A buddy had some monster Cerwin Vega’s back in the day. To much for the average room size but once he set them up out side on the deck for a house party, I’ll never forget how good they sounded, you would swear a live band was on that deck. To be 21 again.......😎
@ Ray. They were probably the same as my 34 year old Cerwin 1215 monsters with the down firing bass🤣 Back in the day when l was rich l used to run them with 4 x 200 watt 549 EAR mono block amps, but had to sell the amps as l couldn’t afford to run them anymore at £1,500.00 a service!!!! 😳
@@DJArturoMuelaDJ the bass from the down firing speakers on the 1215’s literally used to move peoples trousers like they were in the wind and my fat friends belly’s used to wobble like jelly’s 🤣🤣🤣
I love that you responded in a manner that did not denigrate the other audio manufactures. Thanks for being a class act and providing us with years of knowledge and guidance on our audio journeys.
Sorry to be so offtopic but does someone know a method to get back into an Instagram account..? I was dumb lost my password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me
Parasound owner here..... I like that Paul responded to this question....he really didn't NEED to... But he chose to give his respect to the Legend of Amplification and phono stage design, John Curl (says a lot about the gentleman that Paul himself is too) and to also mention in a positive light Richard Schram at Parasound...... The Cerwin Vega story is worthy entertainment.
I remember Cerwin Vega from my old car audio days. People who weren't around back in the late eighties or early nineties may joke about them now but products like their original Stroker series of car audio sub-woofers changed the game back then. Suddenly there was an absolute and undeniable best of the best when it came to SPL and they weren't horrible in sound quality although no one that bought them cared much about SQ! Yes, they have been equaled and surpassed but someone has to be first and CV forced everyone else's hand back then.
A HS buddy of mine shoehorned a pair of D9s into the back seat of his car back in the late 80s. He wears a hearing aid now. But I think if he had the chance, he would do it all over again.
Absolutely. Thanks for chiming in. It’s funny he mentioned the 18s as Cerwin Vega always makes me think of floor speakers with bad ass subs or a huge car sub. Cerwin Vega is a legend in the Home & Car audio game just like German MB Quart! Those old school Cerwin subs where lust worthy even before Rockford and others came on the scene.
I never bothered with high end sound in my cars. I kept them light for fuel economy and always needed space for car pooling at work. The advantage to cars is I can drive away from anyone who wants some peace and quiet if I want to run it LOUD. But putting speakers in flexible metal doors, the background noise of the engine, drivers playing to your knees, asymmetric listening position, required weather resistance of drivers always made the car work against you, but the listening space was small enough to make deep powerful bass easy and the place is reasonably acoustically dead. The car usually become the place of a loud and fun system rather than recording studio level quality. Usually when driving I just like to feel the thump.
Many people confuse the Stroker for being a Subwoofer when in fact it has the design and resonant frequency that of a midbass woofer. Short magnet, accordion surround, resonant frequency of 44Hz (which is high for a 15” subwoofer, they are usually around 32Hz). A Stroker is actually a midbass woofer on steroids. On the other hand, I’ve seen the more modern versions of the stroker that actually resemble a subwoofer. But for some reason, they did not get the same fame.
I own a pair of Cerwin Vega 380 SE. Mine were built in April of 1986. I’m the second owner of these beasts. Extremely detailed and powerful sound from them. Ultra-sensitive speakers, but they thrive and come alive with massive amounts of power. Built my rig around these and couldn’t be happier. Very special speakers !
Currently working on a rehab of D-9s for a customer. Cabinet is particle board covered with plastic veneer. Even the riser on the bottom is particle board, toe nailed and glued to the bottom of the cabinet. This material lends itself to being easily damaged due to the weight of speaker. Interior is covered with 1/4 carpet underlayment for damping and braced in two places front to back. One of the crossover has 20 awg wire, the other 18 awg and two of the four capacitors are electrolytic (bass and midrange), the other two are film. Three inductors, all are of different gauges, heaviest on the woofer, smallest on the tweeter. All connections to the woofer, mids, tweeter and input terminal are spade, nothing is soldered beyond the crossover. Cheap spring clips on the input terminal. Both tweeters are blown, smallest cap in the tweeter circuit is fried on both. Both ceramic resistors are way out of spec on both speakers, as much as 50% of value. Rehab will include the replacing the riser with solid wood and using pocket screws to secure to the cabinet. Also installing some rubber feet to isolate the cabinet. All caps will be replaced, polys for the mid and tweeter circuit. Both resistors will be replaced. Both tweeters will be replaced with after market parts (diaphragms can not be replaced like a typical Klipsch horn). Wire will be upgraded to 18 gauge and all component connections will be soldered. Replacing the terminal cup with gold plated banana plug connectors. Both grills will get new cloth and one grill frame is damaged so I'll rebuild it. A little touch up work on the rest of the cabinet and done. Total for parts is around $150, two days fixing cabinet and grills and a couple hours on the crossovers. Woofers were recently re-foamed before coming to me. I'm expecting these monsters to sound and function better than new. Customer is thinking of selling them after rehab, asking $800. I bet he keeps them after he sees/hears the improvements. Cheers!
First sub-woofer I ever had was an externally amped Cerwin-Vega that went along with my Infinity "bookshelf" speakers. It did absolutely marvelous things to the sound of that old Carver powered system.
I own Cerwin Vega V33, horn with 18 inch woofer, after owed bowers & Wilkins, Vandersteen, sonus faber, Dalhquist, and so many more, my Cerwin Vega still here.
I like a lot of bass at this point in my life and I own three models of Cerwin Vegas. AT 15s from 1988. VS 150s and VS 120s from 1998. All three sound very different from each other but they all have the sound i enjoy. I like to put a bit of power into them too not just for loudness but I find they like it even at low to moderate volume.
@@garyharper2943 we have a high end audio place not too far from where I live and we have bought a few things from there. I can't remember all the brand names but i have listened to speakers that $9000 a pair and up and yes they sound amazing but when i get home and listen to my Vagas I'm thinking they sound just as good ;)
@@genez429 I think what Carl is saying is another company bought the name, not the same people building the brand. I have owned the D2,D3, AT-12, and the mighty DX9. The new generation is for profit and does not have the build quality of the old CW. They still have the look, but that is all. The DX9 is going for around $1000 on the used market, that should be a testament.
@bobbycratchit I think what Carl is saying is another company bought the name, not the same people building the brand. I have owned the D2,D3, AT-12, and the mighty DX9. The new generation is for profit and does not have the build quality of the old CW. They still have the look, but that is all. The DX9 is going for around $1000 on the used market, that should be a testament.
I have owned Cerwin-Vega speakers since high school, starting with RE-25's and upgrading to LS-12's and friends getting RE-38's. I have over thirty years later have a set of CLS-215 in my arsenal. I have worked in the industry as a pro, I have heard audiophile setups in the NAMM shows and CES and others. I no longer view them as the best. There are many systems that have more bass that is more prodigious, clearer and more defined, systems that can scare you with how real the mids sound, and highs so revealing that can have you looking behind you for something that isn't there. I have since those revelations modified my LS-12's unrecognizable with new bracing, stuffing, crossovers, with Beryllium tweeters, Morel Mids and ScanSpeak Subs that really can increase the definition and detail to unprecedented levels for an average MDF cabinet. But I tripled the price of them just in parts. I think they sound great for anything 10x the price but I am not fooled into thinking an actual Hi-Fi system won't blow them away. The cabinets give themselves away. I now need to make a cabinet worthy of these expensive parts- which is not easy to do. I keep Cerwin-Vega in my heart for what they really are. Cerwin-Vega is the gateway drug of Hi-Fi. They got me into my journey with Hi-Fi. They cannot take me all the way but they got me started. They are a time capsule that can transport me back to simpler times with friends partying and enjoying music with a power button and volume knob. For that they are magical. That to me is significant even if they are not the end all listening device. I would still rather listen to them than any big box stuff (I.E. Polk, Bose, Sony and the like) sold today. Cerwin-Vega's Rock. My favorite pair of Cerwin-Vega's I have never been able to find a set for sale. AL-1000 or CMX-212. They sold both them out in a year and I never got to get my hands on a pair. Maybe one day.
In the UK in the late 90s, Max Power Magazine (for both-racer car enthusiasts) tested a Cerwin Vega massive sub. They boxed it and ran some photos of it sat in the middle of what looked like a huge empty warehouse or aircraft hanger. Before - empty warehouse. After - birds nests, dust, old bits of roof, all over the floor 😂😂
The John Curl designed Parasound gear is no doubt excellent. While he doesn't speak publicly very often, I've found Curl's few interviews/presentations to be extremely informative.
I have a set of Cerwin Vega 380 SE. You will never hear as rich of a mid-range as you will in those cabinets. Bass is tight. Midrange is wonderful. Highs are a little harsh - HOWEVER I pulled apart the tweeter and stuffed fiberglass between the diaphragm and the magnet. This got rid of the reflection from the magnet back into the tweeter and smoothed out the highs considerably. You also have to run the mid and tweeter volumes wide open, otherwise you loose damping. My test also showed wide open to be nearly ruler flat. From what I've seen Cerwin Vega is not what it use to be. They have become a dime store brand and have lost their heritage.
My brother bought a pair of Cerwin Vega D-9 (big 15" woofer) speaker system. They are very efficient speakers and they are loud. I would use them in a PA system or in a Discotheque urging everyone to jump in and dance till the early morning hours because they are loud. OH!... Did I mention that they are loud! Very loud. Cerwin Vega is definitely a good brand with good and well made products. They love to reproduce live performance with plenty of Synthetizer and lotsa bass but be warn, THEY ARE LOUD!
