I had just sold my Proceed PAV/PDSD combo, with a trio of Jeff Rowland Model 7s, and EAD Theatermaster. While I was waiting for my new system (Cal Audio CL-2500 pack) to arrive, I realized I needed some tunes and went to the yard to see what was 'laying' around. What I found was not only fun, but the idea to begin this thread. Personally, I am interested in this question from a Home Theater standpoint, but welcome 2 channel responses as well.
What is the BEST systems or pieces you have heard from companies that are no longer in business!!
I went to the garage, and pulled up a Golden Theater GTX-1 I had purchased a few years back. Solo Electronics went under about a year into these units. They received rave reviews from the magazines, but they just didn't hang around for a curtain call. I then pulled out an older 5 channel amp and here is what I gathered!
The DTS/DD Golden Theater GTX-1, which is STUNNINGLY good in 2 channel (what everyone loved about this unit!) was the start, and I paired it with a Chiro 5 channel C-500 amp. I thought, hey, this company is also out of business too!!! This amp was also favorably reviewed and when I put this system together, I realized how good they both were, specifically in 2 channel!! These companies both had GREAT products and when matched together, WOW! Obviously this set didn't chase the Proceed/Rowland gear out of my house, but you know, it did give it a run for its money!! Here is my thoughts on the BEST OutOfBusiness Home Theater!!
Golden Theater GTX-1 (DTS, DD) Chiro C-500 (140 x 5, THX (for whatever that is worth) Hales Concept 5 (owned these 250 lbs monsters some time ago) and for a center channel the Hales Rev 1!!
This system would be stellar for music and if for music, it would kick butt for Home Theater!! The Hales are fabulous speakers, require substantial power (like the Aerials I run now) but if fed properly, even the mother of 'The Fridge' would be proud!
Put your best OutOfBusiness (OOB) companies down!!!
Proton anyone? Anyone love Proton? Can't beleive i almost bought that stuff.
NHT - it looked like they were headed in the right direction at first and then.......splat!! I guess the founder has now retaken the company,so we will have to see.
Someone mentioned "Normal Labs", wasn't it NORMAN LABS for NORMAN, OKLA.? Yes!! I remember a local record store that always had a sound system cranked to 11 and several pairs on Norman Labs Speakers. I always wanted a pair and thought they out-rocked anyting else I was familar with.
California Audio Labs(Had a couple Icons, then an Alpha/Delta combo), Dynaco(David Hafler and his tube designs/kits were excellent learning/teaching tools), Acoustat(Wish I still had my Model III's, and the room in which they resided. Wonder how they'd sound with the system I have now?)
Supratek. I still love my Dual Cabernet. I have heard that Mick takes custom orders from time to time, but he's not producing on the scale he once was.
Soliloquy. I never owned any of their speakers, but I did demo a pair several years ago and really enjoyed them.
. If you are going to mention SoCal retailers, you have to mention RogerSound Labs. Rogersound Labs manufactured their own speakers that carried a lifetime warranty.
No one mentioned SuperScope. I had a SuperScope cassette deck before I moved up to a Dokorder reel to reel deck. .
Slightly OT, ..I sure do miss them some of the old stereo retailers of SO CA - even though not all were "high end"...Absolute Audio (In OC carried high gear like Rowland, Wilson, Audio Research, CAL, etc.), Pacific Stereo (Parasound, Bose 901s hanging from the ceiling,Quadraflex), Leo's Stereo (ESS, Nikko, Aiwa, Acoustic Research), CA Stereo, Federated (Yamaha, Infinity, SAE, Vector Research)...I was so impressed with it all...from Vector Research's boombox with speakers that were made out of particle board and not plastic to the awesome Rowland gear at Absolute.
Jaybo, Dale Pitcher, who used to make Essence loudspeakers and electronics, is still around. His new company is called Intuitive Design, intuitiveaudio.com
Entec! I was surprised nobody mentioned them yet. They made great subwoofers until the late 80's or early 90's. Many folks used them along with electrostatic and ribbon main speakers due to their speed; they are servo based designs. I used a pair of the SW-5's with great results until recently, when one developed a problem... it is at a local repair shop. You see them pop up every now and then here on Audiogon.
Allied Radio. Allied Was a gigantic electronics super store in the '60s. Noted for their catalogs, Allied sold everything audio and even had their own brand (receivers, speakers, etc.).
I have fond memories of attending their "midnight madness" sales at the Western ave. super store in Chicago.
Empire "pedestal" marble top speakers? Sure! AR turntables? You bet! Marantz receivers with the built in tuning oscilloscope? Right over "there".
