Vintage Mcintosh Speakers - your thoughts?


I am thinking of puting a vintage system together - possibly atound a Fisher 500 series receiver or other classic gear and am quite enamored of the look/style of vintage McIntosh speakers like the ML-1C. Does anyone have any thoughts/experience with this model or others in the vintage McIntosh lineup? .. and yes I do want to stick with vintage speakers - to my ears they still measure up to many of today's crop .... measurements aside!

Many thanks,

John
jpstereo

Original Large Advent.  In walnut, they’re rather handsome if you can find a well-cared for pair.  However, the woofers will most surely need a refoam (as any vintage speaker from the 70’s will - including the Mac’s) and at least new caps in the crossover.  The Mac’s, too!  My Advents sing happily in my den driven by 12 watt EL84 Heathkit UA-2 monoblocks. Another handsome vintage speaker in walnut veneer with high efficiency is the overlooked Wharfdale W60D from 1967 or so.  I remember when I was a kid my Dad making A-B comparisons between the W60D and the AR3A’s at a dealership and our whole family agreed it was a superior sounding speaker at half the price, $129 each at the time.  A 3-way design using a 12” rubberized cloth surround woofer, they are of the last Gilbert Briggs designs before he sold the company. The 48 lb Wharfdales have a highly inert cabinet using sand-filled enclosure panels and an isolated midrange driver.  I really regret I sold off my Dad’s pair that I grew up with when he passed. 

Speakers are very personal.  You need to use your ears and make up your own mind.  Personally never cared for Advents, but I sold a pair to one of my dearest friends who loved them.  Another close friend loved his Bozak speakers.  Tannoy was another that comes to mind as very musical.  My sister always liked Klipsh, but they always sounded like chaulk on a board to me.  Funny story.  When McIntosh introduced their speakers in 1970, I was a college student working part time at a dealer in the Seattle area.  We set up their speakers in a high end room along side Bozak and JBL.  The speakers drew a lot of interest, but sales were disappointing.  the rep said we were lagging other dealers in the area.  I thought they did not compare well in that room.  We rearranged things so we had an exclusively Mac room, speakers and electronics only in that room.  Bozaks and JBL in another room powered by Marantz.  Sales of Mac speakers picked up considerably.  We also were the top Bozak dealer the following year.  To this day I think there is merit to the idea of avoiding confusion.  Bozak and Mac were similar enough the confuse potential customers.  

If Fischer 500 may need relatively efficient speakers.

Maybe Klipsch or Altec vintage speakers