Speakers from last century that you love

[AlmaAtaKZ]

Here is my pair. Last century design.

https://flic.kr/p/bgMvF6

 

[Waxx]

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.

I don't agree with that acutally. While many modern speakers often sound a lot better, the looks are often very bland to my taste. I prefer the wood look of the past over he plastic and glossy finishes of today. But tastes differ off course...

 

[restorer-john]

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.

I remember lying on the carpet trying to see the 15" bass driver (vertically mounted exits 360 degrees around the base grille) move when my father first installed a pair of these in his listening room in around 1971.

(internet pic)

The top is solid marble and they are 7 sided. Empire Royal Grenadier 9000M (mk2 for his, tweeter lens was changed a little). They are still in their factory boxes in my storeroom. I love it how it says "World's finest Loudspeakers" on the cartons. And Made in Garden City New York. As a young boy, I wanted to go to New York because it seemed all the good stuff came from there to an Australian kid. We drove them from Melbourne to Queensland when we moved interstate because he didn't trust the movers (good call) and didn't want the marble or speakers damaged. All the HiFi went in the two cars, Mum and me in one, and Dad and my sister in the other. 1710km.

I bought my pair of Sony SSG-333es in 1989 and matching stands about 2 years later when I could finally get a pair from Japan at a reasonable price. 32kg each, stands about 10kg each The legs of the stands are ~4" thick laminated ply covered in the rosewood finish. 12" three way reflex (rear) design, crystal alumina dome tweeters, fibre polyolefin bass/mid, three separate crossovers for each driver internally.

The rosewood colour finish matches all the Sony ES gear from that period. Mine are mint, original boxed in my storeroom- too big for the room here.

(internet pic)

My Jamo 507as have been in my main system for about 5 years now, after I retrieved them from the storeroom. I bought them in about 2004, from a HiFi store where they were traded (as new in their factory boxes) but they were from around 1998, so they qualify for pre 2000.

Mine are black, like these (internet pic). I would have preferred the rosewood colour, but black is also nice. Very wife friendly design from Denmark before Jamo got sold out and sent to China. Black glass top. Internal twin push-pull 165mm woofers and a close spaced M-T-M design with a kerfed cabinet- very minimal front baffle width, but large volume. Rear exiting large diameter port for all bass (<150Hz).

A lovely speaker.

(internet pic)- mine have the factory spikes which lift the speaker above the carpet and they seem to 'float'. (Also doesn't flatten the carpet or move)

Final assembly back in the day (Jamo 707/507):

Internal design:

My best mate loves the Infinity RS range with their lovely fluted timber curved edges. Recently picked up a perfect pair of RS-5Bs for practically nothing, exactly the same as the ones he first bought in 1983/4, when they cost AU$1000pr. Personally, I love the look.

(scans for the actual brochure I got from the HiFi store in 1983)

 

[restorer-john]

Here is my pair. Last century design.

https://flic.kr/p/bgMvF6

Fuggin beautiful.

 

[Purité Audio]

I see the ‘apple’ placement.
Keith

 

[AlmaAtaKZ]

I see the ‘apple’ placement.
Keith

More than one!

 

[mps]

I bought my Quad ESL57’s in the last century, and they’ve been so good that I’ve felt no need to participate in the perpetual audiophile upgrade cycle since then (too bad I can't say the same about my electronics)

 

[darrellc]

Here is my pair. Last century design.

https://flic.kr/p/bgMvF6

What are they? Love them!

 

[ErVikingo]

I love my IRS Beta. They have the sound and also the looks.

 

[Multicore]

Internal twin push-pull 165mm woofers

What's the idea behind push-pull woofers like that. Does it afford greater linear excursion?

 

[doug s.]

What are they? Love them!

looks like it's these; i'm not sure when they initially went into production, but they're still available as new. in both active and passive iterations:
https://atc.audio/hi-fi/loudspeakers/tower-series/scm100aslt/

doug s.

 

[AlmaAtaKZ]

What are they? Love them!

These are ATC SCM 50 ASLT.

SCM50SLT | ATC Loudspeakers

atc.audio

 

[MattHooper]

I don't agree with that acutally. While many modern speakers often sound a lot better, the looks are often very bland to my taste. I prefer the wood look of the past over he plastic and glossy finishes of today. But tastes differ off course...

I wouldn't expect agreement given the nature of the thread. But re-visiting earlier pages, I do see some speakers I think look nice, so I think I was reacting to some of the ones on recent pages that struck me as 70's era aesthetics, the equivalent of oak wood panelling in terms of the taste of that era.

