I may have posted this before, but for less than $250 each, I built my own speakers back in 1978. The each contain one 15" woofer, two mid-range dome drivers, and four dome tweeters, and are mirror images of each other. I am yet to hear speakers that are as good as these for more than $20,000.
A client gave me his huge, thick, teak, homemade in University in the 70'S, monster speakers with a separate box to attach 4 joined cables per speaker... I've changed the fabric once and their still blasting away... I challenge you to a dual! I haven't a clue about exact electronic specs but they measure 3'X2'X10". and are too heavy for anywhere but the floor. They were FREE!
Nice. I would be very interested to see them and hear them. I built mine in 1981 high school. But I fitted them with JBL E140 and bullet tweeters more recently. Sure they have a few problems ., but they do some things exceptionally well. My speakers can be seen on my UA-cam “channel” But they’re also featured on Steve Gutenberg, the AUDIOPHILIAC daily show from Jan. 8 2021.
I bought a nice pair of Klipsch Heresy's for $25 from my local Connecticut Goodwill. At the same store I bought KLH 17's ($30), Snell Type E's (need woofer surrounds) $18, JBL 640's ($48), Ohm Sound Cylinders ($37.50).
I agree with your recommendation. I don't think I will ever buy new loudspeakers. I bought a pair of Audio Physic Spark IIs designed by Joachim Gerhard back in 2009. The previous owner had had them damaged in shipment and couldn't bear to use them after they were repaired so I got them cheap ($NZD760 compared with >$4k for new equivalent). I bought them because the drivers were fine and I had young boys so I figured I would not be so precious about them being toppled given they already had a few dings. I have had to replace the woofers in a mystery electrical mishap (blown woofer). Luckily, Audio Physic still had a pair in their spares that I had shipped to NZ. Then the cones needed attachment leads reglued a couple of years ago. However, the crossover is very simple and only has a couple of film caps so no work needed there. They still look and sound great so I don't see the need to change them and probably never will!
I bought a pair of Castle Winchester flagship speakers in immaculate condition from the little old lady across the street. $4,200. USD in 1990-- paid $400. CND. These are true high end audiophile speakers and are my main living room system. My best buy was a pair of JBL 4411 studio monitors-- $100.
You have a lot of nice vintage speakers in US. Here in Europe, bargains are harder to find but still I've managed to buy some Wharfedale Dovedale SP with Leak drivers and monster filters, in good condition at about $120, and also some 2 different pairs of Tannoy from the 90s. Both sound sweet and just right. Unlike most newer mainstream speakers under $200-400 that sound just off, especially with classical, jazz and vocal music.
My Dad gave me his 1972 vintage KEF Chorale speakers when he bought new speakers. I reconditioned them; new cabling, new filter caps, re-sprayed. They are still doing loyal service in our bedroom, with a very nice slightly laid-back and warm sound, perfect for the mornings and evenings. I have paired them with the Technics SU-V2 1980 vintage integrated amp I also got from my dad, also fully recapped and serviced. To this day my mother still misses the sound of that Technics + KEF combo 😉, which I still enjoy daily.
Hi, very interesting video, I do the same thing and buy cheap vintage speakers. The last interesting purchase was Goodmans Magnum K. If you cann buy it inexpensively, I recommend trying them
I remember back in my early days of enjoying nowadays what is known as vintaged stereo! I was always told that your speakers should be around 70% of the total value of your stereo system!
I’d had a lot of speakers in and out of my place and one day I noticed an ad for a pair of vintage speakers selling for a hundred dollars. They looked like a fun project and I figured what the heck. I’d had vintage electronics but never speakers. Turns out they were a pair of Celestion Ditton 551, and after replacing the tweeters, restoring the cabinet and making new grilles, they’re very easily the best speaker I’ve ever owned. Just beautiful in every way. If anything it’s a cursed blessing, because my wife loves them and pretty much forbids me from replacing them. Not that I’m in a hurry to; I estimate it would take around six thousand dollars worth of new speaker just to match them.
All vintage speakers and modern speakers sound different. The value of an audiophile vid and hardest part is describing sound characteristics. I didn't hear anything in this video describing some common differences between vintage and modern speaker sound.
Nice content. But........having said that.....please, please _please_ stop doing the MTV edits after every sentence. It renders things almost unwatchable.
I think the point is to keep the video snappy and moving while wasting as little time as possible. The Man while having personality, obviously doesn't want to meander and waffle on too much, and stick with presenting the pertinent information.
I used to do what the person on this video is doing. Then I realized that for $399 or so on ebay, you can get used modern speakers from slightly before and slightly after the turn of the century which have drivers that are simply cleaner than the drivers in the vintage stuff. Driver technology has improved since the 1970s. I can only think of a few good midrange drivers & tweeters from speakers back then, that were realistically priced. The Infinity Emit tweeters come to mind. For less than $400 on the used market you can get real imaging champs too, which really leave behind the usual box speakers from the 1970s. Internal cabinet bracing, so the speaker sounds less like a box, became fairly commonplace in the latter 1980s. My advice is if you're shopping for used bookshelf speakers, or small floorstanding speakers from the 1970s or before; don't go much over $200 a pair. You can do better with more modern used speakers. Stacking speakers of MORE THAN 4 ohm impedence can work out well. Stacking the 1980s B&W Prism 302 speakers with the unique honeycomb semi open back, once worked out for me. The two speakers in each channel, instead of just one, shared the volume and sounded less strained than using just one speaker per channel. You could go twice as loud with the 4 speakers also. The bass predictably is way deeper with 2 speakers per channel and the spatiality, both height and depth is way better. Generally, old speakers just sound strained compated to newer speakers with more modern drivers. Strained in comparison is what you hear just about every time. Well chosen newer drivers simply have less distortion That's why older speakers usually have a duller sounding tweeter to gloss that over. The old speakers do usually have more warmth though. To showcase their clarity, modern speakers often cut back on warmth. A warm sound is a nice sound to have.
I started out vith vintage speakers. I picked up a pair of JBLs model 4313 B in 2021. I now use Magnepan LRS in my main system. I still can't find something that matches the crispness and realism of the tweeters on the JBLs.
I love finding rare of ball speakers, picked up a pair of kawazawa speakers for 20 bucks, they are built like a tank, sound absolutely amazing, built in the 60s in Japan, only got to the US from service men, loved researching about them, what a beautiful set of speakers, I have about 40 pairs of speakers from different manufacturers like a pair of Optimus pro 4000 can’t find anything on them, keep them videos coming, 😎
My Father in law gave us his Mission 737 Renaissance speakers (that he bought new in 1985) when he "upgraded" to some new floor standers. Every time he pops round for a listen he always say's why did I give you these??? to which I obviously reply, "well you're not getting them back!" Stunning clarity and body from a 40 year old speaker, and after some minor maintenance they are truly sensational.
I found a pair of Klipsh Cornwall 2 (1976) for $500. Cabinet need a little work but does not affect the sound (original drivers). They sound great to me.
I own a set of SANSUI SP- X8900 speakers and they still have the grills with them , and there are in perfect condition! These are made in 1973 . I bought them new !!!
I have a pair of CerwinVega! AT-12's from the late 80's that my dad bought new from Circuit City. I refoamed the woofers a couple yrs ago and they will still shake the house.
I have an original pair of Vega (Cerwin Vega) stereo speakers. They were made by Gene Czerwinski himself My parents bought them from Gene in 1960-61. Any idea what they might be worth.
I am listening to a pair of early 70s AR2ax speaker's bought at a garage sale for 30 bucks. Needed to be refoamed so I got the refoam kit and did it myself. A learning experience but they turned out real good. The grill cloth was in good shape needed to find an AR2ax badge on eBay, found one polished it up rubbed the cabinets down with lemon oil and they look great. I have since recapped them and they sound wonderful.
Yes. dating back (for me to 70's KEF 107. I re-cap them with 1% metal poly, wire wound resistors and air core inductors and I get THOUSANDS worth of sound for hundreds of dollars.
Thanks for your love for vintage loudspeakers in this presentation! May I add? In my home (no wife factor), I am fortunate to have a number of rooms with gear. Pinnacle....complete 7.2.4 dedicated Atmos theater top to bottom speakers and subs bought NEW back in the mid 90ies. Have not had to do a thing to them. Had the pleasure to meet and hang out with Rich Rothenburg and his crew at their lab/shop near by. Roy Allison 120ies (new surrounds and doping), same for the European version 130ies (3-way) in genuine oak veneer. Surround and doping on woofers professionally performed on both pairs. They were GIVE AWAYS, free for the taking and previously installed behind grills in a church for an electronic organ back in 1986. Like NEW! Neighbor GIVE AWAY, very nice older lady asked if I wanted some old equipment. Pair of SUPERSCOPE 212-S. Sold in 1972, a big 2 way speaker with a 12" bass driver. Clearly 'West Coast' sound. Changed out the cap in each, oiled the beautiful dark walnut veneer, great sound considering the era. Factory treated cloth surround woofers, mounted with T nuts and machine screws and internal bracing all original quality! Other rooms have new Klipsch Forte' Fours and a pair of newer Martin Logan electrostatics from their current Masterpiece series. So, I'm all over the place with vintage AND new 😀. Thanks again.
Nice content. My oldest son picked up a pair of Pioneer HPM 100's for free from a friend a few years ago. They were used as a garage speaker. The corners in a few places on the cabinets are crushed but they play ok and there doesn't seem to be any problems with the drivers. Worth fixing or just sell? I could spend several hundred dollars fixing/restoring them but I've never done vernier work before. We'll see.... maybe a summer project.
Those are desirable speakers. Not everyone likes them but enough do so that they're worth some investment of time and resources. If you don't like them after the work, they'll fetch a decent price.
