AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => The Vintage Circle => Topic started by: IanATC on 16 Nov 2003, 08:36 pm
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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.
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I'm not familiar with the "m/x" designation.
Would these (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2572666538&category=23786#ebayphotohosting) do?
DU
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I'm not familiar with the "m/x" designation.
Would these (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2572666538&category=23786#ebayphotohosting) do?
DU
The NS-1000M were the original speakers with beryllium tweeter and midrange. The "x" version is newer.
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Though the ad doesn't mention it, I believe the speakers I linked have the beryllium drivers. Am I mistaken?
DU
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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.
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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
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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...
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Ian - here is a picture of the "bustle"
(http://www.empiricalaudio.com/Bustle_web2.jpg)
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Here is a unidentified inmate that dropped into our suite at THE Show:
(http://www.empiricalaudio.com/Chair_guy_web.jpg)
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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I have to give a plug for my old favourite the Gale 402's.
http://www.kabrna.com/hifi/gale_review.htm
Crappy load, not as bad as the 401's that would regualrly destroy amps, but still crappy. I drove it with an old proton amp. ME's produced a better sound but not by much and I did not feel lioke spending the extra dosh. One the the few speakers I know that actaully told you how good your amp was. My Axis LS88's are the same. Hopefully my new SP Timepieces will not be as fussy - however I suspect thay will be or even more so.
Thanks
Bill
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Without a doubt...my Dahlquist DQ-10's. Huge soundstage, never harsh and just got bigger sounding
as you turned up the power...until of course, the fuse in the back would finally blow.
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The Dynaco A25XL. Dynaco sold the most pairs of speakers in U.S. history and for good reason: they image like crazy and had great spectral presentation. I have one pair powered by a Van Alstine 170EX in the Dynaco 120 chassis. Bass midrange and high end....what more do you want? Not made for concert levels and certainly not the main speakers for any audiophile, but a pleasure to own nonetheless. With proper placement, it's like you can sit way over on the left side and hear great stereo. Then go sit on the right side and hear great stereo. Then go sit in the middle and go crazy. Nice on old vintage stuff. They also have survived the test of time.
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The Dynaco A25XL. Dynaco sold the most pairs of speakers in U.S. history and for good reason: they image like crazy and had great spectral presentation. I have one pair powered by a Van Alstine 170EX in the Dynaco 120 chassis. Bass midrange and high end....what more do you want? Not made for concert levels and certainly not the main speakers for any audiophile, but a pleasure to own nonetheless. With proper placement, it's like you can sit way over on the left side and hear great stereo. Then go sit on the right side and hear great stereo. Then go sit in the middle and go crazy. Nice on old vintage stuff. They also have survived the test of time.
I owned several pairs A25's, & one pair A50 (huge cabinet, dual staggered diagonal 10s w/ single offset tweeter). The cabinet veneers were special. If memory serves, Danish drivers (Scan Speak or?), yes? No wonder the SS D29 is still one of the best tweeters extant...The A50s were the single most power hungry speakers I experienced. The lamps in the meters of my Phase Linear 400 would frequently dim on peaks, as would the entire electrical system of my parent's home (built in the 1940s or 50s). The A50s were macho but I'd say the A25's were a better overall package. I think I paid $100/pr for the A50s, A25s $50/pr in excellent condition.
I absolutely wish I had a pair of A25XL's.
Nobody mentioned one of the all time greats, the JBL L100 10" 3-way home speakers (or 4311 pro models w/ "presence" & "brilliance" controls at the bottom of the front baffle). These speakers are shockingly good, even w/ what I believe was a paper cone tweeter (paper mids of course). They just sounded so good when I heard them in the late '80s on good components that it really shocked me. High sensitivity, very dynamic, musical & enjoyable, no funny resonances from the ported design. They'd probably be even better w/ improved xo's. Why have great 10" 3-way standmounts been abandoned?
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My favorite was the Large Advent. Wish I'd never sold 'em. (my brother still owns two pair-and he won't sell'em.) They didn't image as well as some; they had a slightly recessed midrange; didn't go real high; but they had great bass; played loud as hell with good power behind 'em; and were musical and pleasant to hear.
My second favorite was the Dynaco 25's.
If either of these speakers were cloned and made today..they'd sell very well 'cause they made music enjoyable and looked good doing it. Walnut veneer and biege grill cloth may be out of style today.. but I still like it. :)
WEEZ
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I owned several pairs A25's, & one pair A50 (huge cabinet, dual staggered diagonal 10s w/ single offset tweeter). The cabinet veneers were special. If memory serves, Danish drivers (Scan Speak or?), yes?...
They used SEAS drivers. SEAS sold a complete speaker version in the US (Sennheiser was the distributor) between the A25 and A50 in the early '70's that used a fabric dome planted in the middle of the two staggered 8" woofers. I had that speaker and really loved it for many years. They did take mucho power to really shine.
Speaking of good stand-mount three-ways being abandoned, there are a few around such as Rick Craig's offering...
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The Dynaco A25 series used several tweeters, the early version was a Scan-Speak but was later replaced by the Seas H087 driver. The A25XL used the Seas H086 driver that went down to about 1XXX cycles. The cross-over is a simple 12db slope using a 8 mfd cap and a .(75 mh coil (I think)) that gives it a cross-over frequency really low. The woofer was naturally rolled off. The A25XL's also have a resistor ladder level control, (3 position). The A25 has a 5 position control.
If you own a pair of these speakers (I have 2 pair), you may want to check out the woofer terminals, as they seem to fall apart. I have rebuilt the terminals on all the woofers. The tweeters are fine, and while your in there, give the rotary switch a shot of some DE-oxit 5.
If your cabinets have shallow scratches, the walnut veneer is about a 1/32" thick. I have re sanded mine to an almost perfect condition and re-oiled the walnut. They look great.
One other point is to either use the small hole it the speaker binding posts or use a dual 3/4" spacing banana jacks. The reason for this is that the banana jacks on the back of the speaker are a little shallow, and a single banana likes to get loose and fall out. Someday I will replace them but the dual banana works great.
I really love all of the vintage speakers like Advent, KLH, JBL, and of course AR. I used to own JBL-L00's, AR-Xa2 and AR-5's. unfortunately AR used that damn foam surround and if you buy a set on eBay, the surrounds will have to be replaced.
Great memories!
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I once visited the home of Wade Burns, then the chief Dynaco designer. His system used four A25 speakers stacked per channel (on their sides - stack of four each side) driven by a Dyna St-400. It would play LOUD! Loud enough to terrorize the fish in his aquarium when he cranked it up (and me too).