People say cerwin vega are not great sounding I was at a hi show and those early t12s cv sounded so much better and in every way they stole the show. Yes loud too but freaking clear and deep right bass wish I had a pair of that model still even at low volume amazing I now dynaudio great too.
@@robertgray153 I have a powerful amp. I'll say the sound quality is pretty equal at all levels, there is a small sweet spot, but it's almost like they beg you to crank em up. They definitely handle volume well.
My dad bought some cerwin Vega CD 90 speakers when he was stationed in Germany. Very rich highs good mids and rock solid bass went well with his kenwood KL888 X
He never mentions Adcom either. Especially the early models from the 90s designed by Nelson Pass, are right up there with the best of them in that price range. I collect Adcom gear, and they are built like a tank and sound very warm and tubelike, but with enormous headroom and tons of power. I have a few of the GFA 5802s that are 300 w/per channel still going strong after 20 plus years of use. Closest thing they resemble is McIntosh.
SMC Express INC Steven Clingan I’m certainly not saying this just to be combative or a jerk, but Paul has definitely mentioned Adcom a couple of times over the years, because Nelson Pass is “one of his idols”. Have a great weekend, be well, and stay safe. 🙂🎶
GlacierXD what is that based on? I have prima Luna preamp with parasound A23 amp. Sounds like PS audio has one of the better class D amps, but I’ll stick to class A or A/B.
The ProStax line from 18 years ago when Stanton took over CV before Gibson purchased them, are pretty nice sounding with a solid front-end. I run them with NAD amp and preamp and they do sound musical. Most of the boxes are ticked. No real offenses. I have the 123's, a three-way with Eminence drivers in a Baltic Birch cabinet. Purchased them new for $600 (for the pair!) from Hollywood DJ's in CA in 2004 and they have rocked 100's if not 1000's of private parties, including some nightclub DJing. They represent one of my greatest returns on investment in 25 years of pro DJ work. They are still going strong today after sustaining a couple hard hits along the way. I have Dynaudio, Paradigm, Beovox, B&W, NHT, JBL, and EAW speakers, either powered by NAD, McIntosh, QSC, or Crest Audio. I own Conrad Johnson, AR, and Digital Audio Labs gear. I've played musical instruments. I've listened to TAD and Klipsch systems, so I know good and bad sound when I hear it. CV made "some" decent stuff. I've used their V-152 MKII 2 way speaker and Sub15 system with a rebuilt and updated Bozak CMA 10-2DL rotary mixer behind a Denon front-end. With a NAD 218 THX powering the tops and a QSC 1300 USA amp anchoring the bottom half kegs coupled together, those cheap CV speakers sounded damn good bi-amplified, and musical too. We gutted the internal passive crossovers in favor of an active Ashly XR-1001 2-way x-over (another understated product). Placement and a solid front-end is everything!
I bought a pair of Cerwin AT12's back when they came out around 1990/91..Those things were so amazing and full of sound. And yes they would rock the house. That to me is what speakers should do..Thanks for speaking nicely about CV
Love all of you Paul. Richard & John Curl and everybody thats ever been involved with sound reproduction and making quality and soundly built products that deliver what’s promised no matter the price point. That is win place and show with me... PS AUDIO and Parasound are two companies I enjoy seeing and hearing new things from all the time. Paul since you are creating such a competent dialogue with potential buyers or current owners of your catalog of products and sharing your knowledge and experiences and of course your less satisfying moments in history of audio reproduction are the kind of people I like doing business with when considering a purchase for my own audio system. Guys like you and Richard Schram & John Curl and countless others through the years are all fascinating folks to watch and I have learned so much over the decades from all of you. I enjoy my own system and more importantly enjoy the music that’s played through it more than ever before.
Running a Parasound 2100 pre and Parasound 2125 amp into a pair or restored and recapped Cerwin Vega VS-120's right now. It all sounds glorious to me! :)
I have a buddy who has a full blown cerwin.vega home theater set up.with 3 at 15s behind thd screen and I was blown away by thier sound he them dialed in just right and sounded amazing
Is this the article youe wanteds..... Sensurround is the brand name for a process developed by Cerwin-Vega in conjunction with Universal Studios to enhance the audio experience during film screenings, specifically for the 1974 film Earthquake. The process was intended for subsequent use and was adopted for four more films, Midway (1976), Rollercoaster (1977), the theatrical version of Saga of a Star World (1978), the Battlestar Galactica pilot, as well as the compilation film Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack (1979). Sensurround worked by adding extended-range bass for sound effects. The low-frequency sounds were more felt than
Been a fan of Cerwin Vega for over 30 years. Had many of their speakers and subs. The current SL-Series are very good sounding speakers. Their Pro-Audio division is also very good. Unfortunately Gibson, their parent company is doing nothing for the brand anymore. Their website is outdated and advertising speakers that were phased out 5 to 10 years ago. No marketing, no nothing. No new speakers. Not involved in anything. The SL line is 6 years old now. I'm seeing inventory decline at a few retailers that carry this line. The others are over 10 years old. It's sad to see a company that was once one of the leading competitors to Klipsch and JBL become irrelevant today. I hope Gibson brings them back. They could resurrect some of their old lines with new technology and bring back the Cerwin Vega name and compete if they wanted to but it looks bleak at best right now. Sadly, i left CV for JBL. Unless they make a good comeback, im done.
Back in the 1980's, and 90's, and early 2000's when Cerwin Vega was owned by Gibson (now a "Holding Company" owns Cerwin Vega) they made some great speakers competing with speakers 2 and 3 times their cost. They were easy to drive, didn't need alot of power to sound good, and also had great bass response in a tower speaker. Plus, their crossover circuitry was good, or at least "okay", and matched their drivers very well. Vintage Cerwin Vega's are still worthy speakers to own even today. (I had a '90 Ford Escort back in college (had a budget) and said the hell with it, and bought a pair of Cerwin Vega 3 way tower speakers with 10 inch woofers. They fit perfectly in the hatchback portion of the car. And all I can say is they rocked! I could even open up the hatch stand up the speakers, and now ya gotta party as long as the neighbors were not close by. lol They worked great in a car application because Cerwin Vega speakers are 6 ohm, not 8 ohm and most car amps could drive them. With 50 watts of power they are loud, clear full sounding speakers without the need for a subwoofer.) Vintage Cerwin Vega speakers/drivers are very good, upgrading the crossover only makes them better. And a worthy consideration.
40 year old Cerwin Vega D9s are still selling on eBay for $1000/pair. That's roughly 40% MORE than they sold brand new in the 80s. They are legendary speakers for house/block parties. The review that sticks out in my mind is the quote, "... for the turn-it-up-till-your-ears-bleed crowd". 101db sensitivity certainly qualifies. How good do they sound? If you're asking that question, you missed the point of having them. They actually sounded OK - especially good for their original price point. But that's not why people bought them.
Cerwin's back 30 years ago were near the pinnacle if were into Techno or Hip-hop. Not really for how audiophile they were. A fun lyric from back then "Now that the party is jumping. With the bass kicked in, the Vegas are pumpin' "
If you look at the most common cerwin vega speakers and the ones that are sold the most, we are not talking about high sound quality but high sound level and lots of bass. Many cerwin vega speakers are party speakers for many people and not high quality sound!
Very true, I bought my first new fully assembled hifi speakers in 1980. They were EPI 100V models and a used Sansui AU-7700 intergrated amp off of the consignment table at a hifi store in San Diego. These were obviously more musically accurate than the Cerwin Vega, but I always found myself lusting after them. More recently I have had the chance to refoam and listen to the D2, D3, AT-12, and the legendary DX9. Not accurate, but I would say they do have a fun factor. Looking back now, I made the better choice.
@@zulumax1 ok. interesting. I have. bought and refoam cerwin vega DC1515 once. If you buy used then kenwood. Technics. Denon. Nad. Canton Infinity. PSB from the 80's and 90's a good choice. Remember that all brands also have products. which is not so good! Nor are it always the expensive products that make you most satisfied! many times things are overpriced
@@captainca1445 I have refoam cerwin vega DC1515 once. I did not write that absolutely all Cerwin Vega did not have good sound but I said tat many of the most common ones most people bought do not have the best sound quality. But it comes down to what you compare to. There is a lot that has worse sound than the Cerwin Vega has!
@@ford1546 Just to give you a little background on myself I am retired from 32 years at Boeing commercial aircraft Electronic Systems Responsibility Center. I am an electronics tech and assembler and have recently been setting up a repair business at home repairing vintage hi-fi electronics. Current projects include a Sansui G-8700DB, Marantz 2275, and a Fisher 500C tube reciever. I enjoy the old early 60's stereo record players and consoles as well as high end gear. The older Cerwin Vegas are pretty hard to kill by punishing them, for those who want to feel their music. I would not own a set, but I do respect them, just not for me or you.
When my best buddy was discharged from the USMC (late 70's), he brought home a beast of a receiver (Sansui 300+ wpc) & Cerwin Vega's with 15" woofers (commissary deal). I thought my Sansui 150 wpc receiver with matching Sansui woodgrain grill speakers was the shit until I heard his rig. Even though I was relegated to 2nd place, when it was party time we would combine systems & the results were epic! Good times! Be sure to enjoy & share, those are the times you remember.😆✌ As far as hash goes, best tasting smoke ever, but don't forget thai stick.
