/Teflon conductor will be supplied.
  • Soft brass screws are used for mounting the drivers.
  • Rearranged the mechanical grounding of the main drivers to accommodate the bucking magnets.
  • Special heavy gauge OFC Litz and thiner pure 7Ns copper OCC/Teflon tweeter  wires are used to rewire the speakers.
  • Damaged speaker grill repaired inc new fabric.

 

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@testpilot

$980 total of which, $489 for the Beryllium tweeter job…shipping was a separate unavoidable expense. Each speaker fits into it’s own aluminum flight case, round trip total NY to Canada and back was close to $600. Brutal 😫

Ouch on the shipping charge. But,what is one to do?  Sounds like you have yourself new speakers for $1000.  Sounds very reasonable.  

Shipping cost notwithstanding, the upgrade cost appears to be more than reasonable.

Congrats. Reference 3a makes a fine speaker. I owned the Grand Veenas two separate times. Excellent sound.