Love it!
My son still uses my late-80's Onkyo receiver (I did have the power supply rebuilt - it's been powered up constantly for the past 12 years). I unfortunately ditched my Boston Acoustics A60s Series II speakers during a move (didn't realize how simple it was to re-foam woofers)...but have upgraded him to a restored set of Boston Acoustics A150s. My original Onkyo cassette player is still connected (although never used). Need to hit Goodwill for an Onkyo CD player to complete the setup (as my original CD player died many moons ago).
It's hard to compare systems, because when I throw in a mix tape from back in the day, it sounds...well, like I'm sitting in my parent's basement. I was thankful to simply have my own stereo in my room. |
I owned KG4's back then & decided to "upgrade" to JBL L100T's & it was a huge step backwards. I never gave them time to "break-in" as we didn't know about such things back then:) I sold the JBL's in a week via local newspaper classified ad & eventually bought Klipsch Choruses. I used a Luxman L-430 integrated w/the KG4's.
I understand your desire to put such a system together - heck my living room TV is a 1985 Mitsubishi 26" Damn thing won't croak... |
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Klipsch, through which I'll play "Money for Nothing", "Broken Wings", and "Things Can Only get Better". |
reminds me of my old Luxman R107 going into my Cerwin Vega D9's. Bon Scott has never sounded do good (until my stats and magtechs). |
Phasecorrect-
I think we all owned the Cerwin Vega 'D ' series at one time or another through the 80's...laughing.
On a serious tip, the CV offered a damn fine sound for mid-fi, lower hi-fi, when mated w/ Adcom gear. Many fine memories of those days in 1986. |
I currently own a pair of Cerwin Vega D3 speakers. Yuck. My B&O S60 4-ways sound better. And I do recall a common complaint in the 80's about JBL's having a poor low end response. I don't know about the KG4's, but my Klipsch Heresys sound impressive for 60's technology. |
KG 4's are not amplifier fussy, very dynamic, obtainable at very reasonable prices at present. For how much longer I don't know, people are catching on how good they are, serviceable, upgradable.
Like being in a corner or close to a wall, not fussy, chuck them down anywhere they still sound good.
These are keepers.
Best 250 bucks I ever spent on any Hi-Fi.
Plan to die with them.
Great bass btw, beats out a Heresy.
These things can rock.
Have driven them with all sorts of amps and receivers and they are not fussy believe you me, a very easy drive.
I use them with an EL34 amp and a Technics Direct Drive.
in a small room. They get me bopping every time.
What more could you ask, for that's how we used to enjoy music before we became Audiofools. |
My next door neighbor hated my Vegas. Actually tried to get a restraining order. |
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Speakers were Infinity something with 15" drivers. They growled even when nothing was playing but I loved em. Ok the tweeter was a bit spitty but I loved the big sound. Upgraded right around then to B&W DM-620's (and not all that happily). Amplification was courtesy of a classic Marantz receiver circa 1973. |
Who else could I speak for-LOL ? |
Schubert-Your not Oros... are you? |
My first year college was '86. I had an all Technics system with Genesis speakers. Loved it for what it was. |
It somewhat depends on your taste in music. If you want speakers for '60s/'70s rock and pop, the JBL/Cerwin-Vega/Klipsch/Altec variety with high efficiency, thump in the bass, and a fast, forward midrange will do.
For broader tastes that include classical and jazz, you might want something more linear, such as the better Infinity's, ADS, Advent, and maybe ESS (though they'll need re-foaming and probably a refurb of the Heil transducers).
As far as speakers that hold up well from 30 years ago, I nominate the ADS L-series speakers. Fast, airy, good imaging, clean from top to bottom, inert cabinets--they had all these things together before they became fashionable. They could also rock out as long as you pushed them with a real amplifier and not some low current receiver. There's a local store that has some exc. condition L990s (I had L1090s) that tempt me, but I have so many good modern speakers I don't know where I'd put them. |
What kind of interconnects and speaker wire were you guys running? I had the rat shack ICS with monster speaker wire and spent more time untangling cables than listening. |
Not Cerwin Vegas, unless you love boomy bass |
I run a pair of the kg4's in a system, in my garage. I don't listen to them that often, but when I do, they just plain rock out. As much as I loved the older jbl's of yester-year,they did make my ears bleed...yikes!!! |