Cerwin-Vega, like all companies, made some stinkers, but they made some very fine speakers too, like the D series, and the earlier 312s and 12TRs that used that "Dhorm" tweeter. Some of the other newer lines that didn't use that tweeter weren't as good, IMO. One more recent offering, the XLS215, even got a rave review from the audio snobs at TAS. They also got a very favorable review from Soundstage, as well. I always thought their speakers with 15" woofers were too bassy, and the ones with 12" ones were the best balanced and finest sounding, like the 312s and 12 TRs I already mentioned, and the D5 and D7, as well as others. Even the D3 with the 10" woofer was superb sounding.
Awesome videos Paul, I love how you give each brand their own dignity and respect. Top notch class👍👍 and btw Cerwin Vega fanatic here lol. U need to give the 21” folded horns an audition💭
While visiting Cerwin Vega one time, Gene showed us a speaker he was "designing". He liked to make fun of dome drivers. So he cut a basketball in half and glued half each onto the fronts of some 10" woofers in a pair of his two ways. His dome woofer!
Have to admire your leadership and wisdom Paul in dealing with topics and brands that are sneered at by the audiophile community at large. Do I sense some Dale Carnagie principles here? No fear in poking at the snakes either. We should all follow your lead when dealing with others when leaving comments and we can all grow in our knowledge in the hobby. I will do my best.
Gene passed away many years ago. CV were recently part of the Stanton group, along with KRK monitors, which was bought by Gibson, when Henry was buying everything in sight. Then, when Henry was forced out and the company was in financial trouble and wanted to return to their core business of guitars, CV, and other companies that Henry had bought, Like Pioneer, Philips, and Onkyo, were sold, and I don't know who owns them now.
I own a pair of xls15 speakers. I am aware of them not being the best speakers in the world (cheap internal cables & crossovers) but in their price range, they are the best choice. Also two things people ignore about cv speakers: 1.positioning them the right way,away from back & side walls & 2.power them with the right amp. They don't need a 1000 watt professional amp to shine,they just need an amp with the proper power & speed to feed them. I run them with the Vincent hybrid sv237mk integrated amp & yes,they sound sweet. I also have them standing 1m away from back wall & 0,5m from the side wall. I also added an xls15s subwoofer to them & they still sound sweet. Rest of my gear is a technics m5g turntable,project ds2 phono box & ortofon quintet blue.
i have SL 15s, was looking at xls15. I really love them, I agree with your assessment good power, good placement, good source, AWESOME sound. I don't really need a sub, but I have two CV! V-12s subs just for fun. To me, they take a studio recording and put it live in your living room, especially the drums.
@@andreasmoller9798 that's why I got the SL 15. Maybe not as loud (way loud enough) but they sounded better, looked better. XLS drivers are supposedly better, but the cab may not be great. I think the SL was a tried and true design so the sound quality is there. They have better bass too. At a much lower price. I still like XLS though.
i have a pair of cerwin vega vs-150s and they stiil shake the house after 25 years of having them....very solid speaker all around and i only paid 600$ us new.
I have a pair of those too. Give them plenty of watts, and play some rap, or electronic music with heavy bass. And they'll take your breath away like subwoofers do. At least they will in my small (12x12x8) room anyway. Very impressive speakers. But they're certainly not audiophile by any means. Nothing better to just rock out to, and have fun with, than the big 15" CV's IMO. They take a pounding, and beg for more. ✌️
I hear ya,i am driving mine with a old technics amp from the late 70s or early 80s, its 250 watts per into 8 ohms and it makes these speakers sing.......everyone that hears them loves them,i get complements all the time,a sub with these at least in my room is total overkill so i dont use one.
I lot of it is just what you like. If you like Cerwin Vega no one can tell you your wrong. If it sounds good to your ears who care what anyone else thinks. I like them myself and I'm more of a fan of the larger woofers than todays speakers that have small woofers, but it is just personal preference.
Amazon reviewers give the Cerwin Vega SL-15 a 4.6 out of 5 by 413 reviews. That's quite a good score. I've always loved this brand (I owned a pair ages ago) when it came to dynamics and musicality especially when playing rock, EDM, pop and such music at loud SPLs. Anyone having a pair of CVs are on the good side of being an audiophile compared to all the too many people being stuck with small Bluetooth speakers and crappy earbuds.
@Fat Rat Well, perhaps there is no such thing as one speaker fits every case of use. CV does well for music with lots of bass and especially when playing loud. If you want to reproduce the atmosphere of a rock concert at home, CV is not a bad choice. I would consider them for my gym room when my JBLs die some day, but not for other rooms.
these "audiophiles" hate on CV! because their $4000 tower speakers sound like shit w/o a sub and $20000 worth of equipment to drive them. My SL 15's were great out the box, straight off my receiver. When I added a 500wpc amp it was even better. Crystal clear sound at all levels, covering all freqs. They can blow the doors off if you want, but are great for movies and more mellow listening too.
And..when you add a sub to an existing speaker to make up for the low end, there becomes a new problem that isnt good. Might as well just have one woofer that does the best it can to cover as many octaves as possible and stay in phase. What happens to those frequencys that are being rolled off on these add on subwoofers? Take and put a subwoofer that is being rolled off into the same cabinet as the woofer and there you have it...wierdness. The rolled off sub has to be in a separate enclosure and away from the main woofer to be not so noticable. So in a way, the 15" 3 way system is more audiophile then all the systems with add on sub woofers. IMO
@Larry Niles that's why I'm here learn stuff. I don't mean to hate, most of the hate seems to come from the other way. Audiophiles have a faction that like to punch down. I just try to share my limited knowledge and listen and learn. I think some people get upset if someone says "inferior" speakers sound great. I'm an electrician and love the tech stuff and Paul is great. I listen to rock and metal music mostly, I'm old enough to know what sound I like and the live, big box 3-way is what I like. When people talk about CV! they either love em or hate em. Usually the people who hate them don't own them, never have and I have doubts about weather they've ever heard them. It's always the same no mids, all bass, party speakers (not a bad thing) loud (not a bad thing). People that own them, love them. But real telling thing is people who have gotten rid of them, wish they had them back. I apologise if I came off like a dick, not my intention. 🤘😁🤘
I only thought I'd heard bass until I saw someone was throwing out a 12-in Alpine car sub when I hooked that thing up it rattled walls so of course I had to put little bumpers on the back of all pictures and I could really feel it the notes I can feel in my chest now I really know what bass is
Sub-woofer it’s relatively new, I remember they called bass or lows, I think the “sub” means you have a mechanical way to produce those very low frequencies, my humble opinion!! 😎
The obvious answer (which Paul was so gracious to bypass) is that he’s got his own brand to sell, and spending a lot of time on his channel mentioning other brands is not in his best interests. He’s not a reviewer, after all. He does give his opinions on brands he likes/doesn’t like.
I keep seeing people say you got a match your speakers to the amplifier or receivers but what amp or receiver can I match a pair of cerwin Vega re30 cerwin Vega LS12 speakers because I can't find a receiver that does 300w RMS @4-8 ohms
Cerwin Vega was not high end, granted, but it was very much hi fi and could compete with other speakers like the Pioneer HPM-100 or even the HPM-150 of it's day. They were made for loud club and electronic music not jazz or acoustic. They were well protected with fuses or circuit breakers to be durable under abusive loud SPL levels. Lo fi would be the Soundesign, Loydds systems or Goldstar sold in chain department stores. Horn tweeters for clean uncompressed highs, dipped midrange, and gobs of bass under 40Hz. Different demographic yes, and not flat response, but hifi is about bring the music you like to sound the way you like it.
I have a set of Cerwin Vega E-315 hooked up to a Yamaha B-2. That's the only amp I heard that could change the sound of my CVs. The bass is beautiful, but the B-2 really showed my the limitations of the CVs mid range. I live in Japan so I'm going to upgrade to some Yamaha NS-2000 speakers. And a C-2x preamp. But I will NEVER sell my Cerwin Vegas. They sound perfectly fine for most types of music. Coupled with a good EQ and you've got a full, punchy system for a great price. I paid $400 for the pair in 1997 at Sears. They were 50% off. I've never experienced music better than this at that price. CVs are low cost / high value. Nobody beats them in their category. Nobody. Category is the key word. And that's fine with me.
Cerwin vega models DX7, R24, R26, and 217r all sound significantly better than the other speakers I own (jbl l100, jbl 4311wxa, jbl c36, klipsch heresy, pioneer CS99a, beovox s75 & s45, and paradigm reference monitor 7
Years ago I built a pair of Peerless 3 ways that reminded me of the Cerwin Vegas earlythree ways. At least the woofers did. But they struggled to do anything above 1000hz. The Peerless domes in the midrange and tweeters were much clearer and more detailed. But the bass was spot on. I often wondered if Peerless made woofers for Cerwin Vega. Some of their other drivers were certainly bought from other manufacturers, and for the price that sounded ok. As for what they offer now I couldn't tell you, but I would look closely at other designs before investing that much in a mid priced speaker. You could get a lot for you money buying a kit from a few sources out there and dpi much better than anything off the shelf.
ken cohagen Cerwin Vega has proudly always made their own woofers, only models that have different woofers are the ts-36 folded horn and the CMX series. Right from the start Cerwin Vega has manufactured their own woofers.
Paul, you know that Cerwin Vega supplied subs to Arnie Nuddel and infinity. PS: Old school CV are way better than the new stuff. Gene Czerwinski passed away in 2010.
Junior high school, PE field: "Yo, feel that!?". Not at first, then I heard n felt it: 1988 Chevy Monte Carlo with Cerwin vegas in da trunk. BASS!! We'd argue over whether they were 10s, 12s, or . . . MORE! Still vividly recall it.
