All Pre 1970 Vintage speakers suck! Prove me wrong


Have tried many vintage speakers.

My conclusion: All pre-1970 vintage speakers suck. Well-made but crappy  sound.

Used with both vintage amps and modern.

I do like many vintage amps such as Radio Craftsmen RC-500, Marantz tube, Scott tube, Heath W5, Lafayette and Pilot tube.

But back to pre-1970 speakers:

No bass, harsh, or honky mids and no highs. Not musical or listenable to me.

Tried many including Acoustic Research AR-3a, 2Ax, etc. The entire AR product line. Also Klipsch Horn, Large EVs. Altec VOTT. Pioneer CS-88 and 99.

Nothing pre 1970 is even close to the better modern speakers.

I challenge you: Prove me wrong.

lion

There are probably one hundred speakers that qualify for the top five.  I certainly have heard but a small fraction of the speakers designed as statement products.  A friend who attends the Munich show and some shows in Japan throws out names of companies I have never even heard of their names.  I doubt that there would be anything close to a consensus of what companies should be near the top of the list if you polled those who have heard a lot of different speakers. 

Depending on the type of sound you like, the list would vary greatly and even if my taste differs dramatically from someone else, I would respect that list.  If, for example, someone put the Borresen flagship at the top of the list, I know that person favors open top end, speed, clarity and precise imaging (which are all good things), but, my own preference would be for a fuller sound and greater "weight" to the sound.  Would I put the Gobel flagship near the top (weighty, big sound)?  Maybe, but, it requires a lot of power which means the kind of amps I tend not to favor, so I would not know for sure unless I heard it in a familiar setting (which would never happen).  Would I put up for consideration a low-cost speaker with limitations on bass response, high volume capability, etc., but is SO musically satisfying (Charney Audio Companion)?  Yes, I might, and not just because it is reasonably price, compact , and practical (it is also high in efficiency); it just plain sounds good.  The same with the Songer Audio field coil speakers I've heard--lacking in deep bass, but very musical and reasonably practical.  The Rosso Fiorentino speakers?  I don't know, I heard and liked them, but, I need to hear them more.  It is pretty much impossible for me to make my own list of top fives, never mind someone compiling a more universal top five list.  My own personal list would not even have commercial systems on it--I've heard a number of custom builds that sound better than any commercial models I've heard.  

The problem is ALL speakers suck. They still do. Just that they are better. 

 

Bose 901s came out in 1968.I bought a pair in 1974,when set up properly and with the equalizer and at least 60 wpc...they sounded great with any kind of music.They wete used in concert halls ,by rock groups and clubs all over the US....