ADS 200's. killer speakers. had them in the car and now have them in the house. they are 50 years old now. sound as good as they did new. the tweeter is as accurate as any i've heard. LOVE THEM !!!
I just watched the video and purposely looked in the comments immediately afterward to see if anyone mentioned the baby ADSes. I've had numerous pairs of the ADS 300s, both in my car as well as bi-amped with a Grandson of Ampzilla amp and SAE Integrated amp driving a subwoofer in my home. Being a fan of accurate, crisp highs, I thought they were a great value for the sound, especially for a college kid in the 1970s.
I see a lot of support here for the Dynaco A25s, they were my first hifi speakers, very good in their day and still quite listenable. Decades later I had inherited another pair and I put them to use as a stopgap passive subwoofer. To my surprise, two of them placed side by side on the floor were able to output formidable bass down to 30hz! For JBL-like tonality and dynamics, the old Klipsch KG1.0/1.2/1.5 models are still common, and replacement tweeter diaphragms are readily available and easy to install. Or you can pimp them with titanium diaphragms!
I'm glad you put bose on your list. It earned you a new subscriber. I'm not a Bose fan, though my first pair of speakers were 201s. The reason I'm glad you included it is because it shows you're not an "audiophile", which is a latin word for 'stuck up'. I always tell people that they should own what they like, and like what they own. If you have some 301s and a cheap receiver and like the sound, then listen to that setup as much as you can and enjoy life!
Totally agree. I never had the money to be an "audiophile". However, I did the best I could. When I went to college I purchased a pair of Bose 301 and 201. Running these with a JVC receiver and CD player the sound was amazing. I remember sitting in the room listening to various songs, artists. It created an incredible 3D effect if you were in the center of the room with both pairs of speakers going. I have heard a lot of hate about Bose over the years. I have graduated to better speakers since then. However, for the time and the cost they were great.
The sad thing about Bose is that folks could buy far better sounding speakers for the same or less money. Bose spends far more money on marketing and litigation than they spend on product design and component parts. Bose won't publish their specs for good reason. Independent testers have used standard measurement techniques and Bose speakers test out poorly. Yes, there is a correlation between specs and performance.
Thank you so much for this truthful video! After leaving the military (1974) I worked for a Hi Fi Fo Fum in KCMO. That's where my real musical journey began. We carried the whole spectrum of equipment from Pioneer's 450 rec. to the full line of Mac's. We also had an A/B switcher which allowed comparisons of speakers. That's where I first discovered the Advent speaker line. It was very difficult to discern the difference between the large and small Advents. I owned the Bose 501's and later switched to the "Stacked Advent" system. Fast forward many years after 20 years in the computer industry, I worked for Buzz Jensen's Audio Advice in Phoenix, AZ. Buzz was the first retailer, that I knew of, that would allow clients to take speakers home for a real-life test drive. You were exactly right...what speakers sound like in your environment is the game changer! You've also landed a client for life!
The Dynaco's A25 were a great speaker for the money,I paid $150. a pair in the mid 70's,they had incredible bass but didn't take up space,the sound belittled their size,one of my favorite bookshelf speakers along with my Rectilinear mini 3's.
I absolutely loved my Bose 301 series II speakers! I used them for over 20 years with a Pioneer SX-3700, and Technics SL-D303 turntable, and I wish I still had them. All of which were the first major purchases I made when I started working in my teens. Never got into the whole audiophile thing of chasing the greatest sound. I was perfectly happy with my setup. Guitar amps were another story...
Ding, ding, ding!!! Your explanation about how a speaker will sound to someone else in their listening environment, and with their equipment, is spot on. It took me a long time to understand that magic in sound is subjective, and is many times pure luck.
I watched this just days after I purchased a pair of baby Advent bookshelf speakers ! Made me smile when you said a good #1 pick for bookshelf , I also have been looking fore Bose 301 series II
I'm one of those minimus 7 guys. What i really like them for is tv not home theater but just plain stereo tv. If you like that kind of sound, you might like old cantons or a/d/s speakers for music. If you can find canton mini plus s speakers, they're like the gourmet version of the minimus 7 especially with the matching canton sub.
Thanks to you guys posting good vintage speakers to look out for, I present my current bookshelf speakers in rotation. Fortunately this is an affordable hobby unlike my vintage telescope collection. Bose 201 DCM Timepiece Bose 141 Advent Baby II refoamed Paradigm Titan refoamed Advent 2002 DCM Macrophone
Great list. I started my audiophile journey in the mid 80's with EPI 100s. They were great for a college dorm room. Upgraded to ADS L570s which I still have and love to death.
I clicked on this video, stopped it at 00:01 (before watching it), to chime in with a simple "Dynaco A25" answer. I've had several pair, and they are just sublime.
Fine choices for vintage budget speakers. I liked the EPI-70's as replacements for the model 60. In the mid 1970's EPI offered the 70 as a car speaker as the LS70. The satellite/subwoofer craze of later 1970's was a change from the big amp, big speakers mindset. Still like my EPI-100's better. Don't think Advent ever built a "bad" speaker. This Baby Advent, Advent 2, Original Large Advent, New Advent and the 5002 were all fine systems. The B/A A-40's are really boss. I got a pair several years back and dig the sweet high end and reasonable bass. Use them in my 900+ cu/ft kitchen powered by an SX-434 receiver. Impressive stereo imaging and sound so good I sometimes forget just how bass shy they are. I think that the EPI-100 was one of the best bang-for-buck budget speakers in the 1970's. Even though it was introduced in 1970, thank you very much Mr. Winslow Burhoe.
Spot on, we can listen to people talking about this and that, but in the end it's about me and my own room, the best one can do is to try and get those speakers on a loan from an audio shop and see if they fit in the room and if they sound good in the room (and this is subjective from person to person). Try it before you buy it, that's all I keep saying
To [mis]quote Yoda: Once down the Minimus7 path you start, forever will it dominate your destiny. 😀 Got a couple pair of 'em floating around the house.
Wow! Minimus 7s! Actually Optimus Pro 77s. I use those to this very day as my desktop speakers. They sound fantastic with my Aiyima A07 amp and Douk Audio P1 pre. And yes, dead drivers have been replaced.
I remember the Acoustic Research AR18s being a great set! Driven by a Kenwood Trio KA-6000 they were good for just about everything I listened to. I can remember the cymbols in Fleetwood Mac's dreams trailing off and the Bass drop in Heart's "Magic Man" rattling the walls. Voices were open and clear. Loved those speakers! I definately have to mention the Infinity Infinitesimals as well, although they're not in this price range.
I've still got some AR18S in my stash, ran them for a few months at the end of '21, tremendous speaker, sealed box bass speed and a ridiculously good tweeter, you can hear why so many studios had them on the meter bridge..
@@markpreston3406 Totally awesome speaker. I think they were left off because he is talking about what the speakers cost now instead of what they cost when they were introduced. A good pair of 18s today cost over 300, and that is on the low side.
I've been using a pair of 1980's Advent bookshelf speakers for a while and they continue to impress with the sound quality I'm getting. They're inexpensive, easy to re-foam and I like the wood cabinet look. I think they're a good choice for anyone just looking to upgrade a bit in this age of $30 digitized-plasticized speakers.
They are kinda hard to find. In the past 20 years I've managed to find a pair of the small advents. I got em for 25$ needing refoam. However I have 3 pairs of the large advents. I run four of them thru a marantz 2238b sounds awesome
I purchased a pair of the Boston Acoustic A40s new back in the 80s and still have them, although they've been relegated to garage duty. I had the tweeters replaced under warranty back in the day, but they've worked great ever since. I might just look for a matching pair and move them back into the house as surround sound speakers.
My wife got a pair of ADS bookshelf speakers in 1978, I couldn’t tell you the specific model, but they were the best sounding speakers of that size I’ve ever heard. They weren’t very large, but great sound, great bass. Also, I had (and still have) some Mini Advents with the matching subwoofer (which eventually fell apart). I refoamed them and they still sound great!