I rehabbed (replaced caps, dead tweeters and pots, doped surrounds, and resealed the cabinets) a pair of AR-4Xs that I inherited last year, and did similar work on a pair of KLH 17s that I bought this winter for $150, and I'm astounded by how good they sound relative to what I have invested in them. What can you buy new that sound and look as good as these do that doesn't cost ten times as much or more?
Ha! Yeah. Vintage Speakers. I still love my, JBL, 4311's. From 1978. And my pair from, 1988. And my pair from, 1998. Then there were my 4308's and Mark 4408's. Then there was my 4411''s. And my L-19's. Of course I also have numerous other speakers by other manufacturers. But I'm here to also, clue you in, on a little something. That you do not realize. I'm a 68-year-old, retired, Top Audio Engineer. Multiple major music award nominations and having made history. While also working for NBC-TV News for, 20 years in Washington DC. And my side hustle. Was contracting myself out. To fix the monitoring issues. In other Recording Studios and Broadcast Stations and Networks. Of their monitoring woes. And I discovered something incredibly interesting. Back in 1978. When I was only 22 years old. And had just designed and built from scratch. Baltimore's 2nd Largest Music Recording and Commercial Production Facility. What I discovered an anomaly. Between my Altec land 604E speakers in my JBL, 4311, speakers. And I was like, what's up with this? And what was it? That I discovered? I found. That fer, some cockamamie reason. My JBL 4311's. Proved to be. " Out of Phase ". To all other speaker manufacturers', speakers. What the hell? Why would they be the only ones? I was trying to make sense of this. But in more of a, nonsensical, situation. The speakers he had designed with his previous company he had cofounded called Altec Lansing. Those Altec Lansing speakers are also, in Reverse Polarity. To the JBL's. Now why would a guy. Who designed both speakers. Phase them opposite each other? That made no sense to me? But then again. I got my JBL 4311's. Because my Altec Lansing, 604 E's. Were also, not exactly making sense. To my hearing. But the JBL's did. What the hell??? So then. I inverted the polarity. On both of my 604E's. To match phase. Or rather, Polarity. With my JBL's. Created by the same guy. And lo and behold! Suddenly. My Altec Lansing 604E's. Now make more sense to my hearing! And they are now. Phased, with the JBL's. But they are now both wired backwards. Hmmm? So then. I reverse the Altec Lansing's. Back to the way they're supposed to be. As indicated. And I reverse my JBL''s. To match the phase/polarity. Of the 604E's. And lo and behold! They are both phased together. It's not making any sense to my hearing. What the hell??? It sounds bizarre. It's like the sound is, sucking away from me? Well that's exactly what's happening here! And I believe. Back in 1948. James B. Lansing. I believe had a technical disagreement. With his business partners of Altec Lansing. He resigned and backed out. To start his JBL Speaker Co. Pretty much just blocks away from Altec Lansing. Who was still making his 604 E, speakers. In reverse Negative Absolute Polarity to the JBL's. He also created. I believe he was able to think the entire, recording process through. Without leaving the, input microphones. Out of the equation. Because I believe. That's what has happened here. Yes. I discovered. The Altec Lansing Polarity is, mathematically correct. The JBL, Polarity is, Acoustically correct. That's different. And I believe James B. Lansing had some kind of technical revelation in his head. And realized. They had been Polarizing the speakers. Actually backwards. When they thought they were in Positive Absolute Polarity. And technically they were. They were in Negative Absolute Polarity, Acoustically. And why is this? That's also simple. What the electrical engineers and acoustic engineers failed to include in their mathematical formulas. Was that of the microphones. And so what are the microphones doing? When a sound pressure wave source. Slams into the diaphragm of the microphones. Which way to those diaphragms move when the sound pressure level hits them? Right. They are compressed inward. Into the body of the microphone. Before they relax and rebound back to its resting position. And when they got everything mathematically right. You're speakers. They are now mimicking. The motion of the diaphragms. Of the microphones. And do you want your speakers moving like that? NO YOU FUCKING DO NOT! And so I believe, James B. Lansing. In late 1947 or early 1948. Had some kind of a technical disagreement with his partners. And started JBL. Indicating their, Polarity. Backwards from all other speaker manufacturers', speakers. And soon after opening the company in 1948. James B. Lansing. Dropped dead. It was a terrible shock to everybody. Their founder was now gone. Thankfully. The company continued. With his name in his honor. And so? What do you do, about your speakers? That's the simplest fix. You simply. Turn both wires around. On both your left and right channel, speakers. In fact. The first thing an, Electrical Engineer learns in school. Is, DC Theory 101. And what is that? You just got a new flashlight as a gift. For your birthday. It requires 2 batteries. Do you put the batteries in. With the positive terminals touching each other? Or the negative terminals touching each other? Because if you do that? Your flashlight will not light. Current cannot flow like that. No. DC Theory 101 states. Positive will get connected to negative. Plus gets connected to, minus. Plus does not get connected to, plus and minus, to minus. Except when, Jumping your Car Battery. Then we put them in Parallel like that. But not in this instance. This is what they got wrong. And so I am one of those Fixer Guys. That fixes this. At other studios and Broadcast Stations. Because the dumb ass electrical engineers and acoustic engineers. Always, regularly and reliably, get this terribly wrong. They get the math right. They don't get the concept correct. And what exactly is happening. What is occurring. You have to go one step further. If you are the proud owner. Of those lovely whizbang, Active, Powered, Monitor Speakers. With the amplifiers built into the speaker boxes. With those. You will need to be good. With a Phillips head screwdriver. And a soldering iron. You will then remove both the woofer and the tweeter. From each speaker box. And you will use your lovely cheap, soldering iron. To reverse the, Spayed Lugs. On both the tweeters and the woofers. As they are generally Phased. So you cannot simply. Pull the wires off the speakers. And plug them in backwards. That won't work. You have to resodding them backwards. Then screw the speakers back into the box. That'll take you 10 minutes to do. Changing the speaker wires around on your 2 passive speakers. Will take you all of 2 minutes, 120 seconds. To make that change. And then take another listen. (More Wacky Speakers in following post)
I have been running a pair of Celestion Ditton 66's for the last forty some years. When I bought them, I immediately replaced the tweaters with new [old stock] originals, rebuilt the xovers with better quality components, added substantial binding posts and did a complete internal rewire. I also modernized them in an aesthetic sense in that I refinished them in black which also nicely reduced their...visual domination of a room. Further, about twenty years ago, as well as another complete xovers recap, I changed out the original 12" T.1600 Rola bass units for original to the model [but superior] T.2619 Rola bass units. The last time I 'operated' on them was some ten years ago, this time merely for a routine xovers recap. My point here then is to agree with your article. The renovation and care of those items of kit that can be assesed as worthy of all the investment in time and money nesessary, can be a very rewarding end, in and of itself. The potential to spend a lifetime living with, using, and enjoying what could otherwise remain in the realm of the unattainable, is priceless. Enjoyed your piece. Regards.
I inherited a pair of those from my Father in law, they were purchased in 77’. he barely used them. They sat in the same spot in his living room for 45 years. They sound awesome, hope to redo crossovers eventually
Congrats, thats a splendid inheritance! Assuming all the drivers are in good fettle, an xovers rebuild would be well worth the time and outlay - not to say a 100% necessary after so many years. Are you familiar/competent with electronics? The 66' xovers comprise of a board upon which are mounted a series of inductors and capacitors. The inductors [large copper coils] can be left in place - these will be as good, electrically, as the day they were fitted. It is the caps [capacitors] that will, absolutely, need replacing - particularly all the electrolytics [the ones marked with plus and minus signs]. Electroylitics are so prone to degredation over time that, even stored and unused, they will eventually become unusable!!! I would advise you further: Do your research. Google is your friend. There are some excellent enthusiast/specialist Ditton 66 sites and forums out there that offer extensive advise and knowhow. But be in no doubt, it is the choices you decide upon as to which make and type of components to use and their procurement therein, that will be the crucial factor in determining the final sound characteristics of the finished project. My ethos here has always been [unless for good reason] to stay as close to the original designers intentions as possible. Others, I know, take an entirely different approach. Forgive me if my ramblings have in any way strayed into the patronising. This would be a reflection on my shortcomings, not yours. Good luck and enjoy.
I have a pair of Celestion UL-8 as my main speakers - they are smaller than the 66's - but perfect for my living room. Have new capacitors and new wiring - and honestly, they are all the speakers I need. ;-)
@@kangajumper572 Splendid. Capped and rewired, no doubt they sound great. It is worth pondering how much we would have to pay to replace our legacy speakers with modern eqivalents. £1000's with inflation! Cheers.
I picked up a pair of Genesis II speakers at the curb that a neighbour had discarded. I had to re-foam the woofer and passive radiator in each cabinet. So, my total cost was about $20, including contact cement. I still have them and use occasionally, but they are a bit too boomy.
Thanks for the video, and I've been saying the same thing for years. The last new speakers I bought were the Paradigm studio 20's back in the early 2000's, they were very good but I prefer the warm, colored mid-range that only vintage speakers do.
I still have the Mordaunt-Short(British) MS-25TI that I bought new in 1986,Sounds like new. Also have a pair of JBL L-100T as the main speakers on my HT system. Thanks for another great video!
I would say no. I respect all your reasons for saying yes. In my opinion, I feel vintage speakers suffer in terms of their design (driver material/design, crossover design, driver layout, etc). But I do think it's fun to restore d speakers
My current speakers are Dahlquist DQ-10's in minty condition along with a matching pair of DQ-1w subwoofers and DQ-LP1 active crossover. I love these. I've also had some Magnepans 1.4's and SMGa's (loved those as well).
