Thoroughly enjoyed the video. After starting my first job, I saved up for my dream stereo system. It included the KEF 104.2 speakers paired with an NAD 2600 PE and a Yamaha CDX 11000U. I listened to that system well into the 2000s until I needed to downsize.
Yeah, I used to sell the B&W 801s. They were an industry leader in their day. Full range, 20-20k, with their Matrix cabinets. For me, they lacked dynamics. Very accurate, but even with two MASSIVE Krell or Threshold monoblocks, they just didn't come to life. I sold against the KEFs. The 104s took a lot of my sales. Good imagining. I think now they have mastered the concentric drivers. I agree, they got a little shouty at louder levels. But really nice for critical listening. I also sold the Klipsch line, and although I'm not a fan of horn speakers, I sold the Forte IIs to my buddy who didn't have great gear and is deaf in one ear. But he could use the Fortes without any other upgrades, and they last a lifetime. Personally, I split my system between ADS L780 IIs with a subwoofer with twin twelves. I also had some ADS 810s. A really, really nice speaker. Also paired with the sub. I still love both of the ADS in different rooms. And I also grabbed a pair of the Snell C/Vs. I think this was in '92. I liked these much more than the B&Ws. I think the designer (Voeks?) became the lead designer at Legacy? With a slight rework of the crossovers and rewiring of the two tens, these went to the next level. Some of these speakers are in storage atm, but I've never let them go. Even though now I run some Dalis in my 2nd system, and am looking at some open baffle for my mains, once I move, I plan on being able to switch between all of icons when the mood strikes. I have also picked up some ADS drivers and crossovers just to use as a project and see how they sound in some custom cabs. That's one of the great advantages these days - between being able to seemingly incorporate a sub with any mains, and using DSP to tune any system and compensate for room conditions - the flexibility for speaker configurations is fantastic. Just love it...
Like you, I sold mid to high end audio and video equipment from the late '80s to mid '90s. We sold Boston Acoustics, KEF, Dahlquist, Paradigm, Mission, Definitive Technology, Magnepan, Jamo, Yamaha, Sony, and Vandersteen speakers. Over the years I worked there I auditioned nearly everything so I could accurately describe to my customers. I ended up buying Boston T1000s for myself because I found them to be the best bang for the buck of anything we sold. I teamed them up with a B&K Ex-442 power amp, a B&K Pro-10 MC pre-amp, a Rega Planar III turntable with a Sumiko moving coil cartridge, a Marantz digital tuner, Sony ES 3-head cassette deck, and a Sony ES CD player, all of which I still use today. I've been extremely lucky in that I haven't experienced capacitor leakage in my electronics, so I've only had to repair my woofer and mid-range speaker surrounds which deteriorated over the years and the drive belts for my turntable, cassette player and CD player. In my opinion I like the sound of my system better than any modern system I could replace it with, and I'm very happy with the purchasing decisions that I made 30 plus years ago. The only things I wish to add to my system are some type of Bluetooth receiver so I can send digital music from my devices without needing to plug-in and some type of internet streaming device with lots of storage.
You should look at the Cambridge MXN-10 streamer. I did a couple of videos on it. It what I use when I do my vintage reviews. It is a very versatile device.
3 80's speakers that I will never forget..... have not owned, at least not yet anyways... 1) Phase Linear P530 in the Jafco audio room. Grover Washington Jr. was on the turntable. 2) JBL L220 same room, Spyro Gyra was playing. 3) Dahlquist DQM-9 in a record store.... the smell of vinyl and incense, fantastic sound in a room with a high ceiling..... will always remember these 3 in particular
My first set of speakers were Realistic Mach 1’s. I could blow those things up. Had them for years. My neighbour could feel the base in his basement from my basement 200’ away 😂🤣😂🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Awesome nostalgia video. I was 10 in 1985, but loved going to stereo stores and looking at equipment whenever I could get someone to take me. I have always wanted an Advent system. These days, I enjoy designing and building my own systems. I recently designed a 2-1/2 way using two 8 inch woofers and a 1 inch soft dome, specifically with the Heritage in mind. It was great to see someone else appreciated that model.
Sorry you left out ADS. I've had my ADS 1230s since 1983. They're so good with all kinds of music (from Rock to Bach to Coltrane) that I haven't heard anything since that wowed me enough to part with them.
This was a list of speakers that I had a lot of experience with. Not a best of list. ADS did make some nice speakers. I did do a review on a pair of Braun speakers. You should check it out. Thx.
I could have bought the 1290 alittle over a year ago for $750 with the original boxes, I regret that one but I already have the L780/2 speakers and love those and gut better in my smaller living room. They are definitely good speakers. I also have the Henry kloss Tower speakers and those are really nice.
@@jeffwalther Polk was a good value back in the day. I still have a Pair of Polk Monitor 10's that work great and are in great shape, although I did upgrade the crossovers and also needed to replace the tweeters .. didn't blow the tweeters, they were just not that great in my particular version. Ferrofluid was ultimately the "issue." Polk had a tweeter upgrade, go figure, lol. They are not the most detailed speakers, but reasonably balanced, decent soundstage, and very forgiving with less than stellar recordings.
I picked up a pair of SDA-1A's on clearance for half price back in early 1988. Still have them. They were a bargaining chip when my wife found a house she loved... I told her I was willing if I got my Polks in the living room.
70's AND 80's....The music was there and so was the equipment...We worked in the component room of a discount department store...It was a paid hobby...had some great customers.
Among my favorite 80s speakers (actually late 70s into early and mid 80s) are Polk Monitor 10 (30 Hz to 20.5 kHz +/- 2dB). 28" tall cabinets each have a 1" soft dome tweeter, 2 6.5" midrange/bass drivers and a 10" sub-bass radiator. I still have the pair I bought in 1980.
Actually, the BA T-1030 was the swan song for that company. A lot of good people were involved in that design(Andy Petite for one). After that, the company went to ported nondescript trash for a price point. I've had some re-foamed T-1030s for over 15 years now. One voice coil in a woofer was going bad. A speaker repair company wanted to toss it and have me buy something of theirs. I sent the speaker back east to a guy who rewires voice coils. Perfect job and I didn't lose the signature of the BA woofer. Love these speakers!