Love the video. Some great choices. There are a bunch of good bookshelf speakers out there. I know ADS may be on the upper end of $200. But I have some B7's that sound great and should be around $200 to buy. I also have some L-200's that blow away the Minimus 7's. I also have some small B&W's I just found for $75 with stands. Those may be from the early 90's though.
Boston A40 series 2..... got in a trade probably 12 years ago....my first re - foam, completely worth it. They sound excellent. Your comment about being a total speaker fanatic, rings true with me. Celestion, KEF, Wharfedale, MB Quart, JBL, Boston Acoustics. The way different ones compliment different styles of music is genuine, thanks for pointing that out Kevin!!!
Cerwin vega 201 my pair is 44 yrs old, and I listen to them everyday. They are from stansbury stereo in Baltimore. Cica1978. My 40yr old jvc receiver and cd1669-2 cassette deck are still rocking as I turn 70. Still crazy after all these year
Thank you for the time and effort you put into making quality reviews. I’m going to look into these speakers. I’m currently looking for a pair and was looking into getting a pair of pioneers elite TX-7’s
I have been enjoying all the videos in this channel, I really like the sincere approach to the reviews, and the fact that you actually work and repair the equipment.
Great vid and agree with 99%! As a fellow speaker junkie, I must add the Boston cr6-9's (6's scale well), Klh 21" tall mtm design (no model#), and Yamaha ns636 8" 3way all bring smiles when I put them into the mix! Of course with most any bkshelf, subs are a must for the big picture. Thanks
Thanks for the video most informative from a professionals opion . I just picked up a pair of Bang and Olfsen, Beovox S45-2 for 100$ 3 way speakers 8" woofer. Wow moved the 90's Klipsch KG3's up stairs. From 1978 till 1982. Book shelf speakers . I reed they where considered one of the companies reference speakers. I would put them up against a pair of KEF 50's, that cost 1500$ all day long. Thanks
Had I been able to watch your videos about fifteen years ago I still have a love for audio equipment but don't have near what I used to thanks for the videos keep em coming
Nice initial group. Being a tad older, your comments at 2:46 + were on point. I was 17 in 1973. I wore out "Brandy" and "Going Mobile" The WHO with my bookshelf set of Jensens. The day I had to get rid of them I opened them up to see they were Model 6. I wanted that to find another set of them! Life got in the way...
Nice video. I had those same Boston a40’s. I loved them. I turned upside down and covered the front with felt, kinda softened them a little. After those I had the first edition of Celestion 3 which were pretty good as well.
I have a pair of the 7's in the basement shop/pool room 28'x40'. They sit in the upper corners of the space. Everyone always asks where the speakers are. They always say wow, I can't believe that. They fill the room so nice. I have had those and the Kenwood amp for 47 years. Bought these when I was in the Army back in the late 70's. They still work awesome. In my mind they were the best bang for the buck back.
After almost 17 years with my Infinity beta 20 still love the sound. Tried to replace them but... they are so well built and sound quality is amazing. I had some JBL's and loved them too.
Wow I’m really kicking myself after having the chance to buy a pair for 30 bucks. I saw them at the thrift store and put them in my cart but something unrelated made me to depressed to buy anything that day so I handed them to someone else who luckily wasn’t going to just resell them. Seeing the smile on their face when I handed them over and told them how nice they were was a good feeling. BUT ID TAKE ALL THAT HAPPINESS BACK IF I COULD TO BACK TO THAT MOMENT. lol. Later found a pair of Mirage OM 10 for the same price and a pair of KLH model 17 not long after but no number of speakers is ever enough, you know how it goes. I hope. Lament me with how much I’m missing out on for passing those up. There’s such little info on the web regarding those specific infinity’s that it’s hard to gauge if I’m missing out on a lot. I’ve been looking for a pair of infinity’s ever since. Seems to be a underrated brand like phase tech. At least I have a pair of EPI that he mentions in another video on best bookshelf speakers.
I recently picked up both the Baby Advent II's and the Boston Acoustics A60's, based on your recommendation. I'm honestly floored by how good these sound, and I paid $150 total for both sets. Ridiculous! If either are available in your area, go get em!!
You are so lucky! When I saw the title for this video I immediately thought: Baby Advent. It was so satisfying, being an audio nerd, seeing them as top pick. Also, IMHO, absolutely worthy of this title amongst others.
I have a pair of AR-3a speakers that I bought in 1970. These were billed at the time as "bookshelf speakers" even though, I have never seen a bookcase that will accommodate them. They have been re-foamed twice, and are working fine after about 52 years.
Any speaker that didn't have a base incorporated into the cabinet was considered a bookshelf back then. Kinda funny. I love AR speakers. Henry Kloss was the man!
I restored my 'bought new' AR-28s speakers. Refoamed and had to replace both Teledyne tweeters, thanks to Simply Speakers. Refinished the faux vinyl wood with a piano black finish. I think they are selling at about $400, but a nice complement to a vintage setup.
Thanks for the list. I always buy Minimus 7's if I see them. Still have a working pair from the 80's in my workshop. I'm sure you cost me money, just logged into CL for Boston's and Advent's...
I definitely agree with the Boston A40's, but unless I'm mistaken, they were available prior to the mid- 80's. I know they were on my shopping list when I bought my first system back in '83, although I chose a pair of Polk Audio Monitor 7c's, and have never regretted that purchase. Also- I picked up a pair of Minimus-7's for my garage, I paid the princely sum of $20 for them at a garage sale. They work perfectly and make my day in the garage a much more enjoyable one than the old Aiwa boombox I was using. I paired them with my old NAD 7120 receiver and a bluetooth streaming box I bought at the same yard sale for $5. I stream music from my iPhone- typically TuneIn Radio as I can listen to WDNA 89.9 from Miami- a great jazz station. Love your reviews and your take on vintage audio!
I have a pair of Jensen SBC65 bookshelf speakers that I picked up at a second hand store many years ago and they are a perfect match paired with my Technics SA5170 receiver.
My late father in law gave me a pair of KLH bookshelf speakers from the 80’s. 6” woofer with 1” tweeter, ported in rear. At first I didn’t think much about them because of the 90’s KLH junk that was everywhere. When I hooked them up to an old Sony receiver for a garage setup, wow! Even my buddies who come in to my garage were impressed. “Open sounding” was said a few times.
I bought a pair of DLK Model 1 speakers when I was in college (40+ years ago)... their sound still holds up pretty well with a good preamp/amp and relatively small room.
Bookshelf stereo, Pioneer SX-525, Sharp RT-12 tape deck, and a set of Realistic MC-800's. Not a lot of bass, had to hug the speakers to really enjoy it, lol. Enjoyed it, and was proud of it for years. When I finally sold it, I had no trouble getting my money back. Currently own a set of Jensen JP1200's, not sure if anyone considers them to be bookshelf speakers, but I do. They are awesome, and so are their big brothers the JP1800's. Those 1800's were the best speakers I ever owned.
Still rocking 5 pairs of epi's. Two pairs of 180's stacked in my living room system powered by dual Harman Kardon hk-770 twin toroidal amps. Gold ring tweeters on all my speakers. My basement system consists of a Technics SA-700 receiver pushing a pair of epi 400 towers and a pair of epi 100 bookshelf speakers. Yes, I know it has the fiberboard, but I love it's sound and has no troubles pushing a steady 4 ohm load. And my garage system is just a cheap Onkyo surround receiver pushing another pair of epi 100's. I grew up on the epi sound. My dad had a pair of epi 100's pushed by a Pioneer sx-727 receiver and I always loved the sound. He later sold the epi's and got a pair of Klipsch Chorus speakers. Yeah, they can play loud and that's about it. Imo, the little epi's sound more accurate from top to bottom.
I bought a pair of B&W DM110's in the late 80's and only recently had to rebuild them. Great budget speaker at the time. I don't see many around though.