I use Murphys oil soap on my walnut veneer realistic mach one speakers. I am very impressed with the sound and appearance of these classics. For the money, they will be hard-pressed for any new speaker to compare
I always loved the realistic MACH one. Until I got a free pair from our church and I set them up in my living room to sell them. As I switched back-and-forth doing an AB comparison between those and my DIY homemade speakers.., the gentleman flipped his lid because we couldn’t believe how much better my homemade speakers sounded. When I turned the RADIO SHACK speakers back on it was so disappointing that I was sure I blew the sale. He bought the Mach 1 anyway because he had a collection.
I enjoyed the heck out of this video. I inherited a 1936 Silvertone Radio that was near mint from my grand parents. I applied a coat of tung oil and new grill cloth and it looks like new, and works great. Cost me next to nothing. My son bought four JBL S99 Lancers from 1969 for $80.00. He had two woofers refoamed and bought two tweeters on ebay for about 50 bucks and with the original stands and wooden lattice grills, they look and sound awesome. So yes vintage gear rules! Yes I subbed.
Thanks for the video it keeps me going and inspired restoring old stereo equipment and speakers I recently found a dual 721 man it's a mind blower I replaced the RCA cords cleaned it up adjusted it it's direct drive it sounds fantastic it's rated higher than a AR which is a pretty high rating in my book cuz you know AR sound fantastic have a great day keep finding gems I can't buy any more stuff I got enough stuff to restore for 100 years it keeps me busy I'm an old guy my first stereo was given to me by my uncle it was a strumberg Carlson it had two mono tube amps AM/FM tube tuner and turntable and Corner speakers everything was solid oak the drivers are Western Electric it sounded fantastic my mind was blown I was a kid my friends always came over to listen to crank the music and then when I turn 16 I wanted a car actually I already had a car but I wanted a Camaro so I traded the stereo for a 67 Camaro it was a nice car it was a 327 with a four-speed and a positraction no rust the kid I traded to lost his license and couldn't drive his mother thought it was a great idea me too but I miss that stereo that thing was awesome have a great day thanks to the inspiration my uncle also had two Leslie's speakers but I didn't know if they were
Terrific channel! I'm working on my 1978 Klipschorns. The woodwork is still terrific but they need in some places new grille cloth. Trying to find the correct replacement may take some time but it's worth it. Nice to see someone with your interests and skills!
Great vid as usual. Thanks for the tip on Briwax. Keep ‘em coming. One of my many too many pairs is a set of Klipsch KG4.2 with titanium tweeters and new crossovers from Crites.
After 40 years I have arrived at 3 way all paper cone closed cabinet speakers. I listen mainly to rock and these speakers suit that perfectly. 60-70s speakers is 👍🏻
B&W DM-220 2.5 way "large bookshelves." Two 8 inch die cast zinc BZ-200/16 16 ohm midwoofers with vented magnets, and either the TP-26 or TZ-26 1 inch polymide tweeters. The TP is brown for the walnut cabinet, and the TZ black for the silver fronted black cabinets. I have two sets in the black, with the blue gasket rings for the midwoofers, the walnut has red. Bought both sets from guys on Facebook. First was $150 AU, and the drivers are a bit yellow. The seller bought them without grills and is a smoker, yuck.🤮 Second pair was $250 AU and in better shape, with grills. Both sound great! I'd already rebuilt my housemate's walnut set with French SCR capacitors, and rewired the drivers with Monster Cable wire, and they sound AMAZING! Love these because the two midbass drivers have a bit of a passive radiator effect going on which does wonders for the bass extension. Planning to someday build a pair of new cabinets to house all the drivers from both sets, and make them 1.5 times the size. I'll either make new crossovers or modify them with resisters to recreate the same impedance. The DM-330s were just a slightly bigger cabinet version, and the DM-110 is a smaller ported version with one 8 ohm version of the midbass driver. With the same tweeter.
Thanks for the useful info about restoration. I will look into the wood restorers you mentioned. The mid/woofers in my Allison 5s (roughly 40 years old) had cracked surrounds. Found a guy near me who repairs vintage speakers and now they look and sound fantastic. He told me that he checked the capacitors, just as you said, but mine were OK. In other parts of the house I have much newer speakers, but I am so happy with my refurbished Allisons! For those in South Florida, see Carl at South Florida Speaker Repair.
Good morning stephen, im currently using ADS L300c bookshelf speakers with my 1959 HH Scott 99d tube integrated's mono amplifiers . however im looking for some higher effeciancy speakers that are still vintage without having to spend more than 400.00$ . The ads speakers are just 4 ohm power hungry of course they sound good but not ideal for my 22 watt individual mono blocks! Looking for any recommendation Thank you 🕺 *EDIT i missed out locally on a pair of Klipsch heresy's for 400.00$ 🤦 they obviously sold within 2 hours and i was at work here in portland . Obviously I probably won't find a deal like that again, I'm still a little salty about it This was less than a week and a half ago here.
4 ohms is low, but those are some nice speakers. I'm also on the hunt for more efficient speakers, but I'm also learning to be skeptical of the manufacturer's specs. I saw a video recently showing measurements and that Klipsch specs were inflated. ADS specs are also misleading IMO. I was editing some footage last night of A/B-ing Tannoy Monitor Golds and ADS L730's. They efficiency specs are the same on paper, but the Tannoys were audibly louder (and visibly in the editor). Anyway, I keep my shopping for speakers south of the PDX area. You've got more opportunities there, but more pickers too. Good luck!
There's a preamp, which is a Phase Linear 4000, and to its right, a Sony X77ES. One of my tube power amps is on top of the preamp but blocked by my head.
There is no doubt that advances and knowledge in technology, today's speaker drivers are far better than vintage ones and we now have much better science regarding speakers cabinets and how they effect sound. The flip side of the coin is that people used to spend more for their music equipment, speakers were built less cheaply, there was more concentration to achieve sound quality over concentration to cost effective design and manufacturing. Bass drivers (all drivers) were larger as were speaker cabinets. And while modern technology is able to get better sound from a small size, it can only do so partly, at a point size matters. So often the case is that new speakers have a really good sound achieved from a 4" bass driver, it does not compare well against a 70's speaker with a 10" driver, it just can't. And the same goes for the size of the overall cabinet...and the weight. The vibration of the driver in very light weight speakers is going to make the cabinet vibrate rather than producing sound.
Well observed and stated! Any engine designer will tell you that displacement is not king, rather that the ratio of bore and stroke matters. Same for speaker drivers. Trying to reproduce a long wavelength at original scale with a driver the diameter of which is a tiny fraction of that wavelength is an exercise in mediocrity at best. We listen with our core, not just our ears, and the "oversize headphones" masquerading as tiny bookshelf speakers will only satisfy in near-field listening.
Great post! I buy and flip vintage "consumer" speakers to fund my habit, which is acquiring "sleeper" vintage pro level PA gear to cannibalize the drivers and mix and match them into stunning audiophile-quality systems. I actively multiamplify them with DSP crossovers and inexpensive (because "obsolete") AVRs as multichannel power amps. I have about $650 in my current best system and am getting $50k sound quality from it according to experienced audiophiles who have heard it. I'm having a blast burnishing the sound via DSP, not to mention revelling in the music---which is the main point---reproduced at a level I shouldn't be able to afford. Cheers!
Vintage speakers are great. The higher quality companies produced speaker models that both sounded and looked very good, even by today’s standards. My EPI 250’s, and Allison CD6 models are an excellent example. High quality solid wood cabinetry, and surprisingly accurate sound.
Nice work keeping classic speakers alive. I have a pair of ADS 300 speakers that I bought new in 1978 on my desk. The original foam woofer surrounds failed long ago, but I was able to get replacement woofers with rubber surrounds from ADS not long before they went out of business. These speakers still sound great. I don't shop for vintage stereo, I just keep it long enough that it is vintage! 😀
I've got a sansui 9090 with 4 sansui sp 2000s and yamaha cd player . Everyone that hears it wants to buy it I payed 600 cdn f for it all Ha ha amazing sound!!
My current number one speakers are a pair of JBL L40. They’re in A to A- condition, and feature their original hang tags. Paid $14 for both at the Goodwill about 10 years ago. They sound amazing!
Nice video. My first pair of speakers were the AR-15 that I purchased new in either late 1979 or 1980. I had to part with them when I downsized (big mistake) and now I am trying to find a nice clean working pair. I've been looking for 3 years now with no luck! Meanwhile, a few months ago, someone gifted me with a very nice pair of ADS L-780 speakers. I used Howard's Restora-A-Finish to clean up the veneer and they looks presentable. More importantly, the speakers sound phenomenal to my ears. I'm still looking for a pair of AR-15 speakers but now that I had the ADS speakers, I'm not in such a hurry anymore.
Kudos on snagging those L15s-been looking for those along with their pro monitor brother 4401s for awhile. Would love hooking a pair up to my old Marantz 2215b purchased new in 1978.
I read about those speakers and put a CL "Wanted" ad list them. Wham a guy from Nebraska called, we cut a deal, great packing job too. I've done that a few times on CL when looking for a certain piece of audio gear. Trying to get a nice Sansui 5000x now. @@telebob5983
I just got a pair of KLH Model 17 speakers for free. The cabinets are in good shape, the grills look super clean and they sound fantastic. The free part was a gentleman had passed and his family was giving away his hifi equipment. I was going to purchase a set of Small Advents for $175 but the KLHs came along and I got super lucky.
Yes, or estate sales. The problem with both is that they require a lot of fruitless legwork that might outweigh the occasional score unless you enjoy seeking out and attending sales. I just bought some speakers from a guy who got them at an estate sale. He has a big metal barn stuffed full of various collections, so he's getting satisfaction from more sales than I would if I'm only seeking hi-fi or, even more narrowly, speakers. I'd rather spend my free time working on gear than attending a bunch of sales of predominantly stuff I don't want. YMMV!