Frank Van Alstine
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Frank, I'll bet that was awesome.
I used to drive stacked Advents with a Dyna 400. One afternoon, when the house was empty, I put Thelma Houston's 'Pressure Cooker' direct to disc on the turntable; cranked the gain pots on the amp to max; cued the first cut; and set the pre-amp pot to 2:00 o'clock. The volume about knocked me down.
Now, the Advents when paralleled, probably dipped into the 2-ohm (or less) range at some frequencies; and you can guess what happened next. After a loud transient somewhere on side one of that album; the left channel went silent. I opened the fuse holder(s) that Dyna had on the front panel for the speaker outputs. Sure enough- the left channel 2 amp fast-blo fuse looked like a nuclear explosion went on in there. It saved my speakers...but all the output transistors in the left channel of the amp were toast.
(after the repairs to the amp; I wired the speakers in series instead of parallel from then on :lol:)
WEEZ
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I agree with the large Advents. I have the 5002's which sounded pretty good for several years until.....Klipsch Cornwall I's. :drool: They have reissued the Cornwall as III's now and they sound even better.
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Back in the day we had Klipsch Cornerhorns in the shop and we sold diy clones as well. But i never cared for the T-35 tweeter much. The Ess AMT in our competitors store were my faves. The top end was a revelation back then. After that it was the Infinity ribbons that captured my lust, but all I could afford were B.I.C formula fours! So I stacked a pair of my diy two-ways on top of them. They had the new KEF dome tweeters. The bass really coupled well on those.
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Bozak Concert Grands (the large ones with four 12" woofers per a channel). The infinite baffle bass is absolutely amazing. No speaker I have ever heard has ever reproduced bass as accurately as those old Bozaks. Newer speaker designs have improved midrange and treble.
Best,
John
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After reading about the Bozaks in Vacuum Tube Valley mag, I've really wanted to hear them.....
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I have a pair of Kef Duettes dating form the middle sixties Probably will sell them eventually as they are too big for my room (which is small). Heavy too.They must of been hand made in those days as one can still see the varnish brush marks nad there are few drips as well.. The fornt grill is made of wood wirh vertical slots cut into it from top to bottom. Ive done a search on them but can find precious little about them
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my favs are:
EV12trxb, JBL L-96 and Bozak CG's...
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Tannoys and bigg IMF's! :green:
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ESS AMT-1
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Double (stacked) Large Advents driven by a Walt Jung modded Dyna PAT5 and two very heavily POOGE'd Hafler DH220 amps rocked 8)
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Tannoys and bigg IMF's! :green:
Bolly!!!!!!
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Double (stacked) Large Advents driven by a Walt Jung modded Dyna PAT5 and two very heavily POOGE'd Hafler DH220 amps rocked 8)
I had a quad of large Advents, replaced them with a pair of Design Acoustics D-12's and never looked back. They weren't even close.
Favorites
1. Ohm model A
2. Design Acoustics D-12
3. Heil ESS
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ESS Heil, Early 1970's I still have that pair in my computer room and run them every day. :D
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I liked those too! Had a pair of AMT Towers back in the day and they
were great. Early quads and Acoustat 2's too... And a big pair of
Cerwin Vegas that sounded like crap, but got really loud!!
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ADS L-1290...still using a pair in my office and they still sound great.
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Don't know if they qualify as vintage but my favorite were the Acoustat 1+1's drivin by a Gas Works modded Ampzilla II and a Audio Pro B2-50 sub. I kept the 1+1's and Sub for 17+ years. Thats how much I liked them ;) I had some RTR something's before that. I enjoyed them very much driven with a Dynaco 410(I think) amp.
Tony
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Linn Kan
Too bad I got rid of 'em!
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My favorite vintage speakers are my Electrovoice EV6's. They are from the early 60's and still sound great. They are 4 way and have 18" woofers.
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Polk SDA 1Cs; I like the all black studio version. I still use these speakers in my main rig, albeit with Polk's upgraded RD0194-1 tweeters, a DIY AI-1 interface, new tweeter protection devices, and Walker SST on all the internal contacts. A crossover upgrade is in the offing. Feed these speakers plenty of current from a quality amp; mine thrive on a pair of Odyssey Extreme Mono amps. Very good detail retrieval and frequency response, great soundstage and imaging. A minor nit is that speaker placement should be according to Polk's specifications, which may not work with all desired applications. WAF may not be high due to speaker size and placement requirements.
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The mighty "Klipschorn" :thumb: :thumb:
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I have to agree with the earlier post regarding the Spicas. I had a pair of TC-50s in the '80s with a Kinergetics sub (2 10" woofers per side) and god knows why I parted with them. The Spicas do the midrange like nothing else.
And I'm not just going on memory here...I just bought another pair a month ago and they arrived today (a little beaten up from shipping unfortunately :(). They sound as good or better than I remembered :thumb:.
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Hi guys,
Through the years i had many speakers such as Dynaco A25X, Cambridge Audio TL200 (big transmissionlines), Infinity Q2, Cabasse, but i will never ever forget the first time in my life i heard the JBL Paragon driven by two MacIntosh 275 tube amplifiers.
Go to: http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=9807&highlight=selkirk
At this moment i have a pair of vintage Bower & Wilkins DM 2a transmissionline loudspeakers, a pair of JBL 4312A Control Monitors and a pair of JBL Control One loudspeakers for my computer.
Kind regards,
Jan Slagman
The Netherlands
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Alte Lansing "Bi-amp Barcelonas'"
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I had Dyna A25s too, like many others, for years. Brother in law still has my original pair. Replaced them with Allison Four bookshelves- not the highest definition but very smooth and fullrange, not threatened at all by my Hafler DH200, great image and spectral balance anywhere in the room. Later Allisons (I also had CD8 towers) had much better definition though.
For those mentioning still having original Advents, do they still work? Most of the ones I have seen have expired due to dry-rotted foam surrounds.
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Layne Audio and Simply Speakers are two businesses that will re-foam your Advent woofers for you. I had mine done by Simply Speakers and they work great.
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VMPS STIII's
:thumb:
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Too many to single out just one so here's my short list...
Kef 101
Jim Rogers JR-149
The non hybrid Acoustats
The Magepan Tympani Series
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Someone earlier mentioned Quad 57's - I'll definitely 2nd that one.
Acoustat Monitor Series with the direct drive tube amps built in the back.
Large Advents for a great budget speaker
Ohm F's.
Bryan
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Blackmore, did the refoaming leave the original dust cap intact? I have seen kits from Parts Express which require removing the original dust cap and later replacing it with a much bigger one- which seems like it would inevitably alter the voicing and dispersion significantly.
