I bought my first set of speakers, Kenwood 777s. I was based in W. Germany in the late 1970s. There was a dedicated audio shop on base in Wiesbaden Mainz-Kastel. Every speaker you ever wanted to listen to was set up with different audio equipment. For me it was a toss up over the JBLs and Kenwood’s. I ended up going with the Kenwood 777s because my roommate had the JBLs. I did love the Bose 901s too but, they needed space and a higher end amplifier to make them really shine, not to mention the high price put them out of a young airman’s range. I eventually did get a set of 901s when I moved back to the big BX in USA. I still own them and I still love them. End of the day, the best speakers are the ones that sound best to your ears. Anybody else’s opinion is just that, an opinion.
You can never go wrong with a Large Advent. They are incredibly repairable: I think I am fondest of the Vinyl Clad versions from about 1972 - 1978. And the Smaller Advent wasn't bad nor the earliest of their descendants such as the Advent /1. Henry Kloss said, it's hard enough trying to "voice" a 2-way let alone anything more complex.
I agree, probably the best value. I have 4 of the large Advent anniversary series produced in the early 90s. A Pioneer SX-1010 with an additional amp and SQ decoder for 4-channel surround sound. It works well with stereo sources, a 3D sound effect that enhances regular and live recordings movies and music.
@@bernieschiff5919 My primary care physician in Sarasota, FL for 35 years was highly successful and sought after. He could have any speaker he wanted and when he began his search in the seventies, he had all the options outlined in the video above as well as AR3a"s, JBL Summits and his real favorite: Klipsch Corner Horns. His wife put the kibosh on that. After listening to all: Large Advents were his choice. He sold them to me because he didn't believe that a simple re-foam of the woofers would solve the problem that after 25 years they didn't sound as good as they once had. A year later at my physical and preparation for him doing a colonoscopy on me, he asked if he could buy them back. I'm going to say no?!?! Luckily, I found another pair shortly thereafter at a garage sale for $20 in walnut (his were the utility cabinets!).
The Large Advent - Bullnose with the non-fried egg tweeter absolutely makes the L100 sound ridiculously awful, unless all you want to hear some 80's cluttered rock. Heck, I'm not sure which I like better, my Larger Advents or my completely rebuilt AR3a's!!! I've put my Large Advents up against modern $3000 B&W's, amazing so many folks. And then I have another 4 Large Advents stacked driven by my Sansui G-9000. There is nothing that can match them for the money!!!!!
I bought my HPM100's just after high school and a year later traded them for B&W DM110's. Worst trade ever but I do still have the DM's and they do sound good.
I have ESS tempest speakers that I bought in 1977 I’ve replaced the woofers and rear passive radiator they have a heil air motion transformer tweeter that was a great tweeter technology still used today by many manufacturers
BOZAK - almost any of them. Rudy was a genius, and with his pal Emory Cook, they knocked out the audiophiles in their time, and Bozaks still sound awesome today.
I came across a hammered pair of these at the Salvation Army thrift store. Sadly, 30 dollars was more than they were worth. I guess I could have purchased them and parted them out. Some of the components were salvageable
My Father has a near perfect pair of the first gen Mach Ones with the original surround intact. I think he paid about $20 for them at a resale shop 12+yrs ago. I have a pair of Yamaha NS 670's from 1973 that sound much better, paid $20 for them at a thrift shop 6yrs ago
Radio shack made some great speakers. I still have a a 12' DVC Optimus woofer that I use in a 501 series 1 cab. The 10' woofers fell apart. I was amazed that series one 501's had no crossover. Has 2 direct reflecting tweeters that dont work anymore. Voice coils are fried.
It's funny you posted that as I sit here staring at my Mach 4000's bought them new in 1985 and they still look and work like new. Big speakers and these have rattled the paint off many walls over the years.
They sound incredible but they're just so freaking huge that not that many of us can use them. There's an older pair close to me for only $2K and they're mint. But good lord where the hell can you put them?!
@@TheGpono Absolutely-- that was the other P.A. we used... some highs, no lows, not even Bose. Big as F__k and hell to move around from gig to gig. The La Scala's at least sounded good.
You'll love this, Frank Zappa bought me my first pair of home speakers, JBL 4311b's which I still own. My uncle was his manager & we really hit it off. And not over music but deep discussions over geo global politics, as everyone used to crack up at a 17 yr old kid & Frank jabbering on. Frank was brilliant & fairly conservative, which I'm sure may come as a bit of a surprise to many, a truly special guy in which I will never forget those special times. And never part with those 4311's.
@512bb What a cool experience to have with such a person a Frank. There is a video of him in a senate hearing or something like that that shows his intellect. I believe he also was on a couple of talk shows debating his views; I just don't remember what over? The Satanic Panic, maybe? But that also doesn't sound right either. That is awesome that you have kept them all this time. The only thing that could have topped that is if you were to say; we didn't talk about music, but he did teach me this lick on the 6 string. 🤯🤯 Of course that would have taken hundreds of hours, possibly thousands, but I am a daydreamer.
@@Thesaurcery4U2C That's strange, this is the first I've seen your post. I do remember him testifying before congress, it was over freedom of speeh issues. He was a true constitutionalist, defiantly would have never been down with all this woke deep state bs we all have been subjected to...Cod broke the mold when he made Frank, all the best!
the Dynaco A25 - smooth, accurate, decent bass in a small nice looking 2way @ low price (paid $160/pr in '72). lasted through the loud (college) years & beyond.
I had 2 pairs of BOSE 901 Series IVs. It was hooked with the Pioneer SX-1980. Now some don't like the sound of these but hook the watts to it and it's like nothing you have heard before.
I can't understand the hate. As a bassist I love the bump in those frequencies a lot. If someone approaches 901s with the mindset that they will hear a flat frequency response then they'll be very disappointed but for casual listening I think they sound nice. Old CD store used to use them and I enjoyed that store. My friends dad was proud of his and he also had a robust vintage Pioneer receiver. I think people must be retarded to think the junky plastic speakers Bose pushed out are comparable. It's the same stigma with Yamaha hifi. It's so lame to hate an inanimate object.
I have a pair of Grundig speakers 120/80 professional. I bought them in the 1970s, and they still sound excellent. They are brilliant, and they age with me!
Even though I own a rather high-end 2-channel system of Rotel separates and Martin Logan SL3's... I also have a set of 901's that have a cool factor that I will always love. Sure, they are a tonal wreck and do a million things wrong. But who cares? They are awesome to crank, look cool as ever and are truly a piece of audio history.
I had a pair of 901’s. I never understood the over the top hatred of them. I enjoyed them for a decade. I hung them from the ceiling. Had to refoam them. They sounded great. I used to be in sounds reinforcement. EQ does wonder for most speakers and rooms.
I've got a set of Sansui SP-X11000 that are a part of my Sansui System. I love the sound this system presents. Would highly recommend anyone who comes across a set of these speakers to get them. Thanks for the video, keep up the good job.
My first set of speakers in the 70's were the Pioneer HPM-100's along with a pioneer SX-1010. A powerhouse of sound! Today I have the HPM-100's with a set of JBL Decades. Both are awesome sounding speakers.
Acoustic Research AR18s. Not the most resolving, but the nicest tone of all the speakers in my collection. And my collection includes speakers like the JBL 4429, 4311, ProAc Tablette 10, Avalons, Kef LS50w, Hedd Type 20, and I'm sure I'm missing a few. If you ever come across a pair of AR18s, just grab 'em. They are usually available for throwaway prices.
Fun video! Keep doing them. I remember those 901s. I listened and shrugged. I didn’t understand why everyone thought they were great. 50 years later it seems I was right. When it comes to vintage speakers, I’m all about the NE US. ADS is my fav. Boston Acoustics, Advent, Audio Analyst. Had them all and they sounded great.
The thing that always amazes me is when standing close one speaker, the other can still be clearly heard. So many speakers have a small sweet spot in between that makes listening more difficult.
@@66skate that’s because Sansui has 3 different tweeters and a horn and giant Midrange speakers. Bowers Wilkins, Klips and Martin Logan has the same wide sound stage with unique tweeters and huge midrange. Oh yeah Bose 901 definitely has a wide sound stage if there’s nothing obstructing the rear of the cabinets cough Bookshelf
B&W DM-220s. I own two sets. Love them to death. Two 16 ohm 8 inch midbass drivers with die cast zinc frames, and vented magnets. A 1 inch polymide tweeter with an absolutely massive magnet out the back. Their slightly bigger cousin is the DM-330.