I knew you were a cool 🏂 guy… and you have a great sense of humor. Loved the Blonde 👱 Hash back in the day. Love the Channel.. Keep up the great Videos. I'm learning so much.. 😁 Much Love from the D… Jer
I have cv hed 1230 they are some exceptional speakers. maybe it’s the stereotype or some missteps in some companies lines up like Bose. But these big companies that people trash on have some vintage models, and new models that are exceptional. Even if people dislike the sound signature or don’t emphasize the aspects “audiophiles” are looking for but the technical capabilities are there.
Cerwin Vega is fun to listen to. Bought a pair HED 504 R a couple a month ago. Refoamed the 15" woofers. And Yes..Fun, but mids and highs could be better, not bad but there are little more to wish for. But had to sell them. To many speakers in the livingroom. ..Have to think of WAF *LOL*
I own a pair of sl15's. sound great, less "audiophile" more blow your pictures off the wall. But the actually sound very detailed. They sound better than many of the older CV! series I've heard. I'd put them up against most speakers of similar specs for rock/metal/electronic/blues, really any music that requires big powerful bass. I'm a child of the 70's and 80's and big 3-ways are what I like. Besides, these suckers get so low subs are pointless. I still own 2. Super fun speakers.
One of my closest audio-buddies has a system consisting of Parasound HCA-2200 Amp, PS Audio Ultralink DAC and a pair of Cerwin Vega subs with 18-inch drivers. The combiation sounds virtually perfect to my ears and he hasn't upgraded since 1995. Too bad he's not a hardcore Metallica fan because his system sounds like its built for Metallica fans.
That was like when you ask your friends if the chick is hot she wants to set you up with and she says "she is tons of and has a great personality" I think we all know what that means
Many brands playes way cleaner and nicer than cerwin vega. But no matter how expensive your sound system is, the party always comes more to life with cerwin. Even the xls series which is considered to be poop!!! You can get them to play " clean" , but then you must tweak your amp! But who buys cerwin vega for clean sound? No one!!! One of the reasons to why many buy cerwin is because that they are kind to your amp, and is easyil driven. They have punchy and boomy bass at the same time as they are loud. They also look cool. Just wish thst they sounded as good as they look!! But yeah. They are fun. Many hours of joy and fun😁. Dc1515 is probably the best they have made! As for the " newer" models like the xls series, two things that gives it a negative score from me is the mids and the crossover! That being said, just give your vegas enough power, and they will be loud!
He doesn’t mention Parasound because it’s a major competitor…..lol. Allot of people are to young to remember when Cerwin Vega was a lust worthy car audio brand before other legends like German MB Quart, Infinity & Rockford Fosgate became popular. Cerwin Vega has made some outstanding home speakers, especially for the price.
I've never heard them personally, but I do know that they are despised in the high end community. And given labels like party speaker, college dorm systems etc.
They were very good sounding Speakers back in the Freezer full of Hashish days along with Ludes etc but then Came me affording a set of JBL L100 Bad Boys and Holy Crap did my System (Pioneer 1010 , Equalizers of many makes, Marantz 6200 TT and Pioneers best at the Time Cassette deck) Wake the F Up!!! But at the Time those Cerwins made the day!
Cerwin Vega has a very hard, forward, shouty presentation. I dont even like them for Rock and that was always their target market until Rap and Hip hop came along and then they became the gangsta speakers. For a Rock speaker , I prefer JBL or the 1st generation Realistic Mach 1 from the mid 80's far more controled deep bass, better top end and not as in your face . A much wider dispersion from the horn. I am not a fan of the La Scala they are very efficient but roll of the lower end around 60 to 70 hz . And female vocals just sound off. If I remember the Mach 1correctly all the drivers where Fostex. Still not the last word in hi fidelity reproduction, but a Hell of a lot closer than any Cerwin Vega I've heard. In those days Acoustic Resurch and was still voiced by Henry Kloss and while not the most efficient to drive, I liked them far better than anything in the price range we are talking about. My first good speakers where KLH modle 6. And even though they never went beyond 17 khz. They just sounded good no matter what you fed them. They where never source or amp depenant as long as you could drive them they always sounded amazing. The AR 9 was a great speaker too but really need lots of current. CV'S are party speakers, If I where engineer ing them the top of the cabinets would have recessed beer holders to stop the cans from vibrating off and wasting perfectly good beer. If anyone at CV is reading this they can have that idea for free! 🍺
While it makes perfect sense that you would not mention Parasound or any other make since this is PS Audio, you did state that you are good friends with Richard Schram and have deep respect for John Curl. I have info on that as follows. That being said, I would suggest that you communicate that to your team. I have spoken with a couple of members there in the not too distant past and every time I reveal that I have Parasound gear I really like but looking for say, a DAC or what have you, your team tells me to trade in the Parasound gear because it is not any good and that "everybody trades in Parasound gear for ours". Putting down another make without anything to back it up is bad business. Everybody has different taste in what they like and if said person has found what they like, then what gives anyone the right to put it down? If there is empirical evidence that Parasound gear, namely the Halo line, is no good, let's see it. If you and Richard Schram really know each other, your crew is unaware of it. I happen to think Parasound makes fantastic product (especially the Halo line) and it so happens it comes closest to the sound I was after. I have also seen inside several pieces and recognized the build. The PS Audio stuff, while I am sure is decent, no doubt, just isn't to me taste. While I personally would not consider a PS Audio product for many reasons, it is not up to me to tell someone else not to consider it if it is what they are looking for.
If you listened to Cerwins in the day and decided you wanted to get into home audio... hit the like button!
i have u15s in my family room an just got some 39ps from ebay refoamed the woofers an they sound great,,,
A buddy had some monster Cerwin Vega’s back in the day. To much for
the average room size but once he
set them up out side on the deck for
a house party, I’ll never forget how
good they sounded, you would swear
a live band was on that deck.
To be 21 again.......😎
He might have had a,Pioneer SX950 or SX 1250 driving them.
Maybe a Kenweod KR6030
I know what you're saying man, base pounding brain! you would feel that on your chest😅
@ Ray. They were probably the same as my 34 year old Cerwin 1215 monsters with the down firing bass🤣 Back in the day when l was rich l used to run them with 4 x 200 watt 549 EAR mono block amps, but had to sell the amps as l couldn’t afford to run them anymore at £1,500.00 a service!!!! 😳
@@DJArturoMuelaDJ the bass from the down firing speakers on the 1215’s literally used to move peoples trousers like they were in the wind and my fat friends belly’s used to wobble like jelly’s 🤣🤣🤣
I love that you responded in a manner that did not denigrate the other audio manufactures. Thanks for being a class act and providing us with years of knowledge and guidance on our audio journeys.
Good words DS! Have an amazing day!
Sorry to be so offtopic but does someone know a method to get back into an Instagram account..?
I was dumb lost my password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me
Parasound owner here.....
I like that Paul responded to this question....he really didn't NEED to... But he chose to give his respect to the Legend of Amplification and phono stage design, John Curl
(says a lot about the gentleman that Paul himself is too)
and to also mention in a positive light Richard Schram at Parasound...... The Cerwin Vega story is worthy entertainment.
I remember Cerwin Vega from my old car audio days. People who weren't around back in the late eighties or early nineties may joke about them now but products like their original Stroker series of car audio sub-woofers changed the game back then. Suddenly there was an absolute and undeniable best of the best when it came to SPL and they weren't horrible in sound quality although no one that bought them cared much about SQ! Yes, they have been equaled and surpassed but someone has to be first and CV forced everyone else's hand back then.
A HS buddy of mine shoehorned a pair of D9s into the back seat of his car back in the late 80s. He wears a hearing aid now. But I think if he had the chance, he would do it all over again.
It's total bullshit to mention Parasound to Cerwin Vega in the same sentence.
This video should be "Why don't you mention Sparkomatic and PS Audio?"
Absolutely. Thanks for chiming in.
It’s funny he mentioned the 18s as Cerwin Vega always makes me think of floor speakers with bad ass subs or a huge car sub.
Cerwin Vega is a legend in the Home & Car audio game just like German MB Quart!
Those old school Cerwin subs where lust worthy even before Rockford and others came on the scene.
I never bothered with high end sound in my cars. I kept them light for fuel economy and always needed space for car pooling at work. The advantage to cars is I can drive away from anyone who wants some peace and quiet if I want to run it LOUD. But putting speakers in flexible metal doors, the background noise of the engine, drivers playing to your knees, asymmetric listening position, required weather resistance of drivers always made the car work against you, but the listening space was small enough to make deep powerful bass easy and the place is reasonably acoustically dead. The car usually become the place of a loud and fun system rather than recording studio level quality. Usually when driving I just like to feel the thump.
Many people confuse the Stroker for being a Subwoofer when in fact it has the design and resonant frequency that of a midbass woofer.
Short magnet, accordion surround, resonant frequency of 44Hz (which is high for a 15” subwoofer, they are usually around 32Hz).
A Stroker is actually a midbass woofer on steroids.
On the other hand, I’ve seen the more modern versions of the stroker that actually resemble a subwoofer. But for some reason, they did not get the same fame.
I own a pair of Cerwin Vega 380 SE. Mine were built in April of 1986. I’m the second owner of these beasts. Extremely detailed and powerful sound from them. Ultra-sensitive speakers, but they thrive and come alive with massive amounts of power. Built my rig around these and couldn’t be happier. Very special speakers !
I have a pair in storage I intend to get out soon..You are right they sound great at any volume..Regards,David.
"Joaquin from Phoenix"? Sounds bona fide to me!
