Don’t know anything about quads but the biggest difference I hear from vintage or even 20 years ago from today are the highs (tweeters).
Vintage versus New
Hi,
I recently had the chance to hear two vintage speakers, Quad 57's serial number 15,000 + and Electrovoice Aristocrats. I was already familiar with the 57's but hearing the Aristocrats was a new experience and despite using a cheap amplifier, they sounded good. These speakers can be found and the prices are good but I'm not completely sure if vintage speakers are a wise choice.
I suppose what sparks my interest is that a friend of mine had a pair of cast Western Electric horns from a pair of theater speakers and sold them to a buyer in Japan for good money. Are there vintage speakers that compete with some of the better speakers being made today? Does today's technology make these vintage speakers obsolete? Can vintage speakers be modified and if so, how? In general, what are your thoughts?
Much Appreciated
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- 12 posts total
@mofojo the various materials available today especially. |
@jasonbourne52 many of these manufacturers no longer make high end speakers so yes, there value should increase. Besides the 57's which ones do you prefer? |
Altec A5 would be a good place to start. EV Aristocrats are fine-sounding depending greatly on the drivers used. For the $ they go for not a bad option today. They would sound best with tubes they require a corner and the image height is low. You can put something under to move the soundstage up a bit. Or make a stand. Still if wanting a vintage loudspeaker that's not embarrassed by anything modern and you do not want to shell out Western Electric $ an Altec a5 is a good choice. I use a few loudspeakers that feature front horn loading of the bass 15" and multicell. Mine are larger, a bit better than a5 but are similar in the basic design http://www.audioheritage.org/html/profiles/lmco/shearer.htm |
- 12 posts total