Thanks for the review Michael. Ive got a pair of these and I agree they really sound nice. They always sound so well balanced and indeed the bass is punchy without being in the way. Awesome!
Great review! I owned a pair in the late '90's and used them as my home studio monitors for about three years. Nice clarity, separation, and well-balanced sound considering their compact size. These speakers are a great value if you can find them intact. Mine literally went up in smoke while trying to isolate a low-level noise coming from my mixer during a recording session. We stopped playback and pushed the faders up one at a time trying to pinpoint the source of the problem and when I pushed up one of the faders my roommate and I heard a very quiet 60Hz hum and saw thin plumes of white smoke drifting up from both tweeters. At that point, my friend and I had a pretty good laugh and the recording session was over. Celestion had already discontinued their "professional studio monitor" line (Celestion 1,2 and 3) in the US after less than 1.5yrs on the market due to poor sales. I didn't know where to source a tweeter and we clearly needed something that could handle a bit more power, so mine were never put back in service.
Thanks, love the story and shows how easy it can be to blow drivers. My granddaughter turned a volume control all the way up on one amp and when I came to turn it on a few days later I blew 2 drivers in one speaker and 1 in the other which was a pain getting spares. I have been informed there is a mk2 version with a rear port (more bass I would presume) so I will be grabbing a pair when I can
Had a pair of these back in 1989/90 as a student & remember them sounding airy but with weak bass when they were on stands away from the walls, but suppose that was to be expected given the lack of reflex porting & size of speaker. Plastic bass/mid unit frame & flaky low density chipboard cabinet was also remembered when putting the bolts back in that had lost their grip on the cabinet. Okay for book shelves & small rooms though...
Had a pair of these around 1990 in a light wood finish with light grey grill. I found them to be very detailed but lacking in bass,probably because they were on stands away from a wall,as someone else mentioned. However, they really came into their own when I used them as TV speakers - they were very spacious with plenty of oomph ( technical hifi word) when playing films through my then newly acquired video recorder.Great memories.
I purchased a pair a few weeks back and I prefer them to the KEF C10 they replaced. Especially at low to moderate volume levels where the paper cone woofer wakes up nicely, whereas the KEF was flat, dull and relatively uninspiring by comparison.
Thanks for this review, Michael! It's good to know that Celestion got out of the pit that they, Wharfedale and Goodmans had dug for themselves in the early 80s. I'm sure you'd like the sound of the even smaller Technics SB-F1 with their cast-aluminium cabinets.
Celestion had a great range of speakers in the mid-late '80s ! Their DL range was very good. I had a set of DL6s, very good. I've always been tempted by a set of epic DL12s ! They don't make hi-fi speakers now though. Just items for guitars & PA etc.
Nice review Michael I did leave a post a year ago on these. I actually have the Mark 2's were these an improvement over the originals? Given the year I have used them I have been very impressed with them on my second system. Appreciate your informed opinion.
@@MichaelYates The Mark 2's are ported and the boxes are a bit stiffer. I think the speakers are the same, they sound like a bigger unit and have been compared to the Celestion 5's that are double the size and price. Thanks for putting me on to them Michael.
Nice review. I own a pair of these which I power with a Teac A H500 amp. It's pretty good but I think things would sound better with even better speakers. Which vintage speakers could I keep an eye out for to try as an upgrade from my Celestion 3s? They could be somewhat larger but not massively bigger. I'd appreciate ideas :)
Hi, the celestion 3a are quite a nice speaker for the price, I have only reviewed about 20 pairs so far on the channel of which I have kept the celestion 3s, mordant short ti35, wharfedale 505.2 and wharfedale diamond 3, out of them I would say the wharfedale 505.2 are just on top, but I would give Kevin at Ditton works a message if I was you as he has a wealth of knowledge of speakers and had 100s over the years
I just bought a pair of these for a secondary hi fi in my conservatory mated to Cambridge AM1 and CD 5 for £45. They are going to replace a pair of Wharfdale 9. Hope they sound fuller when they arrive! I got a pair of Mordant Short 906 3 way floor mounted speakers on the main system mated to 80 watt per channel Cambridge gear - like to hear your view on these.
Have not heard the Cambridge AM1, As for the Mordaunt Short another pair I have not heard either, but have had loads of other models that all sounded nice, except for maybe one pair that was a little under par.
You made a review of DL4 as well, the DL4 certainly is better than Celestion 3 I imagine. Do you have experience or any recommendation for Celestion 1? Are any of these speakers good for low powered amp say under 30 watt?