George from WA
When I heard that, my first thought was isn't that guy an actor?
I'm not a smart man, but I know what a joke name is.
Tex from.... I don't remember.
Jones from Indiana?
River from Phoenix?
@@brianmoore581 the Joker!
It's always very refreshing to see the head of one company speak so highly of another like that especially when they share so much of the market.
Currently working on a rehab of D-9s for a customer. Cabinet is particle board covered with plastic veneer. Even the riser on the bottom is particle board, toe nailed and glued to the bottom of the cabinet. This material lends itself to being easily damaged due to the weight of speaker. Interior is covered with 1/4 carpet underlayment for damping and braced in two places front to back. One of the crossover has 20 awg wire, the other 18 awg and two of the four capacitors are electrolytic (bass and midrange), the other two are film. Three inductors, all are of different gauges, heaviest on the woofer, smallest on the tweeter. All connections to the woofer, mids, tweeter and input terminal are spade, nothing is soldered beyond the crossover. Cheap spring clips on the input terminal. Both tweeters are blown, smallest cap in the tweeter circuit is fried on both. Both ceramic resistors are way out of spec on both speakers, as much as 50% of value. Rehab will include the replacing the riser with solid wood and using pocket screws to secure to the cabinet. Also installing some rubber feet to isolate the cabinet. All caps will be replaced, polys for the mid and tweeter circuit. Both resistors will be replaced. Both tweeters will be replaced with after market parts (diaphragms can not be replaced like a typical Klipsch horn). Wire will be upgraded to 18 gauge and all component connections will be soldered. Replacing the terminal cup with gold plated banana plug connectors. Both grills will get new cloth and one grill frame is damaged so I'll rebuild it. A little touch up work on the rest of the cabinet and done. Total for parts is around $150, two days fixing cabinet and grills and a couple hours on the crossovers. Woofers were recently re-foamed before coming to me. I'm expecting these monsters to sound and function better than new. Customer is thinking of selling them after rehab, asking $800. I bet he keeps them after he sees/hears the improvements. Cheers!
First sub-woofer I ever had was an externally amped Cerwin-Vega that went along with my Infinity "bookshelf" speakers. It did absolutely marvelous things to the sound of that old Carver powered system.
Anything sounds good when you have a freezer full of hash. 💯
A freezer full of hash today would cause permanent brain damage to a giant herd of moose.
@Fat Rat You have to be high AF to listen to a Bose anything for more than 5 minutes.
@Fat Rat Especially 901's. Nothing can make those sound good.
Fat Rat But in the US, the making and selling of guns and having the ranges open has been deemed essential. And the liquor stores.
Fat Rat Not sure; we’ve had congressmen shooting waiters, themselves or their daughters and people shooting AT congressmen, but no one comes to mind.
I own Cerwin Vega V33, horn with 18 inch woofer, after owed bowers & Wilkins, Vandersteen, sonus faber, Dalhquist, and so many more, my Cerwin Vega still here.
I like a lot of bass at this point in my life and I own three models of Cerwin Vegas. AT 15s from 1988. VS 150s and VS 120s from 1998. All three sound very different from each other but they all have the sound i enjoy. I like to put a bit of power into them too not just for loudness but I find they like it even at low to moderate volume.
ParadigmAC I also have an original pair of AT-15s that I still use and enjoy. The Cerwin Vega haters probably have never heard them.
@@garyharper2943 we have a high end audio place not too far from where I live and we have bought a few things from there. I can't remember all the brand names but i have listened to speakers that $9000 a pair and up and yes they sound amazing but when i get home and listen to my Vagas I'm thinking they sound just as good ;)
Having Parasound Halo 21 amplifier (designed by John Curl), I think it is beast and one of my best purchases ...
No one mentions Cerwin Vega because CV hasn't been CV since the 90s. Not since Maxxsonic bought em.
Then, what's this about? www.cerwinvega.com/home-audio/floorstanding-speakers/sl-15.html
Happened to a lot of companies, like AR which got bought out by Teledyne and the quality went way down, but no one is bashing AR.
@@genez429 I think what Carl is saying is another company bought the name, not the same people building the brand. I have owned the D2,D3, AT-12, and the mighty DX9. The new generation is for profit and does not have the build quality of the old CW. They still have the look, but that is all. The DX9 is going for around $1000 on the used market, that should be a testament.
@bobbycratchit I think what Carl is saying is another company bought the name, not the same people building the brand. I have owned the D2,D3, AT-12, and the mighty DX9. The new generation is for profit and does not have the build quality of the old CW. They still have the look, but that is all. The DX9 is going for around $1000 on the used market, that should be a testament.
Even prior to that they weren't very good.
I have owned Cerwin-Vega speakers since high school, starting with RE-25's and upgrading to LS-12's and friends getting RE-38's. I have over thirty years later have a set of CLS-215 in my arsenal. I have worked in the industry as a pro, I have heard audiophile setups in the NAMM shows and CES and others. I no longer view them as the best. There are many systems that have more bass that is more prodigious, clearer and more defined, systems that can scare you with how real the mids sound, and highs so revealing that can have you looking behind you for something that isn't there. I have since those revelations modified my LS-12's unrecognizable with new bracing, stuffing, crossovers, with Beryllium tweeters, Morel Mids and ScanSpeak Subs that really can increase the definition and detail to unprecedented levels for an average MDF cabinet. But I tripled the price of them just in parts. I think they sound great for anything 10x the price but I am not fooled into thinking an actual Hi-Fi system won't blow them away. The cabinets give themselves away. I now need to make a cabinet worthy of these expensive parts- which is not easy to do. I keep Cerwin-Vega in my heart for what they really are. Cerwin-Vega is the gateway drug of Hi-Fi. They got me into my journey with Hi-Fi. They cannot take me all the way but they got me started. They are a time capsule that can transport me back to simpler times with friends partying and enjoying music with a power button and volume knob. For that they are magical. That to me is significant even if they are not the end all listening device. I would still rather listen to them than any big box stuff (I.E. Polk, Bose, Sony and the like) sold today. Cerwin-Vega's Rock. My favorite pair of Cerwin-Vega's I have never been able to find a set for sale. AL-1000 or CMX-212. They sold both them out in a year and I never got to get my hands on a pair. Maybe one day.
In the UK in the late 90s, Max Power Magazine (for both-racer car enthusiasts) tested a Cerwin Vega massive sub. They boxed it and ran some photos of it sat in the middle of what looked like a huge empty warehouse or aircraft hanger. Before - empty warehouse. After - birds nests, dust, old bits of roof, all over the floor 😂😂
DerbJd
Hahaha! Great story.
Paul's respectful response about John Curl and Richard Schram make me want to buy PS Audio. Class act.
The John Curl designed Parasound gear is no doubt excellent. While he doesn't speak publicly very often, I've found Curl's few interviews/presentations to be extremely informative.
I have a set of Cerwin Vega 380 SE. You will never hear as rich of a mid-range as you will in those cabinets. Bass is tight. Midrange is wonderful. Highs are a little harsh - HOWEVER I pulled apart the tweeter and stuffed fiberglass between the diaphragm and the magnet. This got rid of the reflection from the magnet back into the tweeter and smoothed out the highs considerably. You also have to run the mid and tweeter volumes wide open, otherwise you loose damping. My test also showed wide open to be nearly ruler flat.
From what I've seen Cerwin Vega is not what it use to be. They have become a dime store brand and have lost their heritage.
My brother bought a pair of Cerwin Vega D-9 (big 15" woofer) speaker system. They are very efficient speakers and they are loud. I would use them in a PA system or in a Discotheque urging everyone to jump in and dance till the early morning hours because they are loud. OH!... Did I mention that they are loud! Very loud.
Cerwin Vega is definitely a good brand with good and well made products. They love to reproduce live performance with plenty of Synthetizer and lotsa bass but be warn, THEY ARE LOUD!
why would somebody want a LOUDspeaker to get LOUD? HMMMMM
People say cerwin vega are not great sounding I was at a hi show and those early t12s cv sounded so much better and in every way they stole the show. Yes loud too but freaking clear and deep right bass wish I had a pair of that model still even at low volume amazing I now dynaudio great too.
@@robertgray153 I have a powerful amp. I'll say the sound quality is pretty equal at all levels, there is a small sweet spot, but it's almost like they beg you to crank em up. They definitely handle volume well.
I still have a 12" passive Cerwin Vega sub from 30 years ago. I used to love the bass on that unit. I haven't used it in 15 years, or so.
My dad bought some cerwin Vega CD 90 speakers when he was stationed in Germany. Very rich highs good mids and rock solid bass went well with his kenwood KL888 X
I think Parasound is probably the closest thing to a direct competitor to PS Audio: Good, high-end products for reasonable prices.
He never mentions Adcom either. Especially the early models from the 90s designed by Nelson Pass, are right up there with the best of them in that price range. I collect Adcom gear, and they are built like a tank and sound very warm and tubelike, but with enormous headroom and tons of power. I have a few of the GFA 5802s that are 300 w/per channel still going strong after 20 plus years of use. Closest thing they resemble is McIntosh.
It does have worse build quality than PS Audio though.
I've got an A21 amp and it's serving me well - running it with a Moon 390 preamp/streamer and Martin Logan CLS 11A's
SMC Express INC Steven Clingan
I’m certainly not saying this just to be combative or a jerk, but Paul has definitely mentioned Adcom a couple of times over the years, because Nelson Pass is “one of his idols”.
Have a great weekend, be well, and stay safe. 🙂🎶
GlacierXD what is that based on? I have prima Luna preamp with parasound A23 amp. Sounds like PS audio has one of the better class D amps, but I’ll stick to class A or A/B.
