Estate sale Fuselier speakers for $370 but I know nothing about them.

Here's a long thread on Fusilier speakers here:

It's old but you could try maybe sending some of the more knowledgeable guys a PM.

Buy them. If you only need 2, pick the best two and sell the other pair. Looks like there are 2 different types. That is cheap for 4 quality speakers.

Hey dill, thanks for the response. I hope I'm doing this right, I just joined this community.  Is there a way to know whether they work or not? I have to imagine this is quite the gamble, right? Again, I'm just getting into this so it's not like I would be able to get working on them immediately and make it a deal. But I am willing to learn!

Thanks for the response.  

jond, that thread was what brought me to this community.  Thanks for bringing it up. I have no doubt that they are a premium craft, but I'm unsure of the condition and whether they have held up over time or if they are in good condition or not.  I'm very new to this hobby. Thanks for the response. 

If you want to seriously get into this hobby, you will quickly find out that $370.00 for 4 speakers is peanuts. Knowing the pedigree of these, it would be worth the chance and I certainly would pick them up unheard. Looks like it is a quality estate sale and they look in great physical condition. Heck, most here pay more than that for a pair of interconnects. I would add, be certain all 4 are indeed Fuselier speakers.

John Fuselier was an outstanding speaker designer and his speakers sounded wonderful. I had a pair of 3.3's which I loved, used them for over fifteen years before moving on. Time aligned and I believed he used a series crossover, they sounded great and gave me many years of listening pleasure.

The two speakers on the ends where the grill cloth extends down almost to the bottom and the top plate is inset within the grill cloth look exactly like my 3.3's. There were a couple of incarnations of the 3 series so they could be a 3.0 or a 3.3 and possibly a model after that (I believe he produced a 3.8 but my recollection is that they used a different cabinet). At any rate, if they are a 3.0 or 3.3 then definitely worth considering at that price. I'm not familiar with the two speakers in the middle where the grill cloth stops further up.

One thing to consider though is that these were made in the early to mid eighties and as such are close to forty years old, therefore the condition of the drivers may be suspect as with any older speaker. If you could possibly arrange for an audition to assure that they are functioning properly that would be ideal. 

weebeesdad, unfortunately there is no way to test them. They do look to be in spectacular condition, but that's not to say whether they have been used to death or not. 

For an hypothetical, let's just say the driver is shot.  Where does that leave me? Again, I'm very new at this but I assume the craftsmanship of the enclosure is probably the most important part of this, right? Could drivers and other parts be replaced yet still reproduce the quality tones that John was inspired to create?

Sorry for the ignorance here. I'm just getting into the hobby but I did not expect to be diving in this soon like this.  

"I assume the craftsmanship of the enclosure is probably the most important part of this, right?"

Not really, the drivers, the crossover and the enclosure are all equally important as they work as a unit. The drivers can be replaced or serviced as can the crossovers if needed. Don't worry about that, just buy the da*n speakers and be done with it. Then we can move on to what you will power them with. You have to start somewhere, we all did.

Alright dill, you drive a hard bargain. I'll be picking them up tomorrow. 

Excellent!

Taking an expensive receiver with you. Hook them up with a CD player and see how they sound.

fast freight, I do not have an expensive receiver. Or a receiver at all. I don't think the speakers even have cables coming out of them. 

+1 on dill's "Excellent!"!!  BTW the terminals to connect the speaker cables are underneath the speaker, not exposed on the back as with most speakers. There is a hole on the back side of the base to thread the cables through and the actual terminals are on the bottom of the cabinet, at least on the 3.0/3.3 pair.

As a former 3.3 owner I can say that, IMHO, given some good electronics and a good front end and cables the Fuseliers should provide you with the foundation of a very satisfying and enjoyable first system of your hopefully long audio journey!

Interesting, thanks for the info. I guess now that I think about it, there was nowhere for the wires to go in the speakers. The felt goes all the way around! While I have ya, I hope you don't mind if I hit you with a few more questions.

I am slightly confused about how I can find no photos of these ones exactly. I'm really curious about the center ones, since you remember yours (the ones on the outside if I'm understanding correctly). I'm slightly worried they may not be Fuseliers?

Unfortunately, the estate sale does not seem to have the amp or media unit to go with them, and as I've stated I'll be starting from the ground up here. Do you have any recommendations on what to go to get these going? Preferably on the budget side of things ... If you could even just point me in a direction that would be fantastic. 

And surely two of these massive speakers are enough, right? Was the previous owner really bumping all four of these? That seems like a copious amount of sound, ha. I may sell the middle (unidentifiable) two to my brother at a discount since I have no info on them as soon as I can confirm for myself they actually work.

Also, I just noticed you're on that OG thread linked earlier. Cool!

Here’s a look inside. I’m thinking they’re going to need some work, huh. 

