I've been listening to Bozak 401s since 1975. I like the sound. But perhaps even more, just looking at them brings me back to the (sometimes good) old days. A lot of music, and a lot of life, has gone by accompanied by what came out of those guys. |
I use my ADS L880's I have owned since I bought them new in 1984 in a second system. |
I have been using Ohm Walsh 4s since 1984 and they have served me well. There may be better speakers on the market,but I have never had the upgrade bug with them, and they look unique with their trapezoid look. Just recently, I have had them upgraded to the Ohm Walsh 4.5 S3 (Ohm Walsh 5 S3 drivers shoehorned into the 4s) but have not had the chance to hear them as my Yamaha CR 2040 just recently kicked the bucket. |
been using various vintage maggies for over 30 years. love the sound for jazz, blues and angelic femail voices. |
I have a pair of 1970's Sansui sp-2700's.
These are VERY good sounding and very cool looking speakers.
These are the most neutral and best sounding speakers I have ever owned.
I noticed no one mentioned the Sansui sp line of speakers.
Has anyone owned the sp-2500's or sp-2700's and care to comment on these speakers?
I know the sp-2500's have a efficiency rating of 98 dB 8 ohms.
Does anyone know the rating for the sp-2700's? I cant find the info. anywhere.
These speakers have to be the best buy in audio.
Lots of Sansui sp series speakers on eBay that usually go for $200-$300 shipped.
I bought my absolutely mint pair for sp-2700's from a local on craislist.
The speakers 'and' a mint Sansui 333 receiver (mid fi) cost me $40.
I also have a near perfect pair of Dynaco A-25's I bought for $6/pair at a thrift shop. |
Ess amt 1b-amazing-will put many high-ends to shame. |
22 year old JBL 250Ti's, with a few mods, still pleasing. |
I have a 1974 sansui sp-5500's the best that sansui ever made period! One of the best sounding speakers eer made! |
I have Leslie DVX15’s hooked up in my second system right now, and late 70’s Obelisks in my bedroom. I also have EPI 350’s, DA D8’s and D12’s and Innotech D24’s that I also use occasionally. I have quite a few others as well, but these are the ones that I have used recently. |
Dear Sir/Madam,
I own a pair of Lincoln Walsh OHM A's which I consider the "Cats Meow"
Do you or anyone else on this websight own a pair? If so, I would like to compare notes.
BR
Stefan |
AR 11's are in my living room, the grills were replaced with Radio Shack foam.
They sound great and the walnut veneer is quite nice.
Best $40 speakers ever! No subs needed, the 12 inch woofers go really low. As with most older acoustic suspension speakers you do need some power to drive them- these are 4 ohm.
I also have some nice KLH 2 way #17's in my bedroom.
My ears are vintage why not some speakers! |
I alternately use Wharfedale W-60Es, Smaller Advents, Polk Monitor 10As and Infinity RS 2001's |
JBL C-70 from the 70's..........sound very good with my pair of mc-225. |
What exactly qualifies as vintage? 1979' and back? Seriously.. 1999' and back? Or simply speakers before plastics were used etc.. So big coffins with no damping material, and paper drivers? I am not being a smart A$$ but curious. |
Some say that 25 years is a good number for being qualified as vintage. Here's an older AA thread:
http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/vintage/messages/11/111256.html
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Yes.
I use vintage Ohm L's and Walsh 2's, though I have upgraded, re-furbished or enhanced each to some extent from their original configuration.
I also still have a pair of "vintage" Realistic Minimus 7's with wood veneer cabinets in use out on my deck. These are original configurations, no tweaks or refurbs. They still sound great for what they are and cost originally ($50). Amazingly, though protected directly from teh elements, these have lasted in continuous regular seasonal outdoor use now for 10 years. The cabinets very much show the wear and tear from the elements, much like a wooden garden bench would, but the sound is still pristine and excellent. |
Still have a pair of KEF 104/102s and a NAD 3200 power envelope. |
I don't know how the term 'vintage' came to mean 'old'. That word simply describes some specific period of time, originally applied to wine.
About like saying 'back in the day'. huh? When was that?
Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: vin·tage
Pronunciation: \vin-tij\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, probably alteration of vendage, from Anglo-French vendage, vendenge, from Latin vindemia grape-gathering, vintage, from vinum wine, grapes + demere to take off, from de- + emere to take — more at wine, redeem
Date: 15th century
1 a (1): a season's yield of grapes or wine from a vineyard (2): wine; especially : a usually superior wine all or most of which comes from a single year b: a collection of contemporaneous and similar persons or things : crop
2: the act or time of harvesting grapes or making wine
3 a: a period of origin or manufacture b: length of existence : age
But yes, I have used lots of old speakers. They did not sound as good as newer designs.
Steve |
Well It should be who is using "Classic" speakers then, however instant Classic speakers could be 6 months old too! Who knows.
It seems to me the only way to define this thread would be Vintage as in, fairly early crude days of audio reproduction analog sources available only, tape, reel to reel, and vinyl..
Units that are Silver, some black, Remote controls were virtually not available on any units.. Speakers were built mostly made out of Plywood or really bad chipboard, even before MDF was the specified universal material..
Really before the Start of Commercial CD sales or digital reproduction would seem to be a Good time marker to consider it "Vintage" equipment in most peoples minds.. |
I have an older pair of JBL 4343's. Have the upgraded 2122H midrange drivers and the 2235H woofers. Biamp the system using Cary CAD805's on the top and a Crown K2 amp on the 2235's. Use these speakers as the mains for my home theater system. I love Vintage JBL. |
Ohm Walsh 2s (with OHM driver upgrade to newer 100 series 3 driver).
Realistic Minimus 7's on the deck.
OHM L's with OHM sub bass activator circuit and custom Morel driver mods. |
Monitor Audio MA4's since the late 70's (can't remember exactly, maybe early 80's?). Although they will soon be replaced by Tyler Acoustic D3M's. |
1972 Khorns
Rebuilt crossovers, new wiring, etc.
When it's time to rock.nothing better! |
I use a pair of Wharfedale W25's in a bedroom system. It's a sealed two-way bookshelf design with an eight inch woofer. Very musical with a 15 watt EL84 amp.
My favorite speakers I have are Dunlavy SCIV's in my main listening room which I consider to be classics if not quite vintage yet. |
I have a single EV Georgian in Mahogany that I am going to build a mono system. I have hooked it up for some extended listening with one of my MC40 amps and love it. If a person is looking for audio on a lowish budget, I think vintage has a lot to offer. |
AR-LSTs. I've had the crossovers recapped/upgraded, but all drivers are original. These speakers produce the best soundstage that I've ever heard. |
Beveridge Model III's (full restoration by Rick B.) and soon, Bev Model 2's. |
Altec Model 19's in mint original condition. I've owned many of the newer highly "rated" speakers and I enjoy the Altec's more. Low power tube amps + Altec's = music. |
Infinity RSIIb are my mains now, replacing a set of Zu Druids + Mini-Method sub. I'm currently in the process of building outboard crossovers for them using Mundorf Supreme caps, Northcreek and Solen Heptalitz inductors, Duelund resistors, Cardas copper litz wire, etc. Also adding cabinet bracing and damping to the bass enclosure.
Finally, I'm working with a speaker maker to begin production of new, improved diaphragms for the EMIM and EMIT drivers - I want these babies to last forever! |
McIntosh ML1Cs from 1970ish. Sound great! (and LOUD) |
Snell. When I lost my Apogee Duetta Sigs, I needed something affordable. I found a pair of Snell AII's for $600 here on Audiogon and then a pair of original E's for $100. The AII's had been rebuilt recently, but needed a tweeter replaced. Millersound did a great job on the E's and even had an original tweeter for AII's. I have been happier than I thought was going to be possible. Just be warned that you will need to know somebody good for service if you can't do it yourself. |
Allison 3s & 4s. Still wonderful. |
...in my den, my secondary system. I got these new in 1978 as a high school graduation present. Bought at Tech HiFi on sale for $178/pr. Although I am afraid to do the "pencil eraser test," I am still using the original foam surrounds. The cabinets and grills are a bit worn, but they still sound rich and full as always. They never were detail or imaging champs, though. Heck of a value, all things considered! |
Bondmanp,
What brand of vintage speaks from Tech HiFi? You didn't say.