Modern driver technology is greater. Vintage design and sometimes build quality is better. (Pre 80s inflation) No one would male something like Dahlquist DQ-10s for that price point (factoring in inflation) in today's world. Would cost a fortune.
I picked up some large Wharfedale Mach 5s last month for just £20 - good to listen to even without a re-cap. Also picked up a couple of Celestion SL6s for a bargain £70 but they need a little work.
I have a pair of B&W DM620'S from 1991. They sound great, Im currently driving these with a Luxman5L15 integrated. Im happy with this combo. I haven't owned anything else yet. I have heard some large tannoys driven by Accuphase. Wow.
Within the past week I found a pair of Wharfedale Linton 3's for $15 Canadian at a Local St. Vincent DePaul. I was hesitant at first when purchasing because I thought they must be fake, but for $15 --- I figured I'll take the burn if they aren't real. But after researching them and checking them online they are the real deal for absolute certain---what a shocker!. Their overall condition in regard to appearance of how I first saw them would be about a 5 out of 10. But after cleaning them up really good, they almost reach a 7 for appearance. I plan on leaving the ding and scratches on the cabinets alone and just going over them with a mild cleaner and beeswax. In regard to how they sound at a medium volume------ well, at first I thought ---- dear God these things are LOUD- LOUD and SHOUTY Man --- so no problem on the power end. This was sort of at a medium-high volume- say a 6 out 10 level--nothing crazy at all. But, I have found after turning them down to a medium to low medium volume say 2 to 4, they sound AMAZING --- I am hearing things in my CD's and ALBUMS that I have never heard with my PARADIGM's. The main thing I have learned about these speakers is that they NEED TIME TO WARM UP to sound their best. I'd be curious to know if anyone else has older HI-FI speakers and equipment that sounds best after you give the components a bit of time to warm? Thanks. JDP
My classic vintage speakers are Paradigm Mini Monitor from 1999,,lol, talk about old eh ?, well anyways I could tell they were going to be great by just how the drivers looked, anyways I compared them sonically to my newer pair of Paradigm Prestige 15B monitors and all I can say is,,, I can't tell the difference, as for the price difference the older pair were $350.00 new and the newer pair were selling for $1,600.00 but I paid $1,200.00 since they were just phased out of production.
Funny, the one thing you haven't done (re-foam) I have. And speakers are the most important part of system. I have two systems with two speaker sets each. System 1 has Pioneers with 15" woofers. $12 goodwill, and JBL L100's (gifted needing tweeters, $300) System 2 has Marantz $20 garage sale that needed woofers (around $200 simply speakers) and EPI's that when I got home and took off grille found Radio Shack 8" woofers, but still sound great. The L100's beat out most others hands down; but I also have JBL C53 Libra's which go for big money, yet I don't care for them. Receivers: Sansui 7070, Scott 380R, Scott 375R 1. A three tone control amp/receiver is optimal for testing 2. If you want boom boom bass, 15" not 12 3. This is tough. I could go on for an hour......
I have about 15 vintage pairs myself and a newer pair of Polk RTI-A7 i purchased new $1000 and a $50 pair of 80s Scott 196B- 96db spl that have taken there place..The new Polks are gathering dust wa,wa,wa and the Scotts are rocking.
Great stories on vintage speakers. A like and subscribe from me. Vintage audio gear is where my heart is with audio, and restoring electronic is fun. Perhaps I will give vintage speakers a try? When I was still young and living at home I saved up my money from a job and bought my first new receiver, a brand-new Kenwood KR9600, Marantz turntable with a Grado cartridge. I still have the receiver, and it is still in fine condition. I use other vintage and near vintage components in my main system but my plan is to create an "audio wall" similiar to what I used to see in the stereo stores when I was young. I think that would be a so cool to have. Trying to work out where to put it is my biggest problem. 😀
I grew up listening to KEF 104 Mk1’s with oval race track passive radiators.. My Dad gave them away to a friend in the 90’s.. I knew even back then it was a bad move even if the tweeters were damaged.. I’m doing an Altec project these days..
I bought some vintage klh 32s that had some water damage to the bottoms so they had separated a bit. Veneer was coming off in spots as well but they sound good. Used some wood filler to close gaps between bottoms and sides and then painted them dark brown. So not the prettiest but very nice sounding bookshelf speakers.
Loved your video! I have a long personal story that I’ll keep short. Always liked JBL speakers and when I jumped back into audio, I purchased a pair of JBL towers. Disappointed as I remembered my L100 Century studio monitors having amazing “wall monitors for sound” which the towers did not have. So, jump d in the Klipsch Heresy IVs and hitch I really like, but over time kept going back to the JBLs. So bought a pair of, I think, 1975 Century monitors which ended up costing 0 dollars as they were damaged in shipping. Paid $390 to have them tested and minor repairs. Very happy listener. The Klipsch are now part of surround sound video and the JBLs are in my listening room. Looking forward to your next video. Thank you for your contribution to the audio community
A basic rule of engineering is that things that move, wear out. In comparison with solid state electronics where mostly it is capacitors that degrade with time, with speakers it is usually the cones followed by the motor. The most extreme case of this that I've seen is in my BMW where the "bass" cones had literally turned to dust. Have I ever bought used speakers? Yes once, because they were only 2 years old. I have a pair of KEF transmission line speakers that are 45 years old. I looked at the cost of replacing the drivers - thousands.
I enjoyed this video. I have a pair of Technics Speakers that I bought brand New at a Stereo Store in the late 80's. They sound phenomenal and they still do. Last fall I bought a New pair of Jamo Stage 8 speakers because I was curious how they would compare to the speakers I have Loved and owned since 1989. Well, I hooked up the Jamo speakers to my stereo system and they sounded very good but to be totally honest they were no match for the Technics Speakers which sounded much much better so I sent the Jamo back
I was a little negative about watching this and then realized my Jean Marie Reynaud (French brand) Cantibile transmission lines are over 20 years old. I will never sell them as they sound just amazing!
Hi Stephen! I was looking at your vintage speaker selection and I have notice Design Acoustics D-8 speakers. I have a set of D-8 speakers myself. It sure seems these speakers are unique and were almost custom made in a limited run. I am trying to find more information about them and I would like to get your opinion about the sound and if you have any or information to share please let me know.
There's so little information about them. There's at least one thread on Audiokarma.org that talks about them and even features posts by a former employee of DA during the time the D-8's were made. My problem right now is the front-facing midrange drivers have rotted foam, and the dimensions are very unusual. I haven't been able to find new surrounds that I'm sure will fit.
@@Lancaster_Hi-Fi Thank you for getting back to me. I had a same problem with my midrange driver. I was able to refoam it. The driver name is Peerless K040MRF. Just search for 4.25″ Refoam Kit Angle- single foam roll- RFK4.25.
I got the old surrounds off and placed (not glued) the new surrounds to make sure they fit. I don't know if they sent the wrong ones; the fold isn't reversed, and the roll doesn't fit into the gap! They would fit with the roll in the usual, convex-out configuration, but I'm worried that the roll would interact with the grille.
The problem with used and more with vintage is the prices ruses up high thnaks to youtube and internet forums. The. More the smaller the country and richer.
The last two vintage speakers I bought were at estate sales. One had frozen woofers (bang and Olufsen s45-2), and the other, infinity Qb's , both speakers had a non working emit tweeter. Used woofers for the bang and Olufsen are virtually impossible to find on eBay or other gear sites. I was able to purchase new emit tweeters from an eBay vendor who actually makes them himself. Your best bet at an estate sale in my opinion is to take a cheap receiver to the sale with some speaker wire and test any speakers you may want to purchase before you buy them. Yeah, it's a hassle, but will save you time and money. 😊
I may have posted this before, but for less than $250 each, I built my own speakers back in 1978. The each contain one 15" woofer, two mid-range dome drivers, and four dome tweeters, and are mirror images of each other. I am yet to hear speakers that are as good as these for more than $20,000.
A client gave me his huge, thick, teak, homemade in University in the 70'S, monster speakers with a separate box to attach 4 joined cables per speaker... I've changed the fabric once and their still blasting away... I challenge you to a dual! I haven't a clue about exact electronic specs but they measure 3'X2'X10". and are too heavy for anywhere but the floor. They were FREE!
Nice. I would be very interested to see them and hear them.
I built mine in 1981 high school. But I fitted them with JBL E140 and bullet tweeters more recently.
Sure they have a few problems ., but they do some things exceptionally well.
My speakers can be seen on my UA-cam “channel”
But they’re also featured on Steve Gutenberg, the AUDIOPHILIAC daily show from Jan. 8 2021.
I bought a nice pair of Klipsch Heresy's for $25 from my local Connecticut Goodwill. At the same store I bought KLH 17's ($30), Snell Type E's (need woofer surrounds) $18, JBL 640's ($48), Ohm Sound Cylinders ($37.50).
I wish I had a GW like yours!
What a treasure! Klipsch!
I agree with your recommendation. I don't think I will ever buy new loudspeakers. I bought a pair of Audio Physic Spark IIs designed by Joachim Gerhard back in 2009. The previous owner had had them damaged in shipment and couldn't bear to use them after they were repaired so I got them cheap ($NZD760 compared with >$4k for new equivalent). I bought them because the drivers were fine and I had young boys so I figured I would not be so precious about them being toppled given they already had a few dings. I have had to replace the woofers in a mystery electrical mishap (blown woofer). Luckily, Audio Physic still had a pair in their spares that I had shipped to NZ. Then the cones needed attachment leads reglued a couple of years ago. However, the crossover is very simple and only has a couple of film caps so no work needed there. They still look and sound great so I don't see the need to change them and probably never will!
I bought a pair of Castle Winchester flagship speakers in immaculate condition from the little old lady across the street. $4,200. USD in 1990-- paid $400. CND. These are true high end audiophile speakers and are my main living room system. My best buy was a pair of JBL 4411 studio monitors-- $100.