If the sound quality can be preserved, there is absolutely no reason to get rid of a pair of Advents (Or A-25s IMJ!)
Surprised not to see more mentions of AR, Bozak, or Rectilinear...
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My favorite vintage speakers....a pair I've owned for over 15 years, and still going strong......Mirage M3 speakers.... (http://miragespeakers.com/PDFs/classic_manuals/M/M3/M3brochure.pdf).... :wink:
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Acoustic Research AR-LSTs deserve a mention. They violate a few hallowed design rules as far as configuration (horizontal arrays of tweeters, for example), but with a lot of power to drive them, they were pretty amazingly dynamic.
Slightly over-the-top for the time (1973), they sold for $1200/pr.
They had a 12' woofer flanked by 4 - 1.5" dome mids and 4 - 3/4" dome tweeters. They needed a lot of power to come alive - I heard the Sheffield drum record on them with a Phase Linear 700 and was amazed at the natural snare hits. No speaker in my experience before and few since have shown that kind of dynamic realism.
Here's a set on eBay:
http://tinyurl.com/2fee7k
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The ones that I still have;
1) Spendor BC1 (Better than the Kef 104!)
2) BBC LS3/5a
The ones that are pleasant memories;
1) Acoustic Research AR18 (not a great speaker but my first Hifi)
2) Epos ES11.
The ones I want to own
1) Tannoy 12" gold.
2) Lowthers.
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Here are pics of my favs:
Tannoy Monitor Gold 12's, EV 12trxb's and Bozak B-410 Concert Grands, and underneath the amazing JBL L-96.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/whitese/100_1156.jpg?t=1172398474)
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/whitese/100_1860.jpg?t=1172398569)
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Rogers LS3/5a 15 ohm version. Pair that with an SET and its a match made in Heaven!
Dennis
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No doubt the LS3/5a's were nice but I'm of the opinion that the JR-149's were a better speaker. Here's some information on the JR-149 (http://www.jr149.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/JR149%20History-3.htm/)
And here's another LINK (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/hon.lau/JR149.html/) to more information. The second picture is a side by side comparison of the JR-149 and LS3/5a.
(http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/4386/jr149es6.jpg)
(http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/1808/jr149ls35awi4.jpg)
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Of the ones I've actually owned...
Klipsch Cornwalls
Spica Angelus (with Velodyne ULD-15 Sub)
Still have:
AR9s
Klipsch LaScalas
Ones I 'wish' I had owned at least once:
Vandersteen Model 2C
KEF 104
Polk SDA-SRS
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Vintage loudspeakers I've owned and loved: :inlove:
'83 JBL L112 Century II
'79 Klipsch Cornwall
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In the mid 70's in Chicago I had a garage sale system composed of a HK 15 watt integrated, a Scott tube tuner, dual table and ADC speakers. They were 8" two way, I think. they were maybe 80.00 each. good "student on a budget' speakers as I recall. they sounded good and wetted the appetite for higher end.
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The old Merlins.....the foam wrapped towers... were quite nice. My business partner has the 2 way version. I replaced the tweeters for him w/ the current Morel used in the TSM and they're still good. Cabinets need dampening though.
Early Thiels w/ softdome tweeters were pretty good. I had the 0.5 back in the late eighties powered by an Conrad-Johnson tube pre/power amp combo and it was a very musical little setup.
The Essence 10 (I think that's the right #) ...bunch of staggered boxes stacked together w/ a driver in each. I heard them in the mid eighties powered by top of the line CJ Premier amps w/ a Sota Sappire table and it was pretty darn impressive.
And of course, the speaker that lured me into 'real' audio......the Charwell version of the BBC monitor.
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I just refoamed the woofers on my old Infinity rs-3000's and am using them in my shop. They really sound nice, two-ways with the late great polycell tweeters.
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I always liked the classic EPI 100 monitors. I've still got a pair of EPI Magnus A1100 3 ways with horn tweeter. I recently refoamed the woofers and they sound great with a vintage Dual 601 turntable.
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Windchaser,
Your links are dead..
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Doublej try these
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/hon.lau/JR149.html
http://www.jr149.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/JR149%20History-3.htm
The navigation on these sites is not the most intuitive - you just have to browse around and click on anything remotely like a link.
I have a pair (and an odd one - don't ask) of JR149s waiting for me to get off my butt and fix 'em up. Also 2 JR subs (the round ones) which I got replacement drivers for from Madisound. I had the original LPAs re-capped but need to get some wire for hooking everything up. Unfortunately the connextions are all just screw clamps - no binding posts or even spring clips - on the speakers and amps.
Should be interesting once I get into it.
Jim
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I would like to learn about EPI Magnus HE17s. I have a pair (owned by a friend) that needs the woofer surround replaced.
How do I do this and where do I get the materials?
Is this speaker of sufficient quality to justify the effort and cost?
Thanks
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I would like to learn about EPI Magnus HE17s. I have a pair (owned by a friend) that needs the woofer surround replaced.
How do I do this and where do I get the materials?
Is this speaker of sufficient quality to justify the effort and cost?
Thanks
Quantasonics, welcome to Audio Circle :thumb:
I had a pair of EPI Magnus A1100 with rotted woofer surrounds and I wondered the same thing. I searched the web and found literally hundreds of site for DIY woofer foam replacement. Some even had free how to videos or pictures. I was all set to order from parts express and do it myself when I broke my hand and I didn't want to wait so I had a local audio shop (Audio Xpert) do it (and upgrade the crossovers too) for around $50. It was well worth it IMO.
As for whether your speakers are worth it, I don't know as I'm not familiar with your model. I again would suggest searching the web. The most info. I found on EPI speakers is on a site run by a former employee. Check this link: www.humanspeakers.com/e/epi-he17.htm#spec
It looks like he also does repairs, but I have no connection to this site or experience with it, so this isn't a recommendation. As with all things on the 'net, buyer beware. Good luck.
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In the past several years I have given away a pair of KLH Seventeens, KLH Sixes, Snell Type Ks and AR3as. As companion for my Jordans, I have kept a pair of Genesis Physics 1s. I haven't measured them, but the boxes look close to the "golden ratio"--they ring gracefully. The drivers are of wonderful quality, especially the inverted dome tweeters. (Mine are the early ones on the masonite panel.) To Burhoe's horror, I strap them to high, 30" stands well away from the walls. The crossover is a single, new Solen cap at 1.8 cycles. They sound fine with modern equipment, but they sound good with the el84 amp section of a Stromberg-Carlson integrated that I often use (4 ohm tap.) They "jump" at you the way that single drivers do.