I clearly have missed out on many great hifi pieces over the years. In 1980 I was a freshman in high school. My dad had a decent stereo system. Nothing to brag about but better than most. In the Chicago south suburbs existed a pacific stereo. I would go in there with my dad and dream of whatever new line Infinity had to offer. I was too young and too broke to be realistic in achieving what I wanted and what I could realistically achieve. They did at one point display the IRS III I BELIEVE, all I can say was wow. Fast forward through a marriage and kids taking priority. At retirement I decided to put together a system with that sound. I found a pair of Kappa 9.1 and that deal fell through. I picked up a pair of SM122 and a pair of Kappa 7.1. Welcome to the world of failing polydome midrange speakers. Now in need of repair. That has tuned into a newer system but those Infinities just sparked all the interest I had. My sister still has a set of BIC VENTURI 6 in really bad rot condition I’m considering doing a rehab on. From what I recall they were fairly decent. Any advice would be helpfull on the infinity polydome or the BIC’s
Enjoyed the vid! The 1980s was the first decade where really good equipment from the 1980s is still "really good equipment" today. The decade which in my opinion, where audio advanced the most; in leaps and bounds. Nothing advanced more than speakers. There were so many good speakers from the 1980s. The KEF speaker you showed with the protruding seperate midrange tweeter compartment might have been influenced or copied from a speaker made in Georgia. It was a real look alike from the front with the same protruding mid/tweter section jutting out. It was the Goetz model GMS 1. I had a pair and heard them side by side, and the Goetz, which were from 1983, easily showed that the look was the only thing in common & easily bested the 104.2s. Their great crossover of the Goetz gave them an effortless transient quick quality, which reminded you of electrostatics. However, lots of what are considered the great speakers of the 1980s used KEF drivers. The IMF Reference Standard used mostly KEF drivers. It could go down to 16 hertz in the bass, with the help of transmission line loading. Some say the best speaker of the latter 1970s & into the 1980s was the Ohm model F Walsh Driver speaker. It was designed to disperse sound 360 degrees ( just like real instruments) and sound completely seamless, not using a crossover, with the full range Walsh Driver. Would have loved to have heard it. I did get a pair of the later Ohm Walsh 2 speakers, which also sounded notably sramless; their Walsh Driver did cross over to a tweeter, but at an unusually higher frequency than usual, which got the crossover out of the vocal range.Bertagni (B.E.S.) came out with thin panel like speakers which effectively used styrofoam as its driver element. Vibrating styrofoan didn't sound bad surprisingly. Great clarity. In the early 1980s, maybe THE best speaker of the 1980s and one of the best of all time was discontinued. after a very short run.; the Watson Labs model 10. It was designed by Dayton Wright, best known for their $7,000 electrostatics, and a TAS favorite. The Watson Labs used conventional woofers & tweeters, but was anything but conventional. It used a bipolar midrange tweeter section atop a sperate attatched woofer cabinet, which was piped full of heavier than air hexaflouride gas. Not sure if I've ever heard a better speaker to this day, or maybe even its equal. Mike Wright was a genius. Almost no chance to find one on the used market. A very expensive speaker back then, and probably THE best speaker that not many have heard of. You mentioned the McGowan/Nudell Genesis speakers. There was another speaker company called Genesis, with less ambitously priced bookshelf speakers. They competed well versus the Large Advent speakers, as did another speaker that the same store carried, called Cizek; which were speakers designed by an acoustics expert Roy Cizek, who designed concert halls. It was the first speakers that made me realize, that my Technics SB 7000 speakers had that common Japanese coloration and lacked tone colors. The DCM Time Windows versus the Dahlquist dq10 was a tough choice back then. A rare competitor was the Clarke Systems speaker. A small bookshelf speaker which imaged great and had a much superior ribbon tweeter. The B&W 801, the version which came out around 1987/88, was amazing. Much better than the earlier 801 model, which even Levinson electronics could not make them sound open. And of course the tall Magnepan Tympani speakers were right up there with the best; a speaker that editor Harry Pearson thought had the best bass definition he had ever heard, and planar speakers are not even about bass.
So many speakers could be on this list depending on what you've heard and what they cost. Best speaker I heard in the 80s was the Quad ESL 63 (US Monitor) with Crosby modifications. Transparency, coherence, sound stage and overall balance was simply the best I heard. With the exception of stratospherically priced "made to order" products like Infinity IRS and Wilson WAMM the Quads offered the best sound at an approachable price.
Great subject Ed! My favorite 80s speakers were my 1984 DCM Time Window 1As. I had them for 30 years and gave them to my nephew in 2014. They were 900 dollars which we absolutely could not afford but my wife insisted we buy them.
That was very nice of her. That's how I wound up with my Cambridge EVO150. My wife liked it have me the go ahead. We are both fortunate to have good partners. Thx
Nice and very nostalgic video. I still have the Advents, 2 sets, both re-foamed and, yes, they are beautiful and sound great. Too bad Advent, like too many other companies, had financial issues, was acquired by Jensen and then Audiovox and then shut down for good. Taking a dive on eBay now, looking for those Epicure!
I owned a few nice pieces, purchased them all used from neighbor's dad ... Pioneer SX-3800*, Pioneer CS-99, Sony TCK5, Pioneer CT-F750, Technics SL-1900*, also had a Dual turntable that belonged to my godmother and a set of Pioneer speakers she owned ... After that, sort of inherited my dad's Mitsubishi separates system, purchased some Cerwin Vegas for my DJ gig, and came to the knowledge a few years back that I had some Klipsh Heresy Mk 1 and never paid attention to them, all of these was either purchased used or passed down to me. My only new to me electronics before 1990 were a Pioneer SX-6 and a Hitachi ... Sorry, can't remember model of integrated amp, but it was a beast!
All of the speaker brands under the API umbrella in Canada are underrated and a great bargain when you can find them in new condition. Energy, Athena and Mirage were known for punching way above their weight class. Canadian brand PSB is also worth an audition if you get an opportunity. As far as 80's speakers I would have added to the list, Infinity Kappa's and Magnepan MG III's were amazing for their time. Great video OGH!
I agree. Canadian speakers are great. I have some Mirage 750 speakers from the early 80s. They sound much better than they ought to. As I recall, Canadian speaker manufacturers tested their designs in the NRC anechoic chamber in Ottawa.
Epicure! I had Epi 20 plus. I loved them! They did image very well. Also I have a pair of KEF 104.2 that I restored 2 years ago. To get to the woofers removed 4 Allen bolts to take off mids and tweeter. Then I used a m4 bolt and it screws it into the bottom of the speaker. That will remove the bottom access board without breaking it. Then 3 10 mm bolts hold the woofer , easy when you know how! Remove 4 screws for the upper woofer cavity and 3 more bolts and you have the woofers removed. They did solder the connections. All my woofer bolts were loose after 30 ish years. Most of the 104s have a buytle rubber for a surround and are usually in good shape, it’s the little donut in the center around the aluminum connecting rod that go bad. Easy to glue them on and bass will be improved! Put them back with some loctite and you will be good fora few more decades.
@@nascarracer886 A day after watching this video, I found a pair on Craigslist for $400. They were the newer type with two sets of posts and foamed woofers - and the foam was clearly gone. Got them for $200, and will now attempt the resurrection. Are these real wood veneer or vinyl? I have trouble figuring that out. Cabinet looks good anyway, but I’m curious.
I have a pair of Phase Technology PC70 mk II 3-way speakers that I originally purchased in 1989. They are wonderful sounding speakers designed by William Hecht (patent holder for the soft dome tweeter). They have flat piston drivers for the midrange (5 1/4”) and woofer (10”) plus a 1” soft dome tweeter. I drive them with a combo of a NAD 3155 (purchased in 1989 - preamp section) plus a Sansui AU-317 (purchased in 1978 - amp section). I listen to them several times each week. They are not the last word in soundstage width or imaging. But, they have fantastic bass (rated down to 25 Hz) that is both articulate and punchy; mids are just a bit forward so they seem to place a spotlight on vocalists and soloists; treble is warm but still seems fully extended. They have an uncanny ability to convey vocalists’ emotions. This system is my go to for poor quality recordings, it adds the perfect amount of butter to the audio popcorn! Are you familiar with these speakers? I would be very interested in your opinion of them. I truly believe these speakers are hidden gems that are very much under appreciated.
I owned a pair of Energy tower speakers from 1995 - 2001 i believe the model was the CF-30 and they had great sound and i really enjoyed them but like many others i eventually went the home theatre route and because i could not get matching surrounds and a centre channel speaker i sold them to a good friend, but i still miss them to this day and another pair of speakers that i had purchased in 1985 were actually quite rare they were a pair of EV interface 1 book shelf speakers that i sold when my dad was going thru cancer and i wanted to go home and spend time with him and i miss them dearly.....Once again Ed thanks for the great content as always!
I still have two of my favourite speakers from the 80's, Tannoy DC3000's in the living room and TDL Studio 1 Mk 2's in my man cave. I run them using Audiolab 8000M's which suit them both very well. Probably about time to replace the ferrofluid and some caps in the TDL's but the DC's incredibly still do what they've always done from top to bottom.
Hello OGH! Energy Ref 22's are so darn good - I still have them - I bought every iteration of them them!!! Still a reference standard speaker to me - Serious players...