The ProStax line from 18 years ago when Stanton took over CV before Gibson purchased them, are pretty nice sounding with a solid front-end. I run them with NAD amp and preamp and they do sound musical. Most of the boxes are ticked. No real offenses. I have the 123's, a three-way with Eminence drivers in a Baltic Birch cabinet. Purchased them new for $600 (for the pair!) from Hollywood DJ's in CA in 2004 and they have rocked 100's if not 1000's of private parties, including some nightclub DJing. They represent one of my greatest returns on investment in 25 years of pro DJ work. They are still going strong today after sustaining a couple hard hits along the way.
I have Dynaudio, Paradigm, Beovox, B&W, NHT, JBL, and EAW speakers, either powered by NAD, McIntosh, QSC, or Crest Audio. I own Conrad Johnson, AR, and Digital Audio Labs gear. I've played musical instruments. I've listened to TAD and Klipsch systems, so I know good and bad sound when I hear it. CV made "some" decent stuff. I've used their V-152 MKII 2 way speaker and Sub15 system with a rebuilt and updated Bozak CMA 10-2DL rotary mixer behind a Denon front-end. With a NAD 218 THX powering the tops and a QSC 1300 USA amp anchoring the bottom half kegs coupled together, those cheap CV speakers sounded damn good bi-amplified, and musical too. We gutted the internal passive crossovers in favor of an active Ashly XR-1001 2-way x-over (another understated product). Placement and a solid front-end is everything!
I bought a pair of Cerwin AT12's back when they came out around 1990/91..Those things were so amazing and full of sound. And yes they would rock the house. That to me is what speakers should do..Thanks for speaking nicely about CV
I have a pair of AT-12 from around 1988 and they will rock the house.
Love all of you Paul. Richard & John Curl and everybody thats ever been involved with sound reproduction and making quality and soundly built products that deliver what’s promised no matter the price point. That is win place and show with me... PS AUDIO and Parasound are two companies I enjoy seeing and hearing new things from all the time.
Paul since you are creating such a competent dialogue with potential buyers or current owners of your catalog of products and sharing your knowledge and experiences and of course your less satisfying moments in history of audio reproduction are the kind of people I like doing business with when considering a purchase for my own audio system. Guys like you and Richard Schram & John Curl and countless others through the years are all fascinating folks to watch and I have learned so much over the decades from all of you. I enjoy my own system and more importantly enjoy the music that’s played through it more than ever before.
Running a Parasound 2100 pre and Parasound 2125 amp into a pair or restored and recapped Cerwin Vega VS-120's right now. It all sounds glorious to me! :)
lokerola I have the VS-150 with an Elite M-91 and love them and not just for the bass the mids and highs are warm and perfect
@@ginom2778 Im running my Adcom GFA-555 with my AT-15s and i love it!
I have a buddy who has a full blown cerwin.vega home theater set up.with 3 at 15s behind thd screen and I was blown away by thier sound he them dialed in just right and sounded amazing
Remember Earthquake and the movie theatre itself shaking from the powerful lows coming out of those 1000 watt Cerwin-Vega 18s?
Is this the article youe wanteds.....
Sensurround is the brand name for a process developed by Cerwin-Vega in conjunction with Universal Studios to enhance the audio experience during film screenings, specifically for the 1974 film Earthquake. The process was intended for subsequent use and was adopted for four more films, Midway (1976), Rollercoaster (1977), the theatrical version of Saga of a Star World (1978), the Battlestar Galactica pilot, as well as the compilation film Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack (1979). Sensurround worked by adding extended-range bass for sound effects. The low-frequency sounds were more felt than
👍👍👍
No, I don’t remember Earthquake, I did see it, but then again, I had a freezer full of Hash back in the day. Excuse me while I kiss this thigh.
Been a fan of Cerwin Vega for over 30 years. Had many of their speakers and subs. The current SL-Series are very good sounding speakers. Their Pro-Audio division is also very good. Unfortunately Gibson, their parent company is doing nothing for the brand anymore.
Their website is outdated and advertising speakers that were phased out 5 to 10 years ago. No marketing, no nothing. No new speakers. Not involved in anything. The SL line is 6 years old now. I'm seeing inventory decline at a few retailers that carry this line. The others are over 10 years old.
It's sad to see a company that was once one of the leading competitors to Klipsch and JBL become irrelevant today. I hope Gibson brings them back. They could resurrect some of their old lines with new technology and bring back the Cerwin Vega name and compete if they wanted to but it looks bleak at best right now. Sadly, i left CV for JBL. Unless they make a good comeback, im done.
“...and a freezer full of hash....” lmao love this show!
Back in the 1980's, and 90's, and early 2000's when Cerwin Vega was owned by Gibson (now a "Holding Company" owns Cerwin Vega) they made some great speakers competing with speakers 2 and 3 times their cost. They were easy to drive, didn't need alot of power to sound good, and also had great bass response in a tower speaker. Plus, their crossover circuitry was good, or at least "okay", and matched their drivers very well. Vintage Cerwin Vega's are still worthy speakers to own even today. (I had a '90 Ford Escort back in college (had a budget) and said the hell with it, and bought a pair of Cerwin Vega 3 way tower speakers with 10 inch woofers. They fit perfectly in the hatchback portion of the car. And all I can say is they rocked! I could even open up the hatch stand up the speakers, and now ya gotta party as long as the neighbors were not close by. lol They worked great in a car application because Cerwin Vega speakers are 6 ohm, not 8 ohm and most car amps could drive them. With 50 watts of power they are loud, clear full sounding speakers without the need for a subwoofer.) Vintage Cerwin Vega speakers/drivers are very good, upgrading the crossover only makes them better. And a worthy consideration.
40 year old Cerwin Vega D9s are still selling on eBay for $1000/pair. That's roughly 40% MORE than they sold brand new in the 80s. They are legendary speakers for house/block parties. The review that sticks out in my mind is the quote, "... for the turn-it-up-till-your-ears-bleed crowd". 101db sensitivity certainly qualifies. How good do they sound? If you're asking that question, you missed the point of having them. They actually sounded OK - especially good for their original price point. But that's not why people bought them.
Cerwin Vega 😂.My first pair of speakers .Demo pair from Crazy Eddie . me and my brother dragged them home in a shopping cart on the subway .....
Cerwin's back 30 years ago were near the pinnacle if were into Techno or Hip-hop. Not really for how audiophile they were.
A fun lyric from back then "Now that the party is jumping. With the bass kicked in, the Vegas are pumpin' "
If you look at the most common cerwin vega speakers and the ones that are sold the most, we are not talking about high sound quality but high sound level and lots of bass. Many cerwin vega speakers are party speakers for many people and not high quality sound!
skrotkalle skrotkalle you never owned a pair have you!?!?
Very true, I bought my first new fully assembled hifi speakers in 1980. They were EPI 100V models and a used Sansui AU-7700 intergrated amp off of the consignment table at a hifi store in San Diego. These were obviously more musically accurate than the Cerwin Vega, but I always found myself lusting after them. More recently I have had the chance to refoam and listen to the D2, D3, AT-12, and the legendary DX9. Not accurate, but I would say they do have a fun factor. Looking back now, I made the better choice.
@@zulumax1 ok. interesting.
I have. bought and refoam cerwin vega DC1515 once.
If you buy used then kenwood. Technics. Denon. Nad. Canton Infinity. PSB from the 80's and 90's a good choice. Remember that all brands also have products. which is not so good!
Nor are it always the expensive products that make you most satisfied! many times things are overpriced
@@captainca1445 I have refoam cerwin vega DC1515 once.
I did not write that absolutely all Cerwin Vega did not have good sound but I said tat many of the most common ones most people bought do not have the best sound quality. But it comes down to what you compare to. There is a lot that has worse sound than the Cerwin Vega has!
@@ford1546 Just to give you a little background on myself I am retired from 32 years at Boeing commercial aircraft Electronic Systems Responsibility Center. I am an electronics tech and assembler and have recently been setting up a repair business at home repairing vintage hi-fi electronics. Current projects include a Sansui G-8700DB, Marantz 2275, and a Fisher 500C tube reciever. I enjoy the old early 60's stereo record players and consoles as well as high end gear. The older Cerwin Vegas are pretty hard to kill by punishing them, for those who want to feel their music. I would not own a set, but I do respect them, just not for me or you.
Does anyone remember the Cerwin Vega Road Woofer traveling semi-trailer demo unit?
How about the Matterhorn semi-truck trailer subwoofer? Was used for avalanche control, and why? Because they could...
When my best buddy was discharged from the USMC (late 70's), he brought home a beast of a receiver (Sansui 300+ wpc) & Cerwin Vega's with 15" woofers (commissary deal).
I thought my Sansui 150 wpc receiver with matching Sansui woodgrain grill speakers was the shit until I heard his rig.
Even though I was relegated to 2nd place, when it was party time we would combine systems & the results were epic!
Good times! Be sure to enjoy & share, those are the times you remember.😆✌
As far as hash goes, best tasting smoke ever, but don't forget thai stick.
Cerwin-Vega, like all companies, made some stinkers, but they made some very fine speakers too, like the D series, and the earlier 312s and 12TRs that used that "Dhorm" tweeter. Some of the other newer lines that didn't use that tweeter weren't as good, IMO. One more recent offering, the XLS215, even got a rave review from the audio snobs at TAS. They also got a very favorable review from Soundstage, as well. I always thought their speakers with 15" woofers were too bassy, and the ones with 12" ones were the best balanced and finest sounding, like the 312s and 12 TRs I already mentioned, and the D5 and D7, as well as others. Even the D3 with the 10" woofer was superb sounding.
