vintage versus modern speakers


Since I have had so many excellent insights and answers to my question, here is the second chapter of my "free" education: are great vintage speakers (Infiniti, JBL,Sansui, Sony, etc..) from the seventies better sounding than what is available now? the X factor in that equation is the cost, since my speaker budget is only 1500$ for two speakers.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your advice will be read and taken into consideration.
Thank you.
rockanroller
IF one thinks a particular speaker from teh 70's is the best for them then that is what they should buy.

I still have my OHM Ls from 1978. I had to refurb them with some new parts but they can be had newly refurbed from the maker still for about $500 (they cost $400 back then)and would float the boat of many a buyer these days still.

The thing that many box speakers from back then did not do as well as today is soundstage and imaging. If you don't care about that too much, put some old speakers on a good modern amp and most people will be good to go.
While we still haven't found the measurements that will define which loudspeakers we might find ultimately satisfying, we still need them to produce anything resembling accurate transducers. And to put a bit of this comparison of old vs. new speakers in context, especially in regard to technological advancements and/or bias of familiarity some objective measurements might be enlightening.
I would offer that such objective measurements of speakers from the late '80s - '00s from Dunlavy and Thiel for example would compare rather well on a current $ for $ comparison with the latest new offerings.
Hi Mapman,

It has been a while since I heard Ohm/Walsh drivers, but, I would bet that they still sound terrific. Have you had the chance to hear Ohm's latest iteration of the Walsh driver? Of course they claim that their current speakers are vastly superior to their older F series, but I do wonder if this is really the case (current speakers are, after inflation is factored in, much cheaper).
Larryi,

Yes, I own two pair of recent OHM Walsh. You will see them in my system pics. Not most recent X000 but the generation prior from just a couple years back.

YEs, I would agree they do sound terrific, especially when matched to an amp capable of letting them do all they can, which typically means decent power and current delivery.

THe current models are much improved from teh original OHM walsh line from the early 80s though those were no slouches either. The sound is more modern and in line with teh better modern competition in terms of detail and clarity. I've owned various OHMs among others since 1978. My big OHM F5s are my go to speakers currently for uncompromised sound in a larger room.

Fs and As were a much different design, though the newer OHMs leverage the Walsh driver design principle from those.

Each has some unique advantages and disadvantages. Check the forums here and you will find a lot of good discussion.

I live in the DC/Baltimore metro area if you are ever in teh area and want to stop by for a listen.
While I had to put my Dyanoudio Contour S1.4's in storage for a bit because my son is crawling, I swapped in some old KLH Model 6's. While they don't sound as extended and detailed as the Dynaudio's, the McCormack 225 (upgraded)/RLD (also Platinum upgraded) amp makes them sound pretty good. I do like the more coherent sound of the KLH's... sounds a little more integrated in some respects than the Dyaudios which seem to lose a little of that in their focus on detail. That said I did have the caps replaced on the KLH's. I will eventually get the Dyanudio's back, though may move further up the Dyanudio line. I do like the Dyanudio sound better than the KLH... the KLH has a nice midrange but no real extension in the upper frequencies. I have a sub (REL Stadium III) so some of the flabbiness of the bass of the KLH is a little less pronounced, but its still there.