A year ago I bought a pair of Monitor Audio MA301 small bookshelf speakers off eBay for $120 to use in my office desktop system, and they are outstanding. 20 years ago my parents asked me to shop for a home theater system for my sister and at one stereo store the salesman asked me to listen to a pair of $600 MA301s, knowing that was above my price range, just to see my surprise at what a full sound and superb soundstage one could obtain from a speaker that was only 10.5 inches high. One of my local shops had a used Paradigm system for $400 that was too good of a value to pass up for my sister, but I definitely was extremely impressed with the MA301s. Fast forward to 2020 when I began working at home at the start of the pandemic. A little Bluetooth speaker lasted about two hours on my desk before I started wanting better fidelity. I remembered I had an old Panasonic compact system I had bought my wife years ago that had since been stored in our basement, I pulled that out, and was initially pleasantly surprised at how good it sounded. But I kept thinking how much better it would sound with better speakers, and started shopping on eBay. I checked out the usual suspects, KEF, B & W, Mission, and some rarer ones like Mordaunt Short and Castle, before remembering the MA301s. After a few weeks of waiting I spotted an auction and bought my little Monitor Audios for 80% off their MSRP. I have replaced the Panasonic electronics with a Cambridge Audio integrated amplifier, a Sony DVD changer as a transport, and a pair external DAC‘s (one an Emotiva Little Ego+ USB DAC on my laptop that at $39.10, might be the very best value in all of hi-fi, the other a 1Mii Bluetooth receiver that has an ESS Saber DAC chip and an optical input that I use as my DAC for listening to CDs or Bluetooth). I have some vague thoughts of eventually upgrading the Cambridge Audio with a Rotel, and possibly replacing my pair of inexpensive DACs with a Geshelli Labs J2. But I have no thoughts of replacing my MA301s. Sitting on a pair of concrete blocks on my desk in the middle of the room to bring them to ear-height, 8 feet from a wall, they still have surprisingly deep bass and pinpoint imaging.
I'm glad you included the Bose 301s with the caveat that placement is super important. The direct reflecting needs to be in a corner to work right. When set up right, they sound very good. I wouldn't call them accurate, but rather pleasing. Positioning also helps with bass. Re: the Minimus 7s, I suggest the ebay crossover upgrade kit; completely improves the sound quality - gets rid of the hiss and increases the transparency. You are correct, almost no bass so a sub will liven them up. My $.02
I found my Minimus 7s at a yard sale years ago. Probably paid $20 , if that. I think the guy was divorcing and they were his wife's stuff so he was practically giving everything away. (Been there twice, so I know the look, lol.) I use them for my rear speakers in my living room setup. Front speakers are (sit down, now...) re-foamed Fisher 56-S 8-inch 2-ways which I bought brand new in 1974 for $55 each (I believe SaveMart was the store). And....the receiver is a Pioneer VSX D608 A/V receiver (100 watts X 5) which I bought in the early 2000's for (still sitting?..) $50! The guy was relocating and selling everything cheap, (including an AIWA sub-woofer ($50) AND a set of JBL 8-inch 2 way studio monitors($50)!
@@bsmith9506 I love that Pioneer VSX line... I found a VSX-9300 (early '90s, I think) at a thrift store for maybe $40 about ten years ago, and the thing is bulletproof; I've driven a 2 ohm load at clipping levels with this thing at a parking lot party and it didn't bat an eye. It's currently driving ADS L880s in my office, and it's keeping schmancier amps in storage.
@@willgibson7478 The fact that these receivers are still kicking arse today is a true testament to how things are built today and how they were built back in the day...things were made to last! Now everything is disposable, not made to last and definitely not made to be repaired. Recently the motor on my 1995 Whirlpool dryer went bad. My sister said "buy a new one". I chose to repair it. Pricey, yes. Almost the cost of a new one. The repairman said 90% of his calls are for newer machines. I'll probably get another 27 years out of it...he installed a rebuilt motor and took my old motor to rebuild it. I told him "see you in 27 years" jokingly.
PSB Amazing Alphas..very nice..I like my baby Advents..a little bright with my system. Also, the Minimus I use with my ham radio..very good for voice frequencies.
A small bookshelf in the class here that you overlooked is the Mission 70 MkII. Less than 0.4 cu. ft. volume. 70-20000 Hz. 88db/w/m 6.5" woofer. 3/4" tweeter. 3800 Hz xover. British. Acoustic suspension. Very attractive though budget vinyl. Very linear and accurate. Amazing with a sub.
about 30 years ago I bought a pair of Wharfedale Diamond bookshelf speakers that I really loved. They were rear ported and that took a while to figure out the positioning on but they sounded great. When we were gone for a weekend my son blew one of the woofers. The guy who had recommended the speaker to me had a single working one too and I gave him the one I had in exchange for a not-that-great car cassette deck...
2:13 I have a set, similar to those. The Infinity Reference 1, they have the Polycell but they are 2 way speakers, so they are shorter than those displayed. I have found several things, nothing outright definite about those. In the ?rear there is an circular cap, with the push tab connectors, and there is sticker with what I take as a serial number, production number, something. Besides that &”Reference 1” is raised, molded into the cup with the connectors. I have seen something about the Reference 1 betas, along with Reference 1 several different names. The thing is that I see the ones I have, except the Polycell is switched with another tweeter, they are 3 wqy, orhers are floor mount, but all others seem to pop up repeatedly, and I will need to scroll deep, and change my search several more times, just to find a picture, click and find out that it was a different picture from the search, or the information doesn’t give me enough, or it will direct me to the same list as I was searching through already, or simply Reference 1 with Polycell might be mentioned. Does someone happen to know Reference 1 ______, or some way I can get more information, without the Reference 1 everything else? I switched them out with the 201 series 2, mainly because they need new surrounds. What is known about Paradigm Phantom v.2? A while back they began to sound like they were needed for new surroundings. From what I found. The covers are attached, so the back needs to be accessed and disassembled to get to the speakers. Yeah those Reference 1 has me wandering at times. I have multiple pdf files, pictures, documents, and many other files on everything including some on others that I help with issues that others have. Crazy thing is remote manuals, and remotes also.
My Sony SSK 30ED are still amazing. About 15 years ago Sont went for high end, this one with 6.5" kevlar driver and 1" extended definition. I got them for $150. on clearance from CC, nobody bought them, and they all missed out, because they were $329. a pair. They still sound amazing today and are one of my top 2 sets. The other being my home build full range single driver floor speakers.
I picked up for $30 a pair of Panasonic 1971 speakers used in a restaurant to announce seating parties. Paper cone and tweeter. Recapped and sound excellent but need volume down as 50 yo paper tweeters won't survive at loud levels. They have that vintage 70s Pioneer thatch grill. Look incredible. Sound good. Great find after recap with Solen.
was glad to see the realistic minimus 7's on the list, I just bought a mint pair yesterday, add a sub and they are absolutely stunning, sorry to hear your experience with them has not been great.
I put a set of Polk audio monitor 40 series 2 and a set of KLH 900b in parallel in a very small room. Connected to a Sansui 800 and the sound I get is actually a head scratcher. It sounds better than it has a right to. If I hook either sets by themselves at 8 ohms they both sound like bookshelf speakers. But the magic happens when I parallel them and the result is amazing. I found both sets of these for under $10 for the pair. I would never seek this configuration out but for stumbling across them it really works well. And I have had the 301 series 3 that I could get amazing sound out of.
As bookshelf speakers, I use the Infinity Qe (18 x 12 x 10 inches) with a Klipsch Sub 6, the EMIT ribbon tweeters is legendary and the Sub 6 add just enough bass to the 8" Qe woofer for a rich sound output.
Nice list of vintage speakers. Another hard to find but was so much fun to crank up was the Bose Bravura bookshelf speaker. Back in the day I owned series 3 901's and series 3 501's but the Bravura was my favorite Bose that I ever owned in the late 70's. In the mid 80's moved on to Boston Acoustics A60. Too bad for me that I did not know about refoaming as the A60's foam disintegrated rather fast so I parted ways with them.
I still have 8 Minimus7 speakers outdoors for my patio surround system with a Snap AV 12" inground sub. Denon rcvr AVR4800 and Crown CDi 2000 bridged mono. Have replaced 1 woofer and 1 tweeter in 18 years of hard rocking out in the country.hard to beat.