I saw my first video recorder at Allied (Sony).
At 16, I owned some kick-ass acoustic suspension speakers with horn midrange and tweeters (12 inch woofers). Drove these to thrilling levels with a 25 watt Kenwood S/S receiver via Gerrard SL-95B (later a Zero-100). I heard Allied's parent co. was Altec-Lansing which would account for why the speakers sounded so good!
Dokorder. I had a 10 inch reel to reel deck made by them. In college I was king of the hill, all of my buddies had cassette decks....I had the big Dokorder. Man I miss that deck.
scientific fidelity, the original fried, advent, ar and allison, spica, the original rogers, the original mission,hundreds of splendid casualties......all tried to offer great value and expand this hobby. oh well
A/D/S, Although they were sold and only make car speakers now, they made fantastic home speakers. I'm lucky enough to own a mint pair of M-12's, the L-1290's kicked a**!!!
Heathkit. If there was a way to bring back that line...it was so instructive into some of the inner workings of audio and produced honest value for the quality of the product.
apogee - full range ribbons celestions - $$ high end monitors like the 600, 700 series spica- monitors unmatched to this day imo... lineaum - best hybrid i have ever heard...incredible presentation & tweeter
Apt Holman and GAS - Great American Sound come to mind. The Apt preamp set a new standard and GAS had the Ampzilla and Son of Ampzilla. I can't necessarily say I loved these , just that they were both decent products.
great thread....some are still around today in name only......i miss the real deal the original allison,british built quad,cizek,counterpoint,hales,duntech,ae,clements,revolver,ar(turntables),audiolab,synthesis(cj speaker line),there are so many.......
I, too would like mention Dunlavy. Great speakers, be it II, IV or V which I have experience of owning(just added IV bought from fellow Agoner.) I once hooked up my II's with my main system inplace of V's and the sound was exactly the same as my V's minus the some of the bass and subbass content. Just incredible. Even after all these years, every time I sit down to listen, the sound is still incredibly real,never,i say never ever fatiguing.
Few years back I too called and John Dunlavy himself picked up the phone. My question was to ask what they could do about the rattling sound coming from lower left woofer. No sweat he said. Call me back with you serial numbers and I will send you the matched pair of woofers specific to my serial numbers free of charge of course. We chated a little about the several recording labels and cables and speakers. I have to agree he definitely was opinionated. Only his way and np other way. He disliked Reference recordings because there was, per him, too much echo in the recordings and of course thru time a;ligned speakers, like Dunlavys, it is unforgiving. They even sent me letter later to check if I was happy with the woofers!! It turned out that there was nothing wrong with that woofer, only one of felt pad was half unglued!! So Now I have matched pair just in case. I think I am going to live with The dunlavy speakers for long long time until, god forbid, they die.....
Incredible speakers. I regret getting rid of mine, but that may soon change, as I am looking for a used pair.
I bought my original pair used, and one of the grill fasteners was broken. Called Dunlavy for replacements, John Dunlavy himself answered the phone. He was great to talk to. Gave me equipment recommendations, talked about his speakers and audio in general, without being condescending or overbearing, and ultimately, sent me an owner's manual and a bunch of fasteners free of charge. A great guy, and a great product. I wish I had the $$ to buy the rights to his products, so that I could restore and re-manufacture his speakers.
My neighbors at the beach used to come over and say that they would normally complain about how loud I played my system, but they said that it sounded so good that they couldn't complain. It sort of became a joke around the neighborhood, they would ask what I would be playing next or if I had a CD they liked. It actually interested others in hi-fi, and that alone says a lot about Dunlavy products.
So, thank you, John Dunlavy, for making such great products. I hope there is some way they can be produced again, I would love the ability to buy new Dunlavy products.
Apogee Acoustics made electrostatic speakers which were so far ahead of their time. They were among the best speakers I've ever owned (i.e. the Stages; though I also owned Slant 6) and I still dream about that incomparable mating of musicality, transparancy, and immediacy. Of the competitors and/or 'survivors', Sound Labs came close, Magnepans (though not a "direct" product competitor) are much loved, but not in the same league, Martin Logans just never did it for me (cold and lacking in musicality), and Innersound...hmmm don't know, but I'm willing to bet that at best, they're 'similar' to the decades-old Apogees.
Other past greats: Threshold amps, Cal Audio Labs cd players, and Counterpoint amps/preamps. I also think of mentioning Well Tempered turntables, but am never sure if they're fully out of business or just very scarce...
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