I am 63 years old. I Still have my EPI 100's from the 70's. I have put them away, took them out, put them away, and took them out of the closet over the decades, and have bought many a modern Speaker thinking they would be better than the EPI 100's. I run a recording studio, and have bought nearly all of the major "studio monitors" of the day. Many of them costing over 20x more than the EPI 100's. Again, the same thing. EPI's in the closet. But, guess what. The EPI's keep coming back out and I wind up selling the monitors of the day and leaving the EPI's out for me to enjoy. They are truly magical. They do things other speakers of the modern day just can't do. I don't even mess with a sub with them. They are so well balanced on their own. Focal monitors of the day, appear to all of my friends who own them proudly, as they brag about the inverted dome tweeter in their monitors that Focal invented. I love showing them that I have had a inverted dome tweeter for over 50 years. They are shocked when I pull my grill covers off and they see the tweeter in the EPI. Many of my friends have cried. Their bubble shattered! I love it. They also can't believe the sound.
So glad you mentioned the placement issue with Bose! It's super important to get the reflecting part working right otherwise they just sound flat and dull. Lots of people either don't know this or don't have the proper space to set them up, hence the rep.
In the mid 80s I was putting together my first, "decent" stereo. I got a Technics receiver and was debating between the Baby Advent IIs and the Bose 301s. The price was the same ($179 if memory serves) and I thought they sounded about the same. The salesman said the Advents would be better with my receiver since they were easier to drive. I went with his recommendation and was quite happy with the results.
Totally agree on the baby Advents. I have a pair and sold another a couple of months ago. They are extremely easy to refoam and sound surprisingly good for the their size. They hit lower than they should. Very shallow but wide cabinet.
Identical to the EPI 100’s of the early 70’s were the EPI 90’s. Same cabinet and drivers except the 90’s had a walnut-flavored vinyl wrap and no tweeter level control. The secret to the EPIs was the fact that the crossover was just one capacitor on the tweeter, the woofer ran full range. Ed Burhoe, the designer, stated that the woofer was designed with a voice coil that had the desired inductance and served as a low pass for the woofer. My pair of 90’s I bought in 1973 when I was in high school was $180/ pair, while the 100s were $200/pair (not $99). My stereo was the envy of my dorm floor, also being that I was using a Dynaco PAS-3X tube preamp ($50 with Telefunken tubes)and Stereo 70 tube power amp ($70 - a dollar a watt!) with a Thorens TD121 turntable ($20 from a radio station converting to tape cartridges), an Empire 980 arm ($40) and a Grado FTE ($20) cartridge. I was into vintage before it was a thing 😆! At a time when most all hi-fi was made in Japan, everything I had was USA manufactured, except the Thorens which was Swiss. BTW, the EPI 100’s were rated #1 in a test of loudspeakers appearing in Consumer Reports, which was highly influential at the time.
The classic Advent Speakers sounded great. I'm 46 now and can still remember the first time I heard the floor standing version. Clean and smooth sounding.
Another list Sold many Baby Advents - good for small rooms and faithful - clipping the tweeter blows them up. Bose 301's were OK - ported box, series one had one tweeter and a adjustable vein. The tweeters were so cheap they could afford to add another in the series 2. They worked good on top of wall units which solved many placement problems for the wife factors. But an baby advent was much better sounding. EPi's 100's were a super bargain. The reverse dome had almost horn qualities. Big air suspension box. Karns looks like a house brand. Peizo tweeters were a few $. The Sawa Fuji were quite good. Sony had flat panel drivers - so did Technics. The midrange shows the voice coil design. Flat drivers change dispersion patterns drastically. Worth a listen.
First "Audiophile" system I listened to was in 1981 and had Bose 901 speakers. I was impressed by how good that system sounded. That was 42 years ago and now they would sound like a clock radio compared to my tube amplified Klipsch La Scalas.
Totally agree with you regarding Bose....I find that most people who bash them have never actually owned them, and probably never spent much time listening to them. There are two speakers that tend to polarize "audiophiles", those are the Pioneer HPM-100, and pretty much anything by Bose. Yes, I HAVE owned them all, and each has it`s own virtues. Bose 301 Series IV, while maybe not a top-tier "critical listening" speaker, are perfectly fine for an office, workshop, or other casual environment. My Bose 601 Series II got many favorable comments from folks who enjoy music, nobody ever said "Man....those things sound like crap !" As you stated, setup/placement is critical for best results.
Nice timing. I have the EPI 100s, which were my mains in the workspace/den for months. I just took them out of rotation for a recap which all the old vintage stuff needs at this point. FYI - An online store called " Human Speakers" specializes in all things EPI, Epicure and Genesis speakers.
I had Baby Advents and enjoyed you talking about them. I've got plenty of new, (but affordable) speakers now and none of them impress me as much ( relative to price) as those Advents, so long ago.
Thank you for explaining that love/hate relationship with Bose. The only Bose I have are small outdoor ones that serve a specific purpose (outside or testing a new unknown condition amp). Not knowing anything about the old Bose speakers, I could not understand the hatred, bordering on religious fundamentalism against another religion, against them.
This is hilarious - I had Baby Advent 2s, and I had those Realistic speakers from the first video. They both were surprisingly good, I think. My Dad’s friend had those Boses…I thought they were pretty good, too.
I bought my bose 301 iii brand new in 1993 and im still jaming with them!! I still love them! Still running my def tech bp20s through my yamaha aventage 3080 sounds great!!!
I am from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and met Ray Karnes (RIP) in his retail outlet when I auditioned his speakers. From his obituary: He was the owner of Karns Electronics for 50 years. When Raymond was young the Kansas City Star labeled him "Boy Hero" for saving his mother's life. He was an airplane pilot, radio pioneer, an inventor with two patents, he also recorded and made records
I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I used to live a few blocks from the Karns showroom on Fulton Street. As a teenager in the late 1970s hearing the Karns compared to other brands on display was my first exposure to "hi-fi" audio. I was hooked on audio as a hobby ever since. I never owned a pair of Karns, though.
Thanks for the very cool video's. I look forward to watching each Sunday morning. I'm definitely a vintage stereo fanatic from the 70s and 80s So thanks again you make my Sunday!!
Baby Advents belong right there, nice speakers for close to nothing. I have a pair bought new in the early 90's and sound good, I re-foamed them and upgraded the crossover, real good sound and real wood! I came across a pair of Sony SS-H3500 in a thrift shop for $14.00, a 3 ways little speaker but what a sound! After a deep cleaning, they look like new. They complement a Technics SA 104 bought in the same place for $10.00. And so, a TV in a small room has now decent sound.
My first pair of speakers were the Bose 301's way back in 1974. A couple of years later I bought a pair of Bose 501's. Fast forward another 20 years or so and I finally was able to afford a pair of Bose 901's. Got them home and excitedly hooked them up to my electronics. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. I messed with them and the Bose equalizer for a few days and realized nothing I did would make them sound good so I returned them. I still have the 301's that are used as surrounds, and the 501's are still rocking in my bedroom and I think they sound great.
Hey I think it's great you're doing the live stream on sunday. Don't worry. Even if some of us miss it we just watch the replay anyway man. Extremely grateful for all your content.