You have a lot of nice vintage speakers in US. Here in Europe, bargains are harder to find but still I've managed to buy some Wharfedale Dovedale SP with Leak drivers and monster filters, in good condition at about $120, and also some 2 different pairs of Tannoy from the 90s. Both sound sweet and just right. Unlike most newer mainstream speakers under $200-400 that sound just off, especially with classical, jazz and vocal music.
My Dad gave me his 1972 vintage KEF Chorale speakers when he bought new speakers. I reconditioned them; new cabling, new filter caps, re-sprayed. They are still doing loyal service in our bedroom, with a very nice slightly laid-back and warm sound, perfect for the mornings and evenings. I have paired them with the Technics SU-V2 1980 vintage integrated amp I also got from my dad, also fully recapped and serviced. To this day my mother still misses the sound of that Technics + KEF combo 😉, which I still enjoy daily.
Hi, very interesting video, I do the same thing and buy cheap vintage speakers. The last interesting purchase was Goodmans Magnum K. If you cann buy it inexpensively, I recommend trying them
I remember back in my early days of enjoying nowadays what is known as vintaged stereo! I was always told that your speakers should be around 70% of the total value of your stereo system!
I’d had a lot of speakers in and out of my place and one day I noticed an ad for a pair of vintage speakers selling for a hundred dollars. They looked like a fun project and I figured what the heck. I’d had vintage electronics but never speakers.
Turns out they were a pair of Celestion Ditton 551, and after replacing the tweeters, restoring the cabinet and making new grilles, they’re very easily the best speaker I’ve ever owned. Just beautiful in every way.
If anything it’s a cursed blessing, because my wife loves them and pretty much forbids me from replacing them. Not that I’m in a hurry to; I estimate it would take around six thousand dollars worth of new speaker just to match them.
All vintage speakers and modern speakers sound different. The value of an audiophile vid and hardest part is describing sound characteristics. I didn't hear anything in this video describing some common differences between vintage and modern speaker sound.
heated linseed oil is perfect for a real veneer
How do you heat it? Stove?
Nice content. But........having said that.....please, please _please_ stop doing the MTV edits after every sentence. It renders things almost unwatchable.
I'll take that under advisement!
You don't like it don't watch !
It's a free country !
I think the point is to keep the video snappy and moving while wasting as little time as possible. The Man while having personality, obviously doesn't want to meander and waffle on too much, and stick with presenting the pertinent information.
@@lkmslGet lost tough guy. It was _constructive_ criticism.
@@jameslaidler2152 ep - I'm sure that's the intention. I enjoy the content, just can't watch rapid-fire edits in anything... : )
Tannoy 637
My current speakers, that I just restored, are Altec Lansing Valencias. These are keepers and have re-sparked my interest in hifi.
I owned a pair of these. I wish I still had them
The best speakers i've ever owned, miss them. I know where they are at :).
The Empirical Audiophile uses Altec Valencias as his reference speakers.
We have a winner. !!
Coolest speakers ever made
I used to do what the person on this video is doing. Then I realized that for $399 or so on ebay, you can get used modern speakers from slightly before and slightly after the turn of the century which have drivers that are simply cleaner than the drivers in the vintage stuff. Driver technology has improved since the 1970s. I can only think of a few good midrange drivers & tweeters from speakers back then, that were realistically priced. The Infinity Emit tweeters come to mind. For less than $400 on the used market you can get real imaging champs too, which really leave behind the usual box speakers from the 1970s. Internal cabinet bracing, so the speaker sounds less like a box, became fairly commonplace in the latter 1980s. My advice is if you're shopping for used bookshelf speakers, or small floorstanding speakers from the 1970s or before; don't go much over $200 a pair. You can do better with more modern used speakers. Stacking speakers of MORE THAN 4 ohm impedence can work out well. Stacking the 1980s B&W Prism 302 speakers with the unique honeycomb semi open back, once worked out for me. The two speakers in each channel, instead of just one, shared the volume and sounded less strained than using just one speaker per channel. You could go twice as loud with the 4 speakers also. The bass predictably is way deeper with 2 speakers per channel and the spatiality, both height and depth is way better.
Generally, old speakers just sound strained compated to newer speakers with more modern drivers. Strained in comparison is what you hear just about every time. Well chosen newer drivers simply have less distortion That's why older speakers usually have a duller sounding tweeter to gloss that over. The old speakers do usually have more warmth though. To showcase their clarity, modern speakers often cut back on warmth. A warm sound is a nice sound to have.
I started out vith vintage speakers. I picked up a pair of JBLs model 4313 B in 2021. I now use Magnepan LRS in my main system. I still can't find something that matches the crispness and realism of the tweeters on the JBLs.
I love finding rare of ball speakers, picked up a pair of kawazawa speakers for 20 bucks, they are built like a tank, sound absolutely amazing, built in the 60s in Japan, only got to the US from service men, loved researching about them, what a beautiful set of speakers, I have about 40 pairs of speakers from different manufacturers like a pair of Optimus pro 4000 can’t find anything on them, keep them videos coming, 😎
My Father in law gave us his Mission 737 Renaissance speakers (that he bought new in 1985) when he "upgraded" to some new floor standers. Every time he pops round for a listen he always say's why did I give you these??? to which I obviously reply, "well you're not getting them back!" Stunning clarity and body from a 40 year old speaker, and after some minor maintenance they are truly sensational.
i have a pair of restored kek104/2 best ever speakers ,i had a brand new pair in the 90s .i never got over letting them go ....
Had the 104/2 kefs also and really enjoyed them.
I found a pair of Klipsh Cornwall 2 (1976) for $500.
Cabinet need a little work but does not affect the sound (original drivers).
They sound great to me.
I own a set of SANSUI SP- X8900 speakers and they still have the grills with them , and there are in perfect condition! These are made in 1973 . I bought them new !!!
I have a pair of CerwinVega! AT-12's from the late 80's that my dad bought new from Circuit City. I refoamed the woofers a couple yrs ago and they will still shake the house.
I have an original pair of Vega (Cerwin Vega) stereo speakers. They were made by Gene Czerwinski himself My parents bought them from Gene in 1960-61. Any idea what they might be worth.
None! Certainly, they have a huge cool factor!
the company HQ will by them with proof of gene
Quad ESL 57 owner here. Never selling those ... €600.. nothing new at that price comes close
Still want a pair of acoustat x again.. heavenly
Definitely Yes. Lots of used speakers on the market as well as used audio gear.
I have a pair of Klipsch Heresy’s from 85. They are awesome.
I am listening to a pair of early 70s AR2ax speaker's bought at a garage sale for 30 bucks. Needed to be refoamed so I got the refoam kit and did it myself. A learning experience but they turned out real good. The grill cloth was in good shape needed to find an AR2ax badge on eBay, found one polished it up rubbed the cabinets down with lemon oil and they look great. I have since recapped them and they sound wonderful.
Yes. dating back (for me to 70's KEF 107. I re-cap them with 1% metal poly, wire wound resistors and air core inductors and I get THOUSANDS worth of sound for hundreds of dollars.
Thanks for your love for vintage loudspeakers in this presentation! May I add? In my home (no wife factor), I am fortunate to have a number of rooms with gear.
Pinnacle....complete 7.2.4 dedicated Atmos theater top to bottom speakers and subs bought NEW back in the mid 90ies. Have not had to do a thing to them. Had the pleasure to meet and hang out with Rich Rothenburg and his crew at their lab/shop near by.
Roy Allison 120ies (new surrounds and doping), same for the European version 130ies (3-way) in genuine oak veneer. Surround and doping on woofers professionally performed on both pairs. They were GIVE AWAYS, free for the taking and previously installed behind grills in a church for an electronic organ back in 1986. Like NEW!
Neighbor GIVE AWAY, very nice older lady asked if I wanted some old equipment. Pair of SUPERSCOPE 212-S. Sold in 1972, a big 2 way speaker with a 12" bass driver. Clearly 'West Coast' sound. Changed out the cap in each, oiled the beautiful dark walnut veneer, great sound considering the era. Factory treated cloth surround woofers, mounted with T nuts and machine screws and internal bracing all original quality!
Other rooms have new Klipsch Forte' Fours and a pair of newer Martin Logan electrostatics from their current Masterpiece series. So, I'm all over the place with vintage AND new 😀. Thanks again.
Nice content. My oldest son picked up a pair of Pioneer HPM 100's for free from a friend a few years ago. They were used as a garage speaker. The corners in a few places on the cabinets are crushed but they play ok and there doesn't seem to be any problems with the drivers. Worth fixing or just sell? I could spend several hundred dollars fixing/restoring them but I've never done vernier work before. We'll see.... maybe a summer project.
Those are desirable speakers. Not everyone likes them but enough do so that they're worth some investment of time and resources. If you don't like them after the work, they'll fetch a decent price.
I rehabbed (replaced caps, dead tweeters and pots, doped surrounds, and resealed the cabinets) a pair of AR-4Xs that I inherited last year, and did similar work on a pair of KLH 17s that I bought this winter for $150, and I'm astounded by how good they sound relative to what I have invested in them. What can you buy new that sound and look as good as these do that doesn't cost ten times as much or more?
Ha! Yeah. Vintage Speakers. I still love my, JBL, 4311's. From 1978. And my pair from, 1988. And my pair from, 1998. Then there were my 4308's and Mark 4408's. Then there was my 4411''s. And my L-19's.
Of course I also have numerous other speakers by other manufacturers. But I'm here to also, clue you in, on a little something. That you do not realize.
