Vintage vs New


My children growing older and leaving home has allowed me to get back into our common interest. I find myself wanting a new pair of speakers and I’m torn between some vintage models that interested me in easier times, but were not obtainable due to budgetary limitations, and current models with their state of the art drivers.  Case in point: B&W 801 Matrix Anniversary vs. anything in the 702/703.
I would like to hear people’s thoughts.  
mjjw
Most vintage is outdated, capacitors in the day Suck, after 15 years of steady use caps dry out and loose their detail ,if they 
don’t leak , resistors cement ,or even carbon warm but veiled.
the only thing that could be a gem was vacuum tube transformers 
mostly from Japan like Tango or other brands ,, As Millercarbon 
said Nostalgia  with it $$ to rebuild it . Their were great designs in the past 
but rebuild with modern Quality parts is my advise. I have been there done that . I many times buy modern ,but I upgrade or mod to a much higher level in parts quality. I rebuild my own Loudspeaker Xovers for example, in the vast majority parts are average at best.What most Audiophiles don’t realize is that only 25% on average actually goes into the cost of the parts,the rest overhead and markup. That’s how Modwright is so successful.
KLH Nine full-range electrostats driven by a pair of Futterman H3AA OTL amps is still a world-beater combination! I have this in use!
@jasonborne52 
 +1
Thank you! 
According to some, it's as if copper wasn't discovered untill the last decade.

tomic601
8,396 posts07-05-2021 4:15pmwell….a properly upgraded (Mike Samra )and maintained MC240 with the right tubes ( Andy at VTS ) is probably as far as ya can get a transformer tube amp. The MC240 xformer one of the best ever.

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I looked at your page. I could see the Samra’s PS upgrade in your 240..
He sure could get a 240 to sing.. You should hear the way he does up a C20 NOW.. He did up the phono stage like I’ve NEVER heard on a Mac..
I added Super Hexfreds and Vishay copper resistors.. after he did his magic..

I have to many irons in the fire and ZERO energy to get er done.. :-(

I have a C11 (Samra) I’ve never pulled out of the box. I have new glass for it to boot.. Fixed a Bass pot too.

REMOTES.. that is my problem.. a darn remote.. I use a Parasound Zpre3 in the tape loop on the Mac valve preamps... Very nice.. and adds a little DAC with sub out and remote sub volume control.. Nifty little preamp and a C20 to boot.. I LOVE IT.. You should hear what a C20 (S) does to ANY class d.. It’s like magic.. MX110z for that matter..

Have you tinkered with any of the class ds, Electro-stats and that MX110z. I bet it would blow your mind too..
Nothing like a planar designs and Ribbons.. I keep looking at Sound Labs and Apogee :-). Before I kick.. LOL