How would you rank the Altec Lansing model 14's ? I have a set of those matched to a Marantz 2385, 6350Q turntable and an RG pro20 dynanamic processor. All ressurected and flawlessly playing today. Love these speakers. My grandkids will one day be happy, as i am today
Placement is very important as the illustration shows. I have a pair of 901 series V that I got in 1981 and still use them with a Bose Spatial Control receiver.
I had an appointment to get a pair of L810s and the guy sold them out from under me. Didn't even give me a chance to offer more. I was pretty pissed. I passed on another pair that looked like they were drug behind a delivery van for an afternoon.
I have a set of AR-16 speakers that I bought 47 years ago. I just the upgrades the CAPS and they still sound great. I did re-foam them years ago and I just made new grills.
I have a pair of 1981 Mission 770s. I'm very impressed with how good they sound for 43 year old speakers. They're also worth more than I paid for them.
Forgot 2 inexpensive legends - the Advent loudspeaker (2 different versions, both set new performance levels for their price) and the beloved radio shack Optimus 7. Neither one worth much to a vintage resale shop like you guys, but both very much in demand.
The Advent loudspeaker, especially the "large Advent" version was a tremendous bargain. I'd own it any day over the L100. It had bass down to the low 30Hz range and fairly linear respose for its day. The store I worked in sold them by the ton.
@@johnstone7697 full agreement. I still have mine purchased from Tweeter Etc on Comm Ave in Boston in the late ‘70s. Refoamed, still sound great connected to my old Kenwood KR 4070 and fed by a Fluance TT and a WiiM. Rock and folk music and anything live sounds great on this system (to my ears at least). I have an expensive “audiophile” system in the media room (Arcam, KEF, Denon, fancy cables…) and to be honest I listen to the old system more often
I bought my first "high end" product in 1972, Empire 598 still have and works, Speaker wise I have 2 "cult" ones, the original Dahlquist DQ-10's with the power they want a great speaker, and the opposite spectrum a pair of Altec 19's. As far as bass and depth nothing I could afford could beat them.
My faves in the speaker world for decades are my Mirage M-1 si which still blow my mind connected to a Nak PA-7 fed by a CA-5. preamp. Draws you into hours of listening every time (good thing I'm retired and have lots of hours to spare!). 6 drivers & 185 lbs of audio heaven!
Still love my Pioneer CS-99a speakers...big 15" woofer (unported) 4' midrange, 5" midrange, horn tweeter and 2 super piezo-tweeters. Bought in 1977 with an HK A402 amp / T403 tuner combo and a Rotel direct drive turntable. Still cranking.
You already know I'm a complete devotee of the Pioneer HPM-100 speaker's as they both rock my world and blow my hair back. I generally like most speakers if they are well made. Well made speakers can all sound different. I love the big booming unapologetic unsophisticated 1970's frat house raw sound of my 2 sets of Pioneer HPM -100's. Pioneer HPM - 100's are feral party speakers. Just hook up a powerful receiver and Rock on or Disco the night away! Pioneer HPM-100's are not audiophile speakers for those high class folk who want to pick out the delicate sounds of a single oboe in a classical music score. Pioneer HPM -100's celebrate the raw power it takes to play head banging Rock or Soul thumping disco music!
In 1981 i put together my system with separates and had a pair of Wharfdale Mach 1 that were very efficient and my Carver 500t, later on i sold the speakers and replaced them with Infinitys RS 6000, had woofers redone and still own everything, latter on around 96 i bought a pair of Energys Connoseurs for my tv set up with surround hooked to a Denon receiver, 90wpc and they also sound great, had experienced Energys 22 in early 80s but mine are a lot better to my 71 yr old ears, over the years i heard a lot of loud music specially during the late sixtys and seventys with a lot of different speakers but then i didnt know quality sound, today i enjoy my equipment and definitively cant play it as loud but will never get rid of my hifi, great videos
I have a pair of the smaller Advents I bought in 1974 along with a Pioneer SX626. Fantastic sound for many years for me. I had the Advents re-coned 12 years ago and enjoyed the system again until The SX626 stopped working. I stayed with a new Pioneer system and put my Advents away to maybe someday use again.
I havent heard any of the speakers you mentioned, sadly. But from those I have heared the ESS AMT Monitor were one of those which impressed me the most. Their special ribbon tweeter (Air Motion Transformer) not only directs to the listener but also in the opposite direction, where it reflects. All in all it sounds everywhere in the room like if you are in the stereo sweet spot.
I remember seeing and hearing Pioneer HPM-100 speakers in college years in Austin, Texas. The hi-fi dealer had a very unique pair of the HPM-100s on display for listening. The box was plexiglass. It was plexiglass on all sides and it let you see everything inside. Quality sound? I don't remember it being exceptional, just cool to look at. This dealer also had a the JBL Paragon speaker system on display of audition. That sound was overwhelming, but my finances couldn't handle it and there was now way I would ever get the Paragon beast into my dorm room!
That was The Sound Gallery. In Delwood Shopping Center. I worked there for a while I was at UT. We drove the Paragon with SAE pre and power amp. We also had Klipsch. And JBL. I never thought the HPM 100 was the best we had. The JBL L100 was, to my ear, superior. I was not and am not today a Bose 901 guy. For lots of reasons.
I still have my HPM-100's. I set them up on on a dedicated two-channel system, with my Pioneer SA-9500II Integrated amp. I always wanted pair of Bose 901'a, but they were just to expensive for me at the time.
I have a pair of Kef Carina ii's that I purchased around 1984 for $500/pair. They are the fronts of my current 5.1.2 all Kef system. They definitely hold up, especially in 2.1 stereo mode for music.
Surprised that the Altec Model 19 was not on your list. It succeeded the Valencia model by increasing the the x-over frequency to 1.2 KHz from 800 Hz. The result was less "honk" and more home listening pleasure.
Got the Altec Valencia, I re worked those horrible Altec networks , altec used mylar films..the worst so in went copper foil in oil bath and polypropylene in oil , man talk about a very smooth open and dimension in sound..running them on 60 watt tube mono blocks ..vintage altecs are excellent if you have the room to let them breathe..
@@MYDOGBUD Thanks for the update! I have retired my Valencias from my home theater and am running them in stereo, but I fear the bass drivers have lost much of their magnetism. There's very little bass. I know there are suitable replacements and Great Plains will even re-magnetize them but I have since bought some very nice Paradigms for my home theater. Any suggestions as to what to do with the Valencias? The room in which they reside is 22' x 34' so they are well suited for the room. Thanks!
The Bose 901's required the listening room to be rectangular in size, with solid rear and side walls. To obtain max. sound quality, they also required the Bose receiver with 100 + 100 Watts. This receiver had a SPATIAL slide control feature which helped immensely with a real concert sound. I still own my 1979 JBL 4311's.
Bose 802 the ones for church. They had a wood grain cabinet actually particleboard with a veneer deeper base is created with this cabinet versus the plastic These are the most amazing speakers but you do have to have the eq. Running and Adcom 7807 310 W of power seven channel output. This was an amazing set up, especially run Low Jack connections, crystal clear later I added JL Audio DSP talk about a game changer laser optics. This was incredibly clear and amazing Bass all around Music. Haven’t heard anything better.
I adore large Advents. I have a set in the master bedroom and a stack in the family room, both driven by vintage Marantz receivers. A 2235 upstairs and a 2270 downstairs. Awesome combination.
Great video man! Thanks for taking me back in time! Up here in BC Canada, our small town had an awesome stereo shop, Quesnel Electronics. They were a pioneer dealer owned by the one and only Johnny Orange Juice(John Wang) and his wife. Just wonderful and cool people that I still see around town. We always talk about the good old days and good times installing our car stereos. I graduated in 1982 so myself and buddies all had HPM100's with the Champagne colored pioneer stereos and the new linear tracking turntables, and in our vehicles we rocked the old tough as nails pioneer component car stereos. What I would add to your list is the Killer... Cerwin Vega 10S and the monsterous 15S, both with the metal tweeters and red foam. With a good amp the 15`s would deliver a great body massage, the bass is amazing. One more outstanding brand of speaker that was made in Vancouver at a furniture factory in the late 60's and 70's, were WEB speakers(Wilsdon Engineering Brothers). Hands down the most beautiful and heavy cabinets I've ever seen. The Highest quality in sound, materials and craftsmanship. One final set of speakers that I have in my shop are a set of vintage Realistic Optimus. Beautiful cabinets and great sound. I also remember back in the 80's, Nikko stereos were coming on strong up here, giving Johnny Orange Juice a run for his money. We always stayed loyal to Johnny. Johnny had the most awesome repair shop, and his deal was always Johnny paid the taxes, even when the G.S.T(Goods and Services Tax) came in. Provincial and GST taxes added up to 13%. He also had a great lay away plan! One hell of a good deal for punks like us.