Fuselier made several models, I'm really only familiar with the 3.0/3.3's. The outer pair are definitely either Fuselier 3.0 or 3.3's. If you have to buy both then simply listen to both pair and keep the one that you like better. Again the sonics will in some part depend on the condition of the drivers and crossovers as well as the design of each pair. FWIW the difference between the 3.0 and 3.3 is, I, believe, that there are three tweeters in the 3.3 model and one in the 3.0. In the 3.3 one faces forward and the two flanking it are firing at a 45 or so degree outward angle. You may be able to tell without removing the grill cloth by shining a flashlight through the grill cloth high up on the front face.

As far as amplification there are a myriad of options depending on your budget and listening proclivities. I drove mine with a solid state power amp, the BEL 1001 which is a great sounding vintage SS amp, and a tube preamp (Audible Illusions). I thought they paired very well with the Fuseliers but of course there are many other amps, including integrated amps which might be more cost effective, which should work well as the speakers are pretty easy to drive. Signal Cable makes good and reasonably priced speaker cables and interconnects, but again there are several other cable manufacturers, such as Triode Wire Labs, who do so as well.

At this point I would snatch up the speakers and then take your time building the rest of your system around them. Even if only one pair are fully operational it will still be money well spent, IMHO.

I’ll take the opposing position and recommend passing on these. The photo you provide indicates they need work. Potentially alot of work and not just on the drivers, but likely the crossovers as well.

You will need to spend a considerable amount of time and a not so insignificant amount of money before you can even determine what they sound like and whether you like that sound. Additionally, you will need to buy some electronics and interconnects and a source. I’m not even sure I would consider them at half the price or free. There are some pretty satisfying speakers available today that would likely be a much better investment. Additionally, since you have no other gear driving the decision, there are some nice speakers available today with built in amplification (Kanto Tuk, Vanatoo, even Kef LS50W) that you could conceivably drive with a personal computer, your television, via wifi or your iphone which would likely be a better investment for you than these.

Actually, now that I see the drivers I think you may be buying into a headache.  I would pass if I was you.

You can buy new surrounds, install them yourself or have it done.

Simply Speakers

or

@dill 

Quite true BUT…is there a link to “simply crossovers”…and then what will be the total investment required to then be able to demo the speakers PROVIDED the OP can get his hands on the electronics and the wire necessary to test them?

He would end up with between $800 to $1,000 invested in speakers alone with zero idea whether he would like them. I assume since he is shopping an estate sale and has no other gear that hifi may or may not be an investable endeavor for him.

Just offering a rational counterpoint. This way if the OP goes forward it would be eyes wide open.

Well, since he already purchased them the point is moot. He now has 4 speakers we have only seen the woofer of one. He should replace all the surrounds or have that done. Once done they can be tested. Now, he is new in this hobby so he has to start somewhere and I think learning about speakers and how they work is a good first step. We all started somewhere, next will be some type of amplification and a source. Once all are tested, I will assume he might only want one pair and would be free to sell the other pair and might wind up with a good pair of speakers at a relatively small cost.

I believe Fat Julian's (later Julian's after weight loss) used to sell them in Roswell GA.

Well if the OP has already purchased all 4 of the speakers he might select a pair that needs little work. Then money may have been well spent.

Fat Julian's was the only dealer I'm aware of that sold these.  I recently picked up a pair of 3-BS (model 3, bookshelf) 3 ways.  These may be earlier models, as the baffle is flat, not stepped, but the drivers and port are arranged mirror imaged.  And they sound excellent.  I knew nothing about them when I first purchased them with a pile of other gear, but a bit of research and I soon realized these were in the same league as Thiels.  Buy them, fix them as needed, and enjoy!

 The woofers in the 3/3.3’s were Vifa. Tweeters were Audax. The midrange changed several times as the model evolved but the model 3 may have started as an Audax. The model 3.3 used a Peerless midrange.The final iteration, the model 5, used a Dynaudio midrange and was an excellent speaker. I started with the original model 3 and upgraded as John continued to make improvements. 

I bought my 3.3’s at Sound By Singer in NYC, not sure if they sold any other of John’s designs.

Hey all - thanks for the responses. As you know already, I did purchase them. I'm currently on the lookout for an amplifier/integrated amplifier to power them. Would anyone know any information such as the Power output, Power handling, RMS, Peak, Maximum output, maximum input power, etc so I know what amp is best to power them? Thanks. 

(also, I know they are likely not playable at the moment, but I am looking into fixing them either with a service or over time by myself. Thanks)

While I powered my 3.3’s with a solid state amplifier ( BEL 1001) I did hear them with an EL34 based tube amp and they sounded sublime, so you can also consider tubes. The LSA VT-70 is a new tube integrated amp which seems to be getting some great reviews particularly for its price/performance value and would likely work well with your Fuseliers.

Please provide your budget range as integrated amps, new & used can price out from $150.00 - $15,000.00.

I’ll just say it’s on the $150 side of things. At the moment I’m looking through Craigslist and FB Marketplace at < $100 stereo receivers as a placeholder for now just to tinker with these speakers.