Hi, I have nor heard the celestion 1 speakers, Kevin at Ditton works would be the person to tell you about the 1s, I prefered the celestion 3s over the 4s, thay are quite a nice warm sounding speaker, a bit rolled of at the top, decent about of bass for the size, take a little driving, but a 30 watt amp would be fine, for a more open clear sounding small bookshelf the diamond 3 take a lot of beating at the price
@@MichaelYates I read that the 1 is less refined yet lively version of the 3. I can get it much cheaper than DL4 (same or similar to the 4s?) How about Mordaunt Short MS10i compared to them? It is around similar price range I can get in my area. Thank you for your insights
@@wckoek I have not heard the ms10i, though I have reviewed the ms10 and they are quite a nice set of speakers, lacking a tad in the bass department, but a good little set of speakers, just behind the wharfedale diamond 3's
@@MichaelYates Thanks. Yes, they sound quite nice. I unplugged my rear Wharfedale 9.1s and gave them a quick test. I think I will buy a little amp for them and put them in the bedroom 😁
Awesome channel this is m8 . I am looking for a used integrated amplifier to use with a pc bedroom system with bookshelf speakers could you could kindly suggest some good cheap amps thanks
Thanks for the comment, I have had mainly receivers and only a few integrated amps so far, with the channel still being in its infancy. But over time I will address this. Of the few I have owned, I would give the Sansui au2900 & 3900 a miss . The Sansui au 101 can still be bought for about £100 ish which is a nice amp. I did like a Rotel RA 311 which I had and this comes up under £100. I am sorry I can not help further as I wont recommend anything that I have not owned and tried.
I could be wrong, but I read it to mean they will sound acceptable with a 10 watt, but no lower without losing/distorting information, and they will stay clean driven at 60 watts, but no higher without distorting/risking damage?... someone please correct me of that's off.
Sorry, me again. Titanium tweeter on 3’s. Here’s original marketing blurb.. The high technology Celestion 3 is an extremely versatile speaker matching well with other component music systems. Highly acclaimed by the hi-fi press, the Celestion 3's two way design makes use of award winning metal dome technology, utilising Celestion's world renowned two-piece 1" (25mm) titanium dome tweeter giving an extended and exceptionally smooth high frequency response. A specially designed 5" (l30mm) felted fibre coned bass/mid-range driver with an optimal hysteresis moulded surround allows superb bass articulation and power handling to 60 Watts programme, while the two drive units linked by a simple Celestion crossover hard wired into the terminal pod, reduce unwanted component interaction. Situated on a bookshelf or on a rigid stand against the wall, the Celestion 3 offers a sophisticated choice for those with limited space and a level of performance previously unavailable at this price level. Celestion 3 Technical Specifications Frequency Response 75 Hz - 20 kHz (+-3dB) 60 Hz at (-6dB) Sensitivity 86dB SPL 1 Watt/1 m (free space conditions) Power Handling 60 Watts programme Amplifier Requirements 10 - 60 Watts (continuous sinewave output) Drive Units 1 x Celestion two-piece titanium dome tweeter 25mm (1") 1 x Celestion mid/bass unit felted fibre cone 130mm (5") Crossover 4 element, 5 kHz 1st order low pass 5 kHz 2nd order high pass Cabinet 12 mm high density particle board. Closed box system Internal Volume 8 litres Terminals 4 mm socket binding posts (colour coded), also accepting bare cable connections Impedance 8 ohms Finish Simulated Oak and Black Ash veneer Height x Width x Depth 310 x 185 x 215 mm (12.2 x 7.3 x 8.5 inches)
![Yeat & Quavo - 5BRAZY [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4XxnTAwyxus/mqdefault.jpg)
Perfect... complete, and no-bullshit review... hit all the points and explained it in such a way that everyone can understand. Beautiful... Thanks!
Thanks for the review Michael. Ive got a pair of these and I agree they really sound nice. They always sound so well balanced and indeed the bass is punchy without being in the way. Awesome!
Thanks for the comment, I was quite presently surprised and liked these small bookshelves
Great review! I owned a pair in the late '90's and used them as my home studio monitors for about three years. Nice clarity, separation, and well-balanced sound considering their compact size. These speakers are a great value if you can find them intact. Mine literally went up in smoke while trying to isolate a low-level noise coming from my mixer during a recording session. We stopped playback and pushed the faders up one at a time trying to pinpoint the source of the problem and when I pushed up one of the faders my roommate and I heard a very quiet 60Hz hum and saw thin plumes of white smoke drifting up from both tweeters. At that point, my friend and I had a pretty good laugh and the recording session was over. Celestion had already discontinued their "professional studio monitor" line (Celestion 1,2 and 3) in the US after less than 1.5yrs on the market due to poor sales. I didn't know where to source a tweeter and we clearly needed something that could handle a bit more power, so mine were never put back in service.