Great picks! Couldn't agree more on the BA-A40's and Baby Advents. My A40's are paired with an SX-434 and PL-12D ii in my home office. Fantastic system for a small space. Sadly sold my original Advents decades ago but I'm planning to pick up another pair for the dining room.
My Favorite are my 1971 Pro series Voice of Music model 91 two ways. sound beautiful. 8" woofer and 3" extended range tweeter second order crossed at 2kHz. goes down to 55Hz at 3db down. second choice is the B&W DM110 Speakers.
ADS a/d/s Braun - amazing speaker line. Any of their late 70’s thru 80’s line with their 1 in. tweeter - the “206-0116” one - will blow your mind. Some I can immediately think of are the L470/2’s, the L400e’s, and the L570/2’s. Incredible speakers. All with butyl rubber surrounds vs foam, which rarely need replacement. The L400’s are often on the Bay in the low $100’s. If you have the space, get the small floor standers of this period, the L690’s. Same 1 in. magical tweeter in all these ADS/Braun speakers listed but the larger sound box of the L690 created a giant killer. In fact, in ‘84 NAD had a/d/s build an L690 clone with the NAD branding to market. Incredible line of speakers and all found in vintage shops under $200. Seek and ye shall find and smile!
Have owned a lot of Braun ADS speakers. I would never sell any of them for under $200. That's one reason I didn't include them. The other reason is that they are way more rare, at least around here, than any other speaker on the list.
@@skylabsaudio 👍🏼You’re probably right about most being over $200, at least in shops. eBay deals do come up, if there is time for patience. Happy I found your channel. Digging it very much!
I have several sets of ADS Including some L-200's, B7's and 710's and agree they are great. It's possible on Craig's list or local direct sellers to get under $200 for some of the lower line ADS, probably not from a store where they need to make a profit and stand behind their products.
As always, love your videos. I started my audiophile years in the early 60s when my dad bought an HH Scott 222C. Loved stereos so much I worked at Lafayette while in high school. Some of my favorite speakers, my NHT SuperZeros I bought in 1995. Five of those with an NHT SW3P made for a spectacular home theater (my first)! In my bucket list, drive up from Dallas to come visit your store and thank you in person for the great videos!
The SuperZeros and SW1P that I bought in the early 90's are still the speakers I listen to every day. Every time I think about 'upgrading' I ask myself why? These, to me, sound as good as anything I've ever heard for less than multiple thousands of dollars.
I have a soft spot for the AR-3a. I have seen them classified as bookshelves, but that would be a mighty shelf for sure. The AR-7s however always impressed me in my many visits to Wheaton HiFi.
Love it: I only just refoamed my BA A40's that I bought new in 1984 (I believe). They shifted around the house doing dining room duty at first and ending up on my desk. They even went to work with me for my personal office for a few years. They just so suited my listening habits and preferences to a T. I was devastated when the woofer foam crumbled and they started to buzz. Sob! So happy when I discovered foam kits -- who knew? I have a pair of Videoton Minimax II bookshelf speakers made by a Hungarian company in around 1978. Amazingly they still work like new and need no refoaming (non-trad surround material?). They were heavily sold in England at the time and competed well against much pricier names. The same importer (I think) showed up at consumer shows here in Canada and they were sold in some numbers here too. I got my pair at Ring Audio who had a fondness for carrying audiophile Brit imports like Rega turntables. I'm making brand new grill covers for them as I realized a month ago while testing them that the circular holes cut into the original fibre board covers actually screw up the tweeter dispersion and make the sweet spot really small and finicky to locate.
@@DanielTejada-ip2lx his shots look just like mine. There is no "Series" marking on them, just "Boston A40" and "A40 F ". I got mine about 1982 give or take a year. I believe they were the original Boston A40's, ie there were no earlier versions.
@@BruceWalkerPhotography so Basically you have the first series 1 ? That’s the one he is talking about. Series 2 came later mid 1980’s is a slightly difference no much I just look it up on ChatGpt
JBL TLX12 (1989-92) is an amazing sounding bookshelf speaker. My first speaker bought new in 92 which I still own. I picked up a second set about 3 years back for $75. Very detailed and clear bass. These punch well above their weight. The second pair I picked up were a little rough on the vinyl wrap so I removed it and put on a walnut veneer....they look incredible. Type: 2 way, 2 driver loudspeaker system Recommended Amplifier: 10 to 75W Crossover Frequency: 3200Hz Impedance: 8Ω Sensitivity: 90dB Bass: 1 x 165mm polymer laminate cone Tweeter: 1 x 25mm titanium dome Finish: black Dimensions: 380 x 230 x 242mm Weight: 16kg Year: 1989
Kevin, the best small cabinet speaker I've ever heard is the NHT Superone (not Superzero). Not sure if it's old enough to be called vintage. From around 1990 and available for a lot less than $200/pair. The deep tight bass from the sealed 11.6″ Tall x 7.25″ Wide x 8.5″ Deep cabinet will amaze you. 6" woofer. If you've never listened to them, I sincerely suggest you do.
ADS 200's. killer speakers. had them in the car and now have them in the house. they are 50 years old now. sound as good as they did new. the tweeter is as accurate as any i've heard. LOVE THEM !!!
I just watched the video and purposely looked in the comments immediately afterward to see if anyone mentioned the baby ADSes. I've had numerous pairs of the ADS 300s, both in my car as well as bi-amped with a Grandson of Ampzilla amp and SAE Integrated amp driving a subwoofer in my home. Being a fan of accurate, crisp highs, I thought they were a great value for the sound, especially for a college kid in the 1970s.
I love your no BS commentary.
My 101 year old neighbor passed away recently. Her daughter gave me the stereo. It included a pristine pair of Allison Model 5s. Wow! They are great 😌
I see a lot of support here for the Dynaco A25s, they were my first hifi speakers, very good in their day and still quite listenable. Decades later I had inherited another pair and I put them to use as a stopgap passive subwoofer. To my surprise, two of them placed side by side on the floor were able to output formidable bass down to 30hz! For JBL-like tonality and dynamics, the old Klipsch KG1.0/1.2/1.5 models are still common, and replacement tweeter diaphragms are readily available and easy to install. Or you can pimp them with titanium diaphragms!
I used to have a pair of those, very fond memories of them, They sound great...
I'm glad you put bose on your list. It earned you a new subscriber. I'm not a Bose fan, though my first pair of speakers were 201s. The reason I'm glad you included it is because it shows you're not an "audiophile", which is a latin word for 'stuck up'.
I always tell people that they should own what they like, and like what they own. If you have some 301s and a cheap receiver and like the sound, then listen to that setup as much as you can and enjoy life!
201's we're my first speakers I ever had in highschool , with a pioneer receiver , that system sounded so good and I played them for 10 years
Totally agree. I never had the money to be an "audiophile". However, I did the best I could. When I went to college I purchased a pair of Bose 301 and 201. Running these with a JVC receiver and CD player the sound was amazing. I remember sitting in the room listening to various songs, artists. It created an incredible 3D effect if you were in the center of the room with both pairs of speakers going. I have heard a lot of hate about Bose over the years. I have graduated to better speakers since then. However, for the time and the cost they were great.
The sad thing about Bose is that folks could buy far better sounding speakers for the same or less money. Bose spends far more money on marketing and litigation than they spend on product design and component parts. Bose won't publish their specs for good reason. Independent testers have used standard measurement techniques and Bose speakers test out poorly. Yes, there is a correlation between specs and performance.
Yes. I like Cerwin Vega speakers. I had an audiophile turn his nose up at them.
Thank you so much for this truthful video! After leaving the military (1974) I worked for a Hi Fi Fo Fum in KCMO. That's where my real musical journey began. We carried the whole spectrum of equipment from Pioneer's 450 rec. to the full line of Mac's. We also had an A/B switcher which allowed comparisons of speakers. That's where I first discovered the Advent speaker line. It was very difficult to discern the difference between the large and small Advents. I owned the Bose 501's and later switched to the "Stacked Advent" system. Fast forward many years after 20 years in the computer industry, I worked for Buzz Jensen's Audio Advice in Phoenix, AZ. Buzz was the first retailer, that I knew of, that would allow clients to take speakers home for a real-life test drive. You were exactly right...what speakers sound like in your environment is the game changer! You've also landed a client for life!