My audiophile friends once ridiculed me at length when I told them that I liked the sound of a pair of Klipsch LaScalas.
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For me B&W DM6. I bought a pair from a lady whose husband had died and did not want such big boxes.I have modded them for bi-amping, changed the tweeters for vifas, beefed up the internal wiring and now I am lokking at the crossovers. All the mods have made an improvement without the loss of that big warm but still dynamic sound. The DM6 was the first speaker to have vertical voice coil alignment and, interestingly, the midrange is connected in reverse polarity to the other two drivers.
Steve
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It has to be altec.
Anyway.
Did you guys know that Altec started to sell the A7 'Voice Of The Theatre' freshly made back in 2003?
They charged 8600$ a pair back then. Brand spanking new!
Now they charge 12+ grand for the pair... but. Its really an A7!!!
http://www.alteclansing.com/store_cat_legacy.asp
Imperial
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I have a pair of Leak "sandwich" speakers dating from the early 1960s. The woofer is a 13" laminated foil and foam cone that is remarkably stiff mounted in a cast aluminum frame. I used them for about 20 years with a Quad 33/303 amplifier quite happily. They are now just side tables, but I think they were very good for their day.
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It has to be altec.
You know, I'm with you. Of all the vintage speakers I've heard, Altecs have to be right at the top of the list.
With some luck, I'll have my vintage A-7's up and running at the end of next weekend. This weekend I'm building sand filled enclosures for the horns. That alone makes one helluva difference in keeping the metal horns from ringing. My horns are the 511's with the 802D, 16 ohm drivers. The new sand filled horn enclosures weigh over 100 pounds each.
Next weekend I'll be tearing apart a pair of furniture grade Karlson cabinets (they sound really bad) and using the cabinets as bass bins for my 416Z, 16 ohm woofers. I'll re-brace the inside, install a tuned port and stuff the cabinet with some polyfil.
For the time being, I'll use the stock crossover. I need to order the new caps, coils and resistors for the new crossover. I'll see what the stock one sounds like but I'm leaning towards building the Model 19 crossover. It has a notch in it to tame the mids a bit. Who knows though, maybe dampening the horn will take that rid-gain out of the equation.
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We humans make noise/speak... (like what kind of speaker type..) ?
Also... we listen like the inverse of this... just a hint...
Kind of gets one thinking doesn't it...!
Me be "a" horny being... :thumb: we are all, altecs... aren't we..?
Just different vintage..
Imperial
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Klipsch K-horns, followed by Klipsch Cornwalls and Altec A-7's.
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presently, my faves are my sansui sp2500's that i picked up for $20. really nice sound. easy to drive at 98db-efficient & 8 ohms. but, they're the only wintage speakers i have recent familiarity with! :lol:
http://www.classicsansui.net/Speakers.htm#SP2500
i recently picked up two matching pairs of vintage fostex fe-103 drivers, installed in pioneer cabinets. i will run them stacked; i suspect they will sound nice, based upon all the research i did on the 'net about 'em. also lotsa mods awailable for them. they should work great w/my modded almarro a205a mkll 8) also lotsa web info on building different cabinets as well...
(http://128.121.231.169/i/c/f/1188142619.jpg)
doug s.
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I just bought an old pair of rare Tangent Acoustics RS2. They have the same tweeter as the LS3/5a and an 8" Audax woofer. These things are bizzarely good: soundstage is wide and deep, not at all boxy, incredibly smooth. Not as resolving as my PMC DB1s, but maybe a little better at rendering voices.
I'm kinda shocked at how much I'm loving these things. They are ugly though. So when my girl gets home from her vacation, she'll want the PMCs back in (she's demanded that I never sell the PMCs, since she loves the sound so much).
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My favorite is the Dynaco A25. I own a pair of these babies that my dad bought for $120/pair in 1975, then bequeathed to me in 1990 when he changed equipment. I wish I could say mine were all-original, but I replaced the blown tweeters with some SEAS 27TDFC's that were as close to original as I could get, but well worth the investment. I built new grille frames, used standard brown grille cloth (maybe one day I'll look further and look for the light colored fabric that Dynaco used and find some Dynaco logos to go with them), and re-oiled the cabinets. They look and sound fantastic! I wouldn't trade them for anything.
Another fave is the Boston Acoustics A40. One of my college roommates had a pair that he let me borrow when I bought my first receiver - why I chose a pair of Technics SB-L31's over the Bostons still remains a mystery. What the heck was I thinking - that for the same price bigger was better??? :duh: The A40's were by no means a powerhouse speaker, but were very clear in the midrange and highs. I do know that for $400.00 (in 1985) you could combine them with a Yamaha subwoofer and blow away a pair of ADS speakers costing twice as much.
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ESS AMT-1's....
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Acoustat Spectra 33's
A speaker who's potential is almost limitless, yet almost impossible to live with. It is TOO revealing, pointing out all the flaws in the audio chain it is connected to.
The other cool thing about them, is that they are almost bulletproof. The only long term maintenance is to replace the caps in the transformer modules every 10 years or so. An amazing product.
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KLH-9s and Rogers LS3/5A (15 ohm version).
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My current favorite is a pair of Sansui Sp 3500's, that I got for $10. I had to vacuum the cob webs out of them
(http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k279/eahoeaoola/SansuiSP-3500.jpg)
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Altec Valencia
Found mine at a garage sale. These aren't the home version with the nice cabinet and funky grill to repair, but the theater version in basic black. The guy was asking $200 for the pair and had them hooked up to an old all in one receiver (with turntable and 8 track built in). They sounded HORRIBLE, really thought they needed work. Told him so and offered $150, took them home and hooked them up to a Scott 222 with AR CDP. They sounded GLORIOUS. Still using them for my background music system with a Trends amp. Ready to rock the house anytime.
Second favorite... sure wish I never sold my JBL L100's.
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I have some great memories of Stacked Audioanalyst A100-X (they just spanked Stacked Advents but, I still own the Advents, go figure), Still at home under my roof are DQ-10's/Regnar updates, 1980 Rogers LS3/5'a 15 ohm in new Stirling Broadcast reference cabnits, the stacked large Advents, Dynaco A25's and the latest, Magnepan 3.6's.
The last to go would be the Rogers.
Dave
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hey-I am new here and still wet behind the ears. I have a slew of old speakers so the first post should end up here.
My fave vintage speaker for "noisy" stuff like rock and roll and punk are Cannon TLS 1232's. Big horn tweeters.