I'm a 68-year-old, retired, Top Audio Engineer. Multiple major music award nominations and having made history. While also working for NBC-TV News for, 20 years in Washington DC. And my side hustle. Was contracting myself out. To fix the monitoring issues. In other Recording Studios and Broadcast Stations and Networks. Of their monitoring woes. And I discovered something incredibly interesting. Back in 1978. When I was only 22 years old. And had just designed and built from scratch. Baltimore's 2nd Largest Music Recording and Commercial Production Facility. What I discovered an anomaly. Between my Altec land 604E speakers in my JBL, 4311, speakers. And I was like, what's up with this? And what was it? That I discovered?
I found. That fer, some cockamamie reason. My JBL 4311's. Proved to be. " Out of Phase ". To all other speaker manufacturers', speakers. What the hell? Why would they be the only ones?
I was trying to make sense of this. But in more of a, nonsensical, situation. The speakers he had designed with his previous company he had cofounded called Altec Lansing. Those Altec Lansing speakers are also, in Reverse Polarity. To the JBL's.
Now why would a guy. Who designed both speakers. Phase them opposite each other? That made no sense to me?
But then again. I got my JBL 4311's. Because my Altec Lansing, 604 E's. Were also, not exactly making sense. To my hearing. But the JBL's did. What the hell???
So then. I inverted the polarity. On both of my 604E's. To match phase. Or rather, Polarity. With my JBL's. Created by the same guy. And lo and behold! Suddenly. My Altec Lansing 604E's. Now make more sense to my hearing! And they are now. Phased, with the JBL's. But they are now both wired backwards. Hmmm?
So then. I reverse the Altec Lansing's. Back to the way they're supposed to be. As indicated. And I reverse my JBL''s. To match the phase/polarity. Of the 604E's.
And lo and behold! They are both phased together. It's not making any sense to my hearing. What the hell??? It sounds bizarre. It's like the sound is, sucking away from me?
Well that's exactly what's happening here! And I believe. Back in 1948. James B. Lansing. I believe had a technical disagreement. With his business partners of Altec Lansing. He resigned and backed out. To start his JBL Speaker Co. Pretty much just blocks away from Altec Lansing. Who was still making his 604 E, speakers. In reverse Negative Absolute Polarity to the JBL's. He also created.
I believe he was able to think the entire, recording process through. Without leaving the, input microphones. Out of the equation. Because I believe. That's what has happened here. Yes.
I discovered. The Altec Lansing Polarity is, mathematically correct. The JBL, Polarity is, Acoustically correct. That's different. And I believe James B. Lansing had some kind of technical revelation in his head. And realized. They had been Polarizing the speakers. Actually backwards. When they thought they were in Positive Absolute Polarity. And technically they were. They were in Negative Absolute Polarity, Acoustically. And why is this? That's also simple.
What the electrical engineers and acoustic engineers failed to include in their mathematical formulas. Was that of the microphones.
And so what are the microphones doing? When a sound pressure wave source. Slams into the diaphragm of the microphones. Which way to those diaphragms move when the sound pressure level hits them? Right. They are compressed inward. Into the body of the microphone. Before they relax and rebound back to its resting position.
And when they got everything mathematically right. You're speakers. They are now mimicking. The motion of the diaphragms. Of the microphones. And do you want your speakers moving like that? NO YOU FUCKING DO NOT!
And so I believe, James B. Lansing. In late 1947 or early 1948. Had some kind of a technical disagreement with his partners. And started JBL. Indicating their, Polarity. Backwards from all other speaker manufacturers', speakers.
And soon after opening the company in 1948. James B. Lansing. Dropped dead. It was a terrible shock to everybody. Their founder was now gone.
Thankfully. The company continued. With his name in his honor.
And so? What do you do, about your speakers? That's the simplest fix. You simply. Turn both wires around. On both your left and right channel, speakers. In fact.
The first thing an, Electrical Engineer learns in school. Is, DC Theory 101. And what is that?
You just got a new flashlight as a gift. For your birthday. It requires 2 batteries. Do you put the batteries in. With the positive terminals touching each other? Or the negative terminals touching each other? Because if you do that? Your flashlight will not light. Current cannot flow like that. No.
DC Theory 101 states. Positive will get connected to negative. Plus gets connected to, minus. Plus does not get connected to, plus and minus, to minus. Except when, Jumping your Car Battery. Then we put them in Parallel like that. But not in this instance. This is what they got wrong.
And so I am one of those Fixer Guys. That fixes this. At other studios and Broadcast Stations. Because the dumb ass electrical engineers and acoustic engineers. Always, regularly and reliably, get this terribly wrong. They get the math right. They don't get the concept correct. And what exactly is happening. What is occurring.
You have to go one step further. If you are the proud owner. Of those lovely whizbang, Active, Powered, Monitor Speakers. With the amplifiers built into the speaker boxes. With those. You will need to be good. With a Phillips head screwdriver. And a soldering iron.
You will then remove both the woofer and the tweeter. From each speaker box. And you will use your lovely cheap, soldering iron. To reverse the, Spayed Lugs. On both the tweeters and the woofers. As they are generally Phased. So you cannot simply. Pull the wires off the speakers. And plug them in backwards. That won't work. You have to resodding them backwards. Then screw the speakers back into the box. That'll take you 10 minutes to do. Changing the speaker wires around on your 2 passive speakers. Will take you all of 2 minutes, 120 seconds. To make that change. And then take another listen.
(More Wacky Speakers in following post)
Cabinet value is a key attribute, especially with horns. Good wood is good.
I have been running a pair of Celestion Ditton 66's for the last forty some years.
When I bought them, I immediately replaced the tweaters with new [old stock] originals, rebuilt the xovers with better quality components, added substantial binding posts and did a complete internal rewire. I also modernized them in an aesthetic sense in that I refinished them in black which also nicely reduced their...visual domination of a room.
Further, about twenty years ago, as well as another complete xovers recap, I changed out the original 12" T.1600 Rola bass units for original to the model [but superior] T.2619 Rola bass units.
The last time I 'operated' on them was some ten years ago, this time merely for a routine xovers recap.
My point here then is to agree with your article.
The renovation and care of those items of kit that can be assesed as worthy of all the investment in time and money nesessary, can be a very rewarding end, in and of itself.
The potential to spend a lifetime living with, using, and enjoying what could otherwise remain in the realm of the unattainable, is priceless.
Enjoyed your piece.
Regards.
I inherited a pair of those from my Father in law, they were purchased in 77’. he barely used them. They sat in the same spot in his living room for 45 years. They sound awesome, hope to redo crossovers eventually
Congrats, thats a splendid inheritance!
Assuming all the drivers are in good fettle, an xovers rebuild would be well worth the time and outlay - not to say a 100% necessary after so many years.
Are you familiar/competent with electronics?
The 66' xovers comprise of a board upon which are mounted a series of inductors and capacitors.
The inductors [large copper coils] can be left in place - these will be as good, electrically, as the day they were fitted.
It is the caps [capacitors] that will, absolutely, need replacing - particularly all the electrolytics [the ones marked with plus and minus signs].
Electroylitics are so prone to degredation over time that, even stored and unused, they will eventually become unusable!!!
I would advise you further:
Do your research. Google is your friend. There are some excellent enthusiast/specialist Ditton 66 sites and forums out there that offer extensive advise and knowhow.
But be in no doubt, it is the choices you decide upon as to which make and type of components to use and their procurement therein, that will be the crucial factor
in determining the final sound characteristics of the finished project.
My ethos here has always been [unless for good reason] to stay as close to the original designers intentions as possible.
Others, I know, take an entirely different approach.
Forgive me if my ramblings have in any way strayed into the patronising. This would be a reflection on my shortcomings, not yours.
Good luck and enjoy.
I have a pair of Celestion UL-8 as my main speakers - they are smaller than the 66's - but perfect for my living room. Have new capacitors and new wiring - and honestly, they are all the speakers I need. ;-)
@@kangajumper572
Splendid. Capped and rewired, no doubt they sound great.
It is worth pondering how much we would have to pay to replace our legacy speakers with modern eqivalents. £1000's with inflation!
Cheers.
JBL L55, JBL 44 Lancers, KLH 17, AR4x these are my favorites vintage speakers. I also have modern speakers but I prefer laid back vintage.
I picked up a pair of Genesis II speakers at the curb that a neighbour had discarded.
I had to re-foam the woofer and passive radiator in each cabinet. So, my total cost was about $20, including contact cement.
I still have them and use occasionally, but they are a bit too boomy.
Thanks for the video, and I've been saying the same thing for years. The last new speakers I bought were the Paradigm studio 20's back in the early 2000's, they were very good but I prefer the warm, colored mid-range that only vintage speakers do.
I still have the Mordaunt-Short(British) MS-25TI that I bought new in 1986,Sounds like new.
Also have a pair of JBL L-100T as the main speakers on my HT system.
Thanks for another great video!
I would say no. I respect all your reasons for saying yes. In my opinion, I feel vintage speakers suffer in terms of their design (driver material/design, crossover design, driver layout, etc). But I do think it's fun to restore d speakers
My current speakers are Dahlquist DQ-10's in minty condition along with a matching pair of DQ-1w subwoofers and DQ-LP1 active crossover. I love these. I've also had some Magnepans 1.4's and SMGa's (loved those as well).
I use Murphys oil soap on my walnut veneer realistic mach one speakers. I am very impressed with the sound and appearance of these classics. For the money, they will be hard-pressed for any new speaker to compare
Radio Shack, Division of Tandy Corporation! I have always been partial to the Realistic brand indeed!
I always loved the realistic MACH one. Until I got a free pair from our church and I set them up in my living room to sell them. As I switched back-and-forth doing an AB comparison between those and my DIY homemade speakers.., the gentleman flipped his lid because we couldn’t believe how much better my homemade speakers sounded. When I turned the RADIO SHACK speakers back on it was so disappointing that I was sure I blew the sale. He bought the Mach 1 anyway because he had a collection.
