Vintage Speakers Worth Owning Today?

[bgavin]

Mine are the Pioneer HPM-100, bought new, used every day still.

 

[thecheapseats]

Ahhh… no pics?.

I was rather sure the point of the article was what still works/sounds reasonable and is usable after decades - speaks to the good design by their respective mfgs... however, pics emit no sound... pic of four generations over forty+ years of klein+hummel studio monitors (o92 thru 420) might be visually unique - but moving them all to one room to take the pic?... I'm too old for that nonsense...

 

[Fish]

I too can recommend Vintage KEF Reference.

I have a 1999 pair of Reference Model Four's.
I had the Nt20 tweeters replaced/machined with SEAS.
Insanely Good Speaker.

 

[Michou]

Hmmm here’s a blast from the past and the best speaker I have ever heard…included in each speaker are STD -373 amplifers (sometimes they came with LEAK AMPS) the amps were matched ( contoured or equalized )to each speaker at the factory.

in 1960 British society, only elites had access to such equipment until a few years later when mass marketing came to the rescue and they were available in the U.S. for a mere $600. For reference in 1964 I was 10 and I lived in an apartment in Brooklyn with my parents and 5 siblings, the rent was $30 a month in soon to become trendy Greenpoint.

oh yeah they are the1960 ish ( with a relative sitting behind Ringo) EMI DLS-1 tower monitors.

I think the word monitor is brandied about sometimes…. but do they qualify if they are use in the same place where the london philharmonic records?

With bloodlines to Redd and EMI and Abby Road.

GEC 1852 tweeters…yes General Electric Company…when science ruled design.

Read the bbc 1958 white paper on the Gec 1852tweeter which are discussed as being …
View attachment 267788View attachment 267789View attachment 267790View attachment 267791
“The G.E.C. type 1852 unit is at the present time the best available direct-radiator system for use in high-quality loudspeakers. In the range 1500 c/s to 12 kc/s, the axial frequency characteristic is but little inferior to that of the Ionophone: the latter device, while free from the shortcomings usually associated with the use of diaphragms, seems likely to remain a laboratory curiosity.”

They also contain a new design concept…the oval woofer….which are now adopted by Genelec…what goes around come around..

enjoy the music…

I believe the tweeter unit shown is from the British General Electric Company (G.E.C.) not to be confused with the US General Electric, an entirely different entity. To me, the tweeter looks a lot like the Celestion Ditton HF1300 though and they may be the same thing.

 

[Hipster Doofus]

I believe the tweeter unit shown is from the British General Electric Company (G.E.C.) not to be confused with the US General Electric, an entirely different entity. To me, the tweeter looks a lot like the Celestion Ditton HF1300 though and they may be the same thing.

I believe the tweeter unit shown is from the British General Electric Company (G.E.C.) not to be confused with the US General Electric, an entirely different entity. To me, the tweeter looks a lot like the Celestion Ditton HF1300 though and they may be the same thing.

correct , read the white paper put out by the bbc as they first embarked to set standards for speakers. copared to ionovac tweeters and quad speakers

 

[Julf]

Was that generated by ChatGPT? None of those speakers are bluetooth speakers....

 

[Deleted member 48726]

Infinity Kappas.

 

[sergeauckland]

Was that generated by ChatGPT? None of those speakers are bluetooth speakers....

Not only that, but the Tannoy was always called the 15" (or12") Monitor Gold, not just Gold, and what is a 'genuine' tone?
Furthermore, the LS3/5a was pretty much ignored by 'audiophiles' until it started being hyped (by Ken Kessler if I recall correctly) much later.

S.

 

[Julf]

Not only that, but the Tannoy was always called the 15" (or12") Monitor Gold, not just Gold, and what is a 'genuine' tone?
Furthermore, the LS3/5a was pretty much ignored by 'audiophiles' until it started being hyped (by Ken Kessler if I recall correctly) much later.

S.

Indeed, the LS3/5a was originally intended primarily for speech, not music.

 

[Michou]

Was that generated by ChatGPT? None of those speakers are bluetooth speakers....