For more instrumental stuff Polk Monitors rank up there, maybe the 7b. They have the Peerless dome tweeter.
Stacked Large Advents are good at filling up a room, and since Dad had 'em growing up they gotta be cool.
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I really like my Allison CD-9's - very musical. I think it was great that Roy Allison designed speakers to work best where people actually want to put them, like against walls and in corners. They still sound great today, although no longer in the primary system.
(http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo346/bunnyma357/IMG_1067.jpg)
Jim C
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Rogers LS3/5a (15 ohm version). Classic BBC monitor speakers.
Also owned a Linaeum bookshelf speakers - wonderful ribbon tweeters.
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Always liked my Snell model 1's. Sorta semi-vintage.
NB
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Without doubt, my Design Acoustics D-12's. Bought them in 76 and still like the sound on spacious orchestral music.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=17430)
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I have bought and sold the Epos ES-11...for whatever it is worth, it was a relatively easy load and it sounded punchy and very clear in the mid to high ranges.
Another pair of speaker which had my jaws dropped when I was just 16 years old, a pair of Energy 22 Reference Connoiseurs floorstanding models which put out as effortless as a sound as a pair of 6 ft Infinity Kappa 9s, this was back in 1988, in a small audio dealer on the shadows of the now gone Twin Towers.
(http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=76602&d=1201577434)
Paul
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The JBL L100/4310 is my favorite, a modified a pair with an upgraded crossover and heavily braced cabinet is still used daily in my wood shop.
(http://www.audioheritage.org/images/jbl/extracts/thumbs/l100-431x_small.jpg)
Wayne
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from 76 a pair of altec lansing powered speakers,used with a nice Sony str 7065,and i pretty much listened close to what would be called near field listening,and God almighty they could blow the walls down and sounded outstanding.
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Hearing the Beveridge Model 3 of my friend's dad at the age of 13 got me into this mess. They couldn't play very loud (what was the end all be all for me at the time :lol:) but it was the very first time I experienced what is now referred to as a walk-in soundstage. Because of how they influenced my tastes later in life, they are definitely my vote for my favorite vintage loudspeaker. Funny how I can describe it now. Then all I could say was WOW.
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Rogers or Spendor LS3/5a
Stacked Large Advents
Snell Type A
Quad 63
JBL L-3
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wow, some really interesting speakers in this thread....
for me, it's the Altec 19s. I also like Jensen Duettes. The horn tweeter on the Duette is nice. There are models without the horn tweeter and these are also good but not as smooth.
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Infinity IRS III
Shahinian Diapason
Totem original Model 1
Duntech 2001 Sovereign
IMF's most costly floorstander (labyrinth)
Acoustic Energy (Britain) AE2, early metal diaphragm dual-130mm 2-way
Spica TC-60 below, Jon Bau's most refined; also designed TC-50 & Angelus (Angelus plays deeper & louder but has less resolution)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10569/Fronts_minus_grill_far.jpg)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10569/Tops.jpg)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10569/Fronts_with_grill.jpg)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10569/Rears_biwire_biamp_label_far.jpg)
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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.
Beveridge's and Acoustat Three's.
Dude, I adore your avatar.
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The Koss Model 1 full range elecrostatic speaker. Impossibe to drive and impossible to ignore.
Stunning bass.
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Listening now to Jensen 700xl, nice.
Electrovoice Sentry III
Advents
...
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Check out my avatar:
DQ-10's!
Paul
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My favorite vintage speaker is the Beveridge 2sw electrostats. I currently use these speakers and they are the best that I have ever had. I would love to listen to a pair of the original model 2's which are supposed to be volume limited but still incredibly good.
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Very interesting thread.
I suppose mine are the Quad 57 ESLs. They didn't play loud or have much bass, but they were special, a window on the orchestra, I think they used to say. They were driven by those large Mark Levinson amps at a store I used to haunt.
I've owned all the usual suspects: KLH 6, AR3a, Advents, Dynaco A25, Heil AMT1, but I couldn't stand the tweeter on the DQ10. Maybe it was just the interaction with the amp there? I also had &O M70s or something like that. Ok, also a Spectrum 208 was decent for awhile.
Then I got my PSB strat gold i's and I still use them. One thing I've noticed is that with each better component the PSBs sound better. I used to notice things that I didn't care for in some of those vintage speakers I owned but wonder now if they wouldn't sound much better with today's amps and sources.
My first big deal with audio was as a kid in the fifties. I think I was listening (mono) to a big JBL folded horn with the mashed potato tweeter. I think they used a McIntosh amp. Wow!
Next, a few years later I was blown away listening to stereo AR3s driven by McIntosh 75s. I remember them playing Pictures at an Exhibition. Wonderful.
By the seventies I was not much interested in large loudspeakers like the Altec A7s they used in the Record Theatre stores. Looking back now, I believe the sound was probably hurt by the cheap transistor amps they used to power them with.
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well.....Monitor Audio Studio 20 SE....is the one....the best ! :green:
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JBL 4344s
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(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=20884)
Can't seem to part with 'em. They keep me company when I'm in the garage.
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What are they? I don't recognize them.
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My guess would be Sequerras, althou i've not seen them with grills before.
dave
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Yep! Dick Sequerra's Pyramid Metronome 7 from 1982 (I think). I still have the ribbon tweeters too, but I don't keep them out in the garage.
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My room mate & I both had original Advents. We stacked them head to head (tweeters together) & powered them w/ a receiver. Bass, dynamics & SPL up the whazoo (playing Doobie Bros). Still would love to hear them again.
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The first pair of speakers I ever bought were EPI T/E-100 when I was in college...loved them!
(http://www.humanspeakers.com/e/images/epi-te100.jpg)
http://www.humanspeakers.com/e/epi-te100.htm
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Although the ESS Heil, the AR 3A, and the Design Acoustics D-12 were all speakers that I listened to and liked for one reason or another, the Ohm Model A was the one I lusted for. Unfortunately, between the $$$ and the hundreds of watts per channel required it just wasn't a realistic option back in the mid 70's when I was first upgrading.
(http://www.soundadviceblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/ohmfs.jpg)
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This thread is getting old...apology if these were mentioned already: German Braun L1030 floorstander, IIRC 2x 200mm, 3" & 1" domes...I would have considered anything to get a pair of these back in the days of Pacific Stereo stores where they were heard in the high end room...I'd still love a pair. I think the ADS (Analog Digital System) version were pretty much the same speaker. Another is the Braun mini-monitor which (again IIRC) stuffed a 130mm & dome mid/dome tweeter into a tightly packed small speaker. Sooo smooth & detailed, hmmmm...In quality of appearance, finish & aspiration ADS & Braun were similar to Wilson Audio of today's brands.