If you don't listen to radio, you don't need a receiver. An integrated amplifier will work just fine. What is your source? CD player, turntable, tape deck, streaming?

I'll be using a turntable in the future but for the beginning I'll definitely be focused on streaming through my laptop and I would assume an AUX.   I know you said a receiver is unnecessary, I don't listen to the radio, but any thoughts on a Denon DRA-685 for $100? There's one somewhat local to me.   

Also, update for anyone still following along. The pair with all four sides covered looks immaculate inside.

3.3's!  If the woofers are in good shape you will be rewarded with good quality amplification. A used integrated amp would likely be the most cost efficient route to take...

The Denon DRA-685 is not what you need unless you are going multi channel. You might have to spend more than $100.00. Look for an Onkyo, Kenwood or Marantz unit to get you started. Speakers look great BTW.

Onkyo TX-37 available down the road for a mere $30. Tested and working.  I know it's stl a stereo receiver and not just an integrated amp, but for $30 this could give me a way to toy around with them for a while while I save up for something respectable ... Thanks for the help so far everyone. 

Hey Everyone! One year update here .. it took about four months to get the speakers back up and running. The one pair did need to be refoamed, and the left speaker needed a little TLC on the inside, but luckily, I found a repair shop and a guy that loves vintage gear so I was able to get that straightened out fairly easily. I’m using a Rotel 951 amp to power the two, and I have to say they sound great to my untrained ear. I’m also using an old Kenwood KR3130 as a preamp at the moment, although it seems to limit the volume to about 65 decibels at the moment. I’m bouncing back and forth between getting that serviced or just saving money for a nicer unit, but I have had a hard time finding something else with a low frequency out for my sub.

All that aside - they sound great, they look great, they work great. Best case scenario. Since I can only use one pair, I chose the one that I thought sounded slightly better (The ones with the socks around the entire unit, unsurprisingly) and the other pair is sitting in the closet.

I’m unsure what the value of them could be, but I feel like they are really only worth something to someone that knows the backstory behind them or has had a pair in the past. I’m not sure.

I've since turned the entire spare bedroom into a listening room and I'm thoroughly on the path of those that come before me on this forum.

@dill @weebeesdad @ghasley @mesch @vdotman @pickindoug @jetter

Also, This is what I now know the 5S to be looks like without the sock. The other pair is still yet unidentified. RARE vintage Fuselier Model 5S Speakers, &#039;80&#039;s, Holy Grail, cons. SNs, orig | eBay

Glad to hear that the speakers worked out. What sources are you using?  

Thanks! I'm unsure of what you mean. Are you asking what connections I'm using? 

@thatguyyouknow Great! With some high quality electronics and front end you will have an enjoyable and rewarding system.

BTW, I believe your speakers are the 3.3s. The base of the 3.3 and 5S models are different. From the picture you posted it appears that those are the 3.3s.

By sources I meant vinyl or digital as music sources . I thought the Rotel 951 was a CD player. The Kenwood KR3130 is a receiver from early 70s. 

If  interested in upgrading the electronics you might start another thread requesting options for a integrated amplifier that would serve your sources, speakers, room size, and budget.

@weebeesdad thanks! I do see what you're talking about on the bottom, although from the listing I just posted it's a little hard to tell on the bottom since that cover is ruined and pushed down. But I will say the internals look identical so far as I can tell. I have been unable to track down any photos of the 3.3s so it's really just a guess for me. In fact, I believe that listing I posted is the only other photo I've found of Fuseliers.

apologies @mesch it appears that is a CD player. My power amp is the Rotel 951B MkII. Weirdly similiar names ... but anyways, that’s a great idea. But this is a very budget build, and I did luck out on the speakers, so I’ll keep perusing used and vintage items for the forseeable future, or until I have some expendable income to toss into this project. Thanks!

And at the moment I'm using an Eskinsin BT player into the Kenwood for music and occasionally an old Toshiba turntable for some vinyl, although typically I have that in another room with other speakers since I like to throw on a vinyl and do things around the house.

No apology needed. Now I believe I have your situation figured.

You use a TT and a streamer into your Kenwood, taking advantage of the phonostage and line level preamp while bypassing the internal amplifier. The Kenwood is connected via the variable output (pre out) to the Rotel amp. 

The Rotel amp has volume for matching to different preamps. Do you have the volume full out?  I am trying to figure why you are only getting 65dB output.

Yes, the volume with the kenwood is turned up all the way when using a TT or tuner. Also when I am using BT through the eskinsin. I have also tried using the eskinsin directly into the amp, and it does get 3 dB louder, but still caps out there as well.

(sorry for the late response I just now have hobby time again)

I was asking about the volume controls on back of the Rotel amplifier. 

Yes, mesch has a good question. Make sure the level controls, on the rear of the Rotel flanking the RCA plugs are turned up all the way.

The level controls are turned up to the maximum. They can be turned and the volume can go down, but they cannot be turned to make the volume go up. They are at their maximum.