I think I had L730”s. Dome tweet and mid with a single 10” woofer. Had the sub-woofer with 2 10” woofers. Still have the separate crossover. Great stuff.
I don't know if they ever made it across the Pond from England, but I always had a soft spot for the Leak 2075. Unfortunately, they were just too large to fit into my parents' living room & be aesthetically acceptable, so the largest & beautiful sounding Celestion Ditton 66 was my daily listen from late 1976 until I moved out in 1979, into a tiny apartment. For a while after moving in it was headphones only, in the shape of the wonderful Wharfedale ID1 Orthodynamic - Isodynamic Headphones. But that's a completely different listening experience.
Most of the old Klipsch were not only ground breaking, but are still in high enough demand that they are still in production today. And then there are the Infinity IRS series, not made by Infinity anymore, but at least an IRS Beta knockoff exists (Genesis Speakers). Magnepan, still going strong. Quad is still building an ESL.
The Altec Lansing speakers of the 70s were incredible. To me, the JBL L100 and Pioneer HPM-100 were two different versions of the same thing. Add in the Marantz speakers of the same era.
And then came the Infinity Kappa 7's, 8's and 9's. The amp killers and nothing was the same. I am still running a pair of Kappa 7's and am always running into sounds I wasn't expecting. The music lives there.
When I first heard the Pioneer HPM 100s in music store I was simply blown away by the way the speaker was able to detail the instruments & voices much greater than the others that were demoed. It definitely was a step up from the L100s imo.
I have a pair of the L100s I rescued and completely rebuilt. I'm doing the same with a pair of Cornwalls now. Also looking for a pair of those Pioneers and a pair of ADS. I really like the renovation projects.
7:47 My 3way speakers take an opposite approach to sound sources. My speakers have an open coaxial driver on top of the box, covering like 300 hz upwards. And a 10" woofer in the bottom of the box firing down onto the floor (with an annular bass vent around the base of the open coaxial driver). They have only one directly heard source (making the sounds come from nowhere) and no direct woofer sound, also coming from nowhere. Point source and dipole sound with the the vague source of the thumping bass, which sounds as good as any normal bass setup. The most FUN speaker I heard. 🎉 Imaging is off the scale!
I have a pair of B&W 801 Matrix II's with NorthCreek crossovers ... all from the '90s. They still perform at a level that's hard to match even for $10K.
I currently run B&W 802 series 80. I do agree even at the age of these B&W 800 series speakers, the sound is legendary giving new era expensive speakers a run for the money with the right cables/source/amp.
I keep my VERY old Wharfedale speakers around (not connected, although they sounded damn good) for the fine solid walnut cabinets. You can't find wood like that anymore. I just use them as beautiful end tables.
I worked in a hifi store as a teenager in the early 80’s. The Linn Isobariks blew my mind, especially when mated with Naim amps and the Linn Sondek. Absolute eargasm.
Still loving my Linear Design K-2500 floor speakers that i bought new in 1996, large tall cabs with twin 12 inch drivers in each plus a 4.75" poly prop mid and 1.25" dome tweeter, non ported enclosures, less than 1000 sets were likely ever made, very rare and still have the original cartons and receipt for $650 from the day i bought them on sale when the company folded, then not long after i boxed and stored them for about 15 years while i travelled for work so the foam suspension has suprisingly not begun to decay yet, cabinets were built in Australia and fitted with imported components possibly sourced from Arista or Jensen but not much other info really exists on them, they have only ever moved once and never had pets so the veneer edges and corners are still all sharp with no peeling after almost 30 years, even the cloth covers appear mint unlike most of the examples sold second hand very occasionally, they sound incredible at louder volume even though i also now have added subs, but totally adequate when running alone just with a 50w amp, having quite high sensitivity at 96db but they can handle up to 200w according to the specs. I dont know what they might be worth today if sold but i do plan to replace capacitors soon and rewire them with some fresh copper internally. Not so common to find big speakers like this anymore however i did see that Cerwin Vega were making some similar large dual woofer configurations a few years back. If you do own a set or have any info please share !
I have a pair of Cerwin Vega DX-3 floorstanding 3-way loudspeakers since year 2000. Never been repaired and still performs normal and flawlessly. Mine was still made in U.S.A., I wonder if their products is not made in U.S. anymore nowadays.
For me, it's JBL. From my days of studio recordings years ago to hearing their home audio lines. I also had a set of JBL 12" car audio subwoofers back in the late 80s. To this day, those were probably the best sounding subs I ever had.
I remember back in 88 when I was looking for some speakers. I went into a speaker room they had set up so you can listen to probably 30 different speaker setups. The Cerwin Vega cabinets were awesome. My buddy when I was a teenager had some really awesome infinity speakers and cabinets.
I always wanted the L100's, but they quit making them before I could get a pair. I did buy a pair of L112's in 1981 and I still have them to this day in mint condition. You don't hear much about these anymore, but I think that they are outstanding speakers.
Outstanding! It's hard to find them mint. Over the period of time that I've had them, the woofers have been reconed twice. If I have to do it again, it will have to be the surrounds because they don't make the woofer cone any longer or the diaphram for the 044 tweeter.@@williammcnicholas1400
I’ve got a pair of L-166 Horizons in pristine condition from 1977. These and the 112’s are some of the rarest JBL speakers out there. And you’re right. You don’t hear much about them anymore. Primarily because they are that rare. Enjoy! And take care of those boyz.
I bought my JBL 112's at Kadena AB Okinawa Japan in 1981. Time to reform after 40 plus years. Love them especially for Jazz & Classical music.Cannot beat the clarity. 😊
I am fortunate enough to own a pair of Cerwin Vega 15s 400 watt capability and they are as good today as they were when I purchased them in the early 90s
I recently scored a pair of JBL L-166 Horizons from 1977, that can only be described as “pristine” condition. They received a very gentle refoam, and nothing else. There isn’t a scratch, spill, spray, or so much as a blemish inside or out. Literally out of the box condition, and they sound absolutely savage! I paid well for them, but far less than they’re actually worth, to me anyway.
Speakerlab had a great line of speakers from the .1 ones to the 30’s that were designed by Miele Nestovic of McIntosh which I met in his home on Lake Washington in 1978 where he made his Pyramid speaker where he hand wound his voice coils with square copper wire and were triamp in a five way system. So lucky to meet someone of my dreams! We had sound room for Speakerlab 30’s which needed a lot of power to push them to there limits, unbelievable sound from this system and the other sound room contained the other 7 speakers with audio control equalizer so we could have equal sound without blowing your ears out with the big guys. We also had are own speaker line called Speaker Factory and used same drivers they used accept there woofers as we used Eminence and Phillips midrange and tweeters. Caio The Mouse
Don't laugh or blast me guys, I'd like to have a system much, much better than than what I have. But as a teenager before I could drive, I purchased and only could afford a Realistic SA-2000 amp, TM-1000 tuner and later the Mach 1 speakers. Didn't have much money as a kid in the 70's. But you know what, it's still fully functional today except the "Auto Magic". I replaced the potentiometers for the volume control (dual 250k ohm, 60mm travel) with ganged rotary. Of course I want to get something better. But this system has been more than faithful to me that I put off a new purchase.
I remember when those first came out (in '78) and they were REALLY well received by audiophiles and the general public. I have owned and still own a few pairs and they still perform well. Great little speakers.
Also like Like L112 . I've got pair of these. Did also hear L100 at that time. I get fan of JBL when hearing L166 and Harman Kardon Citation Sixteen play together.
I ordered my twin monster Altec ""Voice of the Theater" speakers in August 1975 when I was not quite 22 years old. I turned 70 last November and still play these speakers every day. I have re-edged them twice (once in 1996 and again in 2011). That is all I have ever had to do to them. I love these Altecs and I will be listening to them until the day I die.
Fun video. What are your thoughts on the "East Coast" sound from Billy Villchur and Henry Kloss: Acoustic Research, KLH, Advent, Boston Acoustic? Also, how about your thoughts on Klipsch? Would love to hear more about those two groups.
Your list is pretty darn good. My crowd had AR3a, Advents (large) JBL 100s. We also had Bose 501s which were also awesome at super loud volume. I have the AR3 now with my Marantz 2270. Pleased with my set up but now looking a adding a Pioneer with Advents to my collection. Also the speaker choice varies hugely with the type and volume of playing your music.
