[Sinnyone]

Hi all,
Pretty new to this forum, so I hope I am posting this in the correct forum.  I have a pair of CV 311p's that I have done a refoam on the woofer drivers, but no other work.  I am just not that happy with their sound.  They are super loud, wow, they are loud.  But, the sounds are more, just, not that clear.  I am powering them with a Yamaha RX-V3900 receiver and listening mainly to vinyl through a Scott PS-67A with an Audio Technica AT-VM95E cartridge.  Ive even gone so far as disconnecting drivers and listening to them independently, and they are just very tinny sounding.  Im sure I can get a few bucks for them as vintage stuff is going kind of crazy at the moment.  But, is there something I can do to improve the sound?  I thought about upgrading the drivers, crossover, adding bracing, stuff like that, but I know that you cant just go in there and change things without taking into consideration enclosure size, isolation of drivers, which at the moment is none.  I can only imagine what the 10" is doing to the midrange.  Anyway, has someone done any upgrades to this type of speaker, and if so, can you point me in the right direction.  Or, should I just sell them and buy some other speakers.  Ive always heard that these speakers are not for fine listening, but loud and neighbor irritation.   If these speakers are just what they are and I need to just get rid of them and buy something else, please feel free to advise on what you would recommend.  I would spend what I could get for these ones, plus another hundred or so.  So keep that in mind.  I love music and my records, but not $5000 love, if you know what i mean.

If this is not in the correct area, please move or what ever. 
Thanks for all the help and have a great day!
Me

[Craig B]

I think you've discovered the nature of the beast. My very first component system had C-V speakers (though not by choice - I was the unknowing victim of a bait-and-switch at one of the old Playback stores in 1973). I don't recall the model number, but it was a 10" bookshelf that looked exactly like yours except for the color of the surround. As I recall it was just ordinary gray or black foam. They were good for playing loud, but with little finesse - all boom and sizzle, made for propping up in a dorm window to blast Allman Brothers on the quad. I didn't keep them very long.

I'm not a speaker DIY-er, but I suspect that to improve the sound you'd end up replacing nearly everything in the box - drivers and crossovers. How best to go about that, and whether the cost and effort would be worth it, I can't say. Sort of depends on how deeply down that rabbit hole you want to go.

[Sinnyone]

Haha.  Rabbit hole? Not very.  I like to play, but if its not going to pay off in the end, I would rather just get rid of them and get something better.  Plus the longer they are down and apart, the longer I have to wait to play music.  And atm, thats just about every day.  Anyone else that has 2cents, please chime in.  I can easily purchase updated 4" mids and tweeters on partsexpress and give it a shot, but I worry about the crossover and whether it is performing up to par.  I do like the vintage aspect of it though so anyone can speak up and recommend their favorite vintage speaker. 
Thanks

[JCarney]

Hi Sinnyone, from what I have read, you don't seem to mind getting your hands dirty. Have you considered diy? Room for customization on xover parts, finish and so on. GR Research right here on AC sells top quality kits at great prices. You do have to take into consideration the cost of tools if you do not have them already, or a local person to assemble it for a fee possibly. Finish costs need to be considered as well. My Granddaughter and I built the Desktop Mini for her. They sound very good, and are $206 for the entire kit plus shipping. Drivers, xover parts and board, and flat pack. I spent $17 on a quart of paint and used primer I already had. Our finish costs were very low, with sanding sponges and the paint, about $25. Just throwing it out there for consideration. CW's are not going to make you happy no matter what you do. Sell them, take the proceeds and buy a nice kit. Quite a few of them out there to choose from. Start with GR though, they are hard to beat on the bang for your buck scale.

Best of Luck,
JCarney

[Sinnyone]

Yes, I have dabbled.  Havnt built a kit, although it sounds like fun.  I dont know about putting the enclosures together.  I do have tools and such, just wondering if doing anything with these is worth it.  From the sound, and from what I have read on other forums, they are just, pretty much junk, loud junk.  Its too bad, because they are some nice heavy well built speakers.  The enclosures anyway.

[Doublej]

How much do you want to spend on upgrading these or investing in a new pair of speakers and how much bass are you willing to give up?

[Sinnyone]

Well, its one of those, million dollar ears with a ten dollar budget.  lol  I dont know, what do you have in mind.

[Doublej]

Well, its one of those, million dollar ears with a ten dollar budget.  lol  I dont know, what do you have in mind.

The market is full of $500/pair stand mounted speakers that sound very good, though lacking in bass below 60+/- Hz. If you have the desire, space and patience for large floorstanders, you can probably pick up a paired of used speakers for a very good price because there seem to be people that are looking to just get rid of them.

You could also go the active speaker route with a pair of Kali or JBL for under $500/pair. You would feed these using the L/R preamp out on the Yamaha.

[SET Man]

Hey!

    I remembered walking in stores back in the '90s and see those Cerwin Vega with their distinct red/orange foam surrounds. Honestly I was never impressed by their sound. Yes, like you've discovered they are just loud! These were '90s party speakers.

   To be honest, I would not put anymore money into them. They are lots of new speakers to choose from nowadays. Depending on how much you want to spend, start saving and when you're ready sell those Cerwin and put your money into new speaker. And like others have mentioned before speaker kits also a good idea.

   By the way.... I have Audio Technica AT-VM95C, the cheaper conical version of you cart there on my second turntable. What a great little MM cart for the price! Surprisingly very enjoyable. And my other cart on my main turntable is Hana EL which is about 12X the price.