I've got both versions of the Baby Advent here, several of each in fact, at first I liked the newer dome tweeter style but the more I listen to them, I think I like the paper tweeter better. They seem more balanced than the newer versions, but it could well be the room they're in. I've had several pair of EPI 100 speakers, I bought the first pair on recommendation from several others but I just never heard a pair i could get to like. It could be my house, or the combos I tried but I kept several pair around here for about 5 years, trying all sorts of different set ups but finally gave up and let them go. Like anything, I'm sure its just my opinion but I doubt I'd ever bother with another pair. I really thought I'd like a pair of their larger speakers but so far none have become keepers. I've owned 100, M100, 101, 20/20, 400, and 1000 models, and none worked well for me. The 1000's sounded pretty good where I got them but I absolutely could not get them to work here. When I bought those, I bought the guy's whole system, amp, preamp, and speakers, but they fell flat here regardless of positioning. I've had similar experience with Avid Speakers for some reason. I've had Bose 301's and 501's and one pair of 901's, all with the original EQ but none were keepers. Luckiy I've got a buddy who loves Bose and they ended up over there. Of all of them, the 501's probably sounded the best, but they ended up being very hard to place, only working right when placed nearly in the middle of the room. They likely needed a much larger area to sound right. SawaFuji at one point had some connection to Aiwa in Japan very early on. Its an old brand not primarily known for speakers. I can't say I've ever run into a set of those, but a buddy did say he found a few sets over the years, but all had non working drivers so he left them where they were. I would certainly think that finding replacement drivers or parts would be a long search, if they ever turned up. From looking at them and having dealt with other planar type speakers, I'd have to figure that they lack bass and would most likely need a subwoofer to sound complete? I actually have seen Karns speakers here, but they belonged to a buddy in MO. He brought them out to me to refoam. The tweeter sure looked like a simple piezo tweeter to me too. I was surprised at how little they did to cross over the mid or as its wired, more of a front tweeter of sorts. If it were crossed over differently, the speaker would likely sound like it was lacking its highs. The fact that the piezo tweeter is on the back likely lessens its harshness while giving them some depth. I didn't listen to the pair I had here long enough or in any proper set up, I just tested them and they went away. I half figured they were either a small market manufacturer or a house brand of sorts.
I have a pair of Bose 301 Series V speakers that I picked up on facebook market place. I put a whole system (not exactly vintage) together from flea markets, thrift stores and facebook for $300 that includes a Victrola turntable, Onkyo reciever and Onkyo CD player and finished off with the Bose speakers. In a 12 x 13 foot office/bedroom the set-up is more than adequate.
I love your videos and I love vintage audio. I just gave my nephew my beloved DCM Time Window 1As. I had them from 1984 til 2018. There is a model that will trigger a few people. I enjoyed them for 34 years and I could have sold them, but I wanted to keep them in the family. When my ship was in Japan in 1978 I bought a pair of Pioneer CS 722s. Supposedly they were never sold in the USA. I loved those too.
I had just landed my first job out of college back in 1986. With the new job came a chance to upgrade my hifi gear. When shopping for speakers within my budget, my top two choices were the DCM Time Windows and the Fried A/3. I wound up choosing the Frieds, but remember being somewhat disappointed that they looked so plain compared to the DCMs. Countless other speakers have come and gone since then, but I still have the Frieds and still enjoy listening to them. Perhaps I would still have the DCMs had I bought them instead.
Picked up Baby Advents at a garage sale for $5. Needed fresh surrounds. I ended up replacing surrounds and donating them to Habitat 4 Humanity. Also had a set of Bose 301s. Never impressed with them, so I sold them. I've been on a vintage KLH kick lately. Got a set of Model 23s in the garage. Had a set of Model Six's. Sold those. Down to just three sets of speakers right now.
I want to thank you for recommending the Bose 301s. I bought a pair of Series IIIs for my home office. Maybe it is just because I do have the perfect conditions but they sound awesome to me. Running a tiny Aiyama Amp and Schiit DAC through my MAC. I love the sound of these bookshelf speakers and at $200 they were a steal.
I've got a set of Bose 301's and they rock. Placed properly on the wall at a measured height and distance from the corner they produce a lot of bass and fill the room.
Thanks for the EPI. I have two models myself and I enjoy them. I also really dig my two sets of Ohm speakers (again, different models). both the EPI and Ohms have foam surround rot so repair kits are a must for these.
I was in high school and college during the golden age and live just north of Boston. My school was just outside of Cambridge, so I was at the heart of the Boston stereo scene. I had EPIs in high school and they had a reputation as a really solid choice for indigent stereophiles. I upgraded to ADS 300s when the bookshelf craze started around 1980.
Another fun video. Love the trigger warning. I think I’ve mentioned that a few people have known combined the 301 with the Big Advents. Its a killer combination and the bigger speakers solve the base issue.
A great video. Some thoughts. A speaker you may have overlooked is the Harmon Kardon HK20. They were a very simple two way with I believe a 6" woofer with an accordion surround that will probably last an eternity. I believe they were crossed over to a 2 1/2" tweeter so real highs were next to impossible. They were a very "smooth" sounding speaker with no real big flaws. Here's my problem. The speaker connections in the back were not only the simple screw head type, but they were impossibly close together. I mean literally right next to each other so not shorting them out was a task of no easy proportions. Further thoughts on the EPI 100 (your not liking the change in logo not withstanding). The early models, like AR speakers, glued the grills in place so they are next to impossible to remove if you need to get inside the speaker to service them. Later models used pins so much easier to service but generally only find this iteration vinyl clad and didn't seem quite as solid as the early iteration. Sometimes I am dismayed when some "audiophile" channels list their 10 most significant speakers of all time, seem to be fixated on the mid 80's and beyond so their choices are the logical picks: Spendor, Spica, Thiel, Vandersteen, etc. They always seem to neglect the speakers that, at least in my mind, changed the world of hi-fi: KLH, AR, Advent, EPI. Maybe someday go through Advent and how it went from the original to the mid-seventies' iterations to the "New" Advent to the Advent 1, etc.
This is a fun list. I bought a set of Bose 301 speakers (the original version) for cheap from a pawn shop back in 1981 and used them until I graduated from college. Back then "critical listening" wasn't really a thing for me and the little 301s matched up well with the small 70's Technics amp that I had at the time so they worked out well for me. I was always able to place them so that both tweeters had equidistant space to a reflecting surface. These days I generally tend to be more impressed with acoustic suspension designs when it comes to vintage speakers so I appreciate choices like the EPI 100 and baby Advents being on this list. Since you asked, I actually much prefer the later EPI logo over the original version.
Great list. My brother had the bigger advents and always loved those. Surprisingly, he had the bose 301s also an I agree, they really sounded good. I didn't like the 201s, 501s and 701s that I demoed because they didn't give me the impact that I thought his 701s had. I'm now vintage electroboice in one room and Klipsch in the other, so obviously took a very different turn, but find memories of the 301s
Regardless of how their speakers sound, my guess is that many people are down on them because Bose has always budgeted highly for the marketing their products (money that I suppose could have otherwise gone into designing and building better speakers). Like it or not, this approach has obviously worked out well for them.
My 1st exposure to “HIFI” was when a buddy of mine bought a pair of 301s in 1978. He hung them from the ceiling of his apartment and they sounded pretty good. Especially after hitting the Stanley Steamer😮. Fast forward a few years and I was shopping my first quality speaker purchase. Bose AM-5 had just come out and, given my space was limited they were an interesting option. The problem, other than the lack of real presence, they were made of cheap materials and parts but selling for $1200! I went with a pair of SDA-2Bs that I still have today. Bose uses cheap low impedance drivers and acoustic trickery. They may image well when set up properly but lack detail, dynamics and clarity for my money. Also had a pair of EPI’s in my Karman Ghia in those days with that same diy looking tweeter, they were amazing!