The best I remember at Tech HiFi to be had for that price on sale might be Ohm E's? I sold dozens of them back in the day.
Or could be EPIs or smaller Infinitys or Advents maybe? |
McIntosh XR-7 (2 pairs), McIntosh XR-5 (1 pair), JBL L-65 (one pair). I have the Macs coupled with the 107 Equalizers.
The Macs reproduce just about everything wonderfully. The JBLs sound best with quality rock.
I enjoy them all. |
Sold my Magnepan MG-1s in Late 2007 after a well over 25 year run. Even had 'em factory rebuilt once. A 'landmark' in my personal stereo development. Replacement? New 1.6s, of course! |
In a second system, I have 1978 Altec Model 19s, driven by a turntable of similar vintage and an amp which is just a little bit younger. They are wonderful. And they are the best bang for buck I can think of in speakerland. |
Being from New England I've collected three models of the Acoustic Research speakers, the AR-9, AR-3A, and the Ar-2AX, as well as a pair of the Large Advents. I must admit the only pair I have set up are the AR-9s which are legendary four-way speakers with two 12-inch woofers. Must find a good home for the other speakers one of these days. |
I have several pair of vintage speakers-still have my original AR 3a's tucked away in the closet-my daughter has
my ess amt 1b's.Recently I traded and picked up a pair of ohm walsh 2.
I am using them in a second system in the house with my
ancient AR amp--about 35 yrs old and a very old Onkyo cd
player nothing fancy with the cables or speaker wire.I gotta say the walsh's are something else-you can't believe
equipment this old could sound this good! |
Have used many excellent modern speakers from budget to pricey, but like vintage better. Currently using Tannoy Cheviots in one sysemt and KLH Model 6s in the other system.
The vintage speakers have a really nice "chesty" sound to them that I find modern speakers don't have. |
Nothing but "vintage" here:
Two systems
Cave system in basement: Original Snell "E" bought new 1979
"Big system" in living room:Acoustat model "2" bought used in 1981.
best of both worlds; electrostatic planers and high efficiency 2-way boxs.
love them both and have no desire what so ever to replace them.
e |
I'm using a pair of KEF Reference 104.2s as my mains, a KEF 200 C, and two KEF Reference 102.2s for surrounds. I have two 102.2s in a secondary system, and a pair of AR3a speakers sitting in my closet that I hope to set up again someday.
db |
Tangent RS2 and Cizak model 1 |
I tried many, to arrive at, Craigs/List $150 kg4s.am now convinced one MAY not have to spend a fortune to enjoy music didnt really know about klip. speakers Its nice to be surprised once and awhile Good Luck |
Gale 401a circa 1974.Used with a modern valve amp they are superb.
Toshiba SS30s from the early 60s.One of the great listening experiences-almost Tannoy DC like in presentation-lacking the smear that plagues most speakers.
Interesting to note Tangents are mentioned.I had the RS4s for years.Wonderful very BBC sounding speakers. |
Jtgofish,
The Gale's are a great choice...beautiful appearance as well. |
Mid 70’s Bozak B-401 Rapsodys w egg crate grills..
Surprisngly good sounding, decent bass.
Thoren TD-125 II > Schiit Freya+ > Sony TA-N55ES amplifier.
All original; one owner mint except for one inch by one quarter inch high hard plastic feet that may help the sound by decoupling the speakers from my carpeted wooden floors.
Every time I fire these up I end up spending at LEAST 2 hours listening to them. |
I sold the entire line of Bozak speakers until they closed shop. The B401 speakers were one of my favorites. My only complaint was they were a laid back in the treble. I never did warm up to their aluminum tweeters. |
I have an early pair of Shahinian Obelisk (approx 1980). Obelisk were released in 1977 and are still in production 44 years later. The drivers have changed, but the overall design is the same. I don't know of any other speaker that falls into this long-lived category. They were ahead of their time and sound absolutely amazing.
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In my office system I have KEF Calindas purchased new in 1979. I have Kef Reference 104/2s in my main system. Purchased them about 4 years ago from the original owner in perfect condition. The manufacture date is 1991. |