Some including an old friend swore by Bose's old model 901 (equalized, sum total nine drivers-all 130mm mid-basses, eight drivers rear-firing, one driver forward-firing); I never liked them, maybe because the EQ required 4kW to drive them.
I too very much enjoyed the drive, power & bass of the ESS Heil AMT. A friend I did business with was friends w/ Oscar Heil; I had lunch Oscar years ago, a very sweet & enjoyable, humble person. Still have very bad feelings for him in that Heil made many millions off his invention & paid Oscar little to nothing. Very interesting that even PE is selling the Heil driver & diaphragms again. I doubt Oscar is still with us. Does anyone know his status?
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I had these 35+ year old Dynaco A25XL's refurbished with ne cabinets and got rid of all the bad things about the original design. No grill, no edge in the front, made them left and right hand, and beautiful wood all around.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=18450)
Wayner :D
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I too very much enjoyed the drive, power & bass of the ESS Heil AMT. A friend I did business with was friends w/ Oscar Heil; I had lunch Oscar years ago, a very sweet & enjoyable, humble person. Still have very bad feelings for him in that Heil made many millions off his invention & paid Oscar little to nothing. Very interesting that even PE is selling the Heil driver & diaphragms again. I doubt Oscar is still with us. Does anyone know his status?
according to wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Heil
he died in 1994.
He was also one of the first to take out a patent on a very early version of the transistor in 1935(!):
http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=GB&NR=439457&KC=&FT=E
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Oops sorry, I didn't mean to reply
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This thread is getting old...apology if these were mentioned already: German Braun L1030 floorstander, IIRC 2x 200mm, 3" & 1" domes...I would have considered anything to get a pair of these back in the days of Pacific Stereo stores where they were heard in the high end room...I'd still love a pair. I think the ADS (Analog Digital System) version were pretty much the same speaker. Another is the Braun mini-monitor which (again IIRC) stuffed a 130mm & dome mid/dome tweeter into a tightly packed small speaker. Sooo smooth & detailed, hmmmm...In quality of appearance, finish & aspiration ADS & Braun were similar to Wilson Audio of today's brands.
Yes, of all the speakers that passed through my hands in the yester-years, I am most fond of the Braun / ADS. I just picked up a pair of L-300s from ebay and am on the hunt for more. :D
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I had these 35+ year old Dynaco A25XL's refurbished with ne cabinets and got rid of all the bad things about the original design. No grill, no edge in the front, made them left and right hand, and beautiful wood all around.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=18450)
Wayner :D
That's really an excellent outcome and worthwhile thing to do with that venerable design. I am curious - does the 10" driver run full range, or nearly so? It must be quite the driver not to have serious mid range colorations and still produce the kind of bass it did.
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The differences in speaker design philosophy are all over the map & sometimes appear diametrically opposed: Zu employ 10" driver virtualy fullrange from about 40-10k, then others like one of the manufacturers here who employ a 7" from about 30-1k crossing to a tweeter the rest of the way up...then each company extols that their philosophy makes the most sense. It's either fun to learn about it, frustrating & puzzling, both...or something else. Either way it makes the hobby more interesting & fun.
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(http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/analog_addict/Altec/CIMG5894.jpg)
Those are my favorite vintage speakers :D
Not mine, but some of the most dynamic speakers I've ever heard. Just needed some supertweets....and active bi-amping.
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Sweeeeet! :notworthy:
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fabulous room treatment!!! :thumb:
doug s.
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I'll bet the neighbors really like it.
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I'll bet the neighbors really like it.
Depending on the music.
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These I first heard at an audio show in Philadelphia in 1977 and then a year later at a springtime show in San Francisco. They were absolutely amazing with their gut wrenching bass and detailed mids/highs. Not too surprising as the 18" bass drivers were the same installed in a handful of theaters for the Sensurround movie Earthquake. They can move a LOT of air! Keep in mind that this was the era when folks like the Rolling Stones toured with C-V amps and speaker systems. Cerwinski shifted to marketing monster stage systems for the disco rage that had emerged putting these on the back burner. As a result they're quite rare. And as a top of the line home audio system they were much more refined and capable than other C-V offerings of the time, and nothing like what C-V puts out these days.
(http://rap.midco.net/bald1/Cerwin%20320%20System%20A.jpg)(http://rap.midco.net/bald1/Cerwin%20320%20System%20B.jpg)
I ended up with these and they served me quite well for several decades when I replaced them with Magneplanars.
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Didn't you miss the dynamics when they were gone?
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Didn't you miss the dynamics when they were gone?
I cheated :) The 320D's 18" 189ES is still in use with my MGIIIa Magneplanars :) They integrate extremely well. As for the dynamics, I find the planars have a pretty darned good range. But their soundstage and detail make up for the loss of the tremendous dynamics and slam of the 320 system. Ironically I also just retired (put 'em in storage) the 320MTBs that I had been using as mains for my HT system. DefTech bipolars replaced them. Pretty good run from the venerable Vega's I bought in March of 1978 :)
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Resurrecting an oooooold thread; if you wish, keep it going. Or let it die a quick painless death.
My favorite vintage loudspeaker, I'm not saying the best, but I love them, is the Infinity Qb. Cabinets are crap, I hate vinyl. Heaven forbid if you need to replace a tweeter. I just adore the music that comes out of them.
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I love the old Bose 901s. I don't care what anyone says, I loved mine. A great party speaker.
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Being older than rocks, I've owned or thoroughly auditioned a LOT of these (mostly common) better vintage speakers in their time ('60s-'70s):
Dynacos (various),
JBLs (L100, A250, etc),
Advent (large, small),
Yamaha (NS1000s),
early Maggies (?),
Various Boston and Infinity models when they were the hot choices in their time,
Sundry others, including some unidentified Quads and Tannoys.
