Here a collection of some vintage Philips loudspeakers.

Like many continental European products, Philips speakers have never met the favor of Hi-Fi magazines and reviewers.

Philips, as well as Grundig, Saba or Telefunken was considered the typical brand suitable for consumer market because essentially producing radios and televisions.

For this reason, the only systems present in an audiophile's living room were the American, Japanese or English.

However, we must not forget that, compared to small English producers, often one-man companies, the Philips, Grundig, Saba and Telefunken had immeasurably superior resources and know-how.

Thus was born the curiosity to try four pairs of Philips speakers produced between 1967 and 1976.

At first listening all these loudspeakers give a  good qualities but also obvious limitations.

Among all, those that showed the greatest potential and that have been the subject of the update described below are the model 22RH457.

This is a three-way 35 liter net volume with 20 cm paper woofer + passive radiator.

The medium frequencies are reproduced with a 5 cm dome midrange (AD 0210) and the high with a 1 inch tweeter (AD 0161).

The crossover frequencies are 580Hz and 3000Hz.

The components are of good quality but the construction leaves a lot to be desired, at least by actual standards.

In particular, in the crossover there are electrolytic capacitors which are at least 45 years old and which, in fact, when measured showed completely altered values ​​compared to the original design.

Even the speaker gaskets were completely crumbled and the cables very long and very thin.

The small thickness of the walls of the speakers made the bass quite boomy.

In this regard, taking advantage of past experiences, it was decided not to stiffen the piece of furniture with wooden strips but to dampen the resonances with a waterproofing sheath and this essentially for two reasons: the first not to subtract volume inside the case and the second for not moving the resonances in the mid range where they would have been more annoying to the ear.

woofer      AD8066/W4 + passive
midrange  AD0210SQ4
tweeter     AD0162T8

Service manual

Follows the frequency response of all drivers without the filter.

Follows the original filter

Follows the original frequency response at 70cm, consider that electrolytic capacitors have changed value over time.

This is the new filter

Follows the new frequency response

near field 30cm with thd

at 1m with MLS

this is the impedance

Here the photos of the new crossover

A tar paper was applied to the bottom of the cabinet to reduce resonances.