   Anyway, good luck and keep us posted!

Buddy

[dB Cooper]

Cosmetics look very good. I agree with the consensus here, which perhaps could be summed up as: Find somebody who likes it loud, take the money and run.

[S Clark]

Ok. You've got the CV house sound.  Boomy, hot, probably accentuated mid bass. 

But, there are some things to try with little expense.
So, here's what I'd try. Buy a six pack of good beer.  Pull the woofer. Most CV speakers had little to no insulation.  If it does have, remove it.  Buy a dozen or so self adhering vinyl floor tiles.  Cut to fit the sides, back, top, and bottom.  Go buy 2-3 yards or so of the thickest carpet padding you can find (3/4"?) and a tube of Liquid Nails.  Adhere the padding to the tiles.  Wouldn't hurt to half fill behind the woofer with polyfil or fiberglass insulation.  If you use fiberglass, spay it with hairspray to lock stray fibers in place.
Cut  a couple of sheets of thick cardboard the width of the slotted port, and as long as they will go in.  Insert a couple all the way (reducing the port volume).  Tune by sliding them in and out, one or both.   
After it still sounds like a boomy CV, have a nice beer or two.  Enjoy life. 

[SET Man]

Ok. You've got the CV house sound.  Boomy, hot, probably accentuated mid bass. 

But, there are some things to try with little expense.
So, here's what I'd try. Buy a six pack of good beer.  Pull the woofer. Most CV speakers had little to no insulation.  If it does have, remove it.  Buy a dozen or so self adhering vinyl floor tiles.  Cut to fit the sides, back, top, and bottom.  Go buy 2-3 yards or so of the thickest carpet padding you can find (3/4"?) and a tube of Liquid Nails.  Adhere the padding to the tiles.  Wouldn't hurt to half fill behind the woofer with polyfil or fiberglass insulation.  If you use fiberglass, spay it with hairspray to lock stray fibers in place.
Cut  a couple of sheets of thick cardboard the width of the slotted port, and as long as they will go in.  Insert a couple all the way (reducing the port volume).  Tune by sliding them in and out, one or both.   
After it still sounds like a boomy CV, have a nice beer or two.  Enjoy life. 

Hey!

   I agreed with you on the beer. But it would take more than six pack of good beer to make these CV to sound any good

   Honestly I see no point of spending a penny more on these old CV. It would be like trying to pimp out a Yugo into a BMW M3... might as well just wait live on Cup O' Noodle and save money get a used last year or even 3 years ago BMW M3 model.
 
   Anyway, apparently Cerwin Vega is still in business and their current speakers look pretty much the same. So, there are enough fans of these speakers out there. Well, whatever float your boat right? I'm sure many of those people will find my system sound horrible to them

Buddy

[S Clark]

I agree that they are about my least favorite vintage speaker.  But that fat bass might be tightened a bit by a smaller port,  a bit more rigidity in the cabinet, and a whole lot more internal absorption. 
My financial investment advice would be as follows:

Beer- $15
Tiles- $8
Carpet Padding- $7
Stuff a pillow behind the woofer- free, just grab one off the couch
Keep your priorities straight and spend no more on the upgrade than the cost of really good 6 pack.

Your certainly right about what floats people's boats.  An enthusiast came to listen to my rig and left less than enthused by the "lack" of bass response of my system. He made this judgement from listening to some Bill Evans and Aaron Copland, and was surprised by the lack of anything heavy metal in my music collection. 

[Tyson]

I agree that they are about my least favorite vintage speaker.  But that fat bass might be tightened a bit by a smaller port,  a bit more rigidity in the cabinet, and a whole lot more internal absorption. 
My financial investment advice would be as follows:

Beer- $15
Tiles- $8
Carpet Padding- $7
Stuff a pillow behind the woofer- free, just grab one off the couch
Keep your priorities straight and spend no more on the upgrade than the cost of really good 6 pack.

Your certainly right about what floats people's boats.  An enthusiast came to listen to my rig and left less than enthused by the "lack" of bass response of my system. He made this judgement from listening to some Bill Evans and Aaron Copland, and was surprised by the lack of anything heavy metal in my music collection. 

Well if you don't have heavy metal then you're whole system is suspect.   

With my own setup it's about 50/50 of people being blown away vs. people actually being disappointed.  It's because OB images so differently than box speakers.  Some people love the depth, other people feel it's boring and puts the music too far away.

[Sinnyone]

Thank you all for the replys.  Ive got them up for sale on CL and FBMarket.  Will take what I get for them and invest in some better quality speakers. 

[SET Man]

Thank you all for the replys.  Ive got them up for sale on CL and FBMarket.  Will take what I get for them and invest in some better quality speakers.

Hey!

   Good to hear. There are many choices out there. With many people changing speakers faster than they changes their underwear, a good used speaker would be a good start. And if possible go listen to some for yourself.

   Oh! Maybe this guys would be interested in your old Cerwin Vega....

https://youtu.be/x8XT2_yiHns

    Did a search on the Cerwin Vega to see if the company is still around and came across it. Look at all of those 15" and other drivers there with those McIntosh. And I'm here using Fostex 6" full range with a super tweeter and 18wpc SET monoblock amps per side!

   Anyway, good luck on your speaker search. Keep us posted and if you have question, there are lots of good people here to help.

Buddy