I really love the look of many older speakers, especially mid-century designs.

I remember lying on the carpet trying to see the 15" bass driver (vertically mounted exits 360 degrees around the base grille) move when my father first installed a pair of these in his listening room in around 1971.

View attachment 353673
(internet pic)

The top is solid marble and they are 7 sided. Empire Royal Grenadier 9000M (mk2 for his, tweeter lens was changed a little). They are still in their factory boxes in my storeroom. I love it how it says "World's finest Loudspeakers" on the cartons. And Made in Garden City New York. As a young boy, I wanted to go to New York because it seemed all the good stuff came from there to an Australian kid. We drove them from Melbourne to Queensland when we moved interstate because he didn't trust the movers (good call) and didn't want the marble or speakers damaged. All the HiFi went in the two cars, Mum and me in one, and Dad and my sister in the other. 1710km.

I bought my pair of Sony SSG-333es in 1989 and matching stands about 2 years later when I could finally get a pair from Japan at a reasonable price. 32kg each, stands about 10kg each The legs of the stands are ~4" thick laminated ply covered in the rosewood finish. 12" three way reflex (rear) design, crystal alumina dome tweeters, fibre polyolefin bass/mid, three separate crossovers for each driver internally.

The rosewood colour finish matches all the Sony ES gear from that period. Mine are mint, original boxed in my storeroom- too big for the room here.

View attachment 353677
(internet pic)

My Jamo 507as have been in my main system for about 5 years now, after I retrieved them from the storeroom. I bought them in about 2004, from a HiFi store where they were traded (as new in their factory boxes) but they were from around 1998, so they qualify for pre 2000.

Mine are black, like these (internet pic). I would have preferred the rosewood colour, but black is also nice. Very wife friendly design from Denmark before Jamo got sold out and sent to China. Black glass top. Internal twin push-pull 165mm woofers and a close spaced M-T-M design with a kerfed cabinet- very minimal front baffle width, but large volume. Rear exiting large diameter port for all bass (<150Hz).

A lovely speaker.
View attachment 353680
(internet pic)- mine have the factory spikes which lift the speaker above the carpet and they seem to 'float'. (Also doesn't flatten the carpet or move)

Final assembly back in the day (Jamo 707/507):
View attachment 353698

Internal design:
View attachment 353699

My best mate loves the Infinity RS range with their lovely fluted timber curved edges. Recently picked up a perfect pair of RS-5Bs for practically nothing, exactly the same as the ones he first bought in 1983/4, when they cost AU$1000pr. Personally, I love the look.

(scans for the actual brochure I got from the HiFi store in 1983)
View attachment 353684

View attachment 353685

Nice tour of some interesting speakers. Those Sonys are really nice looking and look like they'd kick the ass of my smaller floor standing speakers.

 

[Waxx]

Today i heared a pair of these Klein und Hummel O92's, German active studio monitors from the 1970's, and they were great. They sounded a lot better than the ATC 150's that were in the same room. The guy bought them for 750€/P (1500€ a pair) which seems to be a normal price for those in mint state in Germany second hand, and i don't think he did a bad deal. These are the far ancestors of the Neuman KH420's, and you can see where the quality comes from and why Neumann (Senheiser) bought that brand in 2005...

(picture is from internet, i was not allowed to take pictures of the ones i heared).

 

[Jaxjax]

On the left is another implementation of the Coral Holey Basket alnico this time in the Frugal Horn Mk3.

I used to have 3-4 pairs of those from Sony tube rtr's I think.? I used to get the Mullards from them... Those particular Corals are as advertised for vocals & such. great lil FR's
Joe

 

[Mikig]

Another one came to mind!

I really liked Acoustic Energy AE2…

 

[Prana Ferox]

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

Is this inside a Quonset hut?

 

[Jaxjax]

I don't know if I'd love em, but I always wanted to try a large pair of Klangfilm speakers w/ field coils . I have ran Klangfilm mono block amps off a deciated 240 circuit & the the internals build quality of them were just insane hence wanting to try a big set of Klangfilm theater stuff.

 

[SKBubba]

Original Large Advents, Klipsch Quartets. (Both updated/restored.)

 

[zeropoint]

Still have and love my Acoustic Research AR-12s, AR-5s - owned from new - AR-6s, and latest addition AR-18Ss. I still regard the AR-12s and 5s as some of the best speakers I've heard.

AR-12s

AR-5s (with Mordaunt Short MS10is on top)

AR-6s

AR-18Ss