Great content! Any flagship 80's speaker can go toe 2 toe with modern stuff any day with proper power. I rock the Altec 501's from 87, diamond coat tweeters & carbon fiber woofers, verrrrry similar to what Epicure & ADS put out the same time. Love these things to death, theyre hungry for power though.
Nice; I still have a pair of KEF 103.2 speakers; some great speakers on your list. My personal favorite, from the 80s, is the Magnepan 3a, which I still have in storage.
Still rocking with my 1986 Polk Audio RTA 12Cs! It was a great time for speakers, within 10 years the market was dominated by tiny satellite/sub combos, I prefer the big speakers AND a sub combo thank you!
Great video, was impressed of ur high regard for the Energy 22.2, I heard the original 22 in early 80s at a friend's place and thought they were a very good speaker, I own a pair of Reference Connoissuers made in late 90s and also sound fantastic paired to my Denon AVR 1803, again tks for ur videos
Thanks for all the videos. Congrats on already hitting 10k. I have the Advent Laureates. Got them for $150, but i had to refoam them. They still sound good. Very well balanced. They work with a lot of amps and make bad recordings sound better. I'm sure they would benefit from upgrades, but i wonder if they would do everything i mentioned as well. Not an issue as that's not even number 1000 on my to do list. 😅 I also have the early 80's NLA's with the fried egg tweeters and the bull nose walnut - which i also had to refoam. Still sound good as well. Lots of deals still to be had on vintage speakers.
I was a stereo dealer in the 80's in Saskatchewan Canada and we sold a lot of Energy 22's. Did you know George Baker the honcho at Energy? Audio Products International. They also made SOUND DYNAMICS....Thanks for the memories.
Great video....great chat...and really love how the first thing you think to explain a horseshoe is a Bugatti. Cheers from Colombia, really enjoy your videos.
Your detailed information on these speaker models, is priceless , very refreshing. It’s pretty neat that the Boston Acoustics Owner , Also Owned Epi And Epicure early on. They have an incredible sound signature. I really like the early air spring inverted dome tweeters, combined with the natural roll off woofers .
I have a very nice condition of EPI 100s that I am selling. I just don't need them but there simple deign plus these are the earliest versions with the inverted dome tweeters on masonite with rubber surrounds have a remarkable speed, clarity and very good bass with solid construction, even when compared to my ATCs.
Your videos are the bests! Your knowledge is refreshing, I lived through all these brands and wanted them all. What a cool channel, thanks so much! Happy Thanksgiving to you.
I have a pair of KEF 304 series II's. They are my daily driver for my tv and music needs. They still have the original box for the metal stands. These may not be the best-known model from KEF... but I love them.
Nice vid and i like the honesty on the used picks risks.. I have a smaller set of Energy on my audio repair bench as bench speakers.. love them. actually put them on just to listen to sometimes instead of my larger garage systems with towers.. depends on the mood im in that day but I do enjoy the old vintage audio !
Snell made some great speakers My original E snells replaced my JBL L100 that now are stupidly overpriced. I do remember the KEF ‘s from my favorite audio shop , they were quite unique
Nice Video, as you told such a listing is always a very personal point of view. So what I’m missing is Quad ESL63, Celestion SL600/6000, IMF RSPM MK VIi, ProAc Tablet, 😊
Thank you! I am a Canadian, i moved to the US. I truly miss the government there and all that they did to help us in so many ways. Maybe the collaboration you speak of on the Energy series will help Americans understand that. Thank you.
I still have some Marantz 6G speakers. Probably a bit bassy and beam the top end with that tweeter. Just love the plate on the back " Precision crafted in USA "
Boston Acoustics = smooth bottom. I had a pair of A-100’s powered by a Cyrus II amp, with a Rega turntable. My ears still remember certain albums, and how they interacted with this system.
Hi. Great video and a wealth of knowledge. Speaking of API, I bought a pair of one of their more "budget" line of speakers, the DB Plus 990. I paid $600 for them when I was a teenager back in the 80s. I still use them to this day. About 2 years ago I replaced the passive radiator and refoamed the woofer. Surprisingly the tweeters still work. I'm not sure if I love them because of how they sound or if my judgment is clouded by nostalgia. Pretty impressed with your review of the Boston Acoustic T1000. I'm going to keep a look out for a pair. Take care.
I had the 104/2 with the kube. (I also added a sub) the 104/2 REALLY woke up with a recap (cap upgrade). Remember- the FR specs you quoted for KEF were +/- 2db, not 3db like most speakers. (They provided that rating too) Conservative rating! Always liked how controlled A/R bass sounded.
Can't believe you started with a pair of Advent Heritage! I've never heard anybody talk about them. I had a pair. Always thought they sounded good with any music. Sadly I blew all 4 woofers one night when I was trying to help out a friend in a local bar by playing a mix tape I made for a "Beach Party." Since I was doing it for free, she gave me the money to refoam them, which my "dear" wife did for me. After those, I went straight down the rabbit hole & bought, sold & traded vintage gear for almost 20 years.
In the mid-90s I was going through a nasty divorce and one of my gifts to myself for getting through it was finally buying a complete system, new, from an audiophile store. When it came to speakers it came down to Mirage vs Energy. I ended up going with the Mirage partially for the looks and partially because it seemed like they had slotted what I bought in between the two lines of Energy available. I still have those Mirage but part of me wishes I'd saved up for the Energy Reference set. I know the cats would have ignored the Energy but live and learn.
Mirage almost made the list. We were Mirage dealers as well as Energy. I always like Mirage a lot. Thank you for sharing your experience and your view.
@@OldGuyHifi Personally I think they're the best value in vintage/used hifi right now. Folks have no idea what they are or they get lumped in with the crap that Klipsch sold under the Mirage name at the end. The 80s/90s Canadian-made stuff is excellent. I've seen the flagship OM-5s for $350 a pair! I need another pair of speakers like I need another hole in my head but if I came across a pair of the MRM-1s I'd have to jump for the right price.
I still have a pair of black grand piano connoisseur with rebuilt tweeters. A gentleman from Calgary rebuilt them for me. I bought them in 1984. They replaced my B&W 802s. I thought they were a better speaker. Could image like crazy. Still do
Hi back in the 90s I bought a pair of AR93 Speakers at lechmere in Massachusetts After a few years I had to replace the woofers because of a cat issue and I found parts express had woofers made for energy speaker by Bravox in Brazil they make a lot of OEM parts for Speaker manufacturers
@@705johnnyboy For a replacement tweeter Midwest speaker repair MW Audio MT-1191 v2: 1 inch Dome Tweeter for KEF 104/2 Speaker. I have used them. I thought they were improvement over the 30 or 40 year old tweeter.
I had a pair of Koss professional headphones with adjustable volume that sounded like you were sitting in on the recording session. Can't find that type of quality anymore.
Just need to pick you up on what the initials of KEF stand for, being a Brit who lives round the corner from them ! It actually stands for Kent Engineering Foundry, as apposed to Electric Foundry. Terrific post though Ed. Lovely to reminisce 👍
I carried my cherished Allison Acoustic 5’s from the midwest to both coasts. That speaker sounded great in every room I put it, with all sorts of amps. Could fill a big room, although it was really pretty small. If the grills weren’t so brittle, they would have survived all the moves.
I have a pair of Kef Carina ii's, $500 in 1984. They are in a class of their own. Forty years old and the surrounds are whole and still supple. The caps need to be replaced.
1979 -had a pair of Bose 501's run by a Sansui AU717 amp 85 watts rms and high-end Technics turntable. That system was nirvana lol! Currently my Cambridge AXR100 and Klipsch RPS8000 f ii and HD streaming blows that system out of the water on specs but can never match the warmth and personality of that original system.