Entertaining vid. But the equalizer on the 901's was not to enhance the spatial effect, it was because they used a single sized midrange/tweeter and the sound needed boosting on the treble and bass (u-shaped curve) to compensate for the capabilities of the driver. The unusual distribution of the sound by the driver arrangement gave you the spatial effect. As someone else commented, adding tweet and sub probably is needed for best fidelity. The 901 gives up precise imaging and time alignment for the bonus of added ambiance. Works for some.
I bought a pair of blue Huntley fabric grilles about 4 years ago to replace my disintegrated blue foam fronts. No qualms at all about not replacing foam with foam. The blue is very close to the JBL blue and they look great and fit perfectly. You can get an attached JBL nameplate as an option. It's surprising how much color, veneer and proportions ID the JBL L-100s even without the cubes. Price is decent and shipped in bulletproof packaging.
RTR 280DR bi-amp purple woofers model are my all time favorite vintage speaker. I've owned a few sets over the years and would like to get another to keep forever, lol. But they are very hard to find. Great video!
The Bose 901 Active Equalizer doesn't go between the amp and speaker (that would be a PASSIVE equalizer), it goes between the preamp and power...and it's not to "compensate for the dispersion", it's to compensate for the 9 midsize speakers having weak bass and treble
Purchased a pair of the KL-1000Z from the AFFES catalog during my Persian Gulf deployment in 1983. The sound was phenomenal and they could take the 800 watts of power from my Sansui G-33000 tuner. Listening to Boston's Foreplay/Longtime was nothing short of incredible. Unfortunately, I lost these beasties in a very bloody divorce back in 2008.
Also… Norman Laboratories Model 12 (each stereo speaker had two 12” acoustic suspension woofers in a low console, and 4 1” Philips hard dome Mylar tweeters on a stalk jutting up out of the sub box) they had an amazing way with acoustic symphony and organ music (really anything) I had their Model 8’s - as did All of the Soundwarehouse audio/video stores (for demo speakers in their main and even classical music rooms (10” woofers and 1” Philips tweeters) All the Norman labs original designs were really good - then the ported them, went three-way, coated them in bad vinyl, and even slammed in four ways and piezo tweeters… and went out of business
The Celestion SL2s is ties with the active ADS 1290i as my most jaw-dropping (speaker wise) audio experience. Michael Hedges Aerial Boundaries on the Celestions and James Newton Howard "Gone Buttlefishing" on the ADS.
I have a pair of Sansui SP X9000 speakers. Except for one little boo-boo on one of the cover-grates, they are in very good condition. They sound amazing, and are my everyday-listening speakers. What would you believe them to be worth today?
I also have a pair of those sansui 9000s with a big sansui g701 I think. It gets LOUD. I want to sell those sansuis. I'd let mine go for $425 but the grills are off
Got a pair of Hpm 100's last winter from my friend for 400 bucks. They appear to have spent the majority, if not all their life in a warm attic. Some of the resin from the woofers leaked to the bottom of the speaker and cabinet, and there's a few tiny dings on the cabinet edges. Other than that, they're in amazing shape. Grilles, the paper with tech specs stapled to the back and the green QC pass sticker on each. Those are the only vintage piece in my setup. Theyre getting 85wpc from a Yamaha a-s501, and i have a fosi audio tube phono preamp and a 1mii DS220 bluetooth receiver. Then, there's the AT LP-7 with AT Vm540ml cart upgrade. Super happy
The best I ever heard were my Tamon TS 808N speakers that I bought in Okinawa back in 84. Have you had any experience with them? Sensitivity rating of 99…they remain bad ass
By FAR the best vintage speakers I've come across yet are the Pioneer DSS series. Essentially an updated version of the HPM line with much better drivers, materials and dual-coil woofers, that come in proper mirrored pairs. They're hard to come by with their fragile woofer cones (made of some sort of graphite material that shatters like glass, apparently) intact, but absolutely worth considering if you like the visual and sonic style of the HPMs.
Throw out all the gimmicks and the added attenuation of certain frequencies and you have pure Infinity music. I first listened to Infintiy Kappa 7's in my little 12 x 12 living room and I was flat stunned. People said they had no bass. ????? They make my floors shake throughout the house shake. LOL!!! And the clarity is something to behold. Not everyone one should be allowed to own them. I drove a long way to get one of four sets available in the U.S. :)
Many years ago when we were moving my wife had me sell a bunch of my gear including a pioneer RT707 real to real, and my Dual turntable along with many albums. She wanted me to get rid of my infinity speakers purchased in 1978 and that’s when I said no way do I sell them. I still have them and they still sound awesome. I still have some emit diaphragms just in case but I don’t play them as loud as I use to. I still have my Marantz receiver to drive them with also.
Have you ever found or listened to the JBL 82 not the L82? I found a pair in mint condition but have read bad reviews on the 82s most reviews say there are little or no high frequency sounds. I kept them but they are in the closet. Was wondering how to repair the broken pegs that are part of the speaker grilles? Or is it all a waste of time I’m using L100s now? Thanks and great video.
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No love for the Altec Lansing Model 19, eh? 🤔
The SB Series Technics a55
I bought my first set of speakers, Kenwood 777s. I was based in W. Germany in the late 1970s. There was a dedicated audio shop on base in Wiesbaden Mainz-Kastel. Every speaker you ever wanted to listen to was set up with different audio equipment. For me it was a toss up over the JBLs and Kenwood’s. I ended up going with the Kenwood 777s because my roommate had the JBLs. I did love the Bose 901s too but, they needed space and a higher end amplifier to make them really shine, not to mention the high price put them out of a young airman’s range. I eventually did get a set of 901s when I moved back to the big BX in USA. I still own them and I still love them. End of the day, the best speakers are the ones that sound best to your ears. Anybody else’s opinion is just that, an opinion.
You can never go wrong with a Large Advent. They are incredibly repairable: I think I am fondest of the Vinyl Clad versions from about 1972 - 1978. And the Smaller Advent wasn't bad nor the earliest of their descendants such as the Advent /1. Henry Kloss said, it's hard enough trying to "voice" a 2-way let alone anything more complex.
I agree, probably the best value. I have 4 of the large Advent anniversary series produced in the early 90s. A Pioneer SX-1010 with an additional amp and SQ decoder for 4-channel surround sound. It works well with stereo sources, a 3D sound effect that enhances regular and live recordings movies and music.
@@bernieschiff5919 My primary care physician in Sarasota, FL for 35 years was highly successful and sought after. He could have any speaker he wanted and when he began his search in the seventies, he had all the options outlined in the video above as well as AR3a"s, JBL Summits and his real favorite: Klipsch Corner Horns. His wife put the kibosh on that. After listening to all: Large Advents were his choice. He sold them to me because he didn't believe that a simple re-foam of the woofers would solve the problem that after 25 years they didn't sound as good as they once had. A year later at my physical and preparation for him doing a colonoscopy on me, he asked if he could buy them back. I'm going to say no?!?! Luckily, I found another pair shortly thereafter at a garage sale for $20 in walnut (his were the utility cabinets!).
I agree on Advent, many people discount due to 2 way. That being said, I heard a richness - so I bought them.
Yes! I have the double stack large advent bullnose with powered subwoofer underneath each stack …wonderful sound..
The Large Advent - Bullnose with the non-fried egg tweeter absolutely makes the L100 sound ridiculously awful, unless all you want to hear some 80's cluttered rock. Heck, I'm not sure which I like better, my Larger Advents or my completely rebuilt AR3a's!!! I've put my Large Advents up against modern $3000 B&W's, amazing so many folks. And then I have another 4 Large Advents stacked driven by my Sansui G-9000. There is nothing that can match them for the money!!!!!
I bought the HPM100’s when I was in high school. I still have them and they still sound fantastic. Cheers!
I bought my HPM100's just after high school and a year later traded them for B&W DM110's. Worst trade ever but I do still have the DM's and they do sound good.
The fact that you bought them when you were a teenager tells us everything we need to know about this video.
I have ESS tempest speakers that I bought in 1977 I’ve replaced the woofers and rear passive radiator they have a heil air motion transformer tweeter that was a great tweeter technology still used today by many manufacturers
Had a set of the ESS bookshelf PS-8. Felt they were close to the L100's for 2/3 the price.
Altec Lansing Model 19 , love that speaker .
I've had mine since 1979
I owned a pair!
BOZAK - almost any of them. Rudy was a genius, and with his pal Emory Cook, they knocked out the audiophiles in their time, and Bozaks still sound awesome today.
100% agree! I had a friend who had the Concert Grands and they were awesome.
Yep I had B301 FIRS SPEAKERS I GOT
There was also the venerable Realistic Mach Ones they were beasts for sure
I came across a hammered pair of these at the Salvation Army thrift store. Sadly, 30 dollars was more than they were worth. I guess I could have purchased them and parted them out. Some of the components were salvageable
My Father has a near perfect pair of the first gen Mach Ones with the original surround intact. I think he paid about $20 for them at a resale shop 12+yrs ago.
