[IanATC]

I really like Kef 103.2, and 104.2.  They make music, and magic.

Linn's older bookshelves do wonders also.  They are limited dynamically, but for nearfeild/midfeild they are nice.

I think Yamaha's NS-1000m/x  are probably the best speakers that ever came from Japan. I'd love a pair, but can't ever find them.  Same goes for 104/2.

[Double Ugly]

I'm not familiar with the "m/x" designation.

Would these do?

DU

[IanATC]

I'm not familiar with the "m/x" designation.

Would these do?

DU

The NS-1000M were the original speakers with beryllium tweeter and midrange.  The "x"  version is newer.

[Double Ugly]

Though the ad doesn't mention it, I believe the speakers I linked have the beryllium drivers.  Am I mistaken?

DU

[IanATC]

Though the ad doesn't mention it, I believe the speakers I linked have the beryllium drivers.  Am I mistaken?

DU

That appears to be them.  I cannot say if there was an "NS-1000"  a,b,c through L  model, but those appear to have the dome mid and tweeter.

Those are much coveted and collected.   very revealing, transparent, and studio-monitor flat.  They don't go terribly deep in bass, but the rest...is superb.

[Double Ugly]

They don't go terribly deep in bass, but the rest...is superb.

Interesting.  It's almost as if we're talking about different speakers, at least with regards to bass extension.

I have no first-hand experience, but know someone who used a pair of NS1000s with beryllium drivers in his mastering facility for over 20 years.  He swears they consistently reach 17Hz, and occasionally brings them out for organ pedal and other bass-intensive music.

DU

[IanATC]

They don't go terribly deep in bass, but the rest...is superb.

Interesting.  It's almost as if we're talking about different speakers, at least with regards to bass extension.

I have no first-hand experience, but know someone who used a pair of NS1000s with beryllium drivers in his mastering facility for over 20 years.  He swears they consistently reach 17Hz, and occasionally brings them out for organ pedal and other bass-intensive music.

DU

Well, I know that chap RBP [Roberts from Bandstand productions]  who frequents the jerk asylum [not him, the website]  and uses them now.  I don't think he ever said anything about 17hz.
   Given the throw of the woofer and the small box, I don't think 17hz is possible from that design with any appreciable energy.  I'd likely belive that what organ note he was hearing was upper harmonics or something betwen 40-60hz. The speakers are good, but they are not omnipotent.  They struck me as needing a sub...

[Hank]

Theyr'e not in a system right now, but I've still got my original pair of Large Advents.  I do remember how sweet they were.  When I recap one of my H.H. Scott Intergated amps, I'll re-do the woofers and put e'm back in service with my turntable.

[hifitommy]

the dynaco a25s, had two pair that i ran in paralell like advents.  bass VERY similar to quads, imaging not that good, top improved when i added a philips plastic dome above 10k.  

also, the were VERY good in each corner of my dynaquad setup.  

another was the janszen 412hp.  great low bass, and those electrostats!!  mmmmmmmmmm!  a bargain.

[audioengr]

IanATC - I agree on the KEF 104/2's.  I actually used a pair of these that I modded at THE Show this year.  The KEF distributors and dealers commented that they sounded far superior to the new KEF reference line.  Most folks were just shocked that the sound I had was coming from the 104/2's.  If you dont believe me, just ask The Chair Guy - he heard them in person.

The reason that I modded them is that I have had a difficult time finding ANY speaker to replace them that images as well.  After the mods (wiring and crossover upgrades), they are very dynamic, extended and the bass is as tight as I have heard on any speaker.  They still have trouble with the lowest lows, depending on the room size.  Large rooms work better.  No plans to offer this mod to customers.  It is much too difficult as I must build a bustle on the back of the speaker to contain the larger crossover parts.

[TheChairGuy]

Ian/Steve,

Yep, I was there for an hour talking various points with Steve in his room with the KEF's playing.  At the level most of us have obsessed over in our little audiophool hobby, most of us have the dynamics, detail, bass, balance thing 'mostly' right. 'Mostly' is vastly interpretive and subjective, but I'm comfortable that $6-8000+ (a sum that most of us on AC handily have invested in gear, cable and tweeks), or your equivalent in quid, gets you a pretty decent system no matter what maker you buy from.

What impressed me most with Steve's room was that it was relaxing.....something that eludes most even hi-end/big buck systems.  Really relaxing, whether we were at low levels or cranked it up a bit to show off.  Frampton really sounded alive in there!  It was easy listening for as long as you wanted to sit and do it.  Getting the speaker to act right is the single most important part of the sound process, and this one blended seamlessly with the other (Empirical modded and his cabling) components in the chain.

