Well Gene, you can imagine my shock and surprise when as the original designer (co) and importer of the Criterion 2002+ speakers, I clicked on your video and saw them magically appear from over 40 years ago! First though...let me say how happy I am to see you well along the road to full recovery. Now I'll share the story of the 2001's & 2002's with you. First came the 2001's...mission was to create a rock & roll speaker for $99 each based on the BIC Venturi type design. We put in a nice little tweeter, a Fostex horn, and a proprietary 10" paper cone with foam surround for the woofer...along with a nice 5+db base hump around 56hz. Surprise... we got a BestBuy from Consumer Reports (LOL) and we were off to the races building 10's of thousands and shipping them across the Pacific. I got the bright idea that a bigger, better speaker for 50 bucks more might do well...so we made a bigger box, added a 12" woofer and used two of the same tweeter on an angled baffle for better dispersion...and sold 10's of thousands more of those as your 2002's. (Also built a 15" 2003 later for disco!) These were all built to spec by Sanyo-Kogai in Japan and they were the largest private label speaker company in the world back then with full design and testing capability including an anechoic chamber. No golden ear would ever mistake these for audiophile speakers...but we did break a lot of wine bottles! Hope you got as much a kick reading this as I did watching yours. Hope they spring you soon too!
Get well - stay vertical my friend! In 1982, my first set if speakers were Kenwood KL-999. I bought 4 of them while living in the barracks in Korea - low budget drew the cards on that deal. The white woofers became a royal pain as everybody wanted to touch them as if they had some kind of healing power. They did more damage than good unfortunately - they were LOUD, which at the age of 18 was all we really wanted. A guy down the hall bought the KL-10,000 series....and we were always in competition - other residents hated us both. As time passed and I grew older, I began to appreciate the finer things in life. I would eventually find myself working at the Armed Forces Radio & Television Service (AFRTS & AFN) in Germany...early 1990's where we would employ the JBL 4312 and EV Sentry 100 models. Both speakers in my mind were fantastic. While the EV's were powered, we drove the JBL 4312 speakers with a simple Crown D-75... Many joyous happy beams of smiles originated in those studios. It was the best tour of my life...I'll never forget it. Today, I own over a dozen different pair(s) - mostly Klipsch (LaScalla, Cornwall, CF-3, KM-6, Tangent), JBL, Onkyo (D-77), and I believe I still have a pair of Sansui SPX-9000 speakers around here somewhere. Once it's in the blood, it never goes away - no pun intended....
My first hifi experience was at age fifteen in 1965 when Acoustic Research operated a Show Room at NYC's Grand Central Station. It had that new hifi smell and AR speakers and turntables with a Dynaco amp (I think). That stuff sounded swell. My first speakers purchased in 1974 (after a stint in the navy) were KLH model 31's. Strictly budget components. In 1978 I got Ohm Acoustics model L's and have used them ever since as my living room speakers. Of the speakers I've owned I still have (and like) my EPI-100's, EPI-180's, Ohm model H's and Boston Acoustics model A-40's. Not the most expensive systems but satisfying to me. Into the mid 1970's JBL, Vega and Altec had that "west coast sound" with forward, prominent midrange and were not as accurate as some eastern manufactures like AR, EPI, Allison, Polk, Ohm and KLH. But speaker preference is a very personal thing. Interesting video and well done. Wishing you a speedy recovery from your illness. At seventy now I gotta be careful with that infectious shit.
I walked into a hi end store in the early 90's and heard a pair of Klipsch speakers. The dude played me Time, from Dark Side Of the Moon in a dark room and told me to try and point to where I thought the sound was coming from. I couldn't and I knew at that point, I was hooked. Thanks for your video Gene. Get Well soon.
It was 1976, a friend of mine and myself snuck into his older brother's room and fiddled with his stereo until we managed to get it turned on and working. What met my ears was the most incredible sound I had ever heard. I had absolutely no idea music could sound so lifelike and fill a room so completely.. I was dumb struck. It was the first time I had EVER heard hi-fidelity music and I was hooked at twelve years old. To this day, even with my Polk Reserves and Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A8A, I have never heard it's equal (not even close). So what was this speaker that was so influential? Well, I can't remember what receiver we were using but I sure remember the speakers. They were Klipsch LaScalas!
I'm still using a pair Polk Audio Monitor 5jr and am very satisfied with them even though they are old. The sound is very pure and the brilliance is impressive.
Thanks for taking the time to do this video. Hope you are feeling better soon. My personal (partial) list that I can recall from the age of 16: Numerous low-cost Cerwin Vega, ESS, ADS speakers. Cerwin Vega 12T JBL 4311 - one of my favorites of all time. AR 58s AR 90 Boston Acoustics A400 Paradigm Studio 100, and Adcom GFA 5800 Power amplifier. - still using this fabulous amp. B&W CDM 9NT - still own these speakers, augmented with the Monolith 15" THX Ultra subwoofer. For most of my early years as an audiophile, the speakers I lusted for and never obtained were the KEF 105 and the AR9.