I have a pair of Yamaha NS 670's from 1973 that sound much better, paid $20 for them at a thrift shop 6yrs ago
Radio shack made some great speakers. I still have a a 12' DVC Optimus woofer that I use in a 501 series 1 cab. The 10' woofers fell apart. I was amazed that series one 501's had no crossover. Has 2 direct reflecting tweeters that dont work anymore. Voice coils are fried.
I have Mach 3's that were refoamed by the previous owner. I drive them with NAD electronics.
It's funny you posted that as I sit here staring at my Mach 4000's bought them new in 1985 and they still look and work like new. Big speakers and these have rattled the paint off many walls over the years.
Klipsch La Scala, a masterpiece.
Not rare but one of the best!
Hard for me to consider a speaker my band used as a P.A. system in the 70's as high end. We had 4 of them in split boxes as was their intended usage.
You equate rarity with most wanted? Why? Their are plenty of rare vintage speakers that just don`t sound good.
They sound incredible but they're just so freaking huge that not that many of us can use them. There's an older pair close to me for only $2K and they're mint. But good lord where the hell can you put them?!
@@TheGpono Absolutely-- that was the other P.A. we used... some highs, no lows, not even Bose. Big as F__k and hell to move around from gig to gig. The La Scala's at least sounded good.
You'll love this, Frank Zappa bought me my first pair of home speakers, JBL 4311b's which I still own. My uncle was his manager & we really hit it off. And not over music but deep discussions over geo global politics, as everyone used to crack up at a 17 yr old kid & Frank jabbering on. Frank was brilliant & fairly conservative, which I'm sure may come as a bit of a surprise to many, a truly special guy in which I will never forget those special times. And never part with those 4311's.
@512bb
What a cool experience to have with such a person a Frank.
There is a video of him in a senate hearing or something like that that shows his intellect.
I believe he also was on a couple of talk shows debating his views; I just don't remember what over?
The Satanic Panic, maybe? But that also doesn't sound right either.
That is awesome that you have kept them all this time.
The only thing that could have topped that is if you were to say; we didn't talk about music, but he did teach me this lick on the 6 string.
🤯🤯
Of course that would have taken hundreds of hours, possibly thousands, but I am a daydreamer.
Still got that Berlinetta?
Ah, you're the first one to ever get it. Obviously , a true car guy my friend....'sitting
right next to the JBL's!@@IMSJoseCuervo
@@Thesaurcery4U2C That's strange, this is the first I've seen your post. I do remember him testifying before congress, it was over freedom of speeh issues. He was a true constitutionalist, defiantly would have never been down with all this woke deep state bs we all have been subjected to...Cod broke the mold when he made Frank, all the best!
I’ve owned my HPM 100s since new in 1978. Replaced both woofers once with aftermarket and recently found 2 original woofers . They sound great!
the Dynaco A25 - smooth, accurate, decent bass in a small nice looking 2way @ low price (paid $160/pr in '72). lasted through the loud (college) years & beyond.
I had 2 pairs of BOSE 901 Series IVs. It was hooked with the Pioneer SX-1980. Now some don't like the sound of these but hook the watts to it and it's like nothing you have heard before.
Yes, Bose 901 is like something I’ve heard all my adult life, a bad table radio.
I can't understand the hate. As a bassist I love the bump in those frequencies a lot. If someone approaches 901s with the mindset that they will hear a flat frequency response then they'll be very disappointed but for casual listening I think they sound nice. Old CD store used to use them and I enjoyed that store. My friends dad was proud of his and he also had a robust vintage Pioneer receiver. I think people must be retarded to think the junky plastic speakers Bose pushed out are comparable. It's the same stigma with Yamaha hifi. It's so lame to hate an inanimate object.
@@lmff620that’s only true without the eq
@@brianhechinger6726 Bose is general is a joke to anyone serious about HiFi, And now they just bought McIntosh. Sigh,
I have a pair of Grundig speakers 120/80 professional. I bought them in the 1970s, and they still sound excellent. They are brilliant, and they age with me!
Even though I own a rather high-end 2-channel system of Rotel separates and Martin Logan SL3's... I also have a set of 901's that have a cool factor that I will always love. Sure, they are a tonal wreck and do a million things wrong. But who cares? They are awesome to crank, look cool as ever and are truly a piece of audio history.
I had a pair of 901’s. I never understood the over the top hatred of them. I enjoyed them for a decade. I hung them from the ceiling. Had to refoam them. They sounded great. I used to be in sounds reinforcement. EQ does wonder for most speakers and rooms.
I've got a set of Sansui SP-X11000 that are a part of my Sansui System. I love the sound this system presents. Would highly recommend anyone who comes across a set of these speakers to get them. Thanks for the video, keep up the good job.
My first set of speakers in the 70's were the Pioneer HPM-100's along with a pioneer SX-1010. A powerhouse of sound! Today I have the HPM-100's with a set of JBL Decades. Both are awesome sounding speakers.
Which ones do you like best?
@@kentrichardson9070 The HPM-100, larger woofer and cabinet
Acoustic Research AR18s. Not the most resolving, but the nicest tone of all the speakers in my collection. And my collection includes speakers like the JBL 4429, 4311, ProAc Tablette 10, Avalons, Kef LS50w, Hedd Type 20, and I'm sure I'm missing a few. If you ever come across a pair of AR18s, just grab 'em. They are usually available for throwaway prices.
The second speakers I built was the AR-9 type but only one out ward 12 woofer, 4way and still rock’n with m500t power
Fun video! Keep doing them. I remember those 901s. I listened and shrugged. I didn’t understand why everyone thought they were great. 50 years later it seems I was right. When it comes to vintage speakers, I’m all about the NE US. ADS is my fav. Boston Acoustics, Advent, Audio Analyst. Had them all and they sounded great.
lol maybe you had the speakers facing backwards or a 20 watt receiver. I still have mine and can post a clip if you like 😂😂😂
The thing that always amazes me is when standing close one speaker, the other can still be clearly heard. So many speakers have a small sweet spot in between that makes listening more difficult.
@@66skate that’s because Sansui has 3 different tweeters and a horn and giant Midrange speakers. Bowers Wilkins, Klips and Martin Logan has the same wide sound stage with unique tweeters and huge midrange. Oh yeah Bose 901 definitely has a wide sound stage if there’s nothing obstructing the rear of the cabinets cough Bookshelf
My first speakers Audio Analyst A100x loved them. Bought at Douglas Sound in Ann Arbor mid 70s.
@@kurtkarr3472 Cool! I was the only guy I knew that had them. Mine were M6 3 ways. Great sounding.
B&W DM-220s. I own two sets. Love them to death. Two 16 ohm 8 inch midbass drivers with die cast zinc frames, and vented magnets. A 1 inch polymide tweeter with an absolutely massive magnet out the back. Their slightly bigger cousin is the DM-330.
How would you rank the Altec Lansing model 14's ? I have a set of those matched to a Marantz 2385, 6350Q turntable and an RG pro20 dynanamic processor. All ressurected and flawlessly playing today. Love these speakers. My grandkids will one day be happy, as i am today
Bose 901s paired with lots of power and the correct positioning sound very very big, what more can you ask of a small speaker.
Placement is very important as the illustration shows. I have a pair of 901 series V that I got in 1981 and still use them with a Bose Spatial Control receiver.
Always on the lookout for old ADS or Braun speakers.
I’ve had 710s since ‘79 and I picked up some 780s too. I’d love to get 1230s but they’re too big.
L-810s were L100 and HPM-100 killers.
I had an appointment to get a pair of L810s and the guy sold them out from under me. Didn't even give me a chance to offer more. I was pretty pissed. I passed on another pair that looked like they were drug behind a delivery van for an afternoon.
@@tmdillon1969 Ah that sucks. Had a similar scenario with L780s. I was in the car with the money.
I was a JBL L100 guy until my brother bought the ADS L-810s in '78. Now they are MINE!
I have a set of AR-16 speakers that I bought 47 years ago. I just the upgrades the CAPS and they still sound great. I did re-foam them years ago and I just made new grills.
CONGRATULATIONS.... I absolutely love AR Speakers.
I bought my first Pair when I was 14 years old... AR-93's.
I have a pair of 1981 Mission 770s. I'm very impressed with how good they sound for 43 year old speakers. They're also worth more than I paid for them.