I have as late become aware of shortcomings of mid and tweeter dynamic drivers vs. ribbon or line sources.  The sense of strain I consistently hear with dynamic mid/tweet drivers I didn't notice on these KEF's...tho I don't remember hearing them in their pre-modded state previously to compare what Steve's mods did to them.

Steve ain't joking about that bustle on back.....a widows hump it was sitting back there.

[audioengr]

Ian - here is a picture of the "bustle"

[audioengr]

Here is a unidentified inmate that dropped into our suite at THE Show:

[tanchiro58]

Hello,

I have listened to Stephens Trusonic 150FR and 12" Jensen with custom built cabinet and crossover. I never forgot those speaker's sound and surely they are driven by SET amps (211 and 300B parallel). The sound was very natural, especially with defined bass, which I have never listened to nowaday or modern speakers (I do not mean horn speakers since horn is another level). Do anybody try to listen or hear any custom built vintage speakers? Let me know your thought and/or your opinion. Thanks.

[James Romeyn]

The current flagship KEF is superb, ditto the current $3k floorstander.  

Oldies: very very much a sleeper that almost nobody knows about, but the old Spica TC60 (successor to the classic TC50), was & is one of the best standmounts ever.  They go for about $400-$500pr, & are IMO absolutely unbeatable anywhere near that price.  

Vs. the best standmounts currently available they only sacrifice some transparency/resolution.  The overall presentation is virtually faultess overal.  Far better than the Angelus floorstander.  You can get better power handling but that's fairly useless to anyone reading this.  They don't flap pantlegs, but dittos with any standmount.

You really have no idea how fantastic they are till you hear them in a cost no object system.  Coupled with the TRL CDP & a killer midpriced integrated like the Pathos Acoustics & you got a system that would immensely satisfy for $4k.

[randytsuch]

For a long time, I had a pair of the original Quad Electrostats, later named the 57's.

I had to sell them a while ago, for WAF reasons.

I know they had many faults, but I still miss them, and they will probably always be my fav vintage speaker.

Randy

[bulgin]

Hi

A very unlikely favourite - a pair of floorstanding B&W dm330i's. As ugly as sin, cheap when new but I like them a lot. This was a fairly recent purchase which was in storage for about 10 years. They are as new and I recently retrofitted some spikes which made them a lot better.

bulgin

[James Romeyn]

Back in the mid-80s my neighbor in Novato CA had a pair of very interesting standmount 8" or 10" 3-way kevlar B&W's that I very much appreciated.  Very strange because almost every time I heard newer B&W I was extremely underwhelmed.  I heard the old 801's a dozen times & was never impressed till I finally heard them set up well with the right gear & they sounded quite nice.  Still not great though.

The all-silver-wired (including the driver coils) $12-15k 8" 2-way standmount B&W (80_?) sounded totally sweet & musical.  Those are among the speakers I'd love to have sitting around just to plug in & appreciate on occasion.  Probably nowhere near the overall capability of my current speakers, but extremely sweet & satisfying.  Come to think of it, if I had the money that would be my favorite discontined speaker.  I bet they still go for big big bucks.

[James Romeyn]

I'll be shocked if any other member has heard these: It was the early 80s, I was at the Presidio Military base when it still was.  The military audiophile had these ultra-high end JVC speakers.  They are in impecably well-finished & gorgeous enclosures, I think walnut or rosewood but maybe black.  Large standmounts similar in size to the Yamaha berilyium dome speakers back then, 10" or 12" 3-ways, never sold in the USA, probably a home-maket-only product for the well-heeled Japanese audiophile.  Very expensive & exclusive, may have even had a berilyium dome tweeter, probably a dome midrange.  I thought they were great back then.  Anyone else hear them?  The military guy got them for a song while in Japan.  Exchange rates back then were crazy in favor of the dollar.

[tom1356]

Hello,

I have listened to Stephens Trusonic 150FR and 12" Jensen with custom built cabinet and crossover. I never forgot those speaker's sound and surely they are driven by SET amps (211 and 300B parallel). The sound was very natural, especially with defined bass, which I have never listened to nowaday or modern speakers (I do not mean horn speakers since horn is another level). Do anybody try to listen or hear any custom built vintage speakers? Let me know your thought and/or your opinion. Thanks.

This is a 1938 Jensen Broadcast Monitor. 18" woofer and horn tweeter. It is one of only a handful built. It is probably the only one left in the world.
The sound with a 300b amplifier is just magic.
http://i6.ebayimg.com/05/i/06/22/24/64_1.JPG