Honestly, none were as enjoyable or with me for nearly as long as the JBL L100s. They were completely underrated at the time, but continue to flourish on the nostalgia and vintage sales sites. And for good reason. In spite of the technical disadvantage they might have against current, super integrated loudspeakers with space age driver materials, I think would still prefer to spend an afternoon with any good rock and roll OR classical music with the L100s over my other, new, well regarded speakers. Smooth, top end to bottom, they are that good. They're personalizable with the mid/tweet attenuators. Bass forever (very nice 12" woof). Not the most efficient speakers, and not as detailed or sophisticated as the new batch of SOTA speakers...but give them some power....yeah! I believe I lost a little hearing because of those speakers. :duh:
Give me the old '60s west coast sound in speakers! :D
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Tannoy, Allison, Spica.
charles
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Being older than rocks, I've owned or thoroughly auditioned a LOT of these (mostly common) better vintage speakers in their time ('60s-'70s):
Honestly, none were as enjoyable or with me for nearly as long as the JBL L100s. They were completely underrated at the time, but continue to flourish on the nostalgia and vintage sales sites. And for good reason. In spite of the technical disadvantage they might have against current, super integrated loudspeakers with space age driver materials, I think would still prefer to spend an afternoon with any good rock and roll OR classical music with the L100s over my other, new, well regarded speakers. Smooth, top end to bottom, they are that good. They're personalizable with the mid/tweet attenuators. Bass forever (very nice 12" woof). Not the most efficient speakers, and not as detailed or sophisticated as the new batch of SOTA speakers...but give them some power....yeah! I believe I lost a little hearing because of those speakers. :duh:
Give me the old '60s west coast sound in speakers! :D
I often wonder what the L100 would sound like with a proper crossover, like Troels Gravesen's one: http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/JBL_L100.htm
It amazes me, the difference between the sophistication of the drivers in the L100—works of art—and the miserable crossover they were forced to play through—an 8 uF cap to the mid and a 3 uF to the tweeter, period; nothing to the woofer—it ran full range! The designers of the drivers must have been miffed. It is a testiment to the fundamental driver quality that it sounded as good as it did.
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Rollo....I was just going to say, I miss my Allisons. Had the Fours and the CD8's. Don't know why the principles weren't more widely adopted; they sounded the same everywhere in the room. I was even able to open a door in front of my Fours (they were close to a corner) without completely losing the stereo image.
Also had, and loved, Dyna A25's, along with 300,000 other audiophools. They were my first 'real' speakers.
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I was just going to say, I miss my Allisons. Had the Fours and the CD8's. Don't know why the principles weren't more widely adopted; they sounded the same everywhere in the room. I was even able to open a door in front of my Fours (they were close to a corner) without completely losing the stereo image.
Also had, and loved, Dyna A25's, along with 300,000 other audiophools. They were my first 'real' speakers.
Likewise, I don't know why more speakers were not designed for 'real world' situations, like being against a wall. Most people don't seem to realize, by the way, that the much-maligned Yamaha NS-10 was designed to be against a wall, as was the NS-1000. And people complain about the thin sound of these....!
Dynaco A25s were a brilliant design and deserved their popularity. There is something about the sound of aperiodic bass designs that seems to work for me, more often than not. Fried used to make small boxes, although bigger than the A25, all of which sounded great in the bass and all of which had resistive ports.
The best bass I think I've heard came from the dual transmission line sub of the Fried model H. The AR LST sounded pretty good, too, driven by a Phase Linear 700 playing an uncompressed drumset recording—a Sheffield if I remember.
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Against-the-wall placement was a requirement of the Allison formula. Their placement instructions called for the speakers to be no more than 3" from the wall. Except for one model, they were also not supposed to be too close to a room corner. (Mine were about 3-4 feet in, about their recommended minimum,)
Allison's brochures used to have a picture on the back of a guy listening to a pair of conventional bookshelf speakers in an anechoic chamber, with the caption "You don't need Allison speakers if you listen to music this way."
My A-25s served me for something like nine years until I got hit by the upgraditis bug for the first time. Then I got the Allison Fours.
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I have a restored pair of Altec model 14’s up against the wall. I’m also a fan of 60-70’s “West coast sound”
Best 12” woofer I have ever heard and makes most of the modern offerings sound broken and lifeless.
40db dynamic swings are not something any modern 6 1/2” two way can hope to muster (even with 2-4 stacked woofers).
Love the design of those classic Cerwins too! Thanks for sharing. :thumb:
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My favorite "vintage speakers" would be my KEF 105.2 from the late 70's.
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Acoustats with direct drive tube amps. I also liked the KEF 105.2's.
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I have been considering buying a mint pair of 105.2's from a guy I know to revisit my audiophile beginnings. Looking for an original Theta tube preamp and maybe a pair of the Theta tube mono amps to recreate my first true hi-fi system.
(http://usr.audioasylum.com/images/y2014/11/121654/Theta_1.jpg)
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/Y7oAAOSwo4pYKpM5/s-l1600.jpg)
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The JBL L100/4310 is my favorite, a modified a pair with an upgraded crossover and heavily braced cabinet is still used daily in my wood shop.
(http://www.audioheritage.org/images/jbl/extracts/thumbs/l100-431x_small.jpg)
Wayne
These are being reissued by JBL at this week. a Vintage aesthetic, walnut veneer cabinet, choice of three foam grill colors (orange, blue, black), new titanium tweeter.
I have a pre-ordered with the vintage metal frame 12" angled stand. So for me it is the L100.
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Rollo....I was just going to say, I miss my Allisons. Had the Fours and the CD8's. Don't know why the principles weren't more widely adopted; they sounded the same everywhere in the room. I was even able to open a door in front of my Fours (they were close to a corner) without completely losing the stereo image.
Also had, and loved, Dyna A25's, along with 300,000 other audiophools. They were my first 'real' speakers.
A classic design which still today sound wonderful. Would like to add Snell A, E3 and B minor.
charles
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Yes, of all the speakers that passed through my hands in the yester-years, I am most fond of the Braun / ADS. I just picked up a pair of L-300s from ebay and am on the hunt for more. :D
i have a pair in my basement..use them regularly,...such a smooth sound which presents the whole gestalt of music,,,even in tiny drivers..love em
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Bringing this thread back. I missed it the first time around. :oops:
My list would include whatever was in my Philco console back in my teens. Had 10", 5" and 3" drivers. Very musical.
Pioneer Project 100's bought when I was 17 working my first job. Had 10" air suspension driver with a 2" soft dome tweeter.
I the 1980's I built to EV specs a large bass reflex box housing a SP12C, 8HD horn w/1824 CD driver, T35T high-frequency driver in each box.
Currently have a pair of EV LT-12's on open baffles, and also a pair of 12TRXB's that I plan on building either a TQWT or MLTL enclosures for this Spring. I just love old EV speakers. Oh yeah, I have a pair of EV LS-12's, too, in storage.
In the 90's I had a pair of Spica SP30's that were nice.
Dave :green:
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Tangent RS-2 are still my main speakers, after all of these years. Cabinet walls internally modified to triple laminate with constrained damping layer. Thanks again, Wayne.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=190664)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=54463)
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These are being reissued by JBL at this week. a Vintage aesthetic, walnut veneer cabinet, choice of three foam grill colors (orange, blue, black), new titanium tweeter.