Wow, you made me think about the speakers that influenced me over the years. In the 70s, it was the JBL L100 for great bass with records. In the 80s, it was my fathers Allison 1 speakers that made me realize how much better music could sound through well engineered speakers. In the 90s, I bought 4 NHT 2.5i speakers with 2 NHT SubTwo subwoofers and they still bring a smile to my face every time I listen to them.
Remembering the time I became the audioholic is easy for me. 1973, I was 15 years old working as a busboy, I had $250.00 to spend on a system (int amp/speakers/turntable) my friends thought I was crazy, $250 was a lot of money in '73. I bought a Pioneer amp and speakers, can't remember the turntable but replaced it shortly with one of Pioneers "new" S shaped tone arms models. We brought it home, set it up, I didn't have money left to buy even one record, so a friend brought his Steely Dan "Can't Buy a Thrill" album. The system started its play, and within a few seconds I was hooked for life, the sound was amazing, I had never heard anything like it before, in the early '70s parents and kids my age simple did not own anything like this. The detail, the room filling sound, incredible. Now, obviously, this system even in the '70s was bottom line in stereo stores, but compared to anything else I heard in other homes it was light years ahead in sound. Today, 47 years later, still remember like it was yesterday. Always love listening to any system that disapears and I feel like the band / orchestra / singer-songwriter vocal guitar....is in the room or on stage in front of me. That is the thrilling part of audio reproduction, that it is live in my room. As a musician/composer the detail I hear in live acoustic concerts, and my own music performed in concert, continues to be missing in stereo's today. I wonder if those missing elements will ever show up someday in new technology???
The speaker that influenced me throughout my childhood until my early twenties was my dads pair of AR-3’s. There was absolutely no genre of music that didn’t get taken to a whole new level of experience from these speakers. When my dad passed away in ‘83 he left me the speakers because he knew that I would take care of them and appreciate them for what they were. I joined the Navy in ‘87 and my first time home on leave discovered that my mom decided she would sell them in a garage sale, and if that wasn’t bad enough, I found out she sold them for $50. I literally cried and didn’t speak to her for almost 3 yrs.
I agree about the AR-3's. In college my room mate had them and a Marantz model-19. I remember they usually smelled like Lemon Pledge.They could do it all from classical, jazz, hard rock, (and dare I say it) even disco.
Wanted the AR3's but could only afford the 2a's. Was happier with them when they came out with the mid-range mod to convert them to 2AX's. Kept them until 1980. They ran on Dynaco PAS-3 and Dynaco 70 tube amplification.
Isn’t it interesting that young immature eyes will land on something of quality and sense that quality without a scrap of useful information. The AR design look and feel as well as some other brands of that era were intuitively attractive. I wish I had that same access to todays product but “brick and mortar HiFi stores are few. I sensed in your post you had a good relationship with your dad. Cheers to that and thanks for posting.
in my youth, my brother's JBL L100's. In college I bought Cerwin Vega HED's.. After college, got into home theater with Definitive Technology BP7004's with BPVX surrounds.. After a few different jobs, Revel Performa 3's + Revel B112 + C763's as surrounds. My home office has JBL ES30's with a SB250 subwoofer.
Found myself some Tannoy Berkeley’s recently and just super blown away. When you move up a tier in speaker quality from the "shop floor" standards then music can really come alive in so many differing ways.
GENE, YOU are a working horse 😁🔊🔊🔊, Thank you for take some time to give us another great video . MY Start for Audio was when i was a kid my Dad have a SANSUI 9090 and a pair of SANSUI SP-1500x ( THAT Receiver waits a ton ) IT sounds really good . I Got one of those Receivers and is a Beast . I Remember those Cerwin vegas 😁🔊🔊🔊. I Remember the cerwin vega stroker 15”for car AUDIO ( They was really expensive and good) . I HOPE you get Better really soon my Brother . GOD Bless You 🙏🏻!
So many random capital letters lol, you DO know, that Dad, isn`t a name and should technicahlle BE capitolized RIGHT? I`m just mesing with you though, WE all love AUDIO here, and that`s WHAT we`re here for, SO, have a NICE day and enjoy SOME fine music ;) tihi.. Btw, I also remember the stroker, a friend had two in a 220 liter box behind his couch, we played wipeout and his couch moved an inch or two every round, it was craaaaazy :D
My parents had a full Sansui system they bought in a parking lot audio show at the PX in Japan. They went big and got two (!!!!) cassette decks - the model that didn't have a door. The cassette was herd in place over the heads by some spring loaded clips. The receiver and speakers were massive! (I still have the Sansui turntable I got for a christmas present.)
Excellent topic. These were my early influencers. Bose 901s, Cerwin Vega D15s, Klipsch Forte II and La Scala, Polk Audio RTA 12c (really miss that sound), B&W DM601s,
My dad in 1978 purchased 4 New Advent Loudspeakers and stacked them with the tweeters in the middle wired in parallel connected to a Kenwood receiver rocking Styx Equinox on a Garrard spinner and I was hooked, still have a pair of walnuts today.
