Speakers from last century that you love

[fredoamigo]

Spendor SP 9/1

I had these marvels with me for a few years...sometimes I miss them because they had endearing aspects...as far as I can remember, their measurements were not bad considering the era in which they were conceived.

 

[sergeauckland]

My current pair of B&W 801Fs. Made in the mid 1980s, and I've had them for the past 14 years, and no desire to change them.

 

[Anton D]

Infinity Monitor Jrs. Quite impressive for 1977.
View attachment 353221

Those Pioneer and A/D/S tweeters and mids from the day - such similars looks!

 

[Poultrygeist]

Not sure how old the Lowther drivers are as I'm the second owner. The company in England has been in business since 1934. These are DIY using Martin King's
mass loaded transmission line design. The wooden cigar boxes on top contain the baffle step correction circuit.

 

[darrellc]

My wife still thinks the Spica TC-50s were the best speakers we ever had

 

[Anton D]

My wife still thinks the Spica TC-50s were the best speakers we ever had

Way cool!

 

[Selkirks]

Klipsch Chorus II

I've had everything from Heresy to Klipschorns but the Chorus just sounded right to my ears/brain. One model I could have lived with as mains.

 

[Selkirks]

Spendor SP 9/1

I had these marvels with me for a few years...sometimes I miss them because they had endearing aspects...as far as I can remember, their measurements were not bad considering the era in which they were conceived.


View attachment 353224

Very nice

 

[Mikig]

there are many!!
the ones that if I could, I would take……
-Snell Tyoe C IV and Type E III
-Cello, I had heard the Stradivari Legend, really beautiful
- AR LST
- Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage, Amati Homage, Extrema first series
- B&W Nautilus,
- JBL 4313 B
- JBL L100 Century

Etc, etc….

 

[GlennGregor]

These are my house speakers from 1984. Yamaha S5115HT’s. They each weigh 145 lbs.. Decibel sensitivity is 100. The ad is from a 1984 stereo magazine.

 

[Anton D]

Man, I love this thread.

I have never heard those Yamahas!

Mikig, I wish I had thought of the Cellos, they were amazing.

 

[GlennGregor]

The boxes were built by the Clair Brothers for Yamaha.

 

[Mikig]

Man, I love this thread.

I have never heard those Yamahas!

Mikig, I wish I had thought of the Cellos, they were amazing.

they were the Stradivari Premiere, but I wrote Legend....
think my friend had used them in the shop, he had sold them at a super sale price.
Nobody wanted them, they weighed like a car!! I still eat my hands when I think about it, I could have easily taken them, he would have been happy to give them to me....but at the time with a tube integrated.....

 

[Mikig]

my deposit…

 

[guy48065]

Two generations of Unity Audio speakers, from before they broke into the 5-digit price tier.
The sat/sub set are custom, bought in 1982--along with much of the rest of my system.
The towers are the "Cerous 6" model from some time near the turn of the millennia, found at a pawn shop a few weeks ago. I couldn't pass them up at the asking price. I know the designer so I knew I'd love them.

 

[AlmaAtaKZ]

My current pair of B&W 801Fs. Made in the mid 1980s, and I've had them for the past 14 years, and no desire to change them. View attachment 353228

Remember these from a Wam show, before they were zebrano. Best sound on the day to my taste.

https://flic.kr/p/bnzT7J

 

[doug s.]

Remember these from a Wam show, before they were zebrano. Best sound on the day to my taste.

https://flic.kr/p/bnzT7J

it's interesting, how people's tastes in speakers varies. hearing these speakers at an audio show decades ago, has made me avoid anything made by b&o since.

here's something i heard at a 1996 show in nyc that i really liked - jadis eurythmie:

and my 2nd fave at that show - diapason adamantes. (these, i was actually able to afford, so i bought a used pair and enjoyed them for quite some time):

doug s.

 

[sergeauckland]

Remember these from a Wam show, before they were zebrano. Best sound on the day to my taste.

https://flic.kr/p/bnzT7J

Ah yes, those were the days!

You may remember a certain former 'Wam owner who persuaded me to play Austrian Death Machine at ear-bleeding levels...

S.

 

[SIY]

One more last-century speaker that I should mention is the Fulton Js. Admittedly, they were a moving target, but I heard a pair about 5 or 6 years ago that were some of the finest speakers I've ever experienced.

 

[MattHooper]

It’s cool to see there is still some love for old designs. Having said that, just in terms of the aesthetics of the speakers posted so far, I’m quite glad for the general advancement in how much nicer speakers tend to look these days. IMO.