? Speakers for a vintage tube receiver


I'm looking for speakers for a soon-to-be finished Fisher 500B overhaul. Based on questions that I hear in hobbies where I actually have a clue, I figure that some background might help those who would kindly offer their advice.

-For the past several years I have been listening to (and enjoying immensely) A Jolida 102B & Soliloquy 5.0s, along with a variety of cd players that have come and gone.
The amp & speakers were purchased as a nice, affordable, entry-level package.

-My understanding of things technical is extremely limited. My audiophile vocabulary is likewise small.

-I understand that the Fisher will not be as accurate(if that is the right word) as the Jolida-- and that's OK.

-Here is where words fail me. I'm looking for speakers that offer a bigger, richer, more mellow sound than the Soliloquys. Basically, the sound that I recall from childhood visits to audiophile friends and neighbors back in the sixties.

-By way of illustration, I have a an old Grundig Musikschrank console with a satellite speaker and some sort of odd little sound generating thing that sits on the floor. Listening to Morning Edition on NPR is twice as nice on with the Grundig, than with anything else in the house. It is as if I am sitting in the studio. I'd like to get this sort of experience listening to music with my Fisher.

-This will be for use in my home office (13' X 16').

-New or used makes no difference to me. Sub 1K would be nice. +/- $500 would be nicer still. Keep in mind that lots of subtleties are lost on me. That is, beyond a certain point, the return in performance is minor enough that I may not appreciate it.

Any sort of leads would be helpful.

-Am I looking for a particular set of specifications, or certain type of speaker? Is this sound too...romantic to be found in current production speakers? Am I a clueless newbie, or what?

Well, if you read this far, you may want to take a crack at an answer. I would certainly be grateful!

Regards.

Chris
Ag insider logo xs@2xclkeene
Get any speakers that can be driven by the 400. It's got tone controls.........
If you want to find an appropriate but vintage also speaker, I would suggest an original KLH6 speaker. You can identify it since the cabinet is not made with MDF but it is entirely made of plywood with a walnut veneer. The later KLH6s utilized MDF boards with walnut veneer. Your Fisher will also mate well with a JBL L100 Century speaker although the L100 was introduced a bit later than the Fisher 400. Other good vintage speakers would be the Dynaco A-25, AR 2ax, AR5a, and AR3a, all competent speakers and American legends except for the A-25 which was marketed by an American company but sourced from Denmark. You would be happy with the combination of any of these speakers.
Just picked up a pair of Klipsch KG4 ( 1985 ) speakers for my cellar system These are embarassingly good speakers for the price I paid! They weigh only 40 pounds but play much bigger than that. Very easy to drive,and sound amaizing .I am driving them with a vintage Marantz 38 watt reciever.Very good match.plenty of power....
Thanks for the responses. I need to keep an eye out for local sellers with these vintage speakers, I think.

I'm also interested to hear if there is a contemporary speaker that anyone feels is appropriate, though it seems vintage should meet my needs, and likely less expensively.

-Chris
Another possibility is the Rectilinear III, which was a competitor in price and quality with the AR-3A back in the late 60s - early 70s. They were the first good set of speakers I heard. For nostalgia's sake I have a set that I use with a Fisher 400 receiver and they sound very nice.
hi,

Klipsch heritage line, any of them will sound great with a vintage amp. look on ebay for the best buy.

Larry
Chris,

I have a set of Rectilinear III bought new and always cared for. You can have them for next to nothing if that's what you are looking for. They've been replaced by other (old) stuff and have been saving for someone who would appreciate them.

George
George-

Sorry for the late reply. Thanks for the offer! I will send you an email.

Thanks,

Chris
Vintage sleepers would be Sansui sp200,sp2000, sp-2500. far better than klh 6 , advents, ARs, Dynacos also Fraziers - both are steals online