Vintage vs New

Some while back I reclaimed my mid- 80's Proac Studio 2's from extended loan to my parents. Put them back in my current system whilst listing them on eBay. They sounded stunning. You can't replicate the build quality of the cabinets (for the modest outlay), by current standards. Marine ply rather than MDF, 2" inch thick baffle and real wood veneers of choice. The better the gear the better the Proacs use to sing. On the subject of cabling, I recall my Hi-fi shop had one specialist speaker cable for sale, as for mains leads as MC says there weren't any in the UK. I remember my dealer ringing me to tell me about Van den Hul's Revelation speaker cable when it first came out - specialist cable really was a rarity item back then. Hobson's choice so to speak.

I have not decided if my next speakers will be used or new. I will probably limit the age of used to 10-15 years. I want them to work for many more years. I think I will avoid speakers from the 90s or older.

LS3/5As 15 ohms anyone? 
(With a bat vk75se pushing them)

When I was figuring out what to buy, I looked at used Klipsch. Afterall, some models have been around since the 40s. Lots of fans. A couple vendors popped up who specialize in new parts. By the time I would have updated Heresy or Cornwall, I could buy new speakers for several thousand.

Lots and lots of opinions there, Most probably not helpful.

Go and listen to speakers for yourself. Then you might get some idea of what you should consider buying. You then should know what sound qualities you prefer, and those that you detest.

Don't allow yourself to be swayed by people whom you've never met about speakers you've never even heard. That way you'll only need to look in the mirror if you've made a poor choice.