I still have my Pioneer CS-99A speakers I bought when I was in Vietnam.they still sound great for being 54 years old!❤😊
Forgot 2 inexpensive legends - the Advent loudspeaker (2 different versions, both set new performance levels for their price) and the beloved radio shack Optimus 7. Neither one worth much to a vintage resale shop like you guys, but both very much in demand.
Minimus 7…
The Advent loudspeaker, especially the "large Advent" version was a tremendous bargain. I'd own it any day over the L100. It had bass down to the low 30Hz range and fairly linear respose for its day. The store I worked in sold them by the ton.
@@johnstone7697 full agreement. I still have mine purchased from Tweeter Etc on Comm Ave in Boston in the late ‘70s. Refoamed, still sound great connected to my old Kenwood KR 4070 and fed by a Fluance TT and a WiiM. Rock and folk music and anything live sounds great on this system (to my ears at least). I have an expensive “audiophile” system in the media room (Arcam, KEF, Denon, fancy cables…) and to be honest I listen to the old system more often
I bought my first "high end" product in 1972, Empire 598 still have and works, Speaker wise I have 2 "cult" ones, the original Dahlquist DQ-10's with the power they want a great speaker, and the opposite spectrum a pair of Altec 19's. As far as bass and depth nothing I could afford could beat them.
I'm currently running a mint pair of DQ10's with the matching subs and active crossover. They sound great!
I have a pair of DQ-9’s and I love them!
My faves in the speaker world for decades are my Mirage M-1 si which still blow my mind connected to a Nak PA-7 fed by a CA-5. preamp. Draws you into hours of listening every time (good thing I'm retired and have lots of hours to spare!). 6 drivers & 185 lbs of audio heaven!
Still love my Pioneer CS-99a speakers...big 15" woofer (unported) 4' midrange, 5" midrange, horn tweeter and 2 super piezo-tweeters. Bought in 1977 with an HK A402 amp / T403 tuner combo and a Rotel direct drive turntable. Still cranking.
You already know I'm a complete devotee of the Pioneer HPM-100 speaker's as they both rock my world and blow my hair back. I generally like most speakers if they are well made. Well made speakers can all sound different. I love the big booming unapologetic unsophisticated 1970's frat house raw sound of my 2 sets of Pioneer HPM -100's. Pioneer HPM - 100's are feral party speakers. Just hook up a powerful receiver and Rock on or Disco the night away! Pioneer HPM-100's are not audiophile speakers for those high class folk who want to pick out the delicate sounds of a single oboe in a classical music score. Pioneer HPM -100's celebrate the raw power it takes to play head banging Rock or Soul thumping disco music!
In 1981 i put together my system with separates and had a pair of Wharfdale Mach 1 that were very efficient and my Carver 500t, later on i sold the speakers and replaced them with Infinitys RS 6000, had woofers redone and still own everything, latter on around 96 i bought a pair of Energys Connoseurs for my tv set up with surround hooked to a Denon receiver, 90wpc and they also sound great, had experienced Energys 22 in early 80s but mine are a lot better to my 71 yr old ears, over the years i heard a lot of loud music specially during the late sixtys and seventys with a lot of different speakers but then i didnt know quality sound, today i enjoy my equipment and definitively cant play it as loud but will never get rid of my hifi, great videos
I have a pair of the smaller Advents I bought in 1974 along with a Pioneer SX626. Fantastic sound for many years for me. I had the Advents re-coned 12 years ago and enjoyed the system again until The SX626 stopped working. I stayed with a new Pioneer system and put my Advents away to maybe someday use again.
I havent heard any of the speakers you mentioned, sadly.
But from those I have heared the ESS AMT Monitor were one of those which impressed me the most.
Their special ribbon tweeter (Air Motion Transformer) not only directs to the listener but also in the opposite direction, where it reflects.
All in all it sounds everywhere in the room like if you are in the stereo sweet spot.
DQ-10's, KEF 104/2's, DCM Timewindow 1a's
I remember seeing and hearing Pioneer HPM-100 speakers in college years in Austin, Texas. The hi-fi dealer had a very unique pair of the HPM-100s on display for listening. The box was plexiglass. It was plexiglass on all sides and it let you see everything inside. Quality sound? I don't remember it being exceptional, just cool to look at. This dealer also had a the JBL Paragon speaker system on display of audition. That sound was overwhelming, but my finances couldn't handle it and there was now way I would ever get the Paragon beast into my dorm room!
That was The Sound Gallery. In Delwood Shopping Center. I worked there for a while I was at UT. We drove the Paragon with SAE pre and power amp.
We also had Klipsch. And JBL. I never thought the HPM 100 was the best we had. The JBL L100 was, to my ear, superior. I was not and am not today a Bose 901 guy. For lots of reasons.
I still have my HPM-100's. I set them up on on a dedicated two-channel system, with my Pioneer SA-9500II Integrated amp. I always wanted pair of Bose 901'a, but they were just to expensive for me at the time.
I have a pair of Kef Carina ii's that I purchased around 1984 for $500/pair. They are the fronts of my current 5.1.2 all Kef system. They definitely hold up, especially in 2.1 stereo mode for music.
Surprised that the Altec Model 19 was not on your list. It succeeded the Valencia model by increasing the the x-over frequency to 1.2 KHz from 800 Hz. The result was less "honk" and more home listening pleasure.
Got the Altec Valencia, I re worked those horrible Altec networks , altec used mylar films..the worst so in went copper foil in oil bath and polypropylene in oil , man talk about a very smooth open and dimension in sound..running them on 60 watt tube mono blocks ..vintage altecs are excellent if you have the room to let them breathe..
@@MYDOGBUD Thanks for the update! I have retired my Valencias from my home theater and am running them in stereo, but I fear the bass drivers have lost much of their magnetism. There's very little bass. I know there are suitable replacements and Great Plains will even re-magnetize them but I have since bought some very nice Paradigms for my home theater. Any suggestions as to what to do with the Valencias? The room in which they reside is 22' x 34' so they are well suited for the room. Thanks!
I have a set of Altec 604e speakers and they are awesome
@@Robertbrown-rs3rr Good stuff, Robert. I bought my Valencia's in 1974. The Altec stuff has a personality all its own.
I've always like the sound and build quality if the vintage Infinities.
It don't get no better. RIP Arnie Nudell. Your job is done.
I bought a pair of RS2's in 1982. They are the best I own and sound as good today as when they were new.
The Bose 901's required the listening room to be rectangular in size, with solid rear and side walls. To obtain max. sound quality, they also required the Bose receiver with 100 + 100 Watts. This receiver had a SPATIAL slide control feature which helped immensely with a real concert sound. I still own my 1979 JBL 4311's.
Yes most don't understand these speakers.
Bose 802 the ones for church. They had a wood grain cabinet actually particleboard with a veneer deeper base is created with this cabinet versus the plastic These are the most amazing speakers but you do have to have the eq. Running and Adcom 7807 310 W of power seven channel output. This was an amazing set up, especially run Low Jack connections, crystal clear later I added JL Audio DSP talk about a game changer laser optics. This was incredibly clear and amazing Bass all around Music. Haven’t heard anything better.
I adore large Advents. I have a set in the master bedroom and a stack in the family room, both driven by vintage Marantz receivers. A 2235 upstairs and a 2270 downstairs. Awesome combination.
Great video man! Thanks for taking me back in time!
Up here in BC Canada, our small town had an awesome stereo shop, Quesnel Electronics. They were a pioneer dealer owned by the one and only Johnny Orange Juice(John Wang) and his wife. Just wonderful and cool people that I still see around town. We always talk about the good old days and good times installing our car stereos. I graduated in 1982 so myself and buddies all had HPM100's with the Champagne colored pioneer stereos and the new linear tracking turntables, and in our vehicles we rocked the old tough as nails pioneer component car stereos. What I would add to your list is the Killer... Cerwin Vega 10S and the monsterous 15S, both with the metal tweeters and red foam. With a good amp the 15`s would deliver a great body massage, the bass is amazing. One more outstanding brand of speaker that was made in Vancouver at a furniture factory in the late 60's and 70's, were WEB speakers(Wilsdon Engineering Brothers). Hands down the most beautiful and heavy cabinets I've ever seen. The Highest quality in sound, materials and craftsmanship. One final set of speakers that I have in my shop are a set of vintage Realistic Optimus. Beautiful cabinets and great sound. I also remember back in the 80's, Nikko stereos were coming on strong up here, giving Johnny Orange Juice a run for his money. We always stayed loyal to Johnny. Johnny had the most awesome repair shop, and his deal was always Johnny paid the taxes, even when the G.S.T(Goods and Services Tax) came in. Provincial and GST taxes added up to 13%. He also had a great lay away plan! One hell of a good deal for punks like us.