I just picked up a pair of the Polk 3 way bookshelf speakers that are on the shelf over your right shoulder from a local seller. I am enjoying getting to know those speakers.
I really have been enjoying your videos. Thdsy take me back to when I was a top stereo salesman working for Tech HiFi in Prov., RI from 1975-1979. Yes, during the golden years of stereo ekctronics. Just an FYI, the 'house' systems from Tech were mostly: Philips TT + Nikko rec + Ohm E speakers. The most competitive system for us to beat was the Consumer Reports favorite of 1975 - Dual TT + Pioneer Sx650 + EPI 100 speakers. The EPI system was very low margin and favored by stiudents and discount shoppers bringing ads in from the New York Times electronics stores. The only problemn with the EPIs was that they weren't very efficient, but suitable for a dorm room. The comments about the Bose speakers are spot on because the EQ box confused so many buyers. My personal system ended up being a Thorens TD-125 with Black Widow tone arm and MicroAcoustics 2022e + SAE pre-amp + 2 Crown 150s running in mono + Ohm F speakers. Pretty sweet and the Crown amps were stable into the OHM F 4 ohm loads.
The Epicure M100s were the 1st vintage speaker that I refoamed and recapped/real easy. I loved them then and today! Now I'm looking at a pair of Harbeth 30.2 😂😂
I have Advent Baby 2, EPI 100, and Boes AM 5s! Well close .. lol. I love them all... got maybe 5 pair of various Klipsch too... and several others. Changing speakers is great fun!
I occasionally buy thrift store or Craigslist speakers not to use as-is but because I want to salvage or repurpose either the cabinets or the drivers for DIY projects. I currently have a pair of Wharfedale W70 cabs in lovely mid century modern blonde birch waiting for the right salvaged drivers to come along. For those inclined to educate themselves about speaker design this approach can result in classy speakers with spectacular sound on the cheap---not taking into account one's labor, of course. For those not so inclined, this will be a long-odds roll of the dice.
Really cool and nice with the "newer" info graphics with the bullet points with your voice over going over the details 🙏Very helpful good Sir, for me as a newbie 🙏🥁
EPI 100 were my first good speakers. Got them around 1981, and mated with a 30 wpc Sony integrated amp. Later switched to a 38 wpc Marantz I got from my mom, as it belonged to my grandfather. I damaged one of the tweeters in a move and replaced the EPI with Jamie, later Dynaudio, then Linn, but that is another story.
I was a Bose kinda hater till I got a pair of Model 21 3 way speakers At a pawn shop For cheap change and I have them playing on my computer They sound good to me ! !
Early last year I saw a vintage pair of speakers on FB for $100. I had never followed vintage speakers too much so I had no idea what they were (other than recognising the brand name from the drivers that were in my Ampeg amps back in the day). They looked cool so I went and grabbed them. Turns out they're a pair of Celestion Ditton 551 and after replacing the tweeters, they're easily the best speakers I have ever had. Those soft dome midrange drivers are so great to my ears. So much of what makes Klipsch special but without the honk. Even my wife loves them and forbids me from ever replacing them. I'll try to be on for the livestream, but I'm in Australia and might have work stuff going on that I have to give my full attention to.
Although I'm not in the market for speakers..I love the Sunday AM videos. I remember knowing quite a few folks in the 80's who owned the "Baby Advents". Back then I owned the original BOSE 901's !
I've picked up so many speakers at good will. Cleaned them up and performed a refoam. Baby Advent, Optimus Pro Lx5, Infinity RS 325 and Infinity SL40. Yep Bose definitely need to be placed correctly or they will sound horrible.
Sansui LM-330. Mid 70's, 2 way design, 10" driver, and from firing port. They also horn loaded the back of the tweeter pointing sideways to help cancel the opposite speakers sound waves to get a more pure stereo image. Lot of good reviews out there. I somehow ended up with 2 pairs. Also, my favorite pair are the Onkyo model 160's. Not much out there on them, but I love them. The tweeter recently blew so if anyone knows anyone that's selling some I will buy immediately.
If I need to relax, I watch one of your videos. Thanks for your presentations and information! I own Klipsch KG 1.2 bookshelves with a matching passive sub, all in mint condition. I picked this set up from a Craig’s List sale. The wood veneer is all in perfect shape. This line of Klipsch has a different sound than the usual horn loaded models. The high end is not as hot…less sizzle! I never see these in shops. Ebay, yes. Shops, no. This line of Klisch has large floor standing speakers too. Did this line of Klipsch ever come through your store?
The Bose 301s SII are great little speakers. One thing I've noticed about Bose - if you put some serious wattage to them - they sound pretty good. I've driven 301s with 125 watts each and they eat it up and sound better than you'd expect.
I had a pair of Bose 601's, not sure of the series, but they sounded awesome! Very good bottom end. Ported on the rear. I currently have a pair of Clements 800SI (Spatial Image) speakers, Made in Canada, that are quite rare to see these days. They also sound awesome, with a great bottom end as well. Rear ported. These aren't bookshelf speakers, just not that common to find, like the last section of this video.
I am not a Bose fan, but I just got a free set of Bose 501 (1979) speakers, and they are supposed to sit up against the wall, and they are playing through a HK 430 Twin receiver, and they sound surprising good.
I picked up a pair of Mini Advent II a while ago for $5... Of course they need to be refoamed and I got the kit for about $28. I think it will be a good way to learn how to refoam. Based on the instructions, it seems pretty straightforward, maybe that will be a good project during the Thanksgiving break. The Sawafuji look very interesting. Idea for a future video: making a list of unknown brands/speakers to keep an eye out for (if it hasn't being done yet, I'm not sure) I'll try to be there for the live, no promises though but I set an alarm for it. Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family
That’s what I’d like to do myself. I have been picking up older/cheaper audio equipment to try out and am looking for stuff I can try repairing too. I’d like to have a little side business in Rochester MN of speaker repair and possible electronics too. Need more diagnostic tools for that though. With Des Moines and the Twin Cities being as far as they are, there’s nothing local for that stuff.
Those darn EPI-100's. First offered in 1969 (I believe) they were the best "budget" speakers during the 1970's. I got mine late, as kitchen extension speakers, from Tech Hifi (12 W 45th street NYC) for $140 a pair in 1980. They have very good dispersion, HF response and surprisingly deep bass (+/-3dB's @ 48Hz) for such small systems being 21" tall and 25 lbs. They're true "bookshelf" systems.
The EPI 100s have a bunch of different versions. Also look at the Epicure Model 10 which are the same thing basically. I've refoamed a set of each and really like them
well that teaches me that from now on I'll have to watch the entire video before I comment, or was I surprised when you pulled out those Karns! friend of mine I worked with had a pair and I went over one day, listened to them and like you said, the highs just weren't gettin' it on - so I had this idea to move the Tweeter to the front where the port was, and move the port to the back where the Tweeter is, and he had enough scrap shelving laying around that we were able to make it happen and oh yeah made all the difference in the world he was like a kid in a candy store, just very amazed that he now liked them so much.
I have a pair of Bose 301's I bought new in the mid 80's and they have always sounded great to me. Placement is important with these speakers because the whole idea behind Bose designs is how the sound from them reflects off the walls and ceiling in a room. Also, the type of amplifier is important as well. I use mine with an HH Scott 299C amplifier and the amp and speakers work really well together. Are they the best sounding speakers I have? Probably not . But, when set up correctly they do make music come alive with a very nice depth to the sound stage.