I enjoyed the heck out of this video. I inherited a 1936 Silvertone Radio that was near mint from my grand parents. I applied a coat of tung oil and new grill cloth and it looks like new, and works great. Cost me next to nothing. My son bought four JBL S99 Lancers from 1969 for $80.00. He had two woofers refoamed and bought two tweeters on ebay for about 50 bucks and with the original stands and wooden lattice grills, they look and sound awesome. So yes vintage gear rules! Yes I subbed.
Thanks for the video it keeps me going and inspired restoring old stereo equipment and speakers I recently found a dual 721 man it's a mind blower I replaced the RCA cords cleaned it up adjusted it it's direct drive it sounds fantastic it's rated higher than a AR which is a pretty high rating in my book cuz you know AR sound fantastic have a great day keep finding gems I can't buy any more stuff I got enough stuff to restore for 100 years it keeps me busy I'm an old guy my first stereo was given to me by my uncle it was a strumberg Carlson it had two mono tube amps AM/FM tube tuner and turntable and Corner speakers everything was solid oak the drivers are Western Electric it sounded fantastic my mind was blown I was a kid my friends always came over to listen to crank the music and then when I turn 16 I wanted a car actually I already had a car but I wanted a Camaro so I traded the stereo for a 67 Camaro it was a nice car it was a 327 with a four-speed and a positraction no rust the kid I traded to lost his license and couldn't drive his mother thought it was a great idea me too but I miss that stereo that thing was awesome have a great day thanks to the inspiration my uncle also had two Leslie's speakers but I didn't know if they were
I bought a 721 new in 1978 and I still use it to this day. I've had only minor problems that were easily corrected.
Terrific channel! I'm working on my 1978 Klipschorns. The woodwork is still terrific but they need in some places new grille cloth. Trying to find the correct replacement may take some time but it's worth it. Nice to see someone with your interests and skills!
Great vid as usual. Thanks for the
tip on Briwax. Keep ‘em coming.
One of my many too many pairs is
a set of Klipsch KG4.2 with titanium
tweeters and new crossovers from
Crites.
After 40 years I have arrived at 3 way all paper cone closed cabinet speakers. I listen mainly to rock and these speakers suit that perfectly. 60-70s speakers is 👍🏻
B&W DM-220 2.5 way "large bookshelves." Two 8 inch die cast zinc BZ-200/16 16 ohm midwoofers with vented magnets, and either the TP-26 or TZ-26 1 inch polymide tweeters. The TP is brown for the walnut cabinet, and the TZ black for the silver fronted black cabinets.
I have two sets in the black, with the blue gasket rings for the midwoofers, the walnut has red. Bought both sets from guys on Facebook. First was $150 AU, and the drivers are a bit yellow. The seller bought them without grills and is a smoker, yuck.🤮 Second pair was $250 AU and in better shape, with grills. Both sound great!
I'd already rebuilt my housemate's walnut set with French SCR capacitors, and rewired the drivers with Monster Cable wire, and they sound AMAZING! Love these because the two midbass drivers have a bit of a passive radiator effect going on which does wonders for the bass extension.
Planning to someday build a pair of new cabinets to house all the drivers from both sets, and make them 1.5 times the size. I'll either make new crossovers or modify them with resisters to recreate the same impedance.
The DM-330s were just a slightly bigger cabinet version, and the DM-110 is a smaller ported version with one 8 ohm version of the midbass driver. With the same tweeter.
Proac Response III’s baby! Good luck finding a pair.
Thanks for the useful info about restoration. I will look into the wood restorers you mentioned. The mid/woofers in my Allison 5s (roughly 40 years old) had cracked surrounds. Found a guy near me who repairs vintage speakers and now they look and sound fantastic. He told me that he checked the capacitors, just as you said, but mine were OK. In other parts of the house I have much newer speakers, but I am so happy with my refurbished Allisons! For those in South Florida, see Carl at South Florida Speaker Repair.
Excellent video with practical information. I appreciate the knowledge and advice you pass on. Keep the videos coming!
Good morning stephen, im currently using ADS L300c bookshelf speakers with my 1959 HH Scott 99d tube integrated's mono amplifiers . however im looking for some higher effeciancy speakers that are still vintage without having to spend more than 400.00$ . The ads speakers are just 4 ohm power hungry of course they sound good but not ideal for my 22 watt individual mono blocks! Looking for any recommendation Thank you 🕺
*EDIT i missed out locally on a pair of Klipsch heresy's for 400.00$ 🤦 they obviously sold within 2 hours and i was at work here in portland . Obviously I probably won't find a deal like that again, I'm still a little salty about it This was less than a week and a half ago here.
4 ohms is low, but those are some nice speakers. I'm also on the hunt for more efficient speakers, but I'm also learning to be skeptical of the manufacturer's specs. I saw a video recently showing measurements and that Klipsch specs were inflated. ADS specs are also misleading IMO. I was editing some footage last night of A/B-ing Tannoy Monitor Golds and ADS L730's. They efficiency specs are the same on paper, but the Tannoys were audibly louder (and visibly in the editor). Anyway, I keep my shopping for speakers south of the PDX area. You've got more opportunities there, but more pickers too. Good luck!
What model of amp is the one sitting behind you? Please. Looks like a Luxman
There's a preamp, which is a Phase Linear 4000, and to its right, a Sony X77ES. One of my tube power amps is on top of the preamp but blocked by my head.
Best speakers I've ever heard were made of solid wood, wish I could remember the make of them
There is no doubt that advances and knowledge in technology, today's speaker drivers are far better than vintage ones and we now have much better science regarding speakers cabinets and how they effect sound. The flip side of the coin is that people used to spend more for their music equipment, speakers were built less cheaply, there was more concentration to achieve sound quality over concentration to cost effective design and manufacturing.
Bass drivers (all drivers) were larger as were speaker cabinets. And while modern technology is able to get better sound from a small size, it can only do so partly, at a point size matters. So often the case is that new speakers have a really good sound achieved from a 4" bass driver, it does not compare well against a 70's speaker with a 10" driver, it just can't. And the same goes for the size of the overall cabinet...and the weight. The vibration of the driver in very light weight speakers is going to make the cabinet vibrate rather than producing sound.
Well observed and stated! Any engine designer will tell you that displacement is not king, rather that the ratio of bore and stroke matters. Same for speaker drivers. Trying to reproduce a long wavelength at original scale with a driver the diameter of which is a tiny fraction of that wavelength is an exercise in mediocrity at best. We listen with our core, not just our ears, and the "oversize headphones" masquerading as tiny bookshelf speakers will only satisfy in near-field listening.
Great post! I buy and flip vintage "consumer" speakers to fund my habit, which is acquiring "sleeper" vintage pro level PA gear to cannibalize the drivers and mix and match them into stunning audiophile-quality systems. I actively multiamplify them with DSP crossovers and inexpensive (because "obsolete") AVRs as multichannel power amps. I have about $650 in my current best system and am getting $50k sound quality from it according to experienced audiophiles who have heard it. I'm having a blast burnishing the sound via DSP, not to mention revelling in the music---which is the main point---reproduced at a level I shouldn't be able to afford. Cheers!
Terrific video, highly informative and well presented.
Vintage speakers are great. The higher quality companies produced speaker models that both sounded and looked very good, even by today’s standards. My EPI 250’s, and Allison CD6 models are an excellent example. High quality solid wood cabinetry, and surprisingly accurate sound.
I was given a pair of Bozak B4000 speakers they sound great but they are huge
I bought ALTEC CAPRI speakers so long ago ., I forgot I owned them.
Now on my vintage Technics receiver in the dining room.
How did you know I had ARs in my dorm?
Have your ever heard of (USA made) Crest Audio power amps?
I hadn't, but I just googled them. Pro-grade gear can provide great value if the consumer audiophile community hasn't discovered it yet!
I bought a pair of Boston Acoustics VRm-50 bookshelf speakers for $150 seven years ago and still love them. They're now about 25 years old.
Nice work keeping classic speakers alive. I have a pair of ADS 300 speakers that I bought new in 1978 on my desk. The original foam woofer surrounds failed long ago, but I was able to get replacement woofers with rubber surrounds from ADS not long before they went out of business. These speakers still sound great. I don't shop for vintage stereo, I just keep it long enough that it is vintage! 😀
That's how I got into vintage as well!
I've got a sansui 9090 with 4 sansui sp 2000s and yamaha cd player . Everyone that hears it wants to buy it I payed 600 cdn f for it all
Ha ha amazing sound!!
My current number one speakers are a pair of JBL L40. They’re in A to A- condition, and feature their original hang tags. Paid $14 for both at the Goodwill about 10 years ago. They sound amazing!
Nice video. My first pair of speakers were the AR-15 that I purchased new in either late 1979 or 1980. I had to part with them when I downsized (big mistake) and now I am trying to find a nice clean working pair. I've been looking for 3 years now with no luck! Meanwhile, a few months ago, someone gifted me with a very nice pair of ADS L-780 speakers. I used Howard's Restora-A-Finish to clean up the veneer and they looks presentable. More importantly, the speakers sound phenomenal to my ears. I'm still looking for a pair of AR-15 speakers but now that I had the ADS speakers, I'm not in such a hurry anymore.
I love my JBL 15's and Klipsch Heresy I speakers. L15's off CL, and worked perfect, replaced the surrounds and amazing sound plus the look.
Kudos on snagging those L15s-been looking for those along with their pro monitor brother 4401s for awhile. Would love hooking a pair up to my old Marantz 2215b purchased new in 1978.
I read about those speakers and put a CL "Wanted" ad list them. Wham a guy from Nebraska called, we cut a deal, great packing job too. I've done that a few times on CL when looking for a certain piece of audio gear. Trying to get a nice Sansui 5000x now. @@telebob5983
I just got a pair of KLH Model 17 speakers for free. The cabinets are in good shape, the grills look super clean and they sound fantastic. The free part was a gentleman had passed and his family was giving away his hifi equipment. I was going to purchase a set of Small Advents for $175 but the KLHs came along and I got super lucky.
