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Celestion Model 100 enquiry

I purchased a pair of Celestion Model 100s based on audition, and cannot find much information on them. These are not the Ditton 100s. To the best of my knowledge based on Internet research these are 20 year old speakers. I'm getting a bit of buyer's remorse after installing them in my home and want to know more about them before I kick them to the curb. Any information that can be provided, good or bad, would be appreciated. I'm considering replacing them with a pair of Infinity intermezzo 2.6 powered speakers and don't know if I'm jumping from the frying pan into the fire. I have been unable to subscribe to bluebook which doesn't help either. Using Cambridge Audio Azur 740c, Pro-ject 6.1 w/Sumiko cartridge, Parasound P3, and PS Audio HCA2. Source material is very broad, Brubeck, Bach, AC/DC.
rg500g
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
7,964 posts
 
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.
rg500g OP
17 posts
 
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.
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
7,964 posts
 
The bass mid driver that Celestion developed for the sl series and their derivatives had a really magic way with voices. For my personal taste, they are just too dynamically constricted for full time use in a main system, but they are too good to let go of. I have a great affection for the way they play music.
rg500g OP
17 posts
 
They are very nice speakers if you keep the SPL down. They're small monitors so that's expected. I do wish to listen at louder levels from time to time and the Celestions just hurt. I replaced them with a pair of Focal Aria 926s. The monitors will be on the block unless I can justify their placement somewhere nice and hidden for ambience or something like that. Wife isn't into music at all, so they're probably going on the block.
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