Hope I get a chance to hear all of these at some point. I am, however, surprised that the Polk Audio Monitor 4 didn’t make the list. A pair of those were my main speakers for years and I was darn happy with ‘em.
I just had a pair of Monitor 4’s delivered earlier in the week. I haven’t had a chance to listen to them yet. They were a little more than I wanted to spend (just under $70 shipped) but they appear to be in very good condition.
@@skylabsaudio I think it was 1983 and a good friend made me meet him the best stereo store in Fairbanks, Ak. Once there he pointed to the little Monitor 4s and said I had to hear them. The salesman cranked ‘em up and I was absolutely blown away…but then realized the mistake. “No, not the big speakers”, I said, “I want to hear the little Polks on top”. The salesman said - “those ARE the little Polks on top”. And he was right! The best $200 I ever spent!
I got a free pair of 301 Series 1's from a friend that needed new foam. Sound pretty good. A different friend gave me a pair of EPI A110's. They also needed new foam and I had to reattach the spider. They sound good as long as I don't push them too hard.
Good morning Kevin, same as always I enjoyed your video. I am persuaded to leave the first comment on this video and my first comment ever for anybody. I had experience with all these speakers in my life, except Karns and Dynawave. I wish I was living in your area to visit your store. Keep up good videos and wish you the best. .....Kevin
Have had the same pair of BOSE 601Direct Array Series II for 41 years. Bought them new in 1983, $500 a piece. Have had the woofers repaired twice, love'm...
Great review of some classic bookshelf speakers! another terrific classic is the Goodmans Achromat 250 bookshelf. british built at the height of the company's excellence.
In last year I bought a bunch of used bookshelfs in KC area at $200-$250, except the Martin Logan and Bostons at $100. Every single one is excellent in my home-office w/o a sub. With a sub, they are as good as my floor-standing ones. my preference in order: 1 Martin Logan, surprising definition, presence for so small a speaker. Surprising bass for size, but outta-sight with a sub. Think Psyc Furrs, Nirvana Unplugged, Brubeck, Throbbing Gristle, X 2. AR. Everything AR is known for. Warmer to me maybe, but crystal clear definitions up and down in instruments and vocals. Great at Minor Threat, Grimes, Miles Davis or Glenn Gould. 3. JBL. As good as AR, but it sounds just a tiny bit neutral (which is probably just a personal thing). Link Wray, opera, hendrix. Best with tube amp, Marantz 2220. 4. Boston Acoustics, Surprising lows, acoustic and Jangly guitars sound great on this one. Not as high definition in mids. Sounds great thru ST-70 or neutral Vintage 80s Dennon 5. Advent, agree with your review completely. Excellent. Guitars! Guitars! Guitars! A little on neutral/clinical side. Richard Thompson, Nirvana Unplugged, Kurt Vile, Buddy Holly, Rickenbackers, Telecasters and Stratocasters. My number 5 could very easily be someone else's number 1. Again all are incredible value. Reply with comment for model names. I gave the MLs to my favorite 13-yo and want the ARs for myself, but will sell others for cost in Lawrence/KC area. PM me.
One of your videos caught my eye, and since then, I have watched several more. Learning about lot's of brands that I wasn't familiar with. I like when I see things that I had or friends of mine had back in the day. I listened to a set of bose speaker and they sounded great especially for their size. I got them home and hooked them up and at first they sounded great. Between songs I walked away from them and when the next song started I thought something went seriously wrong. It turned out that as I got closer they sounded better and better. Apparently they are designed to be listened to with in say 5-8 feet maximum distance. They became my small office speakers. I kinda liked the radio shack mach 1 and mach 2 speakers. I really wanted a big set of cerwin Vegas and I was saving up for them and the place that carried them closed and I couldn't find them anywhere. I had liked the mach 1 speakers but they were discontinued. I would have liked to have heard them side by side but it was not going to happen. I had enough to buy the mach 2 speakers and I used them for year and years then I moved and they didn't fit the new house. I had them in storage for 15 years and when I got them out and hooked them up they no longer sounded good. Turned out the speaker suroinds went bad. I looked for replacement speakers but they were a weird ohm I think it was. I found a local place that redid the surrounds and they did a great job and they are in my workshop now and I get to enjoy them all the time. Keep up the cool videos.
The Genesis 1's which is an earlier version of the EPI sound good too. I just refoamed a pair, and they behave much like the EPIs the way you described.
@@skylabsaudio I thought ahead for a change and realized since I'm putting the grilles back on to hide the ugly but decent tweeters, nobody will know I went with black instead of green. These still smell like grandmas basement no matter what I do !
The EPI 100s you show in the video, with the tweeters mounted on masonite, are the original version. Great sound, but with pretty narrowly focused high frequencies. Around 1980, EPI replaced this with the plastic domed, ferro-fluid Air Spring tweeter. Easily recognizable, they're black plastic with two concentric gold rings and a gold EPI logo. Much wider high frequency dispersion, making them sound great from just about anywhere in the room. Still enjoying mine after 44 years!
I have a pair of EPI 180s which have 2 of the woofer/ gold ring tweeter modules in each cabinet. Just recapped and refoamed them and they sound absolutely wonderful! EPI/Epicure made some really good speakers back then.
I am 63 years old. I Still have my EPI 100's from the 70's. I have put them away, took them out, put them away, and took them out of the closet over the decades, and have bought many a modern Speaker thinking they would be better than the EPI 100's. I run a recording studio, and have bought nearly all of the major "studio monitors" of the day. Many of them costing over 20x more than the EPI 100's. Again, the same thing. EPI's in the closet. But, guess what. The EPI's keep coming back out and I wind up selling the monitors of the day and leaving the EPI's out for me to enjoy. They are truly magical. They do things other speakers of the modern day just can't do. I don't even mess with a sub with them. They are so well balanced on their own. Focal monitors of the day, appear to all of my friends who own them proudly, as they brag about the inverted dome tweeter in their monitors that Focal invented. I love showing them that I have had a inverted dome tweeter for over 50 years. They are shocked when I pull my grill covers off and they see the tweeter in the EPI. Many of my friends have cried. Their bubble shattered! I love it. They also can't believe the sound.
So glad you mentioned the placement issue with Bose! It's super important to get the reflecting part working right otherwise they just sound flat and dull. Lots of people either don't know this or don't have the proper space to set them up, hence the rep.
In the mid 80s I was putting together my first, "decent" stereo. I got a Technics receiver and was debating between the Baby Advent IIs and the Bose 301s. The price was the same ($179 if memory serves) and I thought they sounded about the same. The salesman said the Advents would be better with my receiver since they were easier to drive. I went with his recommendation and was quite happy with the results.
Totally agree on the baby Advents. I have a pair and sold another a couple of months ago. They are extremely easy to refoam and sound surprisingly good for the their size. They hit lower than they should. Very shallow but wide cabinet.
Back in the mid-70's I steered a friend to buy Baby Advents with a Harman Kardon 330, I think it was the B model. Fantastic combination.
Identical to the EPI 100’s of the early 70’s were the EPI 90’s. Same cabinet and drivers except the 90’s had a walnut-flavored vinyl wrap and no tweeter level control. The secret to the EPIs was the fact that the crossover was just one capacitor on the tweeter, the woofer ran full range. Ed Burhoe, the designer, stated that the woofer was designed with a voice coil that had the desired inductance and served as a low pass for the woofer. My pair of 90’s I bought in 1973 when I was in high school was $180/ pair, while the 100s were $200/pair (not $99). My stereo was the envy of my dorm floor, also being that I was using a Dynaco PAS-3X tube preamp ($50 with Telefunken tubes)and Stereo 70 tube power amp ($70 - a dollar a watt!) with a Thorens TD121 turntable ($20 from a radio station converting to tape cartridges), an Empire 980 arm ($40) and a Grado FTE ($20) cartridge. I was into vintage before it was a thing 😆! At a time when most all hi-fi was made in Japan, everything I had was USA manufactured, except the Thorens which was Swiss. BTW, the EPI 100’s were rated #1 in a test of loudspeakers appearing in Consumer Reports, which was highly influential at the time.