Wonder if you can make a great cheap score @ garage sales ?
Yes, or estate sales. The problem with both is that they require a lot of fruitless legwork that might outweigh the occasional score unless you enjoy seeking out and attending sales. I just bought some speakers from a guy who got them at an estate sale. He has a big metal barn stuffed full of various collections, so he's getting satisfaction from more sales than I would if I'm only seeking hi-fi or, even more narrowly, speakers. I'd rather spend my free time working on gear than attending a bunch of sales of predominantly stuff I don't want. YMMV!
I have a pair of cherry klipsch epic- would walnut work? Seeing what everyone thinks?
Modern driver technology is greater. Vintage design and sometimes build quality is better. (Pre 80s inflation) No one would male something like Dahlquist DQ-10s for that price point (factoring in inflation) in today's world. Would cost a fortune.
A/D/S speakers were/are awesome! Do you know anything about MBL 323 bookshelf speakers? Would love to know!!
I picked up some large Wharfedale Mach 5s last month for just £20 - good to listen to even without a re-cap. Also picked up a couple of Celestion SL6s for a bargain £70 but they need a little work.
Mission Model 70 Mk II ($70) paired with my Creek 4140 S2-perfect! lol
I run a pair of Design Acoustics D2 and D6. Most new speakers just don't sound as good.
I have a pair of B&W DM620'S from 1991. They sound great, Im currently driving these with a Luxman5L15 integrated. Im happy with this combo. I haven't owned anything else yet. I have heard some large tannoys driven by Accuphase. Wow.
Within the past week I found a pair of Wharfedale Linton 3's for $15 Canadian at a Local St. Vincent DePaul. I was hesitant at first when purchasing because I thought they must be fake, but for $15 --- I figured I'll take the burn if they aren't real. But after researching them and checking them online they are the real deal for absolute certain---what a shocker!. Their overall condition in regard to appearance of how I first saw them would be about a 5 out of 10. But after cleaning them up really good, they almost reach a 7 for appearance. I plan on leaving the ding and scratches on the cabinets alone and just going over them with a mild cleaner and beeswax.
In regard to how they sound at a medium volume------ well, at first I thought ---- dear God these things are LOUD- LOUD and SHOUTY Man --- so no problem on the power end. This was sort of at a medium-high volume- say a 6 out 10 level--nothing crazy at all. But, I have found after turning them down to a medium to low medium volume say 2 to 4, they sound AMAZING --- I am hearing things in my CD's and ALBUMS that I have never heard with my PARADIGM's. The main thing I have learned about these speakers is that they NEED TIME TO WARM UP to sound their best. I'd be curious to know if anyone else has older HI-FI speakers and equipment that sounds best after you give the components a bit of time to warm? Thanks. JDP
I own over 35 pair of genesis physics/epi speakers..I still have my first pair that I bought in 7th grade.(genesis 1s) .and im 60 now..haha.
My classic vintage speakers are Paradigm Mini Monitor from 1999,,lol, talk about old eh ?, well anyways I could tell they were going to be great by just how the drivers looked, anyways I compared them sonically to my newer pair of Paradigm Prestige 15B monitors and all I can say is,,, I can't tell the difference, as for the price difference the older pair were $350.00 new and the newer pair were selling for $1,600.00 but I paid $1,200.00 since they were just phased out of production.
Funny, the one thing you haven't done (re-foam) I have. And speakers are the most important part of system.
I have two systems with two speaker sets each.
System 1 has Pioneers with 15" woofers. $12 goodwill, and JBL L100's (gifted needing tweeters, $300)
System 2 has Marantz $20 garage sale that needed woofers (around $200 simply speakers) and EPI's that when I got home and took off grille found Radio Shack 8" woofers, but still sound great.
The L100's beat out most others hands down; but I also have JBL C53 Libra's which go for big money, yet I don't care for them.
Receivers: Sansui 7070, Scott 380R, Scott 375R
1. A three tone control amp/receiver is optimal for testing
2. If you want boom boom bass, 15" not 12
3. This is tough. I could go on for an hour......
I have about 15 vintage pairs myself and a newer pair of Polk RTI-A7 i purchased new $1000 and a $50 pair of 80s Scott 196B- 96db spl that have taken there place..The new Polks are gathering dust wa,wa,wa and the Scotts are rocking.
Great stories on vintage speakers. A like and subscribe from me. Vintage audio gear is where my heart is with audio, and restoring electronic is fun. Perhaps I will give vintage speakers a try? When I was still young and living at home I saved up my money from a job and bought my first new receiver, a brand-new Kenwood KR9600, Marantz turntable with a Grado cartridge. I still have the receiver, and it is still in fine condition. I use other vintage and near vintage components in my main system but my plan is to create an "audio wall" similiar to what I used to see in the stereo stores when I was young. I think that would be a so cool to have. Trying to work out where to put it is my biggest problem. 😀
I grew up listening to KEF 104 Mk1’s with oval race track passive radiators.. My Dad gave them away to a friend in the 90’s.. I knew even back then it was a bad move even if the tweeters were damaged.. I’m doing an Altec project these days..
I have a pair of Marantz hd88 I bought in near mint condition paired with a recapped Marantz 2285. Perfection!
I bought some vintage klh 32s that had some water damage to the bottoms so they had separated a bit. Veneer was coming off in spots as well but they sound good. Used some wood filler to close gaps between bottoms and sides and then painted them dark brown. So not the prettiest but very nice sounding bookshelf speakers.
Loved your video! I have a long personal story that I’ll keep short. Always liked JBL speakers and when I jumped back into audio, I purchased a pair of JBL towers. Disappointed as I remembered my L100 Century studio monitors having amazing “wall monitors for sound” which the towers did not have. So, jump d in the Klipsch Heresy IVs and hitch I really like, but over time kept going back to the JBLs. So bought a pair of, I think, 1975 Century monitors which ended up costing 0 dollars as they were damaged in shipping. Paid $390 to have them tested and minor repairs. Very happy listener. The Klipsch are now part of surround sound video and the JBLs are in my listening room.
Looking forward to your next video. Thank you for your contribution to the audio community
A basic rule of engineering is that things that move, wear out. In comparison with solid state electronics where mostly it is capacitors that degrade with time, with speakers it is usually the cones followed by the motor. The most extreme case of this that I've seen is in my BMW where the "bass" cones had literally turned to dust. Have I ever bought used speakers? Yes once, because they were only 2 years old. I have a pair of KEF transmission line speakers that are 45 years old. I looked at the cost of replacing the drivers - thousands.
I enjoyed this video. I have a pair of Technics Speakers that I bought brand New at a Stereo Store in the late 80's. They sound phenomenal and they still do. Last fall I bought a New pair of Jamo Stage 8 speakers because I was curious how they would compare to the speakers I have Loved and owned since 1989. Well, I hooked up the Jamo speakers to my stereo system and they sounded very good but to be totally honest they were no match for the Technics Speakers which sounded much much better so I sent the Jamo back
I was a little negative about watching this and then realized my Jean Marie Reynaud (French brand) Cantibile transmission lines are over 20 years old. I will never sell them as they sound just amazing!
Hi Stephen! I was looking at your vintage speaker selection and I have notice Design Acoustics D-8 speakers. I have a set of D-8 speakers myself. It sure seems these speakers are unique and were almost custom made in a limited run. I am trying to find more information about them and I would like to get your opinion about the sound and if you have any or information to share please let me know.
There's so little information about them. There's at least one thread on Audiokarma.org that talks about them and even features posts by a former employee of DA during the time the D-8's were made. My problem right now is the front-facing midrange drivers have rotted foam, and the dimensions are very unusual. I haven't been able to find new surrounds that I'm sure will fit.
@@Lancaster_Hi-Fi Thank you for getting back to me. I had a same problem with my midrange driver. I was able to refoam it. The driver name is Peerless K040MRF. Just search for 4.25″ Refoam Kit Angle- single foam roll- RFK4.25.
I got the kit the other day. Now I just need to do the work.
I got the old surrounds off and placed (not glued) the new surrounds to make sure they fit. I don't know if they sent the wrong ones; the fold isn't reversed, and the roll doesn't fit into the gap! They would fit with the roll in the usual, convex-out configuration, but I'm worried that the roll would interact with the grille.
Oh yeah!! You want to talk about vintage 😅 I was given a 1914 Victor-Victrola console record player in mint condition and still in working condition
The problem with used and more with vintage is the prices ruses up high thnaks to youtube and internet forums. The. More the smaller the country and richer.
Very good and creative speaking about speakers
I use vintage UK speakers. Celestion Ditton 11 and KEF Coda 2. I can't get on with ported speakers. To my ear sealed speakers sound more balanced.
The last two vintage speakers I bought were at estate sales. One had frozen woofers (bang and Olufsen s45-2), and the other, infinity Qb's , both speakers had a non working emit tweeter. Used woofers for the bang and Olufsen are virtually impossible to find on eBay or other gear sites. I was able to purchase new emit tweeters from an eBay vendor who actually makes them himself. Your best bet at an estate sale in my opinion is to take a cheap receiver to the sale with some speaker wire and test any speakers you may want to purchase before you buy them. Yeah, it's a hassle, but will save you time and money. 😊
I don't own a single pair of new speakers🤷♂️ I would love to have a crack at some lod speakers or even other equipment 😁😯
I have a pair of Leak Sandwich 600's Given to me over 40 years ago, due to wife factor.
Very practical!
My short list of favorite vintage:
KEF, Polk audio, B&W, A/D/S, Infinity, Gale, Celestion, Snell
I would put my spendor bc1 up against anything and still have a laugh how much you spent