...ALWAYS a Gentleman, Paul !😇
Awesome videos Paul, I love how you give each brand their own dignity and respect. Top notch class👍👍 and btw Cerwin Vega fanatic here lol. U need to give the 21” folded horns an audition💭
While visiting Cerwin Vega one time, Gene showed us a speaker he was "designing". He liked to make fun of dome drivers. So he cut a basketball in half and glued half each onto the fronts of some 10" woofers in a pair of his two ways. His dome woofer!
Have to admire your leadership and wisdom Paul in dealing with topics and brands that are sneered at by the audiophile community at large. Do I sense some Dale Carnagie principles here? No fear in poking at the snakes either. We should all follow your lead when dealing with others when leaving comments and we can all grow in our knowledge in the hobby. I will do my best.
Gene passed away many years ago. CV were recently part of the Stanton group, along with KRK monitors, which was bought by Gibson, when Henry was buying everything in sight. Then, when Henry was forced out and the company was in financial trouble and wanted to return to their core business of guitars, CV, and other companies that Henry had bought, Like Pioneer, Philips, and Onkyo, were sold, and I don't know who owns them now.
The other half of Cerwin Vega (mobile audio) actually bought Cerwin Vega off Gibson so they're a single company again 😅
I own a pair of xls15 speakers.
I am aware of them not being the best speakers in the world (cheap internal cables & crossovers) but in their price range, they are the best choice.
Also two things people ignore about cv speakers:
1.positioning them the right way,away from back & side walls &
2.power them with the right amp.
They don't need a 1000 watt professional amp to shine,they just need an amp with the proper power & speed to feed them.
I run them with the Vincent hybrid sv237mk integrated amp & yes,they sound sweet.
I also have them standing 1m away from back wall & 0,5m from the side wall.
I also added an xls15s subwoofer to them & they still sound sweet.
Rest of my gear is a technics m5g turntable,project ds2 phono box & ortofon quintet blue.
i have SL 15s, was looking at xls15. I really love them, I agree with your assessment good power, good placement, good source, AWESOME sound. I don't really need a sub, but I have two CV! V-12s subs just for fun. To me, they take a studio recording and put it live in your living room, especially the drums.
I have speakers in the same price range as xls215 cw is much louder But is not even near when it comes to audio quality
@@andreasmoller9798 that's why I got the SL 15. Maybe not as loud (way loud enough) but they sounded better, looked better. XLS drivers are supposedly better, but the cab may not be great. I think the SL was a tried and true design so the sound quality is there. They have better bass too. At a much lower price. I still like XLS though.
@@andreasmoller9798 which speakers?
eric nortan b&w 683 s2
Love Cerwin Vega subwoofers ❤️👍
Paul i must say you are a real nice guy not being downtalking anyone
i have a pair of cerwin vega vs-150s and they stiil shake the house after 25 years of having them....very solid speaker all around and i only paid 600$ us new.
I have a pair of those too. Give them plenty of watts, and play some rap, or electronic music with heavy bass. And they'll take your breath away like subwoofers do. At least they will in my small (12x12x8) room anyway. Very impressive speakers. But they're certainly not audiophile by any means. Nothing better to just rock out to, and have fun with, than the big 15" CV's IMO. They take a pounding, and beg for more. ✌️
I hear ya,i am driving mine with a old technics amp from the late 70s or early 80s, its 250 watts per into 8 ohms and it makes these speakers sing.......everyone that hears them loves them,i get complements all the time,a sub with these at least in my room is total overkill so i dont use one.
VS-120's here. Rocking right now.....
Joaquin Phoenix.....I think you missed that one.
I was looking for this comment 🤣
I lot of it is just what you like. If you like Cerwin Vega no one can tell you your wrong. If it sounds good to your ears who care what anyone else thinks. I like them myself and I'm more of a fan of the larger woofers than todays speakers that have small woofers, but it is just personal preference.
Amazon reviewers give the Cerwin Vega SL-15 a 4.6 out of 5 by 413 reviews. That's quite a good score. I've always loved this brand (I owned a pair ages ago) when it came to dynamics and musicality especially when playing rock, EDM, pop and such music at loud SPLs. Anyone having a pair of CVs are on the good side of being an audiophile compared to all the too many people being stuck with small Bluetooth speakers and crappy earbuds.
@Fat Rat Well, perhaps there is no such thing as one speaker fits every case of use. CV does well for music with lots of bass and especially when playing loud. If you want to reproduce the atmosphere of a rock concert at home, CV is not a bad choice. I would consider them for my gym room when my JBLs die some day, but not for other rooms.
Amazon review 4.6/5 - please, realize that people who bought them must admit they used their money wrong. Would you?
these "audiophiles" hate on CV! because their $4000 tower speakers sound like shit w/o a sub and $20000 worth of equipment to drive them. My SL 15's were great out the box, straight off my receiver. When I added a 500wpc amp it was even better. Crystal clear sound at all levels, covering all freqs. They can blow the doors off if you want, but are great for movies and more mellow listening too.
And..when you add a sub to an existing speaker to make up for the low end, there becomes a new problem that isnt good. Might as well just have one woofer that does the best it can to cover as many octaves as possible and stay in phase. What happens to those frequencys that are being rolled off on these add on subwoofers? Take and put a subwoofer that is being rolled off into the same cabinet as the woofer and there you have it...wierdness. The rolled off sub has to be in a separate enclosure and away from the main woofer to be not so noticable. So in a way, the 15" 3 way system is more audiophile then all the systems with add on sub woofers.
IMO
@Larry Niles that's why I'm here learn stuff. I don't mean to hate, most of the hate seems to come from the other way. Audiophiles have a faction that like to punch down. I just try to share my limited knowledge and listen and learn. I think some people get upset if someone says "inferior" speakers sound great. I'm an electrician and love the tech stuff and Paul is great. I listen to rock and metal music mostly, I'm old enough to know what sound I like and the live, big box 3-way is what I like. When people talk about CV! they either love em or hate em. Usually the people who hate them don't own them, never have and I have doubts about weather they've ever heard them. It's always the same no mids, all bass, party speakers (not a bad thing) loud (not a bad thing). People that own them, love them. But real telling thing is people who have gotten rid of them, wish they had them back. I apologise if I came off like a dick, not my intention.
🤘😁🤘
I only thought I'd heard bass until I saw someone was throwing out a 12-in Alpine car sub when I hooked that thing up it rattled walls so of course I had to put little bumpers on the back of all pictures and I could really feel it the notes I can feel in my chest now I really know what bass is
I first heard of John Curl when he designed the JC-80 preamp for Frank Dennesen. Definitely a legend in the industry.
1:55 Freezer full of hash?
Dirty hippies!
@Fat Rat 😂
I was thinking of a huge chest freezer, but this was probably a miniscule bar fridge freezer.
Still an impressive chunk of hashish.
Sub-woofer it’s relatively new, I remember they called bass or lows, I think the “sub” means you have a mechanical way to produce those very low frequencies, my humble opinion!! 😎
The obvious answer (which Paul was so gracious to bypass) is that he’s got his own brand to sell, and spending a lot of time on his channel mentioning other brands is not in his best interests. He’s not a reviewer, after all. He does give his opinions on brands he likes/doesn’t like.
I keep seeing people say you got a match your speakers to the amplifier or receivers but what amp or receiver can I match a pair of cerwin Vega re30 cerwin Vega LS12 speakers because I can't find a receiver that does 300w RMS @4-8 ohms
Cerwin Vega is not hi fidelity stuff. It's low fi. Parasound is another story.
what ^he^ said
Cerwin Vega was not high end, granted, but it was very much hi fi and could compete with other speakers like the Pioneer HPM-100 or even the HPM-150 of it's day. They were made for loud club and electronic music not jazz or acoustic.
They were well protected with fuses or circuit breakers to be durable under abusive loud SPL levels. Lo fi would be the Soundesign, Loydds systems or Goldstar sold in chain department stores. Horn tweeters for clean uncompressed highs, dipped midrange, and gobs of bass under 40Hz. Different demographic yes, and not flat response, but hifi is about bring the music you like to sound the way you like it.
lol….
Paul, if you mentioned every brand out there, you'd never have time to answer the questions.
I have a set of Cerwin Vega E-315 hooked up to a Yamaha B-2. That's the only amp I heard that could change the sound of my CVs. The bass is beautiful, but the B-2 really showed my the limitations of the CVs mid range. I live in Japan so I'm going to upgrade to some Yamaha NS-2000 speakers. And a C-2x preamp. But I will NEVER sell my Cerwin Vegas. They sound perfectly fine for most types of music. Coupled with a good EQ and you've got a full, punchy system for a great price. I paid $400 for the pair in 1997 at Sears. They were 50% off. I've never experienced music better than this at that price. CVs are low cost / high value. Nobody beats them in their category. Nobody. Category is the key word. And that's fine with me.
Hey John, did you ever get yourself a pair of NS-2000 to pair up with your B-2? If so, what do you think?
@@asplmn Not yet.
@@johnreardon4944 do you still have the B-2? Would enjoy to hear your thoughts on the B-2
i dont like the way paul brushed right by the freezer full of hash part....what kind of hash?
in 2020 I found a pair of D5s without woofers. Bought aftermarket subs and man those D5s rock!
What's with the CDs on the floor?
They are also distorted (barrel-distortion from the lens - can't be helped!)