Winslow burhoe
The classic Advent Speakers sounded great. I'm 46 now and can still remember the first time I heard the floor standing version. Clean and smooth sounding.
Another list Sold many Baby Advents - good for small rooms and faithful - clipping the tweeter blows them up. Bose 301's were OK - ported box, series one had one tweeter and a adjustable vein. The tweeters were so cheap they could afford to add another in the series 2. They worked good on top of wall units which solved many placement problems for the wife factors. But an baby advent was much better sounding. EPi's 100's were a super bargain. The reverse dome had almost horn qualities. Big air suspension box. Karns looks like a house brand. Peizo tweeters were a few $. The Sawa Fuji were quite good. Sony had flat panel drivers - so did Technics. The midrange shows the voice coil design. Flat drivers change dispersion patterns drastically. Worth a listen.
I just purchased a set of Baby Advent ll from Skylabs have them hooked up to my Fisher Tube Amp they sound incredible.
I’ve owned a pair of Baby Advents since new. They have done a great job for years. I finally had to reform.
First "Audiophile" system I listened to was in 1981 and had Bose 901 speakers. I was impressed by how good that system sounded. That was 42 years ago and now they would sound like a clock radio compared to my tube amplified Klipsch La Scalas.
I think many, many stuff will sound bad compared to what you have.
Totally agree with you regarding Bose....I find that most people who bash them have never actually owned them, and probably never spent much time listening to them. There are two speakers that tend to polarize "audiophiles", those are the Pioneer HPM-100, and pretty much anything by Bose. Yes, I HAVE owned them all, and each has it`s own virtues.
Bose 301 Series IV, while maybe not a top-tier "critical listening" speaker, are perfectly fine for an office, workshop, or other casual environment. My Bose 601 Series II got many favorable comments from folks who enjoy music, nobody ever said "Man....those things sound like crap !" As you stated, setup/placement is critical for best results.
Nice timing. I have the EPI 100s, which were my mains in the workspace/den for months. I just took them out of rotation for a recap which all the old vintage stuff needs at this point.
FYI - An online store called " Human Speakers" specializes in all things EPI, Epicure and Genesis speakers.
Yep, I used Human to buy parts for a pair of Genesis 110 speakers I owned and then resold a few years ago. Good people.
Since 1990s here. Four Genesis Woofers four tweeters and a pair of EPI 100 "Phase Linear" (1980s version) woofers during the Pandemic.@@TheAgeOfAnalog
Just picked a pair of EPI M90 and dang they sound good. New caps should arrive today. I’d love some real wood 100s - M90 is vinyl.
@@emeeul EPI 100v = Vinyl Wrap (nice quality though) EPI100W=Walnut Veneer. Labeled on the back if your viewing online. Sound the same to me!
I had Baby Advents and enjoyed you talking about them. I've got plenty of new, (but affordable) speakers now and none of them impress me as much ( relative to price) as those Advents, so long ago.
Thank you for explaining that love/hate relationship with Bose. The only Bose I have are small outdoor ones that serve a specific purpose (outside or testing a new unknown condition amp). Not knowing anything about the old Bose speakers, I could not understand the hatred, bordering on religious fundamentalism against another religion, against them.
Bought my 301s new in 1983 and still have them and they still sound great.
Baby Advent II are great!! They sound so beautiful and will fit anywhere
Love the epi review. Highly underrated. I have a set of m50s . Small speaker with a ton of bass
This is hilarious - I had Baby Advent 2s, and I had those Realistic speakers from the first video. They both were surprisingly good, I think. My Dad’s friend had those Boses…I thought they were pretty good, too.
EPI..
Yes..Just had mine re foamed and new caps..
And yes my cabinets could use some refinishing..But sound 👍
I bought my bose 301 iii brand new in 1993 and im still jaming with them!! I still love them! Still running my def tech bp20s through my yamaha aventage 3080 sounds great!!!
I am from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and met Ray Karnes (RIP) in his retail outlet when I auditioned his speakers.
From his obituary:
He was the owner of Karns Electronics for 50 years. When Raymond was young the Kansas City Star labeled him "Boy Hero" for saving his mother's life. He was an airplane pilot, radio pioneer, an inventor with two patents, he also recorded and made records
Thanks for all you do for us vintage audiophiles. I’ll definitely be at next Sundays live stream.
I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I used to live a few blocks from the Karns showroom on Fulton Street. As a teenager in the late 1970s hearing the Karns compared to other brands on display was my first exposure to "hi-fi" audio. I was hooked on audio as a hobby ever since. I never owned a pair of Karns, though.
I'm from grand rapids!!!
Hey there fellow Michigander
Thanks for the very cool video's. I look forward to watching each Sunday morning. I'm definitely a vintage stereo fanatic from the 70s and 80s
So thanks again you make my Sunday!!
Baby Advents belong right there, nice speakers for close to nothing. I have a pair bought new in the early 90's and sound good, I re-foamed them and upgraded the crossover, real good sound and real wood! I came across a pair of Sony SS-H3500 in a thrift shop for $14.00, a 3 ways little speaker but what a sound! After a deep cleaning, they look like new. They complement a Technics SA 104 bought in the same place for $10.00. And so, a TV in a small room has now decent sound.
I have 2 sets of the Advents--spent a total of $25 for them. Add $20 for a refoam kit, and total invested for 4 speakers is $45. Not a bad deal!
My first pair of speakers were the Bose 301's way back in 1974. A couple of years later I bought a pair of Bose 501's. Fast forward another 20 years or so and I finally was able to afford a pair of Bose 901's. Got them home and excitedly hooked them up to my electronics. To say I was disappointed was an understatement. I messed with them and the Bose equalizer for a few days and realized nothing I did would make them sound good so I returned them. I still have the 301's that are used as surrounds, and the 501's are still rocking in my bedroom and I think they sound great.
Hey I think it's great you're doing the live stream on sunday. Don't worry. Even if some of us miss it we just watch the replay anyway man. Extremely grateful for all your content.
I've got both versions of the Baby Advent here, several of each in fact, at first I liked the newer dome tweeter style but the more I listen to them, I think I like the paper tweeter better. They seem more balanced than the newer versions, but it could well be the room they're in.
I've had several pair of EPI 100 speakers, I bought the first pair on recommendation from several others but I just never heard a pair i could get to like. It could be my house, or the combos I tried but I kept several pair around here for about 5 years, trying all sorts of different set ups but finally gave up and let them go. Like anything, I'm sure its just my opinion but I doubt I'd ever bother with another pair. I really thought I'd like a pair of their larger speakers but so far none have become keepers. I've owned 100, M100, 101, 20/20, 400, and 1000 models, and none worked well for me. The 1000's sounded pretty good where I got them but I absolutely could not get them to work here. When I bought those, I bought the guy's whole system, amp, preamp, and speakers, but they fell flat here regardless of positioning.
I've had similar experience with Avid Speakers for some reason.