I have just finished restoring a pair of KEF 104/2. Cabinet looked like they were made yesterday but inside, crossover caps, bass units, tweeters all needed repair/replacements. Not a job for the faint hearted!
I succeeded in having the Nova Scotia guy rebuild by Energy tweeters. I have the original Connoisseurs (found them in a Salvation Army). Really hurt my back moving them once.
I found a ceramic dome tweeter (Tang Band 25-1744S) that had the right specs and used those. I had to add an L-Pad to the tweeter circuit as it was way more efficient. It works quite well.
Enjoy your videos. Still using a Boston Acoustics T 830 in a second system. Originally did combine it with a 50 watt NAD receiver but that eventually stopped working. The store gave me 30 feet of 16 gauge speaker wire. Speaker cables were not considered important back then. I have tried and bought other speakers, but for vocals, I have not found anything that I like better. I think they were popular because they were a narrow floor standing speaker unlike the A series. Can you think of any current speakers that have that slightly warm sound and solid base?
Had a pair of KEF 104 and a pair of Kef 107 and later to my regret a pair of 107 II, the first one sounded better as far as I remember due to the Cube.
Interestingly I sold audio gear in the 80's. I sold a couple of the brands you mention here, but none of these are favorites of mine. I don't have a lot of experience with the Kefs. But I'm quite familiar with the others. It's all subjective and I'm not saying you're wrong, just that my tastes run a lot different. I tend to, but not exclusively, prefer speakers that are more dynamic than any of these. And while the Missions were somewhat dynamic, they were just too harsh and cabinet resonances were terribad. I enjoyed the walk down memory lane with you though.
Thanks for the great video I bought a pair of Boston Acoustics T1000 from American TV scratch and dent demo cabin should beat up but there are 375Dollars they worked fine I redid the cabinets my dad was a cabinet maker they turned out fantastic no grills I didn't care they kicked I don't know for about 5 years then I sold them to buy some cornwalls but anyway thanks for a great video I enjoy them very much I had too much junk Happy Thanksgiving
What were the replacement tweeters you used in the Energy 22.2 ? I might think about replacing the dead tweeters in my old first version Energy 22. Thanks
Tang Band 25-1744S Ceramics dome tweeter. I don't think they are made anymore. Works well mouse to add an L-Pad to the tweeter circuit so I could match the efficiency.
Boston is a great brand. I had the T1030's for a while. Blew them up with a GFA555II and Nakamichi CD1 (cd player has a variable out, so ran it directly into the amp). My local dealer had a very good speaker trade up policy, so I was always trying different things. I had a pair of Klipsch something or other and lasted maybe a month before I traded them. I have an idea for a video. Some subwoofers have both speaker level and RCA in/outs. Which is better?
A bit. The 3.1e were/are a good speaker. Energy lavished a lot of engineering on the 22 2s as they were a statement piece. They do share some similarities. Thx for watching and commenting.
I'm curious to get your opinion of mirage speakers. I heard you mention them in this video I have a pair of Mirage M-7si. I think they're as good as any speaker I've listen to. However, I don't know much about them. Love the channel! Thank you
good stuff, though most of those speakers don't ring a bell, even though i'm old enough. I see Vandersteen 2c's on FB market place all the time, often wonder if it's worth picking up a pair. (I know they're still produced, but curious about an older model). Thoughts? Happy thanksgiving Ed!
still have my KEF 104.2s bought them brand new at audio king, they still have beautiful cabs and grills but the internals need the usual re fresh. I thought about Midwest speaker for a restore but would like to know if anyone knows of the quality of their repairs and restorations.
@@Dan-y6x3s I’ve used their tweeters in my kef 104 and they were very good. To me they improved the top end. Slightly brighter/ more air to the highs. Don’t know about their services.
OHM F’s projected a sound stage no box speaker could duplicate. I would luv to hear a pair of HHR Exotic speakers by Dale Harder which are a reincarnations of the OHM F and OHM A.
My first "real" speakers were Snell Acoustics Type Ks. Bookshelf speakers, but fantastic in their transparency and detail. They gave way to my current speakers loves, a pair of Vandersteen 1c's. Airy, great soundstage, and delicate but detailed highs. And, for my purposes, a good-enough low end. Honorable mentions (i.e., speakers that almost made it to my home) are Von Schweikert (great 'attack'), and Dali (Snell-like cleanness and detail). Never impressed by B&W or Epos.
Thoroughly enjoyed the video. After starting my first job, I saved up for my dream stereo system. It included the KEF 104.2 speakers paired with an NAD 2600 PE and a Yamaha CDX 11000U. I listened to that system well into the 2000s until I needed to downsize.
Fantastiše
Yeah, I used to sell the B&W 801s. They were an industry leader in their day. Full range, 20-20k, with their Matrix cabinets. For me, they lacked dynamics. Very accurate, but even with two MASSIVE Krell or Threshold monoblocks, they just didn't come to life.
I sold against the KEFs. The 104s took a lot of my sales. Good imagining. I think now they have mastered the concentric drivers. I agree, they got a little shouty at louder levels. But really nice for critical listening.
I also sold the Klipsch line, and although I'm not a fan of horn speakers, I sold the Forte IIs to my buddy who didn't have great gear and is deaf in one ear. But he could use the Fortes without any other upgrades, and they last a lifetime.
Personally, I split my system between ADS L780 IIs with a subwoofer with twin twelves. I also had some ADS 810s. A really, really nice speaker. Also paired with the sub. I still love both of the ADS in different rooms.
And I also grabbed a pair of the Snell C/Vs. I think this was in '92. I liked these much more than the B&Ws. I think the designer (Voeks?) became the lead designer at Legacy? With a slight rework of the crossovers and rewiring of the two tens, these went to the next level.
Some of these speakers are in storage atm, but I've never let them go.
Even though now I run some Dalis in my 2nd system, and am looking at some open baffle for my mains, once I move, I plan on being able to switch between all of icons when the mood strikes.
I have also picked up some ADS drivers and crossovers just to use as a project and see how they sound in some custom cabs.
That's one of the great advantages these days - between being able to seemingly incorporate a sub with any mains, and using DSP to tune any system and compensate for room conditions - the flexibility for speaker configurations is fantastic. Just love it...
Thanks for sharing your story and for tuning in.
Like you, I sold mid to high end audio and video equipment from the late '80s to mid '90s. We sold Boston Acoustics, KEF, Dahlquist, Paradigm, Mission, Definitive Technology, Magnepan, Jamo, Yamaha, Sony, and Vandersteen speakers. Over the years I worked there I auditioned nearly everything so I could accurately describe to my customers. I ended up buying Boston T1000s for myself because I found them to be the best bang for the buck of anything we sold. I teamed them up with a B&K Ex-442 power amp, a B&K Pro-10 MC pre-amp, a Rega Planar III turntable with a Sumiko moving coil cartridge, a Marantz digital tuner, Sony ES 3-head cassette deck, and a Sony ES CD player, all of which I still use today.
I've been extremely lucky in that I haven't experienced capacitor leakage in my electronics, so I've only had to repair my woofer and mid-range speaker surrounds which deteriorated over the years and the drive belts for my turntable, cassette player and CD player. In my opinion I like the sound of my system better than any modern system I could replace it with, and I'm very happy with the purchasing decisions that I made 30 plus years ago. The only things I wish to add to my system are some type of Bluetooth receiver so I can send digital music from my devices without needing to plug-in and some type of internet streaming device with lots of storage.
You should look at the Cambridge MXN-10 streamer. I did a couple of videos on it. It what I use when I do my vintage reviews. It is a very versatile device.
3 80's speakers that I will never forget..... have not owned, at least not yet anyways... 1) Phase Linear P530 in the Jafco audio room. Grover Washington Jr. was on the turntable. 2) JBL L220 same room, Spyro Gyra was playing. 3) Dahlquist DQM-9 in a record store.... the smell of vinyl and incense, fantastic sound in a room with a high ceiling..... will always remember these 3 in particular
We all know what was going on with the incense.