Absolutely, we're being deceived and fooled. I entered the same question (Vintage speakers worth owning?) without including Bluetooth on ChatGPT and the text below is the result of my query (notice that essentially the same words are used, just with extended description and more speaker entries):

"
Open sidebar

Vintage Speakers Worth Owning.​

Vintage Speakers Worth Owning Today?



There are many vintage speakers that are still worth owning today, both for their sound quality and their historical significance. Here are a few examples:

1. JBL L100: These speakers were first introduced in the 1970s and are still highly sought after today. They are known for their warm, detailed sound and their distinctive orange grilles.
2. Klipschorn: These speakers were first introduced in the 1940s and are still considered some of the best speakers ever made. They are known for their efficient design, which allows them to produce high-quality sound without the need for a lot of power.
3. Altec Lansing Valencia: These speakers were first introduced in the 1970s and are still highly regarded for their warm, detailed sound. They are also known for their distinctive wood veneer cabinets.
4. Tannoy Monitor Gold: These speakers were first introduced in the 1960s and are still considered some of the best speakers ever made. They are known for their clear, detailed sound and their distinctive dual concentric driver design.
5. Yamaha NS-1000: These speakers were first introduced in the 1970s and are still highly regarded for their neutral, detailed sound. They are also known for their unique beryllium dome tweeters.

Of course, the value of vintage speakers can vary greatly depending on their condition, rarity, and other factors. It's always a good idea to do your research and consult with experts before making a purchase.





ChatGPT Mar 23 Version. Free Research Preview. ChatGPT may produce inaccurate information about people, places, or facts

ChatGPT
"

 

[Julf]

Absolutely, we're being deceived and fooled. I entered the same question (Vintage speakers worth owning?) without including Bluetooth on ChatGPT and the text below is the result of my query (notice that essentially the same words are used, just with extended description and more speaker entries):

I think the best term for ChatGPT and its ilk is "stochastic parrot".

 

[PowerSerge]

Original Klipsch Forte I. Here are my 1986 Fortes. Looking at many frequency response graphs of the 2nd 3rd and 4th generation Fortes the originals still have the flattest response. They remind me of movie theater or concert speakers. I had a pair of Tekton Double Impacts recently and sent them back and went back to the Fortes.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

Original Klipsch Forte I. Here are my 1986 Fortes. Looking at many frequency response graphs of the 2nd 3rd and 4th generation Fortes the originals still have the flattest response. They remind me of movie theater or concert speakers. I had a pair of Tekton Double Impacts recently and sent them back and went back to the Fortes.View attachment 281574View attachment 281575

Nice set and readings. Apart from that deep dive from 70-120 Hz and 280-420 Hz?

 

[fpitas]

9846-8AA, one of the few nice Altecs that are usually reasonably priced:

 

[PowerSerge]

Nice set and readings. Apart from that deep dive from 70-120 Hz and 280-420 Hz?

Im pretty sure those are due to the room. I have zero eq on any of these. Here are the double impacts I had which have similar dips

 

[ErVikingo]

I love my IRS Beta

 

[Short38]

Anyone heard the JBL Olympus S8R? Most of the work done by a 375 horn lens.

 

[radix]

Anyone seen/heard the original KEF Reference 103? The boxy one with rotatable plate?

https://assets.kef.com/pdf_doc/product-archive/1970s/REFERENCE+SERIES+MODEL+103+%281976-77%29/Reference_Series_Model_103_r.pdf

 

[Waxx]

There are many vintage speakers i still like a lot

I own a pair of Goodman Mezzo Sl's that are great, I did rebuild the crossover altough. (picture is from internet, i'm not home)

Old Klein & Hummel speakers are still great, they are the originators of the modern Neumann. This is the K&H O310, and yes, almost the same speaker is now known as Neumann KH310. Other models also have a modern Neumann version btw...

I also like the Dynaco A25 a lot:

 

[Oristo]

My Atwater-Kent / RCA Horn was some dudes Hi-Fi back in the mid 1920's.

One of those was my first piece of equipment that fit 19 inch relay rack.

I picked up a pair of Altec model 19s at closeout discount;
Having listened to them for so long, I can sort of listen thru them to judge recordings' quality.