I've had Bose 301's and 501's and one pair of 901's, all with the original EQ but none were keepers. Luckiy I've got a buddy who loves Bose and they ended up over there. Of all of them, the 501's probably sounded the best, but they ended up being very hard to place, only working right when placed nearly in the middle of the room. They likely needed a much larger area to sound right.
SawaFuji at one point had some connection to Aiwa in Japan very early on. Its an old brand not primarily known for speakers.
I can't say I've ever run into a set of those, but a buddy did say he found a few sets over the years, but all had non working drivers so he left them where they were. I would certainly think that finding replacement drivers or parts would be a long search, if they ever turned up. From looking at them and having dealt with other planar type speakers, I'd have to figure that they lack bass and would most likely need a subwoofer to sound complete?
I actually have seen Karns speakers here, but they belonged to a buddy in MO. He brought them out to me to refoam.
The tweeter sure looked like a simple piezo tweeter to me too. I was surprised at how little they did to cross over the mid or as its wired, more of a front tweeter of sorts. If it were crossed over differently, the speaker would likely sound like it was lacking its highs. The fact that the piezo tweeter is on the back likely lessens its harshness while giving them some depth.
I didn't listen to the pair I had here long enough or in any proper set up, I just tested them and they went away.
I half figured they were either a small market manufacturer or a house brand of sorts.
I have a pair of Bose 301 Series V speakers that I picked up on facebook market place. I put a whole system (not exactly vintage) together from flea markets, thrift stores and facebook for $300 that includes a Victrola turntable, Onkyo reciever and Onkyo CD player and finished off with the Bose speakers. In a 12 x 13 foot office/bedroom the set-up is more than adequate.
I love your videos and I love vintage audio. I just gave my nephew my beloved DCM Time Window 1As. I had them from 1984 til 2018. There is a model that will trigger a few people. I enjoyed them for 34 years and I could have sold them, but I wanted to keep them in the family. When my ship was in Japan in 1978 I bought a pair of Pioneer CS 722s. Supposedly they were never sold in the USA. I loved those too.
I've never heard DCM Time Windows, but what a great name!
@@haqitman If you look them up you can see why they had incredible imaging!
I had just landed my first job out of college back in 1986. With the new job came a chance to upgrade my hifi gear. When shopping for speakers within my budget, my top two choices were the DCM Time Windows and the Fried A/3. I wound up choosing the Frieds, but remember being somewhat disappointed that they looked so plain compared to the DCMs. Countless other speakers have come and gone since then, but I still have the Frieds and still enjoy listening to them. Perhaps I would still have the DCMs had I bought them instead.
Original sansui logo was cooler I agree, never seen the epi logo but I agree there too !
Picked up Baby Advents at a garage sale for $5. Needed fresh surrounds. I ended up replacing surrounds and donating them to Habitat 4 Humanity. Also had a set of Bose 301s. Never impressed with them, so I sold them. I've been on a vintage KLH kick lately. Got a set of Model 23s in the garage. Had a set of Model Six's. Sold those. Down to just three sets of speakers right now.
I want to thank you for recommending the Bose 301s. I bought a pair of Series IIIs for my home office. Maybe it is just because I do have the perfect conditions but they sound awesome to me. Running a tiny Aiyama Amp and Schiit DAC through my MAC. I love the sound of these bookshelf speakers and at $200 they were a steal.
Great to hear!
I've got a set of Bose 301's and they rock. Placed properly on the wall at a measured height and distance from the corner they produce a lot of bass and fill the room.
Thanks for the EPI. I have two models myself and I enjoy them. I also really dig my two sets of Ohm speakers (again, different models). both the EPI and Ohms have foam surround rot so repair kits are a must for these.
I was in high school and college during the golden age and live just north of Boston. My school was just outside of Cambridge, so I was at the heart of the Boston stereo scene. I had EPIs in high school and they had a reputation as a really solid choice for indigent stereophiles. I upgraded to ADS 300s when the bookshelf craze started around 1980.
Another fun video. Love the trigger warning. I think I’ve mentioned that a few people have known combined the 301 with the Big Advents. Its a killer combination and the bigger speakers solve the base issue.
A great video. Some thoughts. A speaker you may have overlooked is the Harmon Kardon HK20. They were a very simple two way with I believe a 6" woofer with an accordion surround that will probably last an eternity. I believe they were crossed over to a 2 1/2" tweeter so real highs were next to impossible. They were a very "smooth" sounding speaker with no real big flaws. Here's my problem. The speaker connections in the back were not only the simple screw head type, but they were impossibly close together. I mean literally right next to each other so not shorting them out was a task of no easy proportions. Further thoughts on the EPI 100 (your not liking the change in logo not withstanding). The early models, like AR speakers, glued the grills in place so they are next to impossible to remove if you need to get inside the speaker to service them. Later models used pins so much easier to service but generally only find this iteration vinyl clad and didn't seem quite as solid as the early iteration. Sometimes I am dismayed when some "audiophile" channels list their 10 most significant speakers of all time, seem to be fixated on the mid 80's and beyond so their choices are the logical picks: Spendor, Spica, Thiel, Vandersteen, etc. They always seem to neglect the speakers that, at least in my mind, changed the world of hi-fi: KLH, AR, Advent, EPI. Maybe someday go through Advent and how it went from the original to the mid-seventies' iterations to the "New" Advent to the Advent 1, etc.
Just bought mint Bose 601 series 3 for $500 and have them paired with my Pioneer 850 receiver, sounds awesome!
This is a fun list. I bought a set of Bose 301 speakers (the original version) for cheap from a pawn shop back in 1981 and used them until I graduated from college. Back then "critical listening" wasn't really a thing for me and the little 301s matched up well with the small 70's Technics amp that I had at the time so they worked out well for me. I was always able to place them so that both tweeters had equidistant space to a reflecting surface. These days I generally tend to be more impressed with acoustic suspension designs when it comes to vintage speakers so I appreciate choices like the EPI 100 and baby Advents being on this list. Since you asked, I actually much prefer the later EPI logo over the original version.
Great list. My brother had the bigger advents and always loved those. Surprisingly, he had the bose 301s also an I agree, they really sounded good. I didn't like the 201s, 501s and 701s that I demoed because they didn't give me the impact that I thought his 701s had. I'm now vintage electroboice in one room and Klipsch in the other, so obviously took a very different turn, but find memories of the 301s
Regardless of how their speakers sound, my guess is that many people are down on them because Bose has always budgeted highly for the marketing their products (money that I suppose could have otherwise gone into designing and building better speakers). Like it or not, this approach has obviously worked out well for them.
My 1st exposure to “HIFI” was when a buddy of mine bought a pair of 301s in 1978. He hung them from the ceiling of his apartment and they sounded pretty good. Especially after hitting the Stanley Steamer😮. Fast forward a few years and I was shopping my first quality speaker purchase. Bose AM-5 had just come out and, given my space was limited they were an interesting option. The problem, other than the lack of real presence, they were made of cheap materials and parts but selling for $1200! I went with a pair of SDA-2Bs that I still have today. Bose uses cheap low impedance drivers and acoustic trickery. They may image well when set up properly but lack detail, dynamics and clarity for my money. Also had a pair of EPI’s in my Karman Ghia in those days with that same diy looking tweeter, they were amazing!
I just picked up a pair of the Polk 3 way bookshelf speakers that are on the shelf over your right shoulder from a local seller. I am enjoying getting to know those speakers.
4:08 pm EDT
Add Klipsch Kg 2.2 sound amazing with any 20-40 watt vintage Sansui or Pioneer receiver.
KARNS Evil No.9????