Vandersteen 2, DCM time window and Klipsh heresy. Good times !
My first set of speakers were Realistic Mach 1’s. I could blow those things up. Had them for years. My neighbour could feel the base in his basement from my basement 200’ away 😂🤣😂🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Awesome nostalgia video. I was 10 in 1985, but loved going to stereo stores and looking at equipment whenever I could get someone to take me. I have always wanted an Advent system. These days, I enjoy designing and building my own systems. I recently designed a 2-1/2 way using two 8 inch woofers and a 1 inch soft dome, specifically with the Heritage in mind. It was great to see someone else appreciated that model.
Very cool!
Sorry you left out ADS. I've had my ADS 1230s since 1983. They're so good with all kinds of music (from Rock to Bach to Coltrane) that I haven't heard anything since that wowed me enough to part with them.
This was a list of speakers that I had a lot of experience with. Not a best of list. ADS did make some nice speakers. I did do a review on a pair of Braun speakers. You should check it out. Thx.
I could have bought the 1290 alittle over a year ago for $750 with the original boxes, I regret that one but I already have the L780/2 speakers and love those and gut better in my smaller living room.
They are definitely good speakers.
I also have the Henry kloss Tower speakers and those are really nice.
My 1985 Polk SDA CRS speakers have become my most prized possession I own.
Understandable.
@@jeffwalther Polk was a good value back in the day. I still have a Pair of Polk Monitor 10's that work great and are in great shape, although
I did upgrade the crossovers and also needed to replace the tweeters .. didn't blow the tweeters, they were just not that great in my particular version. Ferrofluid was ultimately the "issue." Polk had a tweeter upgrade, go figure, lol. They are not the most detailed speakers, but reasonably balanced, decent soundstage, and very forgiving with less than stellar recordings.
I picked up a pair of SDA-1A's on clearance for half price back in early 1988. Still have them. They were a bargaining chip when my wife found a house she loved... I told her I was willing if I got my Polks in the living room.
@@j.patrickmoore9137 now that's funny ..
good for you..
Great years the 80's for speakers,thanks for trip down memory lane.
Glad you enjoyed it
70's AND 80's....The music was there and so was the equipment...We worked in the component room of a discount department store...It was a paid hobby...had some great customers.
Love my Energy ESM 2's I got in 1987. ❤
Snell A/III, Epos ES11. Heybrook HB1, Quad ESL-63, Spica TC-50
Cool, the advents come up pretty often in my area, $200ish, sounds like I should pickup a pair, thanks Ed!
You don't need any more stuff!!
You are correct, don’t tell my wife I said that tho…
Among my favorite 80s speakers (actually late 70s into early and mid 80s) are Polk Monitor 10 (30 Hz to 20.5 kHz +/- 2dB). 28" tall cabinets each have a 1" soft dome tweeter, 2 6.5" midrange/bass drivers and a 10" sub-bass radiator. I still have the pair I bought in 1980.
Actually, the BA T-1030 was the swan song for that company. A lot of good people were involved in that design(Andy Petite for one). After that, the company went to ported nondescript trash for a price point. I've had some re-foamed T-1030s for over 15 years now. One voice coil in a woofer was going bad. A speaker repair company wanted to toss it and have me buy something of theirs. I sent the speaker back east to a guy who rewires voice coils. Perfect job and I didn't lose the signature of the BA woofer. Love these speakers!
Yeah it is a shame what happened to BA. Thx for tuning in.
I clearly have missed out on many great hifi pieces over the years. In 1980 I was a freshman in high school. My dad had a decent stereo system. Nothing to brag about but better than most. In the Chicago south suburbs existed a pacific stereo. I would go in there with my dad and dream of whatever new line Infinity had to offer. I was too young and too broke to be realistic in achieving what I wanted and what I could realistically achieve. They did at one point display the IRS III I BELIEVE, all I can say was wow. Fast forward through a marriage and kids taking priority. At retirement I decided to put together a system with that sound. I found a pair of Kappa 9.1 and that deal fell through.
I picked up a pair of SM122 and a pair of Kappa 7.1. Welcome to the world of failing polydome midrange speakers. Now in need of repair. That has tuned into a newer system but those Infinities just sparked all the interest I had. My sister still has a set of BIC VENTURI 6 in really bad rot condition I’m considering doing a rehab on. From what I recall they were fairly decent. Any advice would be helpfull on the infinity polydome or the BIC’s
Thanks for sharing your memories and experience. I don't have advice on either of those speakers. Sorry.
Enjoyed the vid! The 1980s was the first decade where really good equipment from the 1980s is still "really good equipment" today. The decade which in my opinion, where audio advanced the most; in leaps and bounds. Nothing advanced more than speakers. There were so many good speakers from the 1980s. The KEF speaker you showed with the protruding seperate midrange tweeter compartment might have been influenced or copied from a speaker made in Georgia. It was a real look alike from the front with the same protruding mid/tweter section jutting out. It was the Goetz model GMS 1. I had a pair and heard them side by side, and the Goetz, which were from 1983, easily showed that the look was the only thing in common & easily bested the 104.2s. Their great crossover of the Goetz gave them an effortless transient quick quality, which reminded you of electrostatics. However, lots of what are considered the great speakers of the 1980s used KEF drivers.
The IMF Reference Standard used mostly KEF drivers. It could go down to 16 hertz in the bass, with the help of transmission line loading. Some say the best speaker of the latter 1970s & into the 1980s was the Ohm model F Walsh Driver speaker. It was designed to disperse sound 360 degrees ( just like real instruments) and sound completely seamless, not using a crossover, with the full range Walsh Driver. Would have loved to have heard it. I did get a pair of the later Ohm Walsh 2 speakers, which also sounded notably sramless; their Walsh Driver did cross over to a tweeter, but at an unusually higher frequency than usual, which got the crossover out of the vocal range.Bertagni (B.E.S.) came out with thin panel like speakers which effectively used styrofoam as its driver element. Vibrating styrofoan didn't sound bad surprisingly. Great clarity.
In the early 1980s, maybe THE best speaker of the 1980s and one of the best of all time was discontinued. after a very short run.; the Watson Labs model 10. It was designed by Dayton Wright, best known for their $7,000 electrostatics, and a TAS favorite. The Watson Labs used conventional woofers & tweeters, but was anything but conventional. It used a bipolar midrange tweeter section atop a sperate attatched woofer cabinet, which was piped full of heavier than air hexaflouride gas. Not sure if I've ever heard a better speaker to this day, or maybe even its equal. Mike Wright was a genius. Almost no chance to find one on the used market. A very expensive speaker back then, and probably THE best speaker that not many have heard of.
You mentioned the McGowan/Nudell Genesis speakers. There was another speaker company called Genesis, with less ambitously priced bookshelf speakers. They competed well versus the Large Advent speakers, as did another speaker that the same store carried, called Cizek; which were speakers designed by an acoustics expert Roy Cizek, who designed concert halls. It was the first speakers that made me realize, that my Technics SB 7000 speakers had that common Japanese coloration and lacked tone colors. The DCM Time Windows versus the Dahlquist dq10 was a tough choice back then. A rare competitor was the Clarke Systems speaker. A small bookshelf speaker which imaged great and had a much superior ribbon tweeter. The B&W 801, the version which came out around 1987/88, was amazing. Much better than the earlier 801 model, which even Levinson electronics could not make them sound open. And of course the tall Magnepan Tympani speakers were right up there with the best; a speaker that editor Harry Pearson thought had the best bass definition he had ever heard, and planar speakers are not even about bass.