Thanks, love the story and shows how easy it can be to blow drivers. My granddaughter turned a volume control all the way up on one amp and when I came to turn it on a few days later I blew 2 drivers in one speaker and 1 in the other which was a pain getting spares. I have been informed there is a mk2 version with a rear port (more bass I would presume) so I will be grabbing a pair when I can
Had a pair of these back in 1989/90 as a student & remember them sounding airy but with weak bass when they were on stands away from the walls, but suppose that was to be expected given the lack of reflex porting & size of speaker. Plastic bass/mid unit frame & flaky low density chipboard cabinet was also remembered when putting the bolts back in that had lost their grip on the cabinet. Okay for book shelves & small rooms though...
Had a pair of these around 1990 in a light wood finish with light grey grill. I found them to be very detailed but lacking in bass,probably because they were on stands away from a wall,as someone else mentioned. However, they really came into their own when I used them as TV speakers - they were very spacious with plenty of oomph ( technical hifi word) when playing films through my then newly acquired video recorder.Great memories.
I purchased a pair a few weeks back and I prefer them to the KEF C10 they replaced. Especially at low to moderate volume levels where the paper cone woofer wakes up nicely, whereas the KEF was flat, dull and relatively uninspiring by comparison.
I think the large and wide surrounds on the woofer probably explain the bass. They can move more air when they have more freedom of movement.
That well could be the case, all in all a nice little pair of speakers
Thanks for this review, Michael! It's good to know that Celestion got out of the pit that they, Wharfedale and Goodmans had dug for themselves in the early 80s. I'm sure you'd like the sound of the even smaller Technics SB-F1 with their cast-aluminium cabinets.
Celestion had a great range of speakers in the mid-late '80s !
Their DL range was very good. I had a set of DL6s, very good.
I've always been tempted by a set of epic DL12s !
They don't make hi-fi speakers now though. Just items for guitars & PA etc.
Thanks Nev, I will put them in my save searches. Was quite presently surprised with these
Nice review Michael I did leave a post a year ago on these. I actually have the Mark 2's were these an improvement over the originals? Given the year I have used them I have been very impressed with them on my second system. Appreciate your informed opinion.
Thanks. If I see a MK2 at a resonable price I will snap them up as I still have these ones and they are keepers.
@@MichaelYates The Mark 2's are ported and the boxes are a bit stiffer. I think the speakers are the same, they sound like a bigger unit and have been compared to the Celestion 5's that are double the size and price. Thanks for putting me on to them Michael.
Imam ih, kupljeni novi 1995., savršeno rade sa isto tada novo kupljenim pojačalom NAD 302 ! 😀😇
Odlični, ovo su par zvučnika lijepog zvuka
Well pairing with EL84 tube integrated Amplifier
Nice review. I own a pair of these which I power with a Teac A H500 amp. It's pretty good but I think things would sound better with even better speakers. Which vintage speakers could I keep an eye out for to try as an upgrade from my Celestion 3s? They could be somewhat larger but not massively bigger. I'd appreciate ideas :)
Hi, the celestion 3a are quite a nice speaker for the price, I have only reviewed about 20 pairs so far on the channel of which I have kept the celestion 3s, mordant short ti35, wharfedale 505.2 and wharfedale diamond 3, out of them I would say the wharfedale 505.2 are just on top, but I would give Kevin at Ditton works a message if I was you as he has a wealth of knowledge of speakers and had 100s over the years
I just bought a pair of these for a secondary hi fi in my conservatory mated to Cambridge AM1 and CD 5 for £45. They are going to replace a pair of Wharfdale 9. Hope they sound fuller when they arrive! I got a pair of Mordant Short 906 3 way floor mounted speakers on the main system mated to 80 watt per channel Cambridge gear - like to hear your view on these.
Have not heard the Cambridge AM1, As for the Mordaunt Short another pair I have not heard either, but have had loads of other models that all sounded nice, except for maybe one pair that was a little under par.
i have a set of celestion cs4, there is the same woofer sr128, but has a bass port. sound is good
You made a review of DL4 as well, the DL4 certainly is better than Celestion 3 I imagine.
Do you have experience or any recommendation for Celestion 1?