Thank you so much for the kind words! Appreciate it!
So glad to see the A40s on the list. If I hadn't I might have had to unsubscribe. ;)
The Dynaco's A25 were a great speaker for the money,I paid $150. a pair in the mid 70's,they had incredible bass but didn't take up space,the sound belittled their size,one of my favorite bookshelf speakers along with my Rectilinear mini 3's.
Great speakers.
I absolutely loved my Bose 301 series II speakers! I used them for over 20 years with a Pioneer SX-3700, and Technics SL-D303 turntable, and I wish I still had them. All of which were the first major purchases I made when I started working in my teens. Never got into the whole audiophile thing of chasing the greatest sound. I was perfectly happy with my setup. Guitar amps were another story...
Baby ADVENT is one of my favorites!
Bought a pair as a teen...😊
Although a bit before this time period, the Dynaco A25 was always a favorite for sound and value.
Don't forget the A25 XL's!
Never heard of it till now. I want to hear a pair.
I bought a pair of A25s at an estate sale for ... well, let's just say Not Much.
Haven't heard them yet, but I expect they will be good.
I still listen to the A25 powered by a Marantz 2230 receiver… very smooth and open sound… has the adjustable frequency crossover.
@@MH-fb5kr what other speakers have you owned?
Dynaco A 25 is a beast sound superb with anything.
Ding, ding, ding!!! Your explanation about how a speaker will sound to someone else in their listening environment, and with their equipment, is spot on. It took me a long time to understand that magic in sound is subjective, and is many times pure luck.
I watched this just days after I purchased a pair of baby Advent bookshelf speakers ! Made me smile when you said a good #1 pick for bookshelf , I also have been looking fore Bose 301 series II
I'm one of those minimus 7 guys. What i really like them for is tv not home theater but just plain stereo tv. If you like that kind of sound, you might like old cantons or a/d/s speakers for music. If you can find canton mini plus s speakers, they're like the gourmet version of the minimus 7 especially with the matching canton sub.
Thanks to you guys posting good vintage speakers to look out for, I present my current bookshelf speakers in rotation. Fortunately this is an affordable hobby unlike my vintage telescope collection.
Bose 201
DCM Timepiece
Bose 141
Advent Baby II refoamed
Paradigm Titan refoamed
Advent 2002
DCM Macrophone
Great list. I started my audiophile journey in the mid 80's with EPI 100s. They were great for a college dorm room. Upgraded to ADS L570s which I still have and love to death.
I had the A/D/S L810. VERY tightly engineered speakers. They were really the best thing for the price.
@@scottlowell493 I'm amazed that they're still like new. It's pretty crazy.
congratulations on not blowing them. or more accurately perhaps to say congratulations on not having a friend blow them when you weren't in the room.
to be clear, that was a commentary on college parties, not the speakers. 😅
EPI 100's are awesome speakers!
I clicked on this video, stopped it at 00:01 (before watching it), to chime in with a simple "Dynaco A25" answer. I've had several pair, and they are just sublime.
Fine choices for vintage budget speakers. I liked the EPI-70's as replacements for the model 60. In the mid 1970's EPI offered the 70 as a car speaker as the LS70. The satellite/subwoofer craze of later 1970's was a change from the big amp, big speakers mindset. Still like my EPI-100's better. Don't think Advent ever built a "bad" speaker. This Baby Advent, Advent 2, Original Large Advent, New Advent and the 5002 were all fine systems. The B/A A-40's are really boss. I got a pair several years back and dig the sweet high end and reasonable bass. Use them in my 900+ cu/ft kitchen powered by an SX-434 receiver. Impressive stereo imaging and sound so good I sometimes forget just how bass shy they are. I think that the EPI-100 was one of the best bang-for-buck budget speakers in the 1970's. Even though it was introduced in 1970, thank you very much Mr. Winslow Burhoe.
Spot on, we can listen to people talking about this and that, but in the end it's about me and my own room, the best one can do is to try and get those speakers on a loan from an audio shop and see if they fit in the room and if they sound good in the room (and this is subjective from person to person). Try it before you buy it, that's all I keep saying
Loved the minimus 7’s back in the day… had them in our kitchen, equalized them a bit and they were great…especially for the $$$.
Cheers
To [mis]quote Yoda: Once down the Minimus7 path you start, forever will it dominate your destiny. 😀 Got a couple pair of 'em floating around the house.
Advent Baby 2s! Replaced my Large Advents. Still got ‘em, still like ‘em. Always fun to swap in when I get the urge.
Wow! Minimus 7s! Actually Optimus Pro 77s. I use those to this very day as my desktop speakers. They sound fantastic with my Aiyima A07 amp and Douk Audio P1 pre. And yes, dead drivers have been replaced.
I remember the Acoustic Research AR18s being a great set! Driven by a Kenwood Trio KA-6000 they were good for just about everything I listened to. I can remember the cymbols in Fleetwood Mac's dreams trailing off and the Bass drop in Heart's "Magic Man" rattling the walls. Voices were open and clear. Loved those speakers!
I definately have to mention the Infinity Infinitesimals as well, although they're not in this price range.
Those AR-18 were very good on their price
I've still got some AR18S in my stash, ran them for a few months at the end of '21, tremendous speaker, sealed box bass speed and a ridiculously good tweeter, you can hear why so many studios had them on the meter bridge..
@@markpreston3406 Totally awesome speaker. I think they were left off because he is talking about what the speakers cost now instead of what they cost when they were introduced. A good pair of 18s today cost over 300, and that is on the low side.
I've owned my Baby Advent 2s since 1993 and I still live them
I've been using a pair of 1980's Advent bookshelf speakers for a while and they continue to impress with the sound quality I'm getting. They're inexpensive, easy to re-foam and I like the wood cabinet look. I think they're a good choice for anyone just looking to upgrade a bit in this age of $30 digitized-plasticized speakers.
They are kinda hard to find. In the past 20 years I've managed to find a pair of the small advents. I got em for 25$ needing refoam. However I have 3 pairs of the large advents. I run four of them thru a marantz 2238b sounds awesome
@@marshallgibson8872 Yes, and the prices have been going up on them too. Growing up in the 80's, the Advents are a sentimental favorite.
I've had the Bose bookshelves since the 80's and love em. I've had them so loud the were pumping air at a foot away. Bullet proof with great sound.
I purchased a pair of the Boston Acoustic A40s new back in the 80s and still have them, although they've been relegated to garage duty. I had the tweeters replaced under warranty back in the day, but they've worked great ever since. I might just look for a matching pair and move them back into the house as surround sound speakers.
The Boston Acoustic A40 are the series 2 is the only one I can hardly find ? Or series 1 Boston Acoustic which one is it ?
HE IS TALKING ABOUT THE BOSTON ACOUSTIC A40 SERIES 2 ? Or SERIES 1 ?
My wife got a pair of ADS bookshelf speakers in 1978, I couldn’t tell you the specific model, but they were the best sounding speakers of that size I’ve ever heard. They weren’t very large, but great sound, great bass. Also, I had (and still have) some Mini Advents with the matching subwoofer (which eventually fell apart). I refoamed them and they still sound great!
I have a pair of ADS 810s that I will never sell. They made incredible speakers.
I’ve got L710s. ADS was an awesome brand.
ADS bookshelves are the sh*t, disappointed they weren't mentioned here.
Love the video. Some great choices. There are a bunch of good bookshelf speakers out there. I know ADS may be on the upper end of $200. But I have some B7's that sound great and should be around $200 to buy. I also have some L-200's that blow away the Minimus 7's. I also have some small B&W's I just found for $75 with stands. Those may be from the early 90's though.
I still have a pair of ADS L570s from my college years in the mid 80s. I love 'em.
Boston A40 series 2..... got in a trade probably 12 years ago....my first re - foam, completely worth it. They sound excellent. Your comment about being a total speaker fanatic, rings true with me. Celestion, KEF, Wharfedale, MB Quart, JBL, Boston Acoustics. The way different ones compliment different styles of music is genuine, thanks for pointing that out Kevin!!!
