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What vintage speaker might you use today

Like to find out what "vintage speakers" members would/might use in their current audio set-up

Do you think what made them special was the synergy between them and the amp used, or just the fact they were well designed and performed way above their price tag.??
sunnyjim

Showing 3 responses by sunnyjim

sunnyjim OP
927 posts
 
TO ALL WHO HAVE ASK FOR CLARIFICATION. By vintage, I am generally referring to speakers from roughly 1965 to 1989. I did not want to use the word "Old" so as not to flush out any speaker. I should have added the word "venerable" to identify for us old timers in the membership, names like Bozak, Advent, AR, KLH, EPI, Rectilinear, JBL, DCM IMF, (Bud) Fried, ESS (pre-AMT tweeter and Dr. Heil). There are probably several more, and some I noted that were only around for a few years, but had a great impact on the market.

So far, in just quickly eye-balling the responses, some of the names I stated are offered, and several I missed. Nevertheless, for the record. My choices would be

Double "Large Advents" Stack (at the time driven by Phase Linear 400 amp)

Rectilinear Model 3 (highboy)

Rectilinear Model 12

Infinity Servo Statics

sunnyjim OP
927 posts
 
To Bdp24, I am not a hi-fi historian, but may become one if keep asking about the so called vintage stuff. You are right,I must be as old as you at 68.

I fondly remember hearing the ESS Translinear speaker and the Transtatic and was blow away to use an overworked 70's term. A small audio store in Redwood, California carried the line. I fell in love with the sound especially the deep tight bass. I did not have the dough (or room) for Transstatic, and should have gone the extra mile,and bought the Translinear, but settled for the ESS model 7 which was just below the other two, but still sounded outstanding.

One of the key components of the line was the use as you mentioned of the KEF B139 woofer/driver which produced the tight bass. I later found out the tweeters, at least in the ESS 7's were made by Philips; that may have been also true of the Translinears. In the model 7,the Philip drivers tended to sound bright, even in the days before CD's and digital glare.

It is good to know someone still has a pair of these amazing sounding speakers (at least for their time)
sunnyjim OP
927 posts
 

Thank you for your response. I somewhat agree with your last paragraph because like yourself have heard a number of very good bookshelf and monitor speakers on today's market that are under $400.  A few members who responded to this thread have indicated they have Dynaco A-25's and still claim they sound good.  


They probably bought them in the early 90's when you could still find a relatively clean pair for under $150 or less. Check out e-bay today and you will find at least six A-25's supposedly in mint condition in the range from $299.00; $399.00 and one at $449.00. The issue is:... have they been gutted and newer drivers replaced the originals

.Because I am in my late 60's, my gem speakers of audio's golden years are Rectilinear, KLH, AR, ( never a big fan even then)   Dynaco, Infinity  and a few others.  Interestingly., I have updated my nostalgic  search which is mainly fascination not a hobby, for some of JBL's early 1980's and 1990's  classic speakers:  Century L-100; the Jubal L-65,  the Studio 4311; and I think L-930, (unsure of the number) a killer large box speaker, not a floorstander.  My only objections to the above models, they all had calibrated woofer and tweeter control, often on the front baffle. I was too much of a purist then, and even now to accept any shaping of the original signal. Fortunately, we don't see many brands today with tone controls. Vandersteen does and to my great surprise, these control do make a difference in the sound.   BTW, the vintage JBL's I listed are not cheap, even those with scratched cabs, and one or two replacement drivers.    

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