Celestion Model 100 enquiry

Thank you very much for your response. A review I found on the Internet summed up my experiences also - great for fairly simple material (single instrument, voice, small jazz ensemble) but the speakers sort of get congested on more complex works. Stravinsky Firebird or Sheherezade pointed out this issue to me. I was not attempting to play to live orchestral sound levels. The instruments sort of mashed together and separation got lost. I did not expect bass to match my nucleus 3.1s; that was not an issue. The sonic homogenization of instruments at DB levels that are comfortable but still room filling (main area 12X15X7 feet)is the principal concern, something wholly absent in the Gallos. I'm leery of paying $750 for the intermezzo 2.6s even when offset by the full boat refund I would get on the Celestions. Remorse or not I may end up having to live with them. The audition environment the seller provides is quite small and crowded, offering a poor venue for critical listening.

I used to love playing with the Celestions. I liked them best with tube gear. They had a pair made with aluminum honeycombing like the floor of jets.

your speakers fit in between the early SL with wood cabinets, and SL with the Aerolam aluminum cabinets. I've found all of the iterations to be very good sounding.

the 100 came after and were cheaper than the aerolam ones, but shared a good deal of the innards

i still have SL600s, 2 pairs of Sl700, and a pair of 12SL. I just sold a pair of SL6 a week ago, so I am quite familiar with them

I run a pair of SL700 with the Celestion System 6000 subwoofer system.
Up till today, I used the other Sl700 with a Revel b15a subwoofer.

before buying the Revel, i tried an older cheaper Velodyne subwoofer which I found at a local used dealer for $225. Even with that cheaper sub, it improved the sound brining mid=bass warmth.

With your range of music preference, you may be best with a subwoofer.

After selling my Revel sub today, and running the SL700 full range, there was a lot lacking and with my music tastes not something I can enjoy.

I am very surprised to hear you found simple material congested. This is supposed to be the speakers strong point. ---I would have to believe you have an issue somewhere in your chain, or there are functional issues with your actual speaker. i should also note, I've always used tubes which seem to be a great match with all the ones I own.

before you dump them, and add more money with the Infinity, --you may want to just try a subwoofer with it, even something at Best Buy, where you could try and I believe return within their return policy.

I want to state again that these small speakers really like a strong amp to control them. There is a big difference between an amp that can play them, and one that can control them and really allow them to do their thing.
I also owned the sl700 speakers. I could never get them to work for me, but the final super version, the Kingston, I still have, and it is the best of the bunch.

I re-read my post and apparently messed up the phrasing. Simple material like single vocal, guitar, cello, jazz quartet, chamber ensemble etc. is astonishingly clear. It's the complex stuff like full orchestra (Sheherezade) where it all seems to mush together when volume goes up. I have a sub I don't even want to mention, and it makes the bass more 'there', but I have to adjust gain so low to keep it from coming apart. I do need to replace the sub. I'd think an HCA-2 amp would be enough. Well regarded in its day with 150 watts. The nucleus 3.1s worked like a champ with it. I'd still be using them if it wasn't for a home gym that hijacked my basement. I do A/B with the Gallos and the Celestions definitely lose it big, and I'm not talking about bass extension - it's the midrange and highs and definition that I miss. I need to get the Gallo 3.1 experience in something that's 16" deep I can have close to a wall, like 8 inches close.