Cerwin vega 201 my pair is 44 yrs old, and I listen to them everyday. They are from stansbury stereo in Baltimore. Cica1978. My 40yr old jvc receiver and cd1669-2 cassette deck are still rocking as I turn 70. Still crazy after all these year
Loved your comment...I'm 75 and still crazy after all these years.
PSB Alpha has always been a favorite. Great channel!
my brother had a set of 301s and I was amazed at the output of these bookshelf speakers.
Thank you for the time and effort you put into making quality reviews. I’m going to look into these speakers. I’m currently looking for a pair and was looking into getting a pair of pioneers elite TX-7’s
My pleasure!
I have been enjoying all the videos in this channel, I really like the sincere approach to the reviews, and the fact that you actually work and repair the equipment.
Thank you, Alex! Appreciate it!
Great vid and agree with 99%! As a fellow speaker junkie, I must add the Boston cr6-9's (6's scale well), Klh 21" tall mtm design (no model#), and Yamaha ns636 8" 3way all bring smiles when I put them into the mix! Of course with most any bkshelf, subs are a must for the big picture. Thanks
Thanks for the video most informative from a professionals opion . I just picked up a pair of Bang and Olfsen, Beovox S45-2 for 100$
3 way speakers 8" woofer. Wow moved the 90's Klipsch KG3's up stairs. From 1978 till 1982. Book shelf speakers . I reed they where
considered one of the companies reference speakers. I would put them up against a pair of KEF 50's, that cost 1500$ all day long.
Thanks
Had I been able to watch your videos about fifteen years ago I still have a love for audio equipment but don't have near what I used to thanks for the videos keep em coming
Nice initial group. Being a tad older, your comments at 2:46 + were on point. I was 17 in 1973. I wore out "Brandy" and "Going Mobile" The WHO with my bookshelf set of Jensens. The day I had to get rid of them I opened them up to see they were Model 6. I wanted that to find another set of them! Life got in the way...
Nice video. I had those same Boston a40’s. I loved them. I turned upside down and covered the front with felt, kinda softened them a little. After those I had the first edition of Celestion 3 which were pretty good as well.
I bought Bose 301s for my first system, over 30 years ago. They are now in my garage and still sound really good out there as well!
I have a pair of the 7's in the basement shop/pool room 28'x40'. They sit in the upper corners of the space. Everyone always asks where the speakers are. They always say wow, I can't believe that. They fill the room so nice. I have had those and the Kenwood amp for 47 years. Bought these when I was in the Army back in the late 70's. They still work awesome. In my mind they were the best bang for the buck back.
After almost 17 years with my Infinity beta 20 still love the sound. Tried to replace them but... they are so well built and sound quality is amazing.
I had some JBL's and loved them too.
Wow I’m really kicking myself after having the chance to buy a pair for 30 bucks. I saw them at the thrift store and put them in my cart but something unrelated made me to depressed to buy anything that day so I handed them to someone else who luckily wasn’t going to just resell them. Seeing the smile on their face when I handed them over and told them how nice they were was a good feeling. BUT ID TAKE ALL THAT HAPPINESS BACK IF I COULD TO BACK TO THAT MOMENT. lol. Later found a pair of Mirage OM 10 for the same price and a pair of KLH model 17 not long after but no number of speakers is ever enough, you know how it goes. I hope.
Lament me with how much I’m missing out on for passing those up. There’s such little info on the web regarding those specific infinity’s that it’s hard to gauge if I’m missing out on a lot. I’ve been looking for a pair of infinity’s ever since. Seems to be a underrated brand like phase tech. At least I have a pair of EPI that he mentions in another video on best bookshelf speakers.
Excellent vid and site, thanks. I'm wondering about the altec lansing speakers, expecially the 846b valencia... I never see a review of them.
I got a set of 301s mine were made in 1972 still work awesome with my sansui amp and equalizer 👍👍
I recently picked up both the Baby Advent II's and the Boston Acoustics A60's, based on your recommendation. I'm honestly floored by how good these sound, and I paid $150 total for both sets. Ridiculous! If either are available in your area, go get em!!
You are so lucky! When I saw the title for this video I immediately thought: Baby Advent. It was so satisfying, being an audio nerd, seeing them as top pick. Also, IMHO, absolutely worthy of this title amongst others.
I had a pair of Bose 301’s while in high school and early career. I have fond memories of them. They were my first real stereo speakers…😀
You’re the best. I’ve been following for Instagram for a while now and I’m glad that I found your RUclips.
I have a pair of AR-3a speakers that I bought in 1970. These were billed at the time as "bookshelf speakers" even though, I have never seen a bookcase that will accommodate them. They have been re-foamed twice, and are working fine after about 52 years.
Any speaker that didn't have a base incorporated into the cabinet was considered a bookshelf back then. Kinda funny. I love AR speakers. Henry Kloss was the man!
I restored my 'bought new' AR-28s speakers. Refoamed and had to replace both Teledyne tweeters, thanks to Simply Speakers. Refinished the faux vinyl wood with a piano black finish. I think they are selling at about $400, but a nice complement to a vintage setup.
They aren't going for $200 or less these days.
@@andykeena8767 Fully restored? I did a quick search and I don't see any for sale in the US.
@@leonarddaneman810 I saw a few on ebay for $1,350-$1,999
Thanks for the list. I always buy Minimus 7's if I see them. Still have a working pair from the 80's in my workshop. I'm sure you cost me money, just logged into CL for Boston's and Advent's...
I definitely agree with the Boston A40's, but unless I'm mistaken, they were available prior to the mid- 80's. I know they were on my shopping list when I bought my first system back in '83, although I chose a pair of Polk Audio Monitor 7c's, and have never regretted that purchase. Also- I picked up a pair of Minimus-7's for my garage, I paid the princely sum of $20 for them at a garage sale. They work perfectly and make my day in the garage a much more enjoyable one than the old Aiwa boombox I was using. I paired them with my old NAD 7120 receiver and a bluetooth streaming box I bought at the same yard sale for $5. I stream music from my iPhone- typically TuneIn Radio as I can listen to WDNA 89.9 from Miami- a great jazz station.
Love your reviews and your take on vintage audio!
Great topic! Really enjoyed your perspective as a shop owner. Also, the intro was hilarious. Well done - keep up the great work.
Thank you, Gabriel!
I have a pair of Jensen SBC65 bookshelf speakers that I picked up at a second hand store many years ago and they are a perfect match paired with my Technics SA5170 receiver.
My late father in law gave me a pair of KLH bookshelf speakers from the 80’s. 6” woofer with 1” tweeter, ported in rear. At first I didn’t think much about them because of the 90’s KLH junk that was everywhere.
When I hooked them up to an old Sony receiver for a garage setup, wow! Even my buddies who come in to my garage were impressed. “Open sounding” was said a few times.
I dig those little Minimus speakers for what they do. I was actually looking to find a pair for my workbench.
I bought a pair of DLK Model 1 speakers when I was in college (40+ years ago)... their sound still holds up pretty well with a good preamp/amp and relatively small room.
Bookshelf stereo, Pioneer SX-525, Sharp RT-12 tape deck, and a set of Realistic MC-800's. Not a lot of bass, had to hug the speakers to really enjoy it, lol. Enjoyed it, and was proud of it for years. When I finally sold it, I had no trouble getting my money back. Currently own a set of Jensen JP1200's, not sure if anyone considers them to be bookshelf speakers, but I do. They are awesome, and so are their big brothers the JP1800's. Those 1800's were the best speakers I ever owned.
Still rocking 5 pairs of epi's.
Two pairs of 180's stacked in my living room system powered by dual Harman Kardon hk-770 twin toroidal amps. Gold ring tweeters on all my speakers.
My basement system consists of a Technics SA-700 receiver pushing a pair of epi 400 towers and a pair of epi 100 bookshelf speakers. Yes, I know it has the fiberboard, but I love it's sound and has no troubles pushing a steady 4 ohm load.