Klipsch Forte’ ll. Still have em today.
So many speakers could be on this list depending on what you've heard and what they cost. Best speaker I heard in the 80s was the Quad ESL 63 (US Monitor) with Crosby modifications. Transparency, coherence, sound stage and overall balance was simply the best I heard.
With the exception of stratospherically priced "made to order" products like Infinity IRS and Wilson WAMM the Quads offered the best sound at an approachable price.
Great subject Ed! My favorite 80s speakers were my 1984 DCM Time Window 1As. I had them for 30 years and gave them to my nephew in 2014. They were 900 dollars which we absolutely could not afford but my wife insisted we buy them.
That was very nice of her. That's how I wound up with my Cambridge EVO150. My wife liked it have me the go ahead. We are both fortunate to have good partners. Thx
Nice listing. However, nothing could eclipse the B&W 801. My pair was accurate to +/- 1.5dB, which was unheard of back in the day.
They were good for sure. Thx for tuning in.
Nice and very nostalgic video. I still have the Advents, 2 sets, both re-foamed and, yes, they are beautiful and sound great. Too bad Advent, like too many other companies, had financial issues, was acquired by Jensen and then Audiovox and then shut down for good. Taking a dive on eBay now, looking for those Epicure!
I owned a few nice pieces, purchased them all used from neighbor's dad ... Pioneer SX-3800*, Pioneer CS-99, Sony TCK5, Pioneer CT-F750, Technics SL-1900*, also had a Dual turntable that belonged to my godmother and a set of Pioneer speakers she owned ... After that, sort of inherited my dad's Mitsubishi separates system, purchased some Cerwin Vegas for my DJ gig, and came to the knowledge a few years back that I had some Klipsh Heresy Mk 1 and never paid attention to them, all of these was either purchased used or passed down to me. My only new to me electronics before 1990 were a Pioneer SX-6 and a Hitachi ... Sorry, can't remember model of integrated amp, but it was a beast!
All of the speaker brands under the API umbrella in Canada are underrated and a great bargain when you can find them in new condition. Energy, Athena and Mirage were known for punching way above their weight class. Canadian brand PSB is also worth an audition if you get an opportunity. As far as 80's speakers I would have added to the list, Infinity Kappa's and Magnepan MG III's were amazing for their time. Great video OGH!
Thank you so much for your view and comment.
I agree. Canadian speakers are great. I have some Mirage 750 speakers from the early 80s. They sound much better than they ought to. As I recall, Canadian speaker manufacturers tested their designs in the NRC anechoic chamber in Ottawa.
Epicure! I had Epi 20 plus. I loved them! They did image very well.
Also I have a pair of KEF 104.2 that I restored 2 years ago.
To get to the woofers removed 4 Allen bolts to take off mids and tweeter.
Then I used a m4 bolt and it screws it into the bottom of the speaker. That will remove the bottom access board without breaking it. Then 3 10 mm bolts hold the woofer , easy when you know how!
Remove 4 screws for the upper woofer cavity and 3 more bolts and you have the woofers removed. They did solder the connections. All my woofer bolts were loose after 30 ish years.
Most of the 104s have a buytle rubber for a surround and are usually in good shape, it’s the little donut in the center around the aluminum connecting rod that go bad. Easy to glue them on and bass will be improved! Put them back with some loctite and you will be good fora few more decades.
@@nascarracer886 A day after watching this video, I found a pair on Craigslist for $400. They were the newer type with two sets of posts and foamed woofers - and the foam was clearly gone. Got them for $200, and will now attempt the resurrection.
Are these real wood veneer or vinyl? I have trouble figuring that out. Cabinet looks good anyway, but I’m curious.
I have a pair of Phase Technology PC70 mk II 3-way speakers that I originally purchased in 1989. They are wonderful sounding speakers designed by William Hecht (patent holder for the soft dome tweeter). They have flat piston drivers for the midrange (5 1/4”) and woofer (10”) plus a 1” soft dome tweeter. I drive them with a combo of a NAD 3155 (purchased in 1989 - preamp section) plus a Sansui AU-317 (purchased in 1978 - amp section). I listen to them several times each week. They are not the last word in soundstage width or imaging. But, they have fantastic bass (rated down to 25 Hz) that is both articulate and punchy; mids are just a bit forward so they seem to place a spotlight on vocalists and soloists; treble is warm but still seems fully extended. They have an uncanny ability to convey vocalists’ emotions. This system is my go to for poor quality recordings, it adds the perfect amount of butter to the audio popcorn!
Are you familiar with these speakers? I would be very interested in your opinion of them. I truly believe these speakers are hidden gems that are very much under appreciated.
I remember the brand but I don't have any experience with those. Thank you for your view and comment.
I picked up a mint condition A/D/S bookshelf speakers from a thrift store. They sound great, were they elite in their time
In my opinion they were
Some of ADS better speakers, the ones using the big dome midrange had electrostatic like resolution.
What a fun trip down memory lane! I remember more than a few of them. 😊
I owned a pair of Energy tower speakers from 1995 - 2001 i believe the model was the CF-30 and they had great sound and i really enjoyed them but like many others i eventually went the home theatre route and because i could not get matching surrounds and a centre channel speaker i sold them to a good friend, but i still miss them to this day and another pair of speakers that i had purchased in 1985 were actually quite rare they were a pair of EV interface 1 book shelf speakers that i sold when my dad was going thru cancer and i wanted to go home and spend time with him and i miss them dearly.....Once again Ed thanks for the great content as always!
Thank you
I worked in a hifi shop in the 90s and remember the 104/2. They were some serious speakers - lots of bass and a big sound (and heavy).
Wonder sounding speakers but a bitch to repair the inner and outer surrounds (four per speaker) on the internal pole mounted woofers.
I still have two of my favourite speakers from the 80's, Tannoy DC3000's in the living room and TDL Studio 1 Mk 2's in my man cave. I run them using Audiolab 8000M's which suit them both very well. Probably about time to replace the ferrofluid and some caps in the TDL's but the DC's incredibly still do what they've always done from top to bottom.
Hello OGH! Energy Ref 22's are so darn good - I still have them - I bought every iteration of them them!!! Still a reference standard speaker to me - Serious players...
Too me as well. I dearly love them. Thx.
Great content! Any flagship 80's speaker can go toe 2 toe with modern stuff any day with proper power. I rock the Altec 501's from 87, diamond coat tweeters & carbon fiber woofers, verrrrry similar to what Epicure & ADS put out the same time. Love these things to death, theyre hungry for power though.
Nice; I still have a pair of KEF 103.2 speakers; some great speakers on your list. My personal favorite, from the 80s, is the Magnepan 3a, which I still have in storage.
Thomas, Dig those Maggies out man! Get 'em going and put a big smile on your face. Let me know if you di=o. Thank you for tuning in.
Still rocking with my 1986 Polk Audio RTA 12Cs! It was a great time for speakers, within 10 years the market was dominated by tiny satellite/sub combos, I prefer the big speakers AND a sub combo thank you!
Thank you.
Great video, was impressed of ur high regard for the Energy 22.2, I heard the original 22 in early 80s at a friend's place and thought they were a very good speaker, I own a pair of Reference Connoissuers made in late 90s and also sound fantastic paired to my Denon AVR 1803, again tks for ur videos
Sounds like a very good system. Thx for tuning in.
Thanks for all the videos. Congrats on already hitting 10k.
I have the Advent Laureates. Got them for $150, but i had to refoam them. They still sound good. Very well balanced. They work with a lot of amps and make bad recordings sound better. I'm sure they would benefit from upgrades, but i wonder if they would do everything i mentioned as well. Not an issue as that's not even number 1000 on my to do list. 😅
I also have the early 80's NLA's with the fried egg tweeters and the bull nose walnut - which i also had to refoam. Still sound good as well.