Thanks! I also really appreciate the story!
ADS L1590, L710, L810, L1230, L1530 .... all are collectable and fantastic even today
Don’t forget the L2030!!
I think I had L730”s. Dome tweet and mid with a single 10” woofer. Had the sub-woofer with 2 10” woofers. Still have the separate crossover. Great stuff.
I don't know if they ever made it across the Pond from England, but I always had a soft spot for the Leak 2075. Unfortunately, they were just too large to fit into my parents' living room & be aesthetically acceptable, so the largest & beautiful sounding Celestion Ditton 66 was my daily listen from late 1976 until I moved out in 1979, into a tiny apartment. For a while after moving in it was headphones only, in the shape of the wonderful Wharfedale ID1 Orthodynamic - Isodynamic Headphones. But that's a completely different listening experience.
Most of the old Klipsch were not only ground breaking, but are still in high enough demand that they are still in production today.
And then there are the Infinity IRS series, not made by Infinity anymore, but at least an IRS Beta knockoff exists (Genesis Speakers).
Magnepan, still going strong.
Quad is still building an ESL.
The Altec Lansing speakers of the 70s were incredible.
To me, the JBL L100 and Pioneer HPM-100 were two different versions of the same thing. Add in the Marantz speakers of the same era.
The horn was perfect
And then came the Infinity Kappa 7's, 8's and 9's. The amp killers and nothing was the same. I am still running a pair of Kappa 7's and am always running into sounds I wasn't expecting. The music lives there.
I always laugh at the 901 hate, well, Bose hate in general. But for me, they are extremely obtainable and sound amazing!
When I first heard the Pioneer HPM 100s in music store I was simply blown away by the way the speaker was able to detail the instruments & voices much greater than the others that were demoed. It definitely was a step up from the L100s imo.
I have the Mach 2 Realistic Speakers! I have reformed them the surrounds, recapped the cross over they sound fantastic!
I just got a pair for 40.00 at the thrift store mint cabinets and grills. My next project.
I have a pair of the L100s I rescued and completely rebuilt. I'm doing the same with a pair of Cornwalls now. Also looking for a pair of those Pioneers and a pair of ADS. I really like the renovation projects.
7:47 My 3way speakers take an opposite approach to sound sources. My speakers have an open coaxial driver on top of the box, covering like 300 hz upwards. And a 10" woofer in the bottom of the box firing down onto the floor (with an annular bass vent around the base of the open coaxial driver). They have only one directly heard source (making the sounds come from nowhere) and no direct woofer sound, also coming from nowhere. Point source and dipole sound with the the vague source of the thumping bass, which sounds as good as any normal bass setup. The most FUN speaker I heard. 🎉 Imaging is off the scale!
I have a pair of B&W 801 Matrix II's with NorthCreek crossovers ... all from the '90s.
They still perform at a level that's hard to match even for $10K.
I currently run B&W 802 series 80.
I do agree even at the age of these B&W 800 series speakers, the sound is legendary giving new era expensive speakers a run for the money with the right cables/source/amp.
I keep my VERY old Wharfedale speakers around (not connected, although they sounded damn good) for the fine solid walnut cabinets. You can't find wood like that anymore. I just use them as beautiful end tables.
I worked in a hifi store as a teenager in the early 80’s. The Linn Isobariks blew my mind, especially when mated with Naim amps and the Linn Sondek. Absolute eargasm.
Still loving my Linear Design K-2500 floor speakers that i bought new in 1996, large tall cabs with twin 12 inch drivers in each plus a 4.75" poly prop mid and 1.25" dome tweeter, non ported enclosures, less than 1000 sets were likely ever made, very rare and still have the original cartons and receipt for $650 from the day i bought them on sale when the company folded, then not long after i boxed and stored them for about 15 years while i travelled for work so the foam suspension has suprisingly not begun to decay yet, cabinets were built in Australia and fitted with imported components possibly sourced from Arista or Jensen but not much other info really exists on them, they have only ever moved once and never had pets so the veneer edges and corners are still all sharp with no peeling after almost 30 years, even the cloth covers appear mint unlike most of the examples sold second hand very occasionally, they sound incredible at louder volume even though i also now have added subs, but totally adequate when running alone just with a 50w amp, having quite high sensitivity at 96db but they can handle up to 200w according to the specs. I dont know what they might be worth today if sold but i do plan to replace capacitors soon and rewire them with some fresh copper internally. Not so common to find big speakers like this anymore however i did see that Cerwin Vega were making some similar large dual woofer configurations a few years back. If you do own a set or have any info please share !
Had the Yamaha NS-500's in the mid 70's, loved them, the beryllium dome tweeters would snap the highs, very clean and crisp.
I have a pair of Cerwin Vega DX-3 floorstanding 3-way loudspeakers since year 2000. Never been repaired and still performs normal and flawlessly. Mine was still made in U.S.A., I wonder if their products is not made in U.S. anymore nowadays.
For me, it's JBL. From my days of studio recordings years ago to hearing their home audio lines. I also had a set of JBL 12" car audio subwoofers back in the late 80s. To this day, those were probably the best sounding subs I ever had.
I remember back in 88 when I was looking for some speakers. I went into a speaker room they had set up so you can listen to probably 30 different speaker setups. The Cerwin Vega cabinets were awesome. My buddy when I was a teenager had some really awesome infinity speakers and cabinets.
I still have my Bose 901 VI and love them. Will always be my favourite.😊❤❤
One of my parent’s friends had the JBL L100 with one of the higher end Pioneer receivers at the time. That got me really hooked on audio.
I always wanted the L100's, but they quit making them before I could get a pair. I did buy a pair of L112's in 1981 and I still have them to this day in mint condition. You don't hear much about these anymore, but I think that they are outstanding speakers.
I bought a pair of L112’s in 1980 and still have them. Also in mint condition.
Outstanding! It's hard to find them mint. Over the period of time that I've had them, the woofers have been reconed twice. If I have to do it again, it will have to be the surrounds because they don't make the woofer cone any longer or the diaphram for the 044 tweeter.@@williammcnicholas1400
Those are better and more accurate than the L100s.
I’ve got a pair of L-166 Horizons in pristine condition from 1977. These and the 112’s are some of the rarest JBL speakers out there. And you’re right. You don’t hear much about them anymore. Primarily because they are that rare. Enjoy! And take care of those boyz.
I bought my JBL 112's at Kadena AB Okinawa Japan in 1981. Time to reform after 40 plus years. Love them especially for Jazz & Classical music.Cannot beat the clarity. 😊
I am fortunate enough to own a pair of Cerwin Vega 15s 400 watt capability and they are as good today as they were when I purchased them in the early 90s
What do you have running them?
What do you think of Philips speakers from the 60’s and 70’s? Especially the 22RH49 line, for example the 497 and 499.
I recently scored a pair of JBL L-166 Horizons from 1977, that can only be described as “pristine” condition. They received a very gentle refoam, and nothing else. There isn’t a scratch, spill, spray, or so much as a blemish inside or out. Literally out of the box condition, and they sound absolutely savage! I paid well for them, but far less than they’re actually worth, to me anyway.
Speakerlab had a great line of speakers from the .1 ones to the 30’s that were designed by Miele Nestovic of McIntosh which I met in his home on Lake Washington in 1978 where he made his Pyramid speaker where he hand wound his voice coils with square copper wire and were triamp in a five way system. So lucky to meet someone of my dreams! We had sound room for Speakerlab 30’s which needed a lot of power to push them to there limits, unbelievable sound from this system and the other sound room contained the other 7 speakers with audio control equalizer so we could have equal sound without blowing your ears out with the big guys. We also had are own speaker line called Speaker Factory and used same drivers they used accept there woofers as we used Eminence and Phillips midrange and tweeters. Caio The Mouse
Just got an insane deal on an original SR7 C51 Apollos for $800. Got them refoamed and voice coils realigned and they are absolutely stunning
Don't laugh or blast me guys, I'd like to have a system much, much better than than what I have. But as a teenager before I could drive, I purchased and only could afford a Realistic SA-2000 amp, TM-1000 tuner and later the Mach 1 speakers. Didn't have much money as a kid in the 70's. But you know what, it's still fully functional today except the "Auto Magic". I replaced the potentiometers for the volume control (dual 250k ohm, 60mm travel) with ganged rotary. Of course I want to get something better. But this system has been more than faithful to me that I put off a new purchase.
I built some Radio Shack Stuff 🤗
Still have my Globe Patrol Radio I built, back when Dinosaurs roamed the Earth 😂.
