Does anyone like vintage speakers?

Fishboat, I think that the quality of the drivers (especially tweeters) used in speakers has improved quite a bit since the 70's and 80's. Properly implemented these drivers can provide resolution and transparency in dynamic speakers that was only available in panels and electrostats. And, if you wanted point source imaging, was only available in Quad 63's (which even by todays standards is a fine speaker). But, if a person is not too anal about this fine resolution issue there are many excellent speakers from the 80's and 90's that will serve you quite well. Actually, this pursuit of fine resolution can be a trap for the ambitious audiophile with limited means who is unaware that fine resolution will mean that they hear all of the warts in their electronics and sources, and it ain't all pretty! Hope your Snell's work out for you. :-)

In one of my two systems I currently rotate in and out two vintage pairs of speakers: 1. B&W DM2s are from 1972 and were John Bowers' attempt (largely successful) of redesigning the universally applauded Spendor BC1s so that they would produce lower and better controlled bass, and an overall more rugged and dynamic design. They use what are essentially the same drivers as the BC1s but in a quarter wavelength transmission line cabinet that weighs nearly twice as much as the Spendors (56 lbs. vs. 30 lbs.) 2. Musical Fidelity MC-4s from 1986 were a Martin Colloms design (hence the "MC"), a two-way bass reflex utilizing a "see through" TPX 8" driver and a metal dome tweeter, flared port, highly tweaked crossover. Colloms used Quad ESLs as his reference and got pretty close to their clarity and "snap," with the added advantages of higher efficiency and more robust construction.

I listen to these guys pretty much daily, using either of two 30 watt tube integrateds, and I'm getting as much satisfaction listening to them as I do listening to my Tyler Acoustics Linbrook Signature Monitors, insofar as "musciality" is concerned. And, yes, I do hear all the warts! I think what's critical is that you start with well thought out design and then make sure it is in top condition, even if it is more than 30 years old.

As a sidebar, next month I will be adding a pair of Tannoys which have their Dual Concentric drivers, vintage early '70s. Yep, I like (some) vintage speakers.

Funny, I was calling my JSE 1.0's vintage, then after responding to this thread, bought a near mint pair of JSE 1.8's.... So they are new to me, but 20 years old, and sound great. FWIW They are in far better shape than the pair I moved at least a dozen time, and survived college...

I agree with Mechans. Vintage is pre 1970. I don't think anything made in those days come close to today's fare.

Being extremely biased, I believe speaker evolution reached a ceiling in the mid 1980's, with the advent of the Apogee, and that ceiling has yet to be breached. I know of several speaker makers who have used Apogees to voice their new creations.

Yeah, I have to add to Muralman1's comments that the App Stages were in class by themselves. They had there faults (a bit boomy bass, not too much depth), but these seemed to be part of their character that just made them brilliant overall. It's hard to believe that these sold for around $3000! I think they were just too good to be true.