Lots of deals still to be had on vintage speakers.
I was a stereo dealer in the 80's in Saskatchewan Canada and we sold a lot of Energy 22's. Did you know George Baker the honcho at Energy? Audio Products International. They also made SOUND DYNAMICS....Thanks for the memories.
I did meet George when we first became dealers. They made some great speakers. Thx for tuning in.
Great video....great chat...and really love how the first thing you think to explain a horseshoe is a Bugatti. Cheers from Colombia, really enjoy your videos.
Thank you.
My favorites were Proac EBS's, which I owned for many years.
I still use my ADS L1590 tower speakers, amazing full range sound, they have been restored correctly
Your detailed information on these speaker models, is priceless , very refreshing.
It’s pretty neat that the Boston Acoustics Owner ,
Also Owned Epi And Epicure early on. They have an incredible sound signature.
I really like the early air spring inverted dome tweeters, combined with the natural roll off woofers .
I have a very nice condition of EPI 100s that I am selling. I just don't need them but there simple deign plus these are the earliest versions with the inverted dome tweeters on masonite with rubber surrounds have a remarkable speed, clarity and very good bass with solid construction, even when compared to my ATCs.
Your videos are the bests! Your knowledge is refreshing, I lived through all these brands and wanted them all. What a cool channel, thanks so much! Happy Thanksgiving to you.
Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you.
I have a pair of KEF 304 series II's. They are my daily driver for my tv and music needs. They still have the original box for the metal stands. These may not be the best-known model from KEF... but I love them.
That's great. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Nice vid and i like the honesty on the used picks risks.. I have a smaller set of Energy on my audio repair bench as bench speakers.. love them. actually put them on just to listen to sometimes instead of my larger garage systems with towers.. depends on the mood im in that day but I do enjoy the old vintage audio !
Thanks for sharing
Snell made some great speakers
My original E snells replaced my JBL L100 that now are stupidly overpriced.
I do remember the KEF ‘s from my favorite audio shop , they were quite unique
Nice Video, as you told such a listing is always a very personal point of view. So what I’m missing is Quad ESL63, Celestion SL600/6000, IMF RSPM MK VIi, ProAc Tablet, 😊
Nice speakers all. Thank you for your view and comment.
Boston Acoustics, I have been hoping to stumble on a pair of B.A. speakers for sale for many years . Thanks for the video.
Thank you! I am a Canadian, i moved to the US. I truly miss the government there and all that they did to help us in so many ways. Maybe the collaboration you speak of on the Energy series will help Americans understand that. Thank you.
Thx for the view.
I still have some Marantz 6G speakers. Probably a bit bassy and beam the top end with that tweeter.
Just love the plate on the back
" Precision crafted in USA "
Boston Acoustics = smooth bottom. I had a pair of A-100’s powered by a Cyrus II amp, with a Rega turntable.
My ears still remember certain albums, and how they interacted with this system.
Sind like a nice set up. Thx for sharing it.
I forgot to mention… I went through a few different cartridges too - Grado and a few AKG’s.
The 80’s were a golden age for home systems.
Hi. Great video and a wealth of knowledge. Speaking of API, I bought a pair of one of their more "budget" line of speakers, the DB Plus 990. I paid $600 for them when I was a teenager back in the 80s. I still use them to this day. About 2 years ago I replaced the passive radiator and refoamed the woofer. Surprisingly the tweeters still work. I'm not sure if I love them because of how they sound or if my judgment is clouded by nostalgia.
Pretty impressed with your review of the Boston Acoustic T1000. I'm going to keep a look out for a pair. Take care.
They were very nice speakers. Thx for watching.
I had the 104/2 with the kube. (I also added a sub) the 104/2 REALLY woke up with a recap (cap upgrade). Remember- the FR specs you quoted for KEF were +/- 2db, not 3db like most speakers. (They provided that rating too) Conservative rating! Always liked how controlled A/R bass sounded.
@@scottlowell493 where did you get your capacitors from? I refurbished my 104 except the caps.
Ohm Walsh 2's in the early 1980s and I'm kicking myself today for selling them!
I've had to subscribe. My fav speakers: RSL and ESS.
@@kevinfestner6126 Yes. ESS, most folks have never heard of an Air Motion Transfirmer. Perfect tag: sound as clear as light.
Can't believe you started with a pair of Advent Heritage! I've never heard anybody talk about them. I had a pair. Always thought they sounded good with any music. Sadly I blew all 4 woofers one night when I was trying to help out a friend in a local bar by playing a mix tape I made for a "Beach Party." Since I was doing it for free, she gave me the money to refoam them, which my "dear" wife did for me. After those, I went straight down the rabbit hole & bought, sold & traded vintage gear for almost 20 years.
I understand completely. Thx for watching and commenting.
I have KEFs with the Ref model 2 coaxials , great soundstage and off axis freq accuacy
The Uni-Q speakers were quite good.
I love that lamp, Ed. And thank you for the Thanksgiving Day vid. I needed the distraction. 😊
Happy Thanksgiving my friend.
In the mid-90s I was going through a nasty divorce and one of my gifts to myself for getting through it was finally buying a complete system, new, from an audiophile store. When it came to speakers it came down to Mirage vs Energy. I ended up going with the Mirage partially for the looks and partially because it seemed like they had slotted what I bought in between the two lines of Energy available. I still have those Mirage but part of me wishes I'd saved up for the Energy Reference set. I know the cats would have ignored the Energy but live and learn.
Mirage almost made the list. We were Mirage dealers as well as Energy. I always like Mirage a lot. Thank you for sharing your experience and your view.
@@OldGuyHifi Personally I think they're the best value in vintage/used hifi right now. Folks have no idea what they are or they get lumped in with the crap that Klipsch sold under the Mirage name at the end. The 80s/90s Canadian-made stuff is excellent. I've seen the flagship OM-5s for $350 a pair! I need another pair of speakers like I need another hole in my head but if I came across a pair of the MRM-1s I'd have to jump for the right price.
@@tmdillon1969 It is a shame what Klipsch did to so many brands. Thx.
Another excellent brand of speakers that had a connection the to Canadian National Research Council is Camber.
My favorite which I still own JBL100T.
BTW I installed the butyl rubber surround woofers in my 104.2 biwire speakers,
I still have a pair of black grand piano connoisseur with rebuilt tweeters. A gentleman from Calgary rebuilt them for me. I bought them in 1984. They replaced my B&W 802s. I thought they were a better speaker. Could image like crazy. Still do
Great speakers for sure. Thank you for your view and comment.
I remember hearing Peter Gabriel,Shock the Monkey on Energy speakers and was amazed
Hi back in the 90s I bought a pair of AR93 Speakers at lechmere in Massachusetts
After a few years I had to replace the woofers because of a cat issue and I found parts express had woofers made for energy speaker by Bravox in Brazil they make a lot of OEM parts for Speaker manufacturers
Thanks for the tip.
my 104/2 are still pumping fantastically i recapped them and added new tweeters a couple of years ago ,havnt heard a better speaker..
what tweeters did you use?
@@705johnnyboy
For a replacement tweeter Midwest speaker repair MW Audio MT-1191 v2: 1 inch Dome Tweeter for KEF 104/2 Speaker.
I have used them. I thought they were improvement over the 30 or 40 year old tweeter.
I put a video up a month ago featuring my buddy's refurbished KEF 104.2 and they still sound is fantastic.
Jim🏴⭐
I had a pair of Koss professional headphones with adjustable volume that sounded like you were sitting in on the recording session. Can't find that type of quality anymore.
I still have mine that I bought in 1977...the Koss "Technician/VFR" with variable frequency response.
Thanks for showing these speakers, I still have my 1987 AR9LSi, did you ever hear them!
