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Old Stereo Speakers

shunter2005

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If any of you have read my old posts about old school stereo stuff here, you probably have figured out that I am an old school Marantz freak. I keep a lookout for Marantz stuff on the web all the time, especially certain speakers that I like. It must be just me, but everything I see is totally F*(&*d up. Speakers for sale that are all scratched to hell, no grills on them, etc., etc. And they want premium price for them. Does no one take care of their stereo shit anymore?

I have two sets of Marantz speakers and 2 sets of old Large Advent speakers. The Advents, luckily, were in pretty good shape when I bought them. I did have to re-cone one set, but the boxes were decent. However, I just finished refinishing a set of Marantz speakers that I found last year. They were all scratched up and it took all I could do to get most of the scratches out without killing the veneer. My other set, I bought in 1974 and they don't have any scratches on them. In fact, only one grill has ever been taken off and that was last year to check the subs.

I just don't get it. I'm sure other popular brands for sale are just as bad, I just don't see them. It just makes me sick to see that old stereo stuff trashed out.
 

cofooter

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Probably sitting in someones garage for the last 40 yrs and they just discovered they have value......
 

Universal Elements

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People don’t take care of their stuff. I collect old school amps, speakers, preamps. It takes a while to find some decent equipment. I look for some old timers that usually downsize their equipment.
 

WhatExit?

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There's a whole world of speaker restoration (and construction) out there.

As a former Klipsch LaScala owner I thought a lot about restoring mine but I ultimately sold them.

You've probably seen/been on Audiogon.com and other sites:
 

Willie B

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...I have a six speaker hodge podge set up in my garage.,. two of them are either AR fours or AR sixes .,.that I may have bought in 1967..,the other four I have no clue what they are but the system sounds pretty good???..:
 

nowski

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The Bic Venturi Formula 6 speakers were the bomb (aka backyard party speakers) back in the day. A buddy of mine still has a pair that he uses in his work shop. The next time I stop by there I'll check to see what stereo he's using to power them...
 

FreeBird236

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It was an entirely different clientele that bought Marantz speakers than bought their electronics, case in point, the Advents were still in decent shape.
 

Universal Elements

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I have a set of JBL L100’s that I bought almost 50 years ago. Still going strong. They were about $300 each. JBL has re-released them at $2,000 each.

I have some JBL 4312a that I bought directly from JBL back in the day. They’re about 45 years old. I’ve redone them several times and they still kick ass.
 

707dog

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i got a pair of old 500 series bowers & Wilkins (B&W) they have 2 8 inch drivers in each tower. old neighbor was going to toss them when he was moving gave me the amp/tuner also. have had them for many years in the garage. sports movies and any music i play through them they still rip.
 

caribbean20

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I don’t think I’ve ever heard Klipsch La Scala speakers. Just checked eBay and there’s some sellers out there who have a high opinion of them.

As I’ve mentioned here before, I’ve got a 40 year old mint set of Dahlquist DQM-9’s of which I’m quite fond. I’ve moved about 10 times and have hauled those things around every time.

Fried a cheap Audiosource amp yesterday and am replacing it with an old Yamaha integrated unit from the basement. Time to light up those old Dahlquists again to piss off the wifey:)
 

Universal Elements

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I don’t think I’ve ever heard Klipsch La Scala speakers. Just checked eBay and there’s some sellers out there who have a high opinion of them.

As I’ve mentioned here before, I’ve got a 40 year old mint set of Dahlquist DQM-9’s of which I’m quite fond. I’ve moved about 10 times and have hauled those things around every time.

Fried a cheap Audiosource amp yesterday and am replacing it with an old Yamaha integrated unit from the basement. Time to light up those old Dahlquists again to piss off the wifey:)

La Scalas are the shit.

I have Dq10’s, 12’s and 20’s. Definitely love power. But the sound is badass.
 

caribbean20

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La Scalas are the shit.

I have Dq10’s, 12’s and 20’s. Definitely love power. But the sound is badass.
Well, I’m just going to have to have a listen to those some day. Maybe at one of the local high-end sound shops. I love that “wall of sound” power.

I’ve recently spent hours and hours tweaking my outdoor patio sound system that I’m running off of Zone 2 on the Denon. And I do mean hours and hours. Installed Origin Accoustics ceiling speakers (very pleased) and an outdoor sub huffing away under the deck with its own separate amp. Wiring, separate zone volume controls, setting the proper crossover for the sub, tweaking the equalizer, high pass and low pass filters, etc., has been a labor of love. Right up until I fried my amp last night . . .
 

btaco35

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Well, I’m just going to have to have a listen to those some day. Maybe at one of the local high-end sound shops. I love that “wall of sound” power.

I’ve recently spent hours and hours tweaking my outdoor patio sound system that I’m running off of Zone 2 on the Denon. And I do mean hours and hours. Installed Origin Accoustics ceiling speakers (very pleased) and an outdoor sub huffing away under the deck with its own separate amp. Wiring, separate zone volume controls, setting the proper crossover for the sub, tweaking the equalizer, high pass and low pass filters, etc., has been a labor of love. Right up until I fried my amp last night . . .