I have a pre-ordered with the vintage metal frame 12" angled stand. So for me it is the L100.
I wonder how the newly re-issued L100 Classics compare with the original L100 with the Troels Gravesen crossover mod:
http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/JBL_L100.htm
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=190665)
My incredible sounding 1990 Klipsch Chorus II's with updated Crites crossovers and Ti tweeter diaphragms.
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=190666)
Current placement in my listening area.
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Nice! What turntable is that?
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Artisan Fidelity Garrard 401 Statement.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=190667)
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Sweet! Looks better than my Lab 80. :green:
Dave :green:
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=190677)
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I wonder how the newly re-issued L100 Classics compare with the original L100 with the Troels Gravesen crossover mod:
http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/JBL_L100.htm
Dennis Murphy, who designs the crossovers for Salk Speakers, also did a crossover mod for the L100, this page compares the two designs:
https://audionostalgia.co.uk/jbl-l100-crossover-upgrade/ (https://audionostalgia.co.uk/jbl-l100-crossover-upgrade/)
Wonder if the new L100 will be at RMAF? From the photos it looks like the original but with upgraded drivers and crossovers I doubt it will have the original's glorious flaws that made it a classic.
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Very interesting. Thanks for the link WGH.
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Artisan Fidelity Garrard 401 Statement.
Wow, gorgeous!
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Artisan Fidelity Garrard 401 Statement.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=190667)
Your speakers are like fire kindling comapred to that.
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Acoustat Nonitor IV's with the DD servo amps is my all time favorite. Steve Deckart of Decware still listens to his pair even today. Many owners will never give these up.
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Allison One speakers.
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I owned Dahlquist DQ-10s. I built solid walnut stands for them a little taller than the factory version. Unfortunately the speakers and stands were stolen by someone who probably had no idea what they were stealing.
I also owned stacked Large Advents. And now have one of the original pairs for sale locally on Craigslist. Probably one of the best condition Advents available. Refoamed, tweaked drivers, new caps. Beautiful walnut, perfect grills, and huge nostalgia factor for me. I hate to sell them but they are too nice to sit in the closet. They deserve to be appreciated and used.
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JBL L100s. Wish I still had 'em. :cry:
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stacked large advents. for some reason i'd always under-rated the advents, perhaps the ubiquitousness and generic looks? in 2018, a friend gave me his pair as he downsized to modern plastic speakers. what the hell, i tried them. the liveliness and dynamics were addicting. another friend found a 2nd pair for me for $100 (plus extra for a re-foam). voila! the stack is magic. basically a large tall speaker with two punchy 10" woofers and 2 tweeters - the height helps expand the sound-field. and even doubled are still fairly easy to drive (my 300b SET amp clicks well with the stack).
at today's prices for large advents, the stack has to be about the best speaker bang for the buck that there is, imho.
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Hey Now,
KEF Reference 103.2s.
—
Finest kind,
Chris
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I like only two vintage speakers, Carver Amazing and Polk SRS.
(https://www.ingunowners.com/rimg.php?referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ingunowners.com%2Fforums%2Fshowthread.php%3Ft%3D366330%26page%3D4&src=http://cdn.vanillaforums.com/polkaudio.vanillaforums.com/attachments/6/1/1/9/7/11285.jpg)
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talk about "crossovers" :D
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The Polk xover are big, all that face plate ((
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Phone photo with bad lighting but, Klipsch Quartets are sublime in my room.
(http://www.hostpic.org/images/1903192145070093.jpg) (http://www.hostpic.org/view.php?filename=1903192145070093.jpg)
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Phone photo with bad lighting but, Klipsch Quartets are sublime in my room.
(http://www.hostpic.org/images/1903192145070093.jpg) (http://www.hostpic.org/view.php?filename=1903192145070093.jpg)
Hi,
I'm guessing the platforms are to bring the tweeter closer to ear level. Do you lose any bass from not having reinforcement/floor bounce with the speakers raised? I'm an extended heritage Klipsch fan. Thanks.
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Hi,
I'm guessing the platforms are to bring the tweeter closer to ear level. Do you lose any bass from not having reinforcement/floor bounce with the speakers raised? I'm an extended heritage Klipsch fan. Thanks.
Yes, raising them 10" is the right height from my chair. Having a solid front on the stand, I believe, gives reinforcement . I haven't measured them but I haven't noticed a drop in bass. I did place a 1/4" tile under the front of each because in my room I noticed that the bass increased quite a bit when I was standing up. Tilting them slightly improved that problem.
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I've enjoyed owning a number of great vintage speakers. My favorites being Ohm F (fully restored), Polk SRS 2 (fully upgraded), and the sleeper set that I can't seem to bring myself to let go of: Monitor Audio MA-3.
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My favorite vintage speaker that I own are a pair of ADS L470/2 which I just recapped. They are being powered by a pair of 13EM7 minibloks.
Coming in second place is the Allison CD-6, I picked up a pair for the price of a cheap dinner, after I reformed, recapped and replaced all of the grills they sound fantastic.
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Finished my vintage EV build this summer. I ended up with a nice pair of EV 12TRXC triaxial drivers that I built bass reflex enclosures for. I first had some old 1950's 12TRXB drivers that needed help to extend the highs, thus a helper tweeter. With the newer 12TRXC drivers, they are not needed and are unhooked (just filling the hole now).
Dave
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=197624)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=197625)
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Quad 63 for me.
charles
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Cerwin Vega 313 or 12-TR. I’ve owned both. I love my Von Schweikert VR-4 Gen. III HSE; at 18 years old I guess they could be considered vintage.
Martin
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A recent acquisition:
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=197635)
Excellent working and cosmetic condition.
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JakeJ,
Those are some minty looking Allisons. How do they hold up against current day loudspeaker offerings?
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I bought a pair of ADS L1290 in 1986 and greatly enjoyed them about 27 years before passing them along to a friend who still enjoys them today. :D
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I just sold my Design Acoustice D-12 speakers to a family friend. I've had them since '78 and hate to let them go. My best friend's son in law lives in LA and fell in love with the "look". I told him not to be deceived, they were actually damn good speakers. At least they'll be in a system where they will be played.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=57074)
You can see them peaking out from behind the LS9's
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A recent acquisition:
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=197635)
Excellent working and cosmetic condition.
One of my all time favorites!
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No picture to contribute but I would suggest the JBL Paragons as hearing them perform the 1812 is what got me into this hobby about 1971, costing me thousands of
dollars but providing years of great entertainment! Whit