I honestly don't remember. So many speakers so long ago! I bet they sound great. Thank you for your comment and view.
Just need to pick you up on what the initials of KEF stand for, being a Brit who lives round the corner from them !
It actually stands for Kent Engineering Foundry, as apposed to Electric Foundry.
Terrific post though Ed.
Lovely to reminisce 👍
Yes. I misspoke. Thank you.,
I carried my cherished Allison Acoustic 5’s from the midwest to both coasts. That speaker sounded great in every room I put it, with all sorts of amps. Could fill a big room, although it was really pretty small. If the grills weren’t so brittle, they would have survived all the moves.
I always thought highly of Allisons. Good speakers. Thx for sharing your experience.
My 1980's line was Thiel 03A, and Ohm Walsh 4, then Legacy Audio/Real to Real "Classic".
I have a pair of Kef Carina ii's, $500 in 1984. They are in a class of their own. Forty years old and the surrounds are whole and still supple. The caps need to be replaced.
1979 -had a pair of Bose 501's run by a Sansui AU717 amp 85 watts rms and high-end Technics turntable. That system was nirvana lol! Currently my Cambridge AXR100 and Klipsch RPS8000 f ii and HD streaming blows that system out of the water on specs but can never match the warmth and personality of that original system.
I have just finished restoring a pair of KEF 104/2. Cabinet looked like they were made yesterday but inside, crossover caps, bass units, tweeters all needed repair/replacements. Not a job for the faint hearted!
Not an easy speaker to work on.
The Advent Heritage is a great speaker, the slightly smaller but same quality and look is the Laureate both great overall speakers.
Close to the 80’s. My favorites are ESS any, Sonab, DCM time window, Bose 601’s, Boston Acoustic.
Yes, yes. ESS AMT, the most transparent I have ever heard.
I succeeded in having the Nova Scotia guy rebuild by Energy tweeters. I have the original Connoisseurs (found them in a Salvation Army). Really hurt my back moving them once.
Lucky. What ever happened to him?
No idea. Too bad he has dropped off the grid.
Curious what you used as a replacement?
I found a ceramic dome tweeter (Tang Band 25-1744S) that had the right specs and used those. I had to add an L-Pad to the tweeter circuit as it was way more efficient. It works quite well.
Kef sold kits in the late 70's I built them.
Enjoy your videos. Still using a Boston Acoustics T 830 in a second system. Originally did combine it with a 50 watt NAD receiver but that eventually stopped working. The store gave me 30 feet of 16 gauge speaker wire. Speaker cables were not considered important back then. I have tried and bought other speakers, but for vocals, I have not found anything that I like better. I think they were popular because they were a narrow floor standing speaker unlike the A series.
Can you think of any current speakers that have that slightly warm sound and solid base?
Wharfedale speakers have done if that warm sound. Thx
Wouldn’t call 104/2s warm really. Having owned many pair it has a wonderful crisp midrange and top end. Restoring is actually very easy.
Had a pair of KEF 104 and a pair of Kef 107 and later to my regret a pair of 107 II, the first one sounded better as far as I remember due to the Cube.
Interestingly I sold audio gear in the 80's. I sold a couple of the brands you mention here, but none of these are favorites of mine. I don't have a lot of experience with the Kefs. But I'm quite familiar with the others. It's all subjective and I'm not saying you're wrong, just that my tastes run a lot different. I tend to, but not exclusively, prefer speakers that are more dynamic than any of these. And while the Missions were somewhat dynamic, they were just too harsh and cabinet resonances were terribad.
I enjoyed the walk down memory lane with you though.
Thx for the good comment and view.
Thanks for the great video I bought a pair of Boston Acoustics T1000 from American TV scratch and dent demo cabin should beat up but there are 375Dollars they worked fine I redid the cabinets my dad was a cabinet maker they turned out fantastic no grills I didn't care they kicked I don't know for about 5 years then I sold them to buy some cornwalls but anyway thanks for a great video I enjoy them very much I had too much junk Happy Thanksgiving
That hilarious. America TV was a customer of mine back in the day. Thx for watching and sharing your experience.
ADS L810, Quad ESL63's, Dahlquist DQ10, Vandersteen IIc, Apogee Scintilla
I owned a pair of 1 ohm Scintillas for several years, and some DQ10s as well. Loved them.
What were the replacement tweeters you used in the Energy 22.2 ? I might think about replacing the dead tweeters in my old first version Energy 22. Thanks
Tang Band 25-1744S Ceramics dome tweeter. I don't think they are made anymore. Works well mouse to add an L-Pad to the tweeter circuit so I could match the efficiency.
Boston is a great brand. I had the T1030's for a while. Blew them up with a GFA555II and Nakamichi CD1 (cd player has a variable out, so ran it directly into the amp). My local dealer had a very good speaker trade up policy, so I was always trying different things. I had a pair of Klipsch something or other and lasted maybe a month before I traded them.
I have an idea for a video. Some subwoofers have both speaker level and RCA in/outs. Which is better?
I have the energy 3.1e are they similar to the 22.2 in sound ?
A bit. The 3.1e were/are a good speaker. Energy lavished a lot of engineering on the 22 2s as they were a statement piece. They do share some similarities. Thx for watching and commenting.
ADS L980 was nice.
If possible, try to add audio sample in your video as well. Thanks. 😊❤
Samples are an issue as I don't want to get a copyright strike note also I don't have the right equipment to record a clip. Thx for the suggestion.
Bought some lightly used polk audio sda with a nad power amplifier and nad preamp it needs to be played a little loud but very rarely disappoints
Which model?
I'm curious to get your opinion of mirage speakers.
I heard you mention them in this video
I have a pair of Mirage M-7si. I think they're as good as any speaker I've listen to.
However, I don't know much about them. Love the channel! Thank you
I always liked Mirage before they changed hands. Very nice.
good stuff, though most of those speakers don't ring a bell, even though i'm old enough. I see Vandersteen 2c's on FB market place all the time, often wonder if it's worth picking up a pair. (I know they're still produced, but curious about an older model). Thoughts? Happy thanksgiving Ed!
They are very nice sounding speakers. As long as they are in good shape and not too expensive.
Wonder what you think about vintage infinity speakers. I have some QBs I love.
Unfortunately I didn't have a lot of experience with them. My impressions were always positive though. Thx for watching.
still have my KEF 104.2s bought them brand new at audio king, they still have beautiful cabs and grills but the internals need the usual re fresh. I thought about Midwest speaker for a restore but would like to know if anyone knows of the quality of their repairs and restorations.
Sorry I don't have any experience with them.
@@Dan-y6x3s I’ve used their tweeters in my kef 104 and they were very good. To me they improved the top end. Slightly brighter/ more air to the highs.
Don’t know about their services.
I'd like to see the front grill not just the speakers
I can only use the photos available on the internet. Sorry. Thank you.
Yeah the Energy's Ref C were my dream speakers . They were so beautiful sounding. The speakers i could afford and happy with were PSB 50r.
OHM F’s projected a sound stage no box speaker could duplicate. I would luv to hear a pair of HHR Exotic speakers by Dale Harder which are a reincarnations of the OHM F and OHM A.
ADS for the win
My first "real" speakers were Snell Acoustics Type Ks. Bookshelf speakers, but fantastic in their transparency and detail.
They gave way to my current speakers loves, a pair of Vandersteen 1c's. Airy, great soundstage, and delicate but detailed highs. And, for my purposes, a good-enough low end.
Honorable mentions (i.e., speakers that almost made it to my home) are Von Schweikert (great 'attack'), and Dali (Snell-like cleanness and detail).
Never impressed by B&W or Epos.
Keith, I know now good those Vandersteens can sound. Nice stuff. Thanks for sharing and stopping by the channel.
@@OldGuyHifi Thank YOU for the presentation.