Speakers to hang on to for LIFE

Been using and loving my Infinity RS 5 Kappa speakers for 18 years. The model was the two-way baby brother of the better-known 8 and 9 Kappas .I believe this model was only manufactured in 1989. The speakers have always been wonderful to look at and hear to me ! They had their surrounds re-foamed a year ago, as they finally failed, but now my concern is the crossover and some of its caps.Only the tweeter circuit has Wonder plastic ones. The rest seem to be electrolytes from Culver city.Does anyone have any idea what the sound degradation caused by 20- year-old dried up caps would be in practice? The sound to me today is OK, but if it's been turning worse gradually I guess maybe one doesn't notice...Changing the caps seems a dubious idea to me, since the circuit board and its solderings seem fragile and prone to be permanently damaged if the work (which is beyond my capabilities) isn't carried out very carefully. What do you say? Otherwise I*d be more than willing to go on with the Infinities "for ever"...

I had a 50 year old pair of altecs 420y. Sadly one just died monday. I hang my head in shame.....But it can be rebuilt I can make it better than it was before better stronger faster;)

John,
Why do you hang your head in shame? It's obvious you loved your speakers... Were you doing something to the speaker you'd be ashamed if other people knew? :^)

Having drifted away from my first high quality speaker experience, 12" Tannoy Dual Concentric, I sadly sold what I thought was my lifetime keepers, namely Dynaudio Contour 5.4's, I had decided to get back to my first love, Tannoy.

I had 1 7/8" thick 150 liter 192lb. custom enclosures in a front ported reflex design built to my specifications by Frank Wyatt (Wyatt Woodworking). They are finished in a high-gloss Pommelle Sapele, and have turned out beautifully. I had purchased a pair of 35 year old HPD 315 drivers (12" Dual Concentric) Tannoys on Ebay UK, and installed them with DH Labs Q10 Silvers, hardwired to replace the flimsy Tannoy connectors.

How do they sound? More like live music than any other speaker I have ever heard. The dynamics and scale of music are just more right than with any other dynamic driver I have heard. I am in the process of upgrading the old crossovers with Mundorf Silver in Oil Caps, but I assure you, these are my lifetime music partners, and unlike some marriages, which may become dissolute after a time, these custom, one-off beauties will go the distance. 'Til death do us part!

Thanks for taking the time to read this, enjoy,
Dan

This is a really great thread indeed: I love to see that I'm not the only audiofool who likes to keep stuff that is good. It is a good way to actually get around to enjoy listening to music!

I'm owning a pair of QUAD ESL57's for well over 20 years now. I was lucky to bump into a pair that was rather special because they have silver grills, which was made especially for the Phonogram studios in the seventies. I believe that the Swedish radio also had this version. Their better appearance than the standard bronze certainly is a factor in wanting to keep them.
Two years ago I replaced all elements with refurbished units by Wayne Picquet, to make sure they'll last another twenty years or more.
I also managed to lay my hands on one of the twenty or so pairs of SW57 subwoofers that are built for the ESL57's. So both for performance and rarity I'm going to hold on to this combination until total deafness sets in, or worse. Playing music on those speakers manages to give me goosebumps time and time again!