Cerwin vega models DX7, R24, R26, and 217r all sound significantly better than the other speakers I own (jbl l100, jbl 4311wxa, jbl c36, klipsch heresy, pioneer CS99a, beovox s75 & s45, and paradigm reference monitor 7
I still daily use my Cerwin Vega DX7 speakers that I bought from Sears in the 90s. They sound amazing even for detailed TV and movie use.
It amazes me how humble this guy is. Respect.
Paul don't forget your great friend B.H K.
Paul always love watching your videos, they are always a blast!
Years ago I built a pair of Peerless 3 ways that reminded me of the Cerwin Vegas earlythree ways. At least the woofers did. But they struggled to do anything above 1000hz. The Peerless domes in the midrange and tweeters were much clearer and more detailed. But the bass was spot on. I often wondered if Peerless made woofers for Cerwin Vega. Some of their other drivers were certainly bought from other manufacturers, and for the price that sounded ok. As for what they offer now I couldn't tell you, but I would look closely at other designs before investing that much in a mid priced speaker. You could get a lot for you money buying a kit from a few sources out there and dpi much better than anything off the shelf.
ken cohagen Cerwin Vega has proudly always made their own woofers, only models that have different woofers are the ts-36 folded horn and the CMX series. Right from the start Cerwin Vega has manufactured their own woofers.
Paul, you know that Cerwin Vega supplied subs to Arnie Nuddel and infinity.
PS: Old school CV are way better than the new stuff.
Gene Czerwinski passed away in 2010.
Junior high school, PE field: "Yo, feel that!?". Not at first, then I heard n felt it: 1988 Chevy Monte Carlo with Cerwin vegas in da trunk. BASS!! We'd argue over whether they were 10s, 12s, or . . . MORE! Still vividly recall it.
Paul just likes his hash and his BOSE 901's. When I "indulged" back-in-the-day I loved the sound of BOSE 901's also.
I knew you were a cool 🏂 guy… and you have a great sense of humor. Loved the Blonde 👱 Hash back in the day. Love the Channel.. Keep up the great Videos. I'm learning so much.. 😁
Much Love from the D… Jer
I have cv hed 1230 they are some exceptional speakers. maybe it’s the stereotype or some missteps in some companies lines up like Bose. But these big companies that people trash on have some vintage models, and new models that are exceptional. Even if people dislike the sound signature or don’t emphasize the aspects “audiophiles” are looking for but the technical capabilities are there.
I have the Polk XT20 speakers, and I love them. I also saw the new Cerwin Vega LA165 bookshelf, and I heard they were also good.
Cerwin Vega is fun to listen to. Bought a pair HED 504 R a couple a month ago. Refoamed the 15" woofers. And Yes..Fun, but mids and highs could be better, not bad but there are little more to wish for. But had to sell them. To many speakers in the livingroom. ..Have to think of WAF *LOL*
Paul, Why don't you ever mention Cain & Cain Loudspeakers and Opera Audio Integrated valve amps?
I own a pair of sl15's. sound great, less "audiophile" more blow your pictures off the wall. But the actually sound very detailed. They sound better than many of the older CV! series I've heard. I'd put them up against most speakers of similar specs for rock/metal/electronic/blues, really any music that requires big powerful bass. I'm a child of the 70's and 80's and big 3-ways are what I like. Besides, these suckers get so low subs are pointless. I still own 2. Super fun speakers.
One of my closest audio-buddies has a system consisting of Parasound HCA-2200 Amp, PS Audio Ultralink DAC and a pair of Cerwin Vega subs with 18-inch drivers. The combiation sounds virtually perfect to my ears and he hasn't upgraded since 1995. Too bad he's not a hardcore Metallica fan because his system sounds like its built for Metallica fans.
That was like when you ask your friends if the chick is hot she wants to set you up with and she says "she is tons of and has a great personality" I think we all know what that means
Many brands playes way cleaner and nicer than cerwin vega. But no matter how expensive your sound system is, the party always comes more to life with cerwin. Even the xls series which is considered to be poop!!! You can get them to play " clean" , but then you must tweak your amp! But who buys cerwin vega for clean sound? No one!!!
One of the reasons to why many buy cerwin is because that they are kind to your amp, and is easyil driven. They have punchy and boomy bass at the same time as they are loud. They also look cool. Just wish thst they sounded as good as they look!! But yeah. They are fun. Many hours of joy and fun😁. Dc1515 is probably the best they have made! As for the " newer" models like the xls series, two things that gives it a negative score from me is the mids and the crossover!
That being said, just give your vegas enough power, and they will be loud!
He doesn’t mention Parasound because it’s a major competitor…..lol.
Allot of people are to young to remember when Cerwin Vega was a lust worthy car audio brand before other legends like German MB Quart, Infinity & Rockford Fosgate became popular.
Cerwin Vega has made some outstanding home speakers, especially for the price.
My CV VS-100 I put kickers in and absolutely shake everything while still sounding clean!
Yeah and then you also lost all the bass, you're such a genius
Im curious why in the audio community on youtube that Bowers and Wilkins doesn't come up more
I know right? I own 702 s2s and love them
@@michaelmityok1001 as do I! Amazing and unbeatable for the price
Ya i listened to a lot of speakers at the same price range, and nothing came close in terms of resolution
@Fat Rat ya the 607 i dont know, i have not heard system audio speakers, so cant comment
@Segei Andrew Same goes for Linn and few other UK companies. Many the audience is skewed to what is easily distributed in US? I don’t know.
I met John Curl at the 2019 audio show in Toronto. That was awesome!!!
Paul hopefully everything clears up here very soon with this Cov19 , Stay safe my fellow audio enthusiast , and
Thanks again 😆
The Cerwin Vegas I've heard are pretty sloppy.
I LOVE the way they sound.
#EmbarasingFact
Phoney Arizona? as a born and raised Phoenician i take offence to this Paul.
I've never heard them personally, but I do know that they are despised in the high end community. And given labels like party speaker, college dorm systems etc.
Is that supposed to be a digital sound wave on the floor? If so, is it supposed to be representative of something specific? Love the channel!
Really enjoy your vids, informative and entertaining..
John Fairchild too! RIP
😳😳👏❤️❤️👏😳🤓🤓
They were very good sounding Speakers back in the Freezer full of Hashish days along with Ludes etc but then Came me affording a set of JBL L100 Bad Boys and Holy Crap did my System (Pioneer 1010 , Equalizers of many makes, Marantz 6200 TT and Pioneers best at the Time Cassette deck) Wake the F Up!!! But at the Time those Cerwins made the day!
Cerwin Vega has a very hard, forward, shouty presentation. I dont even like them for Rock and that was always their target market until Rap and Hip hop came along and then they became the gangsta speakers. For a Rock speaker , I prefer JBL or the 1st generation Realistic Mach 1 from the mid 80's far more controled deep bass, better top end and not as in your face .
A much wider dispersion from the horn.
I am not a fan of the La Scala they are very efficient but roll of the lower end around 60 to 70 hz . And female vocals just sound off. If I remember the Mach 1correctly all the drivers where Fostex. Still not the last word in hi fidelity reproduction, but a Hell of a lot closer than any Cerwin Vega I've heard.
In those days Acoustic Resurch and was still voiced by Henry Kloss and while not the most efficient to drive, I liked them far better than anything in the price range we are talking about. My first good speakers where KLH modle 6. And even though they never went beyond 17 khz. They just sounded good no matter what you fed them.
They where never source or amp depenant as long as you could drive them they always sounded amazing. The AR 9 was a great speaker too but really need lots of current.
CV'S are party speakers, If I where engineer ing them the top of the cabinets would have recessed beer holders to stop the cans from vibrating off and wasting perfectly good beer. If anyone at CV is reading this they can have that idea for free! 🍺
I almost had a pair of Mach 1s. Someone got to them before me.
@@ParadigmAC
If you find a pair they need to be off the floor and near the corners, near but just out from them.
Hash, that brings back some memories... cough... cough.... cough..... cough...…. dude, take a smaller hit next time..
I got so high last night that I had to lay on the bed for an hour. Good times.
Hartley had 2 memorable beast back in the day. They had both an 18" and 24" sub woofer that could punch your stomach in.
I believe the 18 inch woofer in the original Infinity Servo Statik I was a Cerwin Vega woofer!
I have seen 18 inch woofers, freaking awsome. I'd love to see a CV w an 18 inch woofer
Freezer full of Hash this guy know what's up!!!!!!!
I have heard cw, extreamly loud speakers, But thats it, They dont sound great so all that power has no point for me
While it makes perfect sense that you would not mention Parasound or any other make since this is PS Audio, you did state that you are good friends with Richard Schram and have deep respect for John Curl. I have info on that as follows.
That being said, I would suggest that you communicate that to your team. I have spoken with a couple of members there in the not too distant past and every time I reveal that I have Parasound gear I really like but looking for say, a DAC or what have you, your team tells me to trade in the Parasound gear because it is not any good and that "everybody trades in Parasound gear for ours".
Putting down another make without anything to back it up is bad business. Everybody has different taste in what they like and if said person has found what they like, then what gives anyone the right to put it down? If there is empirical evidence that Parasound gear, namely the Halo line, is no good, let's see it.
If you and Richard Schram really know each other, your crew is unaware of it.
I happen to think Parasound makes fantastic product (especially the Halo line) and it so happens it comes closest to the sound I was after. I have also seen inside several pieces and recognized the build. The PS Audio stuff, while I am sure is decent, no doubt, just isn't to me taste. While I personally would not consider a PS Audio product for many reasons, it is not up to me to tell someone else not to consider it if it is what they are looking for.