Are any of these speakers good for low powered amp say under 30 watt?
Hi, I have nor heard the celestion 1 speakers, Kevin at Ditton works would be the person to tell you about the 1s, I prefered the celestion 3s over the 4s, thay are quite a nice warm sounding speaker, a bit rolled of at the top, decent about of bass for the size, take a little driving, but a 30 watt amp would be fine, for a more open clear sounding small bookshelf the diamond 3 take a lot of beating at the price
@@MichaelYates I read that the 1 is less refined yet lively version of the 3.
I can get it much cheaper than DL4 (same or similar to the 4s?)
How about Mordaunt Short MS10i compared to them?
It is around similar price range I can get in my area.
Thank you for your insights
@@wckoek I have not heard the ms10i, though I have reviewed the ms10 and they are quite a nice set of speakers, lacking a tad in the bass department, but a good little set of speakers, just behind the wharfedale diamond 3's
@@MichaelYates subjectively, do you think it is better or worse than Celestion 3 or DL4?
I just found a pair of these (left outside a house near me). Must have been left out over night as they are a little wet - hope they work xD
A nice little find, hope they dry out and sound ok
@@MichaelYates Thanks. Yes, they sound quite nice. I unplugged my rear Wharfedale 9.1s and gave them a quick test. I think I will buy a little amp for them and put them in the bedroom 😁
Awesome channel this is m8 .
I am looking for a used integrated amplifier to use with a pc bedroom system with bookshelf speakers could you could kindly suggest some good cheap amps thanks
Thanks for the comment, I have had mainly receivers and only a few integrated amps so far, with the channel still being in its infancy. But over time I will address this. Of the few I have owned, I would give the Sansui au2900 & 3900 a miss . The Sansui au 101 can still be bought for about £100 ish which is a nice amp. I did like a Rotel RA 311 which I had and this comes up under £100. I am sorry I can not help further as I wont recommend anything that I have not owned and tried.
@@MichaelYates thanks very much for your help . Much appreciated .
Putting these on a shelf won't produce half their potential. I suggest stands a foot or more out from the wall. Based on owning a pair for years.
I have this one but I don’t know how to connect amp. Can somebody help me? Hah
Hi, I have just done a speaker to amp connections video that might help you here ruclips.net/video/Keky5E4VD7M/видео.html
i hate it when they put 10-60 watts or so its either 10 or 60 watts
I think that the speaker will need a range from 10 to 60 watts to perform to its best
I thought it meant "at minimum a 10 watts amp, but 60 watts is the max they can take".
I could be wrong, but I read it to mean they will sound acceptable with a 10 watt, but no lower without losing/distorting information, and they will stay clean driven at 60 watts, but no higher without distorting/risking damage?... someone please correct me of that's off.
Sorry, me again. Titanium tweeter on 3’s.
Here’s original marketing blurb..
The high technology Celestion 3 is an extremely versatile speaker matching well with other component music systems.
Highly acclaimed by the hi-fi press, the Celestion 3's two way design makes use of award winning metal dome technology, utilising Celestion's world renowned two-piece 1" (25mm) titanium dome tweeter giving an extended and exceptionally smooth high frequency response.
A specially designed 5" (l30mm) felted fibre coned bass/mid-range driver with an optimal hysteresis moulded surround allows superb bass articulation and power handling to 60 Watts programme, while the two drive units linked by a simple Celestion crossover hard wired into the terminal pod, reduce unwanted component interaction.
Situated on a bookshelf or on a rigid stand against the wall, the Celestion 3 offers a sophisticated choice for those with limited space and a level of performance previously unavailable at this price level.
Celestion 3 Technical Specifications
Frequency Response 75 Hz - 20 kHz (+-3dB)
60 Hz at (-6dB)
Sensitivity 86dB SPL 1 Watt/1 m (free space conditions)
Power Handling 60 Watts programme
Amplifier Requirements 10 - 60 Watts (continuous sinewave output)
Drive Units 1 x Celestion two-piece titanium dome tweeter 25mm (1")
1 x Celestion mid/bass unit felted fibre cone 130mm (5")
Crossover 4 element, 5 kHz 1st order low pass
5 kHz 2nd order high pass
Cabinet 12 mm high density particle board. Closed box system
Internal Volume 8 litres
Terminals 4 mm socket binding posts (colour coded), also accepting bare cable connections
Impedance 8 ohms
Finish Simulated Oak and Black Ash veneer
Height x Width x Depth
310 x 185 x 215 mm
(12.2 x 7.3 x 8.5 inches)