Which outdoor sub did you go with? Shopping for one now.
 

BajaMike

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There's a whole world of speaker restoration (and construction) out there.

As a former Klipsch LaScala owner I thought a lot about restoring mine but I ultimately sold them.

You've probably seen/been on Audiogon.com and other sites:

Those are great speakers. The Klipsch Corner Horns are pretty sweet.
 

Backlash

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My parents have a few pairs of Acoustic Research speakers in various areas of their home. The big dual-amp AR towers are in the living room and they crush anything else we've ever heard in a home system. They don't build them like that anymore.
 

caribbean20

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Which outdoor sub did you go with? Shopping for one now.
Polk Audio Atrium 10. I’ve got an NHT SA-2 amp driving it. Both are old, like 20+ years old, so not sure either are still sold. Had the set up at our last house in Manhattan Beach.
F77D7F3E-5D69-4168-A00B-9E45DCC55F0E.jpeg
 

SoCalDave

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I've got a pair of 80'S RSL Elan speakers that are in excellent shape for their age and these things weight a ton.
Just got to get me an amp to drive them.

1617721165338.png
 
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Universal Elements

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I've got a pair of 80' RSL Elan speakers that are in excellent shape for their age and these things weight a ton.
Just got to get me an amp to drive them.

View attachment 989557

Isnt it hilarious how much all the old stuff weighs. For those two, this amp would make them sound great. Great price too!


 

OC Mike

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I think it depends if original owner or not. Original owner usually takes care of stuff. After they have sold off, past off, divorced off, inherited or whatever no one cares or has the appreciation for them. This is true for most anything, tools and equipment as an example.
Something else I've come to learn is if you can remember when it was new, its not that old.... Too everyone else it's just old.

Advent, there's a name I haven't heard for awhile. Loved mine..
 

caribbean20

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Isnt it hilarious how much all the old stuff weighs. For those two, this amp would make them sound great. Great price too!


Agreed, but it’s not only the old stuff that is heavy. On an impulse I ran out and picked up this Cambridge Audio Edge W amp today. 52 pounds!! Guy brought it out of the warehouse on a hand truck. Super low distortion, I’m done frying amps (fingers crossed).
39DDC17E-FD4F-464A-B499-6B87028A5D4F.jpeg
 

Universal Elements

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Agreed, but it’s not only the old stuff that is heavy. On an impulse I ran out and picked up this Cambridge Audio Edge W amp today. 52 pounds!! Guy brought it out of the warehouse on a hand truck. Super low distortion, I’m done frying amps (fingers crossed).
View attachment 989783

Damn, nice amp. I thought I had impulses😂

That’s the 100 wpc?
 

Ziggy

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Any of the Grundigs from the 70s any good? Have a pair that I've stored for 35-40 years.
 

ka0tyk

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I had a pair of RSL 3600's growing up that I regret giving away... they were in perfect condition. My dad had bought them new from RSL when they had a store in Torrance.

RSL-3600-Studio-Monitor-Speakers-Vintage-Roger-Sound.jpg


i had a friend growing up who's father was into audiophile grade stuff... record player with these like needle legs and a separate belt driven motor. there were like 0 gauge speaker wires with these little bridge looking things making sure everything had perfect radiuses, etc... i remember it was a simple 2 speaker stereo setup, with some type of crazy tall ribbon speakers that were just as amazing at low volume as they were cranked. all tube mcintosh amps. i loved seeing it turned on and glowing. i remember him cleaning his records by pouring wood glue on em and peeling it all off.
 

Universal Elements

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Yup, that’s it. Kinda pounded the nail with a sledgehammer on this one. But as we’ve discussed, many of us keep our audio components for a long, long time :)

Definitely. Hope they gave you a little discount for Easter 😬
 

TITTIES AND BEER

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If any of you have read my old posts about old school stereo stuff here, you probably have figured out that I am an old school Marantz freak. I keep a lookout for Marantz stuff on the web all the time, especially certain speakers that I like. It must be just me, but everything I see is totally F*(&*d up. Speakers for sale that are all scratched to hell, no grills on them, etc., etc. And they want premium price for them. Does no one take care of their stereo shit anymore?

I have two sets of Marantz speakers and 2 sets of old Large Advent speakers. The Advents, luckily, were in pretty good shape when I bought them. I did have to re-cone one set, but the boxes were decent. However, I just finished refinishing a set of Marantz speakers that I found last year. They were all scratched up and it took all I could do to get most of the scratches out without killing the veneer. My other set, I bought in 1974 and they don't have any scratches on them. In fact, only one grill has ever been taken off and that was last year to check the subs.