Definitely will be there next Sunday for the Livestream.
I have had quite a few Advents Baby's in my past. I seem to always have a pair on hand. Great for small rooms,
Yes they are!
I really have been enjoying your videos. Thdsy take me back to when I was a top stereo salesman working for Tech HiFi in Prov., RI from 1975-1979. Yes, during the golden years of stereo ekctronics. Just an FYI, the 'house' systems from Tech were mostly: Philips TT + Nikko rec + Ohm E speakers. The most competitive system for us to beat was the Consumer Reports favorite of 1975 - Dual TT + Pioneer Sx650 + EPI 100 speakers. The EPI system was very low margin and favored by stiudents and discount shoppers bringing ads in from the New York Times electronics stores. The only problemn with the EPIs was that they weren't very efficient, but suitable for a dorm room.
The comments about the Bose speakers are spot on because the EQ box confused so many buyers.
My personal system ended up being a Thorens TD-125 with Black Widow tone arm and MicroAcoustics 2022e + SAE pre-amp + 2 Crown 150s running in mono + Ohm F speakers.
Pretty sweet and the Crown amps were stable into the OHM F 4 ohm loads.
Forgot to mention. I’ll try to be with you for the live but I work weekends overnight (6pm-6am) so I’ll be at work. If it’s not busy I can watch.
Hello Kevin. Always enjoy the video's. The speakers I use are the Adent Baby 2s.
EPI 100m owner here.
Sounds super with Steely Dan Fleetwood Mac ..Eagles..
And mine has the old cool logo ..
The Epicure M100s were the 1st vintage speaker that I refoamed and recapped/real easy. I loved them then and today! Now I'm looking at a pair of Harbeth 30.2 😂😂
Harbeth 30.2. Ooo. Great choice!
Woah, those Sawafujis are cool!!
I agree about old logos ......and epi speakers.
I have Advent Baby 2, EPI 100, and Boes AM 5s! Well close .. lol. I love them all... got maybe 5 pair of various Klipsch too... and several others. Changing speakers is great fun!
I occasionally buy thrift store or Craigslist speakers not to use as-is but because I want to salvage or repurpose either the cabinets or the drivers for DIY projects. I currently have a pair of Wharfedale W70 cabs in lovely mid century modern blonde birch waiting for the right salvaged drivers to come along. For those inclined to educate themselves about speaker design this approach can result in classy speakers with spectacular sound on the cheap---not taking into account one's labor, of course. For those not so inclined, this will be a long-odds roll of the dice.
Really cool and nice with the "newer" info graphics with the bullet points with your voice over going over the details 🙏Very helpful good Sir, for me as a newbie 🙏🥁
EPI 100 were my first good speakers. Got them around 1981, and mated with a 30 wpc Sony integrated amp. Later switched to a 38 wpc Marantz I got from my mom, as it belonged to my grandfather.
I damaged one of the tweeters in a move and replaced the EPI with Jamie, later Dynaudio, then Linn, but that is another story.
I was a Bose kinda hater till I got a pair of Model 21 3 way speakers At a pawn shop For cheap change and I have them playing on my computer They sound good to me ! !
Early last year I saw a vintage pair of speakers on FB for $100. I had never followed vintage speakers too much so I had no idea what they were (other than recognising the brand name from the drivers that were in my Ampeg amps back in the day). They looked cool so I went and grabbed them. Turns out they're a pair of Celestion Ditton 551 and after replacing the tweeters, they're easily the best speakers I have ever had. Those soft dome midrange drivers are so great to my ears. So much of what makes Klipsch special but without the honk. Even my wife loves them and forbids me from ever replacing them.
I'll try to be on for the livestream, but I'm in Australia and might have work stuff going on that I have to give my full attention to.
Although I'm not in the market for speakers..I love the Sunday AM videos.
I remember knowing quite a few folks in the 80's who owned the "Baby Advents".
Back then I owned the original BOSE 901's !
I'm on the lookout for some vintage KLHs.
I grabbed a pair of KLH model 5s some years back, refinished the cabinets, and have been using them non-stop since then.
I've picked up so many speakers at good will. Cleaned them up and performed a refoam. Baby Advent, Optimus Pro Lx5, Infinity RS 325 and Infinity SL40. Yep Bose definitely need to be placed correctly or they will sound horrible.
Sansui LM-330. Mid 70's, 2 way design, 10" driver, and from firing port. They also horn loaded the back of the tweeter pointing sideways to help cancel the opposite speakers sound waves to get a more pure stereo image. Lot of good reviews out there. I somehow ended up with 2 pairs. Also, my favorite pair are the Onkyo model 160's. Not much out there on them, but I love them. The tweeter recently blew so if anyone knows anyone that's selling some I will buy immediately.
Another great video. Those Sawafuji speakers are really cool! I will try to make the 'Live' stream next Sunday.
If I need to relax, I watch one of your videos. Thanks for your presentations and information!
I own Klipsch KG 1.2 bookshelves with a matching passive sub, all in mint condition. I picked this set up from a Craig’s List sale. The wood veneer is all in perfect shape. This line of Klipsch has a different sound than the usual horn loaded models. The high end is not as hot…less sizzle! I never see these in shops. Ebay, yes. Shops, no. This line of Klisch has large floor standing speakers too. Did this line of Klipsch ever come through your store?
The Bose 301s SII are great little speakers. One thing I've noticed about Bose - if you put some serious wattage to them - they sound pretty good. I've driven 301s with 125 watts each and they eat it up and sound better than you'd expect.
How funny - I’m watching this in my bedroom, where I have a pair of Advent Graduates and Bose 301 S2’s hooked up to my Pioneer SX-737!
I had a pair of Bose 601's, not sure of the series, but they sounded awesome! Very good bottom end. Ported on the rear. I currently have a pair of Clements 800SI (Spatial Image) speakers, Made in Canada, that are quite rare to see these days. They also sound awesome, with a great bottom end as well. Rear ported. These aren't bookshelf speakers, just not that common to find, like the last section of this video.
The KLH 17's were a good performer with their long throw woofer ❤
I am not a Bose fan, but I just got a free set of Bose 501 (1979) speakers, and they are supposed to sit up against the wall, and they are playing through a HK 430 Twin receiver, and they sound surprising good.
They should, top of the line
I picked up a pair of Mini Advent II a while ago for $5... Of course they need to be refoamed and I got the kit for about $28.
I think it will be a good way to learn how to refoam. Based on the instructions, it seems pretty straightforward, maybe that will be a good project during the Thanksgiving break.
The Sawafuji look very interesting.
Idea for a future video: making a list of unknown brands/speakers to keep an eye out for (if it hasn't being done yet, I'm not sure)
I'll try to be there for the live, no promises though but I set an alarm for it.
Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family
That’s what I’d like to do myself. I have been picking up older/cheaper audio equipment to try out and am looking for stuff I can try repairing too. I’d like to have a little side business in Rochester MN of speaker repair and possible electronics too. Need more diagnostic tools for that though. With Des Moines and the Twin Cities being as far as they are, there’s nothing local for that stuff.
Those darn EPI-100's. First offered in 1969 (I believe) they were the best "budget" speakers during the 1970's. I got mine late, as kitchen extension speakers, from Tech Hifi (12 W 45th street NYC) for $140 a pair in 1980. They have very good dispersion, HF response and surprisingly deep bass (+/-3dB's @ 48Hz) for such small systems being 21" tall and 25 lbs. They're true "bookshelf" systems.
I owned the Epi M1000s. Incredible Speakers.