And it still works 👍
One of my fave vintage speakers are the RTR Tower 600's. Listening to Ted Nugent at college in 1976 was a hoot!
Still use my 45-year-old Minimus 7 speakers. A tiny integrated amp...and this computer...are all I need.
I remember when those first came out (in '78) and they were REALLY well received by audiophiles and the general public. I have owned and still own a few pairs and they still perform well. Great little speakers.
@@stonefree1911 The value we've all gotten out of them is far beyond the tiny cost we paid for them. Astounding...👍
If you're handy with a soldering iron research the Zilch crossover mod for the Minimus 7. It absolutely transforms the sound.
@@tommost1 I've seen some stuff about crossovers for the Minimus 7. It's (very) high time I actually got off my duff and tried one.
Fantastic! Who needs a headphone amplifier! Those speakers and the amp, would cost you over $1200 if they remade them today!
Any of Heritage Klipsch speakers ! Al are a easily rebuilt at a bargain price ! They will Rock your world !
Also like Like L112 . I've got pair of these. Did also hear L100 at that time. I get fan of JBL when hearing L166 and Harman Kardon Citation Sixteen play together.
I ordered my twin monster Altec ""Voice of the Theater" speakers in August 1975 when I was not quite 22 years old. I turned 70 last November and still play these speakers every day. I have re-edged them twice (once in 1996 and again in 2011). That is all I have ever had to do to them. I love these Altecs and I will be listening to them until the day I die.
You will be listening to those speakers, for another 30 years and beyond! Great speakers Champ!
Fun video. What are your thoughts on the "East Coast" sound from Billy Villchur and Henry Kloss: Acoustic Research, KLH, Advent, Boston Acoustic? Also, how about your thoughts on Klipsch? Would love to hear more about those two groups.
In the day I went to a proper stereo store listening room. Ended up with
Klipsch KG3.2. Still love them!
Your list is pretty darn good. My crowd had AR3a, Advents (large) JBL 100s. We also had Bose 501s which were also awesome at super loud volume. I have the AR3 now with my Marantz 2270. Pleased with my set up but now looking a adding a Pioneer with Advents to my collection. Also the speaker choice varies hugely with the type and volume of playing your music.
You are sharing some great history with your style of videos. Thanks for doing these. How is the CerwinVega! Video coming, are we getting close? 😃
Entertaining vid. But the equalizer on the 901's was not to enhance the spatial effect, it was because they used a single sized midrange/tweeter and the sound needed boosting on the treble and bass (u-shaped curve) to compensate for the capabilities of the driver. The unusual distribution of the sound by the driver arrangement gave you the spatial effect. As someone else commented, adding tweet and sub probably is needed for best fidelity. The 901 gives up precise imaging and time alignment for the bonus of added ambiance. Works for some.
How about the Dahlquist DQM 9?
Currently listening on my Allison CD6 with AudioPro Ace Bass powered subwoofer.
I heard a set of Altec-Lansing Santana II's and thought they were amazing.
I haven't heard those but I really like their Model 19s.
I've still got a pair of 901's. They don't sound that bad with a sub and extra tweeters.
Have you ever listened to or compared Energy 22 speakers to others?
I bought a pair of blue Huntley fabric grilles about 4 years ago to replace my disintegrated blue foam fronts. No qualms at all about not replacing foam with foam. The blue is very close to the JBL blue and they look great and fit perfectly. You can get an attached JBL nameplate as an option. It's surprising how much color, veneer and proportions ID the JBL L-100s even without the cubes. Price is decent and shipped in bulletproof packaging.
RTR 280DR bi-amp purple woofers model are my all time favorite vintage speaker. I've owned a few sets over the years and would like to get another to keep forever, lol. But they are very hard to find. Great video!
The Bose 901 Active Equalizer doesn't go between the amp and speaker (that would be a PASSIVE equalizer), it goes between the preamp and power...and it's not to "compensate for the dispersion", it's to compensate for the 9 midsize speakers having weak bass and treble
Altec 19s are the ones I would want.
I've got pair of Tannoy speakers from the 70s.Worth anything ?
Definitely, I was expecting to see Tannoy & B&W speakers in this video.
Purchased a pair of the KL-1000Z from the AFFES catalog during my Persian Gulf deployment in 1983. The sound was phenomenal and they could take the 800 watts of power from my Sansui G-33000 tuner. Listening to Boston's Foreplay/Longtime was nothing short of incredible. Unfortunately, I lost these beasties in a very bloody divorce back in 2008.
Wow what a system that must have been!
@@LennyFlorentine It was epic, Lenny! It was epic.
Also… Norman Laboratories Model 12 (each stereo speaker had two 12” acoustic suspension woofers in a low console, and 4 1” Philips hard dome Mylar tweeters on a stalk jutting up out of the sub box) they had an amazing way with acoustic symphony and organ music (really anything)
I had their Model 8’s - as did All of the Soundwarehouse audio/video stores (for demo speakers in their main and even classical music rooms (10” woofers and 1” Philips tweeters)
All the Norman labs original designs were really good - then the ported them, went three-way, coated them in bad vinyl, and even slammed in four ways and piezo tweeters… and went out of business
An English speaker model called "Celestion Ditton 66"...will easily compete against all your favoured American and Japanese models.
My pops had a pair, I remember them well
I inherited a pair of 66’s they sat barely used in my Father in laws living room for 42 years. Looking to add an external power amp to wake them up.
Also KEFs , B&Ws and Spendors.
The Celestion SL2s is ties with the active ADS 1290i as my most jaw-dropping (speaker wise) audio experience. Michael Hedges Aerial Boundaries on the Celestions and James Newton Howard "Gone Buttlefishing" on the ADS.
I have a pair of Sansui SP X9000 speakers. Except for one little boo-boo on one of the cover-grates, they are in very good condition. They sound amazing, and are my everyday-listening speakers. What would you believe them to be worth today?
I also have a pair of those sansui 9000s with a big sansui g701 I think. It gets LOUD. I want to sell those sansuis. I'd let mine go for $425 but the grills are off
Got a pair of Hpm 100's last winter from my friend for 400 bucks. They appear to have spent the majority, if not all their life in a warm attic. Some of the resin from the woofers leaked to the bottom of the speaker and cabinet, and there's a few tiny dings on the cabinet edges. Other than that, they're in amazing shape. Grilles, the paper with tech specs stapled to the back and the green QC pass sticker on each.
Those are the only vintage piece in my setup. Theyre getting 85wpc from a Yamaha a-s501, and i have a fosi audio tube phono preamp and a 1mii DS220 bluetooth receiver. Then, there's the AT LP-7 with AT Vm540ml cart upgrade. Super happy
The best I ever heard were my Tamon TS 808N speakers that I bought in Okinawa back in 84. Have you had any experience with them? Sensitivity rating of 99…they remain bad ass
Rectilinear III lowboys. Bought them new and they still sound fabulous.
By FAR the best vintage speakers I've come across yet are the Pioneer DSS series. Essentially an updated version of the HPM line with much better drivers, materials and dual-coil woofers, that come in proper mirrored pairs. They're hard to come by with their fragile woofer cones (made of some sort of graphite material that shatters like glass, apparently) intact, but absolutely worth considering if you like the visual and sonic style of the HPMs.
Nudell era Infinity was just leaps and bounds more innovative and incredible sounding but cost and size were limiting factors.
I sold these Infinity's in the 70's at Stansbury Stero - about 10 miles away from Justin's location. Arnie and Infinity was great.
Throw out all the gimmicks and the added attenuation of certain frequencies and you have pure Infinity music. I first listened to Infintiy Kappa 7's in my little 12 x 12 living room and I was flat stunned. People said they had no bass. ????? They make my floors shake throughout the house shake. LOL!!! And the clarity is something to behold. Not everyone one should be allowed to own them. I drove a long way to get one of four sets available in the U.S. :)
Many years ago when we were moving my wife had me sell a bunch of my gear including a pioneer RT707 real to real, and my Dual turntable along with many albums. She wanted me to get rid of my infinity speakers purchased in 1978 and that’s when I said no way do I sell them. I still have them and they still sound awesome. I still have some emit diaphragms just in case but I don’t play them as loud as I use to. I still have my Marantz receiver to drive them with also.
Dynaco A-25 best bang for the buck! Under the radar speakers
Have you ever found or listened to the JBL 82 not the L82? I found a pair in mint condition but have read bad reviews on the 82s most reviews say there are little or no high frequency sounds. I kept them but they are in the closet. Was wondering how to repair the broken pegs that are part of the speaker grilles? Or is it all a waste of time I’m using L100s now? Thanks and great video.
I would like to add a couple to your list: Yamaha's NS-1000 and Klipschorns