I just don't get it. I'm sure other popular brands for sale are just as bad, I just don't see them. It just makes me sick to see that old stereo stuff trashed out.
I got 2 old big speakers you can have (1 .5’ x 2.5’)
 

spectras only

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Any of the Grundigs from the 70s any good? Have a pair that I've stored for 35-40 years.
Grundig made some high quality product. Grundig radio receivers were the most popular in Europe ahead of Siemens and others. I still keep looking to find their portable shortwave radios. They were the highest quality back in the 70's. There was a specialty shop in Vancouver selling them. Top models were in the 800 dollar range, no chump change back then!
Reason for the old stuff is heavy, because they were built to last. Transformers were heavy enough to anchor your boat, let alone aluminum and sheet metal were used for frames and body. My 1974 Kenwood KR6600 is powering couple Celestion Ditton UL8's. Have newer Celestion theater setup in the dedicated room, powered by Sony 7.1 CH .
Haven't used my RR decks [ Revox and an Altec ] for a long time but will get to set them up one day, along with the Quartz direct drive Hitachi turntable. Have over 500 LP's wide range of genre.
 

spectras only

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In the 70, friend and me built and sold speakers using Marsland Linear speakers with or without crossovers. Marsland speakers were built in Toronto Canada, Undoubtedly, one of the best speakers at the time, unfortunately Japanese manufacturers killed them and the factory closed for good. Friend still has a set 12", no foam were used for the cones, last for ever. They were good enough for Fender using them in some of their tube amplifiers.
12 and 15 inch speaker built for band would blow you across the floor ,haha
Marsland made drivers under a Jensen patent and produced many commercial full range drivers
 
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HavaToon

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I used to have some awesome Advent Towers and bookshelf speakers growing up paired with a Panasonic tube receiver in an oak cabinet. They produced some amazing sound.

After buying my first home in early 2000’s I upgraded to all Definitive Technology speakers with some of their BP7002 towers. Speaking of I still have them and need to sell them. Where are you all selling/buying older high end home audio?

Now all my stuff has to be hidden because my wife hates to see it but loves it for movie night. So now I’m using all Focal 300ICLCR5 in-ceiling loudspeakers and 1000 F subwoofer all based on their famous flax cone paired with an Anthem receiver.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

mjc

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Yup, that’s it. Kinda pounded the nail with a sledgehammer on this one. But as we’ve discussed, many of us keep our audio components for a long, long time :)
16178142322146654069439055807877.jpg

Yes we do. This is the first thing I bought when I got my first job in high school. Starting to lose the left channel now.
 

Universal Elements

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I used to have some awesome Advent Towers and bookshelf speakers growing up paired with a Panasonic tube receiver in an oak cabinet. They produced some amazing sound.

After buying my first home in early 2000’s I upgraded to all Definitive Technology speakers with some of their BP7002 towers. Speaking of I still have them and need to sell them. Where are you all selling/buying older high end home audio?

Now all my stuff has to be hidden because my wife hates to see it but loves it for movie night. So now I’m using all Focal 300ICLCR5 in-ceiling loudspeakers and 1000 F subwoofer all based on their famous flax cone paired with an Anthem receiver.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I sell on Reverb or EBay. Buy a lot of stuff on Craigslist from San Francisco Bay Area. Lot of nice pieces.
 

caribbean20

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View attachment 989997
Yes we do. This is the first thing I bought when I got my first job in high school. Starting to lose the left channel now.
and remember the big dent those first audio purchases put in our wallet? I can’t tell you how much research and listening I did before I settled on these . . . over 40 years ago. It was a big decision back then, like one or two paychecks worth.
0C034227-C21D-499D-ABCB-5E84E4FCCF9D.jpeg
 

WATERDOG

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I have a pair of Design Acoustics D-6's. Still love them. They're older than most in this group and still going.
 

SFOcean

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I have a pair of 1996 second generation Aerial 10T speakers with stands - The second generation 10T got its first rave review from Wayne Donnelly in the premier issue of Fi Magazine (serial # 100735 / 100736, which Wayne purchased). Stereophile Magazine speaker of the year, made the cover April 1996. I purchased this pair not too long after. Been covered under a sheet for decades now...
 

SoCalDave

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Isnt it hilarious how much all the old stuff weighs. For those two, this amp would make them sound great. Great price too!


Made him an offer today...lets see where this goes...
 

WYRD

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I had an old pair of Cerwin Vega 12 inch with the mids and highs built into a nice cabinet. Sold them a few years back for 50 bucks at a garage sale wish I never did that
 

Universal Elements

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Made him an offer today...lets see where this goes...

Hope you get it, it’ll sound great with your RSL’s. Make sure he cranks up the amp during the audition. You can tell by his ad, he really takes care of his stuff and knows Haflers. Good person to buy ifrom.
 

Universal Elements

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I have a pair of 1996 second generation Aerial 10T speakers with stands - The second generation 10T got its first rave review from Wayne Donnelly in the premier issue of Fi Magazine (serial # 100735 / 100736, which Wayne purchased). Stereophile Magazine speaker of the year, made the cover April 1996. I purchased this pair not too long after. Been covered under a sheet for decades now...

Those are really nice units. Takes a good amp (200+ wpc) to drive them. Worth some $$$$ too.
 
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