My favorite speaker was the 1900s Paradigm Studio Monitor, which seemed to be a cut above the 11-series. I had it until some burglars walked out of my house with them. The bass control with an Adcom pre made the bass ultra-powerful. The replacement I got was the Gershman Acoustics X-1, which had a most delicious sound, but the bass on the accompanying sub was quite weak; this got flooded by a major disaster in 2005. I had done a lot of gigs on the road, so I had a pair of Paradigm Active/20 that I took with me, and they are the ultimate in a computer speaker, LOL. I'm in a small house now (when I'm home - I'm still away a lot), with my listening "room" being my computer desk area, and I still use these. I have a pair of Montana Audio EPS, with unreal imaging, that I got as a demo that I'm still waiting to set up whenever my home size can accommodate it, but I'm wondering if a tower speaker, with all the space it requires, is the way to go. I'm considering going back to Gershman with their new Studio Monitor, which is the latest in their X-1 evolution. I wonder what a lightly used, but finish-damaged (it looks like mold damage from sitting in a closet that was in a room with a roof leak), EPS pair would go for. even though I got it for $3500 (list $8K), I would happy to let it go for $1K and never look back on a tower.
Dude you are such a badass for doing a video during your recovery. Gives me hope during a time of anxiety, uncertainty, and a feeling of being out of control. So thanks for being a small island in a sea of insanity. --an audioholic from Seattle
The speakers I have always wanted and played a big part in my interest of hifi are the Pioneer HPM -150, HPM -100, HPM - 1100 and HPM -900. Thankfully I have all of the HPM range except the 200. They sound AWESOME!
@@davidbland8153 why? You haven't heard their TAD gear?? Even the HPMs are far better than the rubbish, in their price range, that was around at the time of their release. Still I have many different brands that I have put them up against, owned by mates, yamaha, infinity, jbl, elac, jamo, q acoustics, sansui, interdyn, onkyo, kef and they do an excellent job, I if not better than most.
Man oh man your bringing back memories. My most influential speaker was his Infinity SM 122’s my brother had when he left the military and came home. That summer while he was at work I was listening to CDs and tapes on his Kenwood rack system. That’s what got me hooked. Then I traveled down a road of trying to find better sound. I went from two channel to HT and the pursuit is still on today. Paradigm, PSB, Av123 XLS encores, Athena and my favorite ended up being 5 JBL S26 II ‘s with a 12” titanic II DIY Sub from Parts-express with SACD and DVD Audio. That was the first time the Speakers disappeared for me in my own system. Great channel and I hope you get to feeling better!
I had the Cervin Vega D9E, JBL 120Ti, Dali 1288, Dali 400, B&W DM640i and later DM604, Onken Focal, QLN Cubic 166, JBL CST 5.1, And now I still have in different room ´s: Dynaudio DM 3/7, Dynaudio BM5A Mk3, Scandyna Bigpod Mk3, and last a Custom build 2 Way High End Monitor with D9700 Tweeter`s and 18W/8546-00 Woofer from ScanSpeak, build by Danish Peak Consult, and the filter components are from Mundorf Supreme, Polink Coils and Vishay Resistors, the best speaker ever. ;)
All the best to you during your recovery, Gene! As for my speakers growing up, it was also the Polk Audio 5 jrs+. My friend and I got the last 2 pairs during a clearout sale. I could not have been happier with these speakers. Some good memories with the Polks. I still have them to this day at my parents' house. Maybe I'll pass them onto my kids someday, or set them up in my studio. Take care Gene.
I think I will be sticking with Polk there speaker seem unbreakable are the new ones as good as the old 80/90 models for durability are they still USA made? You would not believe how expansive high quality speaker are in Australia so we don't replace them to often as there to pricy if your on working wages so for me durability is important.
Get better soon, Gene. I still have (and use) my 1990's KEF tower speakers. I had lusted after them but never thought I could afford them. By luck, I was reading the Times on the Staten Island Ferry on my way to work in mid-town just before Christmas. There was a quarter-page advertisement that the president of Kef was giving a talk at a high-end audio shop just around the corner from where I worked. If you went to the talk you would get the speakers for 50% off the SALE PRICE. I had just gotten my Christmas bonus. That plus my savings allowed me to get them. I never regretted that purchase. Your piece reminded me of that story. Keep isolating and get better soon.
Glad to see you Gene. Hope you get well soon! I am not an audioholic anymore, but you and some other channels have stirred my interest again. My first HiFi system (worth the name) in the mid 70:th was a Harman Kardon 630 with AR 6 speakers and a Thorens TD 150. 10 years later I upgraded to a Marantz PM 94 with Carlsson OA 50 speakers and a Thorens TD 165 player. After that I came to a halt. Still have the HK receiver, the PM 94 and the Thorens 165 in storage. Speakers I wanted to have... The JBL L100 and some Cabasse that I don't remember the model of.
My dad brought home a Roberts receiver with Pioneer speakers in 68' and it cranked! I remember waking up to Led Zeppelin thinking who is this? I was hooked from that day on! Glad you're feeling better hopefully you have passed the worst and are on the mend!
Recover quickly, Gene! I grew up in the San Fernando Valley as a musician, so Cerwin Vega was well known and an employer of a couple of my musician friends. Gene Czerwinski wowed us with his dramatic demonstrations of the sheer power of his speakers. But the most influential speaker of that era for us was the venerable JBL 4311's found in so many of the recording studios I worked at. But the pair I could afford and subsequently bought (and still have in perfect working condition) was a knock-off -- the RSL 4200 3-way which I bought from the Van Nuys, CA store on Van Nuys Blvd. At the time I was the envy of my musician friends. We mixed a lot of material in my basement recording studio on those boxes from a Teac 3340s!
Hi Gene.. First and foremost, Please Be Well.. Much like you, my love affair with the Magic and Mystery of high quality audio goes back many, many years.. I have found ways to make a decent amount of money from a very young age and I began with a pair of Infinity SM 125's, which I loved and still own to this very day.. But I have been fascinated by designing and building loudspeaker systems most all my life.. It's been a very rewarding passion that has allowed me to share the joy of listening to great music at a quality level that would have otherwise been out of the reach of so many people.. Such a rewarding hobby.. Music is the language of the Universe.. Lary
I'm about your age Gene, I'm 59. My first speakers, or rather my dads, were KLH 6's. Everybody from the 60's and 70's remembers those. Then, came a couple of Speakerlab kit speakers. Speakerlab was a Seattle based company. Super 7's were the one's I had. Then, at about 20 yrs old, I fell in love with VMPS, and have owned them ever since.
The Polk Monitor 5JR+ and other versions of this speaker were the default speaker used for the in store sound systems paired with a Yamaha Natural Sound integrated Amp, for most Music Land/Sam Goody record stores opened or remodeled from the late 80s through the mid 90s. When a store would close, or was remodeled and the sound system was upgraded to a Sub woofer/satellite speaker system, store personnel could buy the used Polks. While they were dusty from being hung for several years, many were in near mint shape. I was able to buy several pairs for $25 per pair. They went from wood grain to black,, some had banana connector, others just spring clamp connectors. The tweeter bubbles were either black or clear. The last generation had a redesigned grill, slightly different size cabinet, and different woofer and resonator. I still use them. Great speakers, very full sound.
I have a pair of JBL L-100Ts and LOVED how they sounded. My now older kids broke the grills and poked holes in the cones.....I should have the money to get them reconed in the near future and start enjoying them again. I had a friend with Cerwin Vegas. She came over one day and was blown away by my JBLs. She regretted her purchase lol. Hope you feel better soon!
Hope you get better soon 🙏. I’ve had two sets of speakers !! I bought the L100’s with the acoustic foam on the front back in the seventies, and later I bought a pair of Dahlquist DQM-9s with dual back ports for bass. Sadly, Dahlquist is no longer made, but the sound was very life like ! You actually thought you were in the studio with the musicians. If I remember correctly the drivers were German made by Magnat. The enclosure was also unique. A sound damping material from 3M called Nextel was used at the time to keep the speakers from having a boxy sound. As always I enjoy your videos and hope you have a fast recovery !!
Hey Gene ... I am listening to you on a pair of Sansui's - Sp-5500x - with 15 inch woofers... had them since the early 70's, I am 71 years old. They are hooked up to my PC in my computer room with Kenwood amp that I bought at the same time. I have had to replace the woofer's but all other speakers in the cabinet are original. My Kenwood KR-6400 amp has been turned on an off damn near every day since early 70's.. It is still working great. I have had to replace the led's on the panel and that's all I have done to it. I can't believe the ON/Off switch has survived this long.... Sometimes I prefer listing to my Sansui's over my new surround sound system in the living room that cost me over 5 grand. I will die owning these speakers ... I hope you beat this virus Gene... sorry to hear about your misfortune. Scary stuff. Your in my prayers my cyber friend. I will pray for your speedy recovery... Thanks for all the help you have given everyone, ... you da man. You guys helped me buy my sound sound system... much appreciated.
The speakers I enjoyed the most were a pair of Kef 103.2 that I bought dirt cheap. Hooked up with a powerfull Sony broadcasting amp. Unbelievable soundstage and midrange clarity and completely disapearing in the room. But best of all, I could listen to them all day long without ever getting tired.
I still have the Dynaco A25's I used in college. Occasionally I hook them up and instantly remember what I love about them, but also why I prefer the Allison 3's I bought after graduating and getting a job.
Get well soon, Gene. My first system consisted of a Dynaco PAT-5 and a Dynaco ST400 amp that I built from kits. They drove 8 Dynaco A25 speakers that I stacked 4 per side in my parent's basement. Decent sound and could move a lot of air. But my favorites after that were a pair of Apogee Duetta II ribbons. I traded some volume and bass extension for better leading edge and timbre considerations. I used those with a Belles Research 200wpc amp and an Apt Holman preamp. Then I traded those for some VMPS speakers and definitely got the bass back. Good memories just like yours.
I'm 62, and I loved Stereo Review and it's technical articles. The founder was an acoustics expert and created the dampening system for submarines, and from there he went on to develop acoustic enhance add ons for the home stereo systems. The one I use is an IMX PLUS, SIMPLE, BUT EFFECTIVE. BBE is another .
Hello sir , first of all best wishes and positive vibes to you for getting well soon. I enjoyed your segment about your influential spkrs. I would say mine that ushered me into audio as a kid, were my dads amp and speakers he was an audiophile , but two companies you don't hear much about these days even with big resurgence of vintage market they wer Design Acoustics d6, powered by a Setton AS 3300 integrated amp. then in highschool (about 1993) we found for me quite a few pairs of speakers at Salvation Army back in the day , the dynaco a25's , DLK model 1 2 ways, and old genesis with 8" woofer, that "famous" inverted dome tweeter,10 passive radiator the models with the green foam surrounds. They were my favorite until he brought home two other sets, beat up OHM Walsh 2 , terrific sounding and beat up old Magneplanars mg I's that took me to another level. Thanks 🙏🏾 sir keep up the good fun work get well soon
I bought some Klipsch KG-4 speakers in my mid 20s. 1985? They are still my main speakers. Switched out every component so many times I can't keep track.
Welcome from Australian Gene. I went to home to purchase a second hand Dynavector cartridge as a student in 1980 and this guy had stacked Quad ESL57’s with 2 Kef B139 transmission line subs at the back of the room. This was fed by a Linn LP12, Naim pre/power amplifiers and Quad 405 power amplifiers for the Kef’s. This was an epiphany for me and I haven’t heard to many systems to this day that was as good as that did back then. My personal journey the speakers I loved most were my Kef concerto’s, AR LS3/5a, JBL L100 Century which I still have and my reference Speakers are JLTi/Custom Analogue Audio “Elsinore” which are a DIY masterpiece. I’ve always lusted over a pair of ATC 150, Harbeth 40.2’s and a large pair of Magnapan’s.
Hope your feeling better. My dad was into audio when I was growing up in the 60's so when I finally got out on my own the first thing I did was hit up my audiophile friends and found a LaFayette 550 100 Watt amp, some Hafler preamp, went into hock for a set of PWK Klipschorns, a B&O Linear Tracking turntable and a Akai X-1800SD reel to reel. Yup, I was hooked. Proof, had more into that system than my car. I still have the turntable, Klipschorns and a Carver M-400 cube. At least the Klipschorns still sound great.
I am a little younger but my first real pair of speakers were the Infinity Beta 50. I hooked these up to my dad's Marantz 2285 and coudn't believe it. I was listening to music through a Aiwa "mini theater system" from circuit city. When I heard this I was blown away. My dad got me a Marantz 2265 to go to college with and paired with the Beta 50's everyone wanted to come over to my apartment to listen to music before we went out. I don't think they knew why they did, but at least that is why I think everyone came over.
My father was a gadget guy and he started with a Scott receiver, Rectilinear "Rectumlinear" speakers and an ELAC turntable. My oldest brother after being in the Army in Germany became a Teac rep (and later repped ESS, Metrosound and M&K in the states). My first real system was a Sansui 3030 receiver, ESS towers and my dad's old Elac turntable with a Shure M95 cartridge. I won't bore you with all the hifi I've owned since then but I am in love with my Martin Logan esl 9's as the centerpiece of my home audio/surround system.
My interest in audio began sometime in 1986. I walked into the audition room and was greeted then intimidated by the sizeable Polk SDA"-SRS 1.2's. I was awestruck, and then the salesman asked me if I wanted to listen to them. 'Uh, sure', I answered. Each speaker was powered by dual mono block Threshold amps, to the tune of somewhere around 600 wpc, I listened to Chuck Mangione's Feels So Good. Right then and there, I knew I would always have an interest in audio.
I listened to those Polks at a dealer who had them hooked up with a huge Perreaux power amp. Played Led Zeppelin extremely loud and I can remember being amazed at how the front windows of the store were flexing.
@@garygroth6402 Four decades later, I no longer listen to my music at ear bleed levels. Lol. But I still enjoy the heck out of talking audio experiences and equipment. I've long since graduated to some big Macs and K-horns helped with a 12" M&K sub, cd and internet, vinyl to come. What are you listening to these days?
Infinity Qe and Qb speakers (eventually sold them) were very influential in starting a long lasting love for and addiction to Infinity loudspeaker sound and build quality. Then purchased Infinity RS-6/B's with clear poly cone woofer in oak cabinets (still listen to them to this day in the bedroom). Then, moved up to Infinity Kappa 8's (main speakers with 12" woofer, dual emit tweeters, etc.) and 7's (side channels) in oak cabinets, both of which look and sound amazing. Added an Infinity Kappa SSW-212 servo powered sub-woofer with dual 12 inch woofers in oak cabinet which vibrates the house and scares skunks away from the neighborhood. Then added 3 Infinity Kappa Video Center channel speakers in matching oak cabinets (1 for center channel and 2 for rear channels) to complete an Infinity Kappa 7.1 channel surround sound system which is still playing daily. Owned other loudspeakers and sub-woofers before, in between, and while owning Infinity speakers, including JBL in custom cabinets, Wharfedale, AR, and Velodyne (subwoofer) but am hooked on Infinity... so infinity speakers are the most influential in this audioholic's loudspeaker addiction journey. PS: Gene, hope you're feeling better and your family is doing well. Praying for your full recovery and good health for you and your family. Get well soon.
For me the most influential speaker I have owned is the KEF Carlton II. I am a lifelong stereo nerd, and I have been a full time DJ and sound engineer for over 25 years. I listen to a lot of bass heavy music with a lot happening below 60Hz, and my ears tend to favour generous but tight and accurate bass, a relaxed midrange and I appreciate tweeters that deliver smoothly and create a sense of space around the music without getting strident or harsh. I have the privilege of DJing tunes on big high quality sound systems which is one reason why I expect a lot from the bottom end performance of speakers. I picked up my Carltons for the equivalent of about $100 USD. They have incredibly fat, low and accurate bass for a 1980s design sporting only an 8 inch driver (plus of course a passive radiator; I am now a huge fan of this config) in a pretty simple small & lightweight cabinet, seriously ridiculously good. The midrange is really revealing but not forward, and the top end has a really relaxed but detailed sound. Imho, KEF were nerds on fire in the 1980s, pioneering the science of computer aided acoustic modeling, and producing some fantastic speakers. Having listened to a fair few speakers in my time, I would describe my Carlton IIs as the speakers which a) taught me the most, b) are so undervalued they are a second hand bargain c) still give me a huge amount of listening pleasure. Chur. downtown.
I love those old speakers which have larger drivers. I trust physics, only speaker drivers similar in size to the music instruments can reproduce the sound true in an open air. But, they are hard to find now.
While stationed in Pensacola FL in 1970 I heard a pair of Klipsch Cornerhorns. I was hooked. When I got out I could only swing the Klipsch LaScala but loved them. My early Mac amp and Revox A77 rr deck, Thorens TT, and Advent Dolby cassette deck gave me years of sonic bliss. Get well Gene, love your site.
I am inside for the duration as well...Just keep hydrated,get rest,do plenty of reading/tutorials,and I am keeping my bathroom damn near sterile...Thanks for taking time to share your audio stories...
A walk down memory lane, thank you! I became addicted by seeing the resonation of the Panasonic Thrusters woofers in Musicland when I’d go buy records there in our local mall back in the mid 70’s. So I bought some to hook up to my MCS record player through HiFi Buys. Sent them cash in an envelope. No tax or shipping considered as an 8th-grader. My parents were so mad and shocked that I wasn’t ripped off when the UPS van dropped them off 😂. And as I look back I just think🤦🏻♂️! This started my never-ending journey.
Very interesting and enjoyable trip down memory lane. Like you Gene, I still have my IMF CM2 speakers that I bought secondhand in the early 80's for just 200 pounds and they're still one of the best pair of speakers that I've ever owned and I enjoy listening to them every week.
Glad to see you're doing a little better Gene. I started out with a pair of Cerwin Vega D5E's in 1984. Then went to a more refined Wharfedale Diamond three's in 1988. Then switched back to Cerwin Vega for the next 25 years owning many lines including the awesome Special Edition 280SE Series and the refrigerator sized XLS-215 still in production. However, seeing that Cerwin Vega remains irrelevant these days with nothing new on the horizon, i left CV for JBL and bought a pair of the Studio 5 Series, the JBL590 still in production and designed by Greg Timbers. I'm happy with JBL and love the 500 series speakers. I also have it's center channel, the 520C.
Hi Gene. I was surprised to hear you mention the Cerwin Vega AT-12's while talking about the JBL LX44's because I rarely hear them mentioned in speaker forums. I have had mine for around 30 years now and would not part with them. I bought them at The Wiz in Middletown, NY for somewhere around $600.00 for the pair after auditioning the speakers they had on display and which would fit within my budget. I brought a 10-disc magazine to the store loaded with my most important music for the test. In 2012 I replaced the surrounds with an after-market kit that cost about $35.00 for the pair and another $10.00 for the dust caps. The kit came with everything needed to do the job, including the surrounds, the large Q-tips, the glue, the voice coil alignment spacers, and instructions. The replacement surrounds are not quite as compliant as the originals, so woofer sensitivity is not quite as high as it is with the originals, but they ARE red! And the speakers are still going strong. Another speaker I never hear about pre-dates the ones you spoke of. I am talking about the KLH Model 58 floor speaker. I bought these in the early 70's and drove them with a Pioneer SX-750 receiver. These were acoustic suspension speakers and the bass quality was superb. The proof of the bass performance could be observed by listening to the final, high level, low-to-high frequency sweep at the very end of The Yes Album's track "Yours Is No Disgrace".
started with my dad's HPM100's, then JBL L100's, then JBL 4425's, Polk SDA1C, JBL L250...and now I have the JBL Studio 590's....try them out when they go back on sale for less than $1,000 a pair..bargain of the century...and they are the first speakers that I noticed really disappear into the room. They are really special. Lovely sound stage. Feel better, dood!
Clock radio got me started on the road to high fidelity sound. Next was the Pioneer HPM 500 speakers I purchased in '81. Finally, the 27 year old Klipsch kg3 speakers I bought in '93. Still performs beautifully.
Hi Gene, hope you are feeling better!!! Cerwin Vega were my first real speakers. The R123 models. Real Rock speakers. Had them with a Samsui AU9900 Amp, Tu7900 Tuner, Pioneer PL 570 turntable and a Samsun SC 3110. From there I went on to Genesis and Infinity then I got lazy and for quite a while had a Wurlitzer CD Juke Box and a Bose Surround. I now live in Virginia and have a Marantz, Outlaw and Klipsch 7.2.4 Home Theater and because we are rehabbing a 1880’s farmhouse I am using Kef LS50 Wireless with a Bluesound Node2i and Rega P3 turntable with a Schiit Tube preamp for my two channel system. Soon hopefully that will go in my office and I will be picking out a new 2 channel system for my main listening room.
You’re probably not going to believe this, but Bose (I know, shocking) got me interested in the very beginning. Now, I have a GoldenEar and Polk Audio collection. But, Bose is where it started.
David I started with Bose, too. I think they’re a great midway between low-end and high-end. I’ve never heard a Bose system that sounded bad and their headphones always surprise me with their decent sound, quality and above all else - comfort. I’ve recently been trying a pair of Stax Esta4u Extra speakers which really are wonderful. They are little ESL panels so they suffer from being a bit beamy and lack bass under 100hz but when combined with a decent subwoofer and are positioned nicely, they really image well. So well in fact, I had to check I wasn’t accidentally playing through the speakers and my surround sound. I was convinced the singers voice was coming from the centre speaker.
SNELL got absorbed into Harmon International, Company during the 80's after Peter died in '84. Kevin Voelks took over designing for the company and still produces his own designs under the REVEL name.
Watching the video brings me back when I started out in audio. I also had the JBL 100. Used them with the dynaco amp and preamp that I put together as a kits. Alot of fun
I remember back the around 85’, my buddy just came back from the Army. He was stationed in Germany and brought a brand new Stereo system. I remember walking to his room and he showed me a pair of technics 3 way speaker hooked up with a light gray Sansui amplifier. When he dropped an Iron Maiden Song “Revelations” My jaw hit the floor and I was blown away! Never heard a sound like that before. The bass an highs sounded life like and was incredible. No cd... just vinyl and a diamond needle. It has been more than 30 years and honestly I still haven’t found that sound again. that day was my introduction to good taste in sound systems. I love my good friends and my life... truly blessed💪💥
Kenwood KR5030 with large Advents bought fromTweeter on Comm Ave in Boston in 1978. Akai cassette player and some DD turntable with a nice Grado Cartridge. Kick-ass college sound, Still remember hearing DSOTM and Days ofFuture Passed for the first time...things got even better when my roommate got a set of advents and we stacked....get well soon!
My first pair. AR 2ax. Then I had a pair of KLH bookshelf speakers. The L100T3 was a scaled down version of a 4 way L280Ti (or something like that). After that most of my speakers were DIY using parts from A&S speakers, Just Speakers, Madisound etc. I did get a own Heresey’s, Maggie MMGa, Polk SDA 1A, Snell Type J, small VMPS and used pair of 801F.
My first encounter with quality audio was helping sound man at our church. They had Altec speakers and amplifiers. The sound tech saw I was very interested and asked if i would like to come hear his home system. When I went to his family home He had Altec voice of the theater horn loaded speakers , Roberts cross x 10' reel to reel and Mcintosh amp and tuner. After about an hour or so of listening I was hooked. That was 50 yrs ago. Still love quality sound even though 45 yrs of construction work my hearing has changed.
Great video, Gene. I love your list. It made me reminisce on my audio journey from 3 sets of JBL's starting with the L112 Century II's which I still use in my office to my many, many, many RBH Sound speakers scattered throughout my home. I visited Shane, John and the crew at RBH HQ this week. Shane showed me YOUR old 8T speakers. Gorgeous! It was fun to the speakers in your videos and reviewed by you. Keep up the great work!
Something I never understood is why a lot of cabinet speakers makers (brands) made their models, NOT in symmetric pairs, concerning the drivers positions. Thanks for your video!
Enjoyed your journey. Had to let you know, in 1985 I bought the Real to Reel/Legacy Audio "Classic" delivered for $1,400? My previous stuff was Bose 901's/junk and Thiel 03A's and Walsh Ohm 4's so the Classic was a true monitor/accurate speaker that revealed my marginal equipment. I did have a Luxman L-110 which blew-up so I went to Kinnergetics and then to Adcom to get a better sound. I had the Classic's until a year ago and gave them away. The "leaf" tweeter was hard to replace once you blew them. Thanks,
Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane. Back when I couldn't afford a whole lot I got years of pleasure from Speakerlabs with the Nestorvic (?) woofer system. It was a 10" woofer and a 12" woofer that cut out at lowest frequencies to become a passive radiator. For reference, I am a bass player.
I'm a sucker for 70s "bookshelf" speakers - KLH Seventeen, Dynaco A30, etc. They're so simple yet so nice to listen to. Objectively maybe not that great but they have a charm that can't be replicated.
My dad had hidden away in a store room some, 'Rhino' speakers he loved. The were pretty much rotted away so I never heard them. But I started taking apart all the speakers in the house out of curiosity. I had some great (at the time) mini systems in my teen years, and heard some B&W 802s and just loved the midrange and clarity. I ended up deeper into car audio and had some amazing systems. I just got the Monitor Audio Bronze 6G 100s and the C150 as upgrades to my home theater. One day I hope to get something truly high end.
The speaker that influenced me the most, and still to this day is the original 'inline' JBL Century 100. (1974) This speaker was the sound of rock and the reason it sounded so good is because it is essentially the same speaker as the JBL 4310 which was the defacto mix down studio monitor of the Classic Rock era. When I listen to Carly Simone's 'You're so Vain' the bass intro grunts-- an Ampeg SVT through 10x 8" speakers. The drums explode like cannons. For this era of rock the $650 JBL 100 blows away my $30,000. Magnepan/REL system.
Hey Gene hope your feeling well , I saw the Lafayette 2002 on your video and it brought back some great memories. I worked at Lafayette in Sayville , we had a great sound room . Most of our receivers were made from Sansui. I sold a boat load of 2002 and 2001 speakers. Most of my sales came from music by Earth Wind and Fire , and Chuck Mangione. We also sold a pair of speakers that were made by ESS that incorporated the Heil tweeters . We paired that up to our version of the sansui 9090 . It was a great time to be in audio I was 16 years old and making instant commissions on needles up to cb radios to tubes for TVs .
A local record store in the early eighties had a pair of baby advent bookshelve I bought a pair. I then got a fisher rack system . My brother who was in the Air Force sent me a pioneer sx750 and a pair cs 63 speakers man those things sounded great.
Hope your feeling better . I had a set of Cerwin Vega regret selling them many years ago. The had a horn facing from the back. A 12 in woofer and tweeter .The covers were red at the top and black below two separate parts. Man they could put out thew sound . I think my amp was around 18 watts but that all you needed. I have never found a picture or any info on my model .
My cousin worked in HiFi in the late 70's/80's. I remember the music, and can't forget "Don't touch my receiver!!!" I recall it being a big Pioneer. I wish I knew what model.
My progression of “influential” speakers: Jensen Model 17 (got them in 1974) - Cheap enough for a paperboy budget, and it made the hang tag vibrate, and the “brightness” knob to tinker with. BIC Venturi Formula 2 (got them in 1978) - Loved the idea of the venturi accelerating the air, feel the wind out of the port. The cut-away demo had tufts of yarn lining the curved venturi that showed the acceleration. DCM Time Window 1a (got them in 1983) - Loved the name, the flat line specs, the square wave reproduction, and the wide sound. DCM Time Frame TF2000 (got them used 2003) - Full stop, I’m done. My deathbed speakers. They disappear for me. Love the sound stage musician placement front to back and across.
years back i got a pair of Pioneer DSS-9's from a garage sale for $20. First thing i noticed was they seemed heavy for there size which follows my simple audio collection advice i give everyone... "if it's heavier than it looks" then it's probably good. I got them home and hooked them up to my Adcom 555 and i was amazed. If you find a pair of these get them for sure but be warned the woofer is a graphite cone and very fragile, as far as i know there are no replacements that i know of.
Enjoyed the video. I currently have a pair of JBL LX-55s that are undergoing re-foaming on the woofers. I have always had an an appreciation for music and have always appreciated speakers that demonstrate good separation. I wish you a speedy recovery.
Gene, we're separated by a few generations in the HiFi world. My first good set up in the late 1960s was secondhand H. H. Scott 340 receiver running secondhand KLH 5 speakers, my entry into good equipment. My best ever set up was Conrad Johnson MOSFET Sonographe separates, a SC 1