The EPI 100s have a bunch of different versions. Also look at the Epicure Model 10 which are the same thing basically. I've refoamed a set of each and really like them
i had the EPI TE100 , and loved them.
I had 301s for 35 years. In my last move, they disappeared. I still miss them.
well that teaches me that from now on I'll have to watch the entire video before I comment, or was I surprised when you pulled out those Karns!
friend of mine I worked with had a pair and I went over one day, listened to them and like you said,
the highs just weren't gettin' it on - so I had this idea to move the Tweeter to the front where the port was, and move the port to the back where the Tweeter is, and he had enough scrap shelving laying around that we were able to make it happen and oh yeah made all the difference in the world he was like a kid in a candy store, just very amazed that he now liked them so much.
I have a pair of Bose 301's I bought new in the mid 80's and they have always
sounded great to me. Placement is important with these speakers because the
whole idea behind Bose designs is how the sound from them reflects off the
walls and ceiling in a room. Also, the type of amplifier is important as well.
I use mine with an HH Scott 299C amplifier and the amp and speakers work
really well together. Are they the best sounding speakers I have? Probably not .
But, when set up correctly they do make music come alive with a very nice
depth to the sound stage.
My speakers that I use daily are the Acoustic research AR16 speakers that I bought in 1977.
Hope I get a chance to hear all of these at some point. I am, however, surprised that the Polk Audio Monitor 4 didn’t make the list. A pair of those were my main speakers for years and I was darn happy with ‘em.
Part 3?
I just had a pair of Monitor 4’s delivered earlier in the week. I haven’t had a chance to listen to them yet. They were a little more than I wanted to spend (just under $70 shipped) but they appear to be in very good condition.
@@skylabsaudio I think it was 1983 and a good friend made me meet him the best stereo store in Fairbanks, Ak. Once there he pointed to the little Monitor 4s and said I had to hear them. The salesman cranked ‘em up and I was absolutely blown away…but then realized the mistake. “No, not the big speakers”, I said, “I want to hear the little Polks on top”. The salesman said - “those ARE the little Polks on top”. And he was right! The best $200 I ever spent!
In the 80s I had Bose 301s with a HK 385i.They sounded great together
HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and and family Kevin.
Same to you!
I got a free pair of 301 Series 1's from a friend that needed new foam. Sound pretty good. A different friend gave me a pair of EPI A110's. They also needed new foam and I had to reattach the spider. They sound good as long as I don't push them too hard.
Good morning Kevin, same as always I enjoyed your video. I am persuaded to leave the first comment on this video and my first comment ever for anybody. I had experience with all these speakers in my life, except Karns and Dynawave. I wish I was living in your area to visit your store. Keep up good videos and wish you the best. .....Kevin
I just got a pair of Bose 301 series II for free of free cycle. I couldn't be happier!
Years ago I bought some of them Sawafuji mid-range drivers from my good friend. Now I know where they came from.
Have had the same pair of BOSE 601Direct Array Series II for 41 years. Bought them new in 1983, $500 a piece. Have had the woofers repaired twice, love'm...
Great review of some classic bookshelf speakers! another terrific classic is the Goodmans Achromat 250 bookshelf. british built at the height of the company's excellence.
Nice video, Kevin!! Your that guy, that ,vintage or modern day audio enthusiasts, say! That guy is cool!! Thanx again..
I found a pair of MK SB 1 for $25 at a garage sale physically they look great they sound awesome!! 🏆👍🎵🎶
In last year I bought a bunch of used bookshelfs in KC area at $200-$250, except the Martin Logan and Bostons at $100. Every single one is excellent in my home-office w/o a sub. With a sub, they are as good as my floor-standing ones.
my preference in order:
1 Martin Logan, surprising definition, presence for so small a speaker. Surprising bass for size, but outta-sight with a sub. Think Psyc Furrs, Nirvana Unplugged, Brubeck, Throbbing Gristle, X
2. AR. Everything AR is known for. Warmer to me maybe, but crystal clear definitions up and down in instruments and vocals. Great at Minor Threat, Grimes, Miles Davis or Glenn Gould.
3. JBL. As good as AR, but it sounds just a tiny bit neutral (which is probably just a personal thing). Link Wray, opera, hendrix. Best with tube amp, Marantz 2220.
4. Boston Acoustics, Surprising lows, acoustic and Jangly guitars sound great on this one. Not as high definition in mids. Sounds great thru ST-70 or neutral Vintage 80s Dennon
5. Advent, agree with your review completely. Excellent. Guitars! Guitars! Guitars! A little on neutral/clinical side. Richard Thompson, Nirvana Unplugged, Kurt Vile, Buddy Holly, Rickenbackers, Telecasters and Stratocasters.
My number 5 could very easily be someone else's number 1. Again all are incredible value.
Reply with comment for model names.
I gave the MLs to my favorite 13-yo and want the ARs for myself, but will sell others for cost in Lawrence/KC area. PM me.
One of your videos caught my eye, and since then, I have watched several more. Learning about lot's of brands that I wasn't familiar with. I like when I see things that I had or friends of mine had back in the day. I listened to a set of bose speaker and they sounded great especially for their size. I got them home and hooked them up and at first they sounded great. Between songs I walked away from them and when the next song started I thought something went seriously wrong. It turned out that as I got closer they sounded better and better. Apparently they are designed to be listened to with in say 5-8 feet maximum distance. They became my small office speakers. I kinda liked the radio shack mach 1 and mach 2 speakers. I really wanted a big set of cerwin Vegas and I was saving up for them and the place that carried them closed and I couldn't find them anywhere. I had liked the mach 1 speakers but they were discontinued. I would have liked to have heard them side by side but it was not going to happen. I had enough to buy the mach 2 speakers and I used them for year and years then I moved and they didn't fit the new house. I had them in storage for 15 years and when I got them out and hooked them up they no longer sounded good. Turned out the speaker suroinds went bad. I looked for replacement speakers but they were a weird ohm I think it was. I found a local place that redid the surrounds and they did a great job and they are in my workshop now and I get to enjoy them all the time. Keep up the cool videos.
The Genesis 1's which is an earlier version of the EPI sound good too. I just refoamed a pair, and they behave much like the EPIs the way you described.
Only bummer is no one makes the green foam!
@@skylabsaudio I thought ahead for a change and realized since I'm putting the grilles back on to hide the ugly but decent tweeters, nobody will know I went with black instead of green. These still smell like grandmas basement no matter what I do !
Also the Trigger Warning segment was excellent... funny the moment I saw trigger warning I knew you were going to say Bose hehe. Nicely done.
Great videos these baby advents are awesome sounding I was very surprised got a pair in a thrift store for 15 needed refoam but great speakers.
Hey Kevin~
Hope you & your family have a good Thanksgiving.
I’ll be in there on the 26th for your Live Stream~
Thanks! You too!
The EPI 100s you show in the video, with the tweeters mounted on masonite, are the original version. Great sound, but with pretty narrowly focused high frequencies. Around 1980, EPI replaced this with the plastic domed, ferro-fluid Air Spring tweeter. Easily recognizable, they're black plastic with two concentric gold rings and a gold EPI logo. Much wider high frequency dispersion, making them sound great from just about anywhere in the room. Still enjoying mine after 44 years!
I have a pair of EPI 180s which have 2 of the woofer/ gold ring tweeter modules in each cabinet. Just recapped and refoamed them and they sound absolutely wonderful! EPI/Epicure made some really good speakers back then.
Great vid! Thanks. If I’m around at that time, I’ll tune to the live one 😊