And my garage system is just a cheap Onkyo surround receiver pushing another pair of epi 100's.
I grew up on the epi sound. My dad had a pair of epi 100's pushed by a Pioneer sx-727 receiver and I always loved the sound. He later sold the epi's and got a pair of Klipsch Chorus speakers. Yeah, they can play loud and that's about it. Imo, the little epi's sound more accurate from top to bottom.
I agree. I'd take the Dynacos over the Klipsch. Just my personal opinion. :)
Have 2 pairs of 100's :)
I bought a pair of B&W DM110's in the late 80's and only recently had to rebuild them. Great budget speaker at the time. I don't see many around though.
A year ago I bought a pair of Monitor Audio MA301 small bookshelf speakers off eBay for $120 to use in my office desktop system, and they are outstanding.
20 years ago my parents asked me to shop for a home theater system for my sister and at one stereo store the salesman asked me to listen to a pair of $600 MA301s, knowing that was above my price range, just to see my surprise at what a full sound and superb soundstage one could obtain from a speaker that was only 10.5 inches high. One of my local shops had a used Paradigm system for $400 that was too good of a value to pass up for my sister, but I definitely was extremely impressed with the MA301s.
Fast forward to 2020 when I began working at home at the start of the pandemic. A little Bluetooth speaker lasted about two hours on my desk before I started wanting better fidelity. I remembered I had an old Panasonic compact system I had bought my wife years ago that had since been stored in our basement, I pulled that out, and was initially pleasantly surprised at how good it sounded.
But I kept thinking how much better it would sound with better speakers, and started shopping on eBay. I checked out the usual suspects, KEF, B & W, Mission, and some rarer ones like Mordaunt Short and Castle, before remembering the MA301s. After a few weeks of waiting I spotted an auction and bought my little Monitor Audios for 80% off their MSRP.
I have replaced the Panasonic electronics with a Cambridge Audio integrated amplifier, a Sony DVD changer as a transport, and a pair external DAC‘s (one an Emotiva Little Ego+ USB DAC on my laptop that at $39.10, might be the very best value in all of hi-fi, the other a 1Mii Bluetooth receiver that has an ESS Saber DAC chip and an optical input that I use as my DAC for listening to CDs or Bluetooth). I have some vague thoughts of eventually upgrading the Cambridge Audio with a Rotel, and possibly replacing my pair of inexpensive DACs with a Geshelli Labs J2.
But I have no thoughts of replacing my MA301s. Sitting on a pair of concrete blocks on my desk in the middle of the room to bring them to ear-height, 8 feet from a wall, they still have surprisingly deep bass and pinpoint imaging.
Picked up a pair of mint Kef 101/3 from a thrift shop for $130. The best bookshelf speakers I’ve had.
I'm glad you included the Bose 301s with the caveat that placement is super important. The direct reflecting needs to be in a corner to work right. When set up right, they sound very good. I wouldn't call them accurate, but rather pleasing. Positioning also helps with bass. Re: the Minimus 7s, I suggest the ebay crossover upgrade kit; completely improves the sound quality - gets rid of the hiss and increases the transparency. You are correct, almost no bass so a sub will liven them up. My $.02
I found my Minimus 7s at a yard sale years ago. Probably paid $20 , if that. I think the guy was divorcing and they were his wife's stuff so he was practically giving everything away. (Been there twice, so I know the look, lol.) I use them for my rear speakers in my living room setup. Front speakers are (sit down, now...) re-foamed Fisher 56-S 8-inch 2-ways which I bought brand new in 1974 for $55 each (I believe SaveMart was the store). And....the receiver is a Pioneer VSX D608 A/V receiver (100 watts X 5) which I bought in the early 2000's for (still sitting?..) $50! The guy was relocating and selling everything cheap, (including an AIWA sub-woofer ($50) AND a set of JBL 8-inch 2 way studio monitors($50)!
@@bsmith9506 I love that Pioneer VSX line... I found a VSX-9300 (early '90s, I think) at a thrift store for maybe $40 about ten years ago, and the thing is bulletproof; I've driven a 2 ohm load at clipping levels with this thing at a parking lot party and it didn't bat an eye. It's currently driving ADS L880s in my office, and it's keeping schmancier amps in storage.
@@willgibson7478 The fact that these receivers are still kicking arse today is a true testament to how things are built today and how they were built back in the day...things were made to last! Now everything is disposable, not made to last and definitely not made to be repaired. Recently the motor on my 1995 Whirlpool dryer went bad. My sister said "buy a new one". I chose to repair it. Pricey, yes. Almost the cost of a new one. The repairman said 90% of his calls are for newer machines. I'll probably get another 27 years out of it...he installed a rebuilt motor and took my old motor to rebuild it. I told him "see you in 27 years" jokingly.
have a pair of ditton by celestion they sound great for bookself
PSB Amazing Alphas..very nice..I like my baby Advents..a little bright with my system.
Also, the Minimus I use with my ham radio..very good for voice frequencies.
This is the best video on the internet. Thank you for this.
Appreciate that!
A small bookshelf in the class here that you overlooked is the Mission 70 MkII. Less than 0.4 cu. ft. volume. 70-20000 Hz. 88db/w/m 6.5" woofer. 3/4" tweeter. 3800 Hz xover. British. Acoustic suspension. Very attractive though budget vinyl. Very linear and accurate. Amazing with a sub.
Also very uncommon around here anyway. Have liked every Misson speaker I have ever heard.
NHT Superzero…can’t be beat for the price. Sound better than many speakers twice their price.
about 30 years ago I bought a pair of Wharfedale Diamond bookshelf speakers that I really loved. They were rear ported and that took a while to figure out the positioning on but they sounded great. When we were gone for a weekend my son blew one of the woofers. The guy who had recommended the speaker to me had a single working one too and I gave him the one I had in exchange for a not-that-great car cassette deck...
I really like KLH speakers to me they rock!
2:13 I have a set, similar to those. The Infinity Reference 1, they have the Polycell but they are 2 way speakers, so they are shorter than those displayed. I have found several things, nothing outright definite about those. In the ?rear there is an circular cap, with the push tab connectors, and there is sticker with what I take as a serial number, production number, something. Besides that &”Reference 1” is raised, molded into the cup with the connectors.
I have seen something about the Reference 1 betas, along with Reference 1 several different names.
The thing is that I see the ones I have, except the Polycell is switched with another tweeter, they are 3 wqy, orhers are floor mount, but all others seem to pop up repeatedly, and I will need to scroll deep, and change my search several more times, just to find a picture, click and find out that it was a different picture from the search, or the information doesn’t give me enough, or it will direct me to the same list as I was searching through already, or simply Reference 1 with Polycell might be mentioned.
Does someone happen to know Reference 1 ______, or some way I can get more information, without the Reference 1 everything else? I switched them out with the 201 series 2, mainly because they need new surrounds.
What is known about Paradigm Phantom v.2? A while back they began to sound like they were needed for new surroundings. From what I found. The covers are attached, so the back needs to be accessed and disassembled to get to the speakers.
Yeah those Reference 1 has me wandering at times. I have multiple pdf files, pictures, documents, and many other files on everything including some on others that I help with issues that others have. Crazy thing is remote manuals, and remotes also.
My Sony SSK 30ED are still amazing. About 15 years ago Sont went for high end, this one with 6.5" kevlar driver and 1" extended definition. I got them for $150. on clearance from CC, nobody bought them, and they all missed out, because they were $329. a pair. They still sound amazing today and are one of my top 2 sets. The other being my home build full range single driver floor speakers.
I picked up for $30 a pair of Panasonic 1971 speakers used in a restaurant to announce seating parties. Paper cone and tweeter. Recapped and sound excellent but need volume down as 50 yo paper tweeters won't survive at loud levels.
They have that vintage 70s Pioneer thatch grill. Look incredible.
Sound good.
Great find after recap with Solen.
I have 2 pairs of Dynaco A-10's. One set I inherited and the other pair I purchased for $90. Great bookshelf speakers driven by my Yamaha CR-2020.
was glad to see the realistic minimus 7's on the list, I just bought a mint pair yesterday, add a sub and they are absolutely stunning, sorry to hear your experience with them has not been great.
I put a set of Polk audio monitor 40 series 2 and a set of KLH 900b in parallel in a very small room. Connected to a Sansui 800 and the sound I get is actually a head scratcher. It sounds better than it has a right to. If I hook either sets by themselves at 8 ohms they both sound like bookshelf speakers. But the magic happens when I parallel them and the result is amazing. I found both sets of these for under $10 for the pair. I would never seek this configuration out but for stumbling across them it really works well. And I have had the 301 series 3 that I could get amazing sound out of.
I had a pair in the mid nineties. They sound amazing for the cheap!
As bookshelf speakers, I use the Infinity Qe (18 x 12 x 10 inches) with a Klipsch Sub 6, the EMIT ribbon tweeters is legendary and the Sub 6 add just enough bass to the 8" Qe woofer for a rich sound output.
Another good video, thanks for the speaker review. Keep up the good work!
Thank you Patrick!
Infinity Qe speakers were really great bookshelf speakers. Had a pair and sold a bunch of them to friends who heard mine.
Nice list of vintage speakers. Another hard to find but was so much fun to crank up was the Bose Bravura bookshelf speaker. Back in the day I owned series 3 901's and series 3 501's but the Bravura was my favorite Bose that I ever owned in the late 70's. In the mid 80's moved on to Boston Acoustics A60. Too bad for me that I did not know about refoaming as the A60's foam disintegrated rather fast so I parted ways with them.
The mid 1980s to early 1990s for bookshelf speakers to me was the golden age. PSB and Monitor Audio were amazing. Also a big fan of B&W.
I still have 8 Minimus7 speakers outdoors for my patio surround system with a Snap AV 12" inground sub. Denon rcvr AVR4800 and Crown CDi 2000 bridged mono. Have replaced 1 woofer and 1 tweeter in 18 years of hard rocking out in the country.hard to beat.
Won me over in 10 seconds.
Subscribed.
Acoustic Research TSW 210. Owned them for a while in college. During my, new speaker every semester phase. Also owned the 610 later on down the road.
Great picks! Couldn't agree more on the BA-A40's and Baby Advents. My A40's are paired with an SX-434 and PL-12D ii in my home office. Fantastic system for a small space. Sadly sold my original Advents decades ago but I'm planning to pick up another pair for the dining room.
BIC with venturi port. I remember them as bright and punchy
My Favorite are my 1971 Pro series Voice of Music model 91 two ways. sound beautiful. 8" woofer and 3" extended range tweeter second order crossed at 2kHz. goes down to 55Hz at 3db down. second choice is the B&W DM110 Speakers.
ADS a/d/s Braun - amazing speaker line. Any of their late 70’s thru 80’s line with their 1 in. tweeter - the “206-0116” one - will blow your mind. Some I can immediately think of are the L470/2’s, the L400e’s, and the L570/2’s. Incredible speakers. All with butyl rubber surrounds vs foam, which rarely need replacement. The L400’s are often on the Bay in the low $100’s. If you have the space, get the small floor standers of this period, the L690’s. Same 1 in. magical tweeter in all these ADS/Braun speakers listed but the larger sound box of the L690 created a giant killer. In fact, in ‘84 NAD had a/d/s build an L690 clone with the NAD branding to market. Incredible line of speakers and all found in vintage shops under $200. Seek and ye shall find and smile!
Have owned a lot of Braun ADS speakers. I would never sell any of them for under $200. That's one reason I didn't include them. The other reason is that they are way more rare, at least around here, than any other speaker on the list.
@@skylabsaudio 👍🏼You’re probably right about most being over $200, at least in shops. eBay deals do come up, if there is time for patience. Happy I found your channel. Digging it very much!
I have several sets of ADS Including some L-200's, B7's and 710's and agree they are great. It's possible on Craig's list or local direct sellers to get under $200 for some of the lower line ADS, probably not from a store where they need to make a profit and stand behind their products.
I really liked my Realistic - Optimus bookshelf speakers. They sounded great and had real walnut veneer cabinets
smooth and buttery, not too subtle review...thanks
I've always liked the Realistic Nova-15 speakers from the mid-80s.
The imaging from the Polk Monitor series of the 80s were amazing. My old 5b are still incredible
I have two pairs of the Dynaco A-25 speakers - I'd be interested in your comments on that in another video. Thanks for the good info.
As always, love your videos. I started my audiophile years in the early 60s when my dad bought an HH Scott 222C. Loved stereos so much I worked at Lafayette while in high school. Some of my favorite speakers, my NHT SuperZeros I bought in 1995. Five of those with an NHT SW3P made for a spectacular home theater (my first)!
In my bucket list, drive up from Dallas to come visit your store and thank you in person for the great videos!
The SuperZeros and SW1P that I bought in the early 90's are still the speakers I listen to every day. Every time I think about 'upgrading' I ask myself why? These, to me, sound as good as anything I've ever heard for less than multiple thousands of dollars.
I have a soft spot for the AR-3a. I have seen them classified as bookshelves, but that would be a mighty shelf for sure. The AR-7s however always impressed me in my many visits to Wheaton HiFi.
Got some Polk audio’s in 1979 and hooked them up to my pioneer super tuner in the car. Very awesome
Love it: I only just refoamed my BA A40's that I bought new in 1984 (I believe). They shifted around the house doing dining room duty at first and ending up on my desk. They even went to work with me for my personal office for a few years. They just so suited my listening habits and preferences to a T. I was devastated when the woofer foam crumbled and they started to buzz. Sob! So happy when I discovered foam kits -- who knew?
I have a pair of Videoton Minimax II bookshelf speakers made by a Hungarian company in around 1978. Amazingly they still work like new and need no refoaming (non-trad surround material?). They were heavily sold in England at the time and competed well against much pricier names. The same importer (I think) showed up at consumer shows here in Canada and they were sold in some numbers here too. I got my pair at Ring Audio who had a fondness for carrying audiophile Brit imports like Rega turntables. I'm making brand new grill covers for them as I realized a month ago while testing them that the circular holes cut into the original fibre board covers actually screw up the tweeter dispersion and make the sweet spot really small and finicky to locate.
QUESTION HE IS TALKING ABOUT THE BOSTON ACOUSTIC A-40 Series 2 ? Or there is a series 1 out there ?
@@DanielTejada-ip2lx his shots look just like mine. There is no "Series" marking on them, just "Boston A40" and "A40 F ". I got mine about 1982 give or take a year. I believe they were the original Boston A40's, ie there were no earlier versions.
@@BruceWalkerPhotography in the Back of the Speaker do you see series 2 on the sticker ?
@ no.
@@BruceWalkerPhotography so Basically you have the first series 1 ? That’s the one he is talking about. Series 2 came later mid 1980’s is a slightly difference no much I just look it up on ChatGpt
JBL TLX12 (1989-92) is an amazing sounding bookshelf speaker. My first speaker bought new in 92 which I still own. I picked up a second set about 3 years back for $75. Very detailed and clear bass. These punch well above their weight. The second pair I picked up were a little rough on the vinyl wrap so I removed it and put on a walnut veneer....they look incredible.
Type: 2 way, 2 driver loudspeaker system
Recommended Amplifier: 10 to 75W
Crossover Frequency: 3200Hz
Impedance: 8Ω
Sensitivity: 90dB
Bass: 1 x 165mm polymer laminate cone
Tweeter: 1 x 25mm titanium dome
Finish: black
Dimensions: 380 x 230 x 242mm
Weight: 16kg
Year: 1989
The JBL 216 were my first speakers! As they say, you never forget your first. Great memories; wish I hadn't sold them.
Kevin, the best small cabinet speaker I've ever heard is the NHT Superone (not Superzero). Not sure if it's old enough to be called vintage. From around 1990 and available for a lot less than $200/pair. The deep tight bass from the sealed 11.6″ Tall x 7.25″ Wide x 8.5″ Deep cabinet will amaze you. 6" woofer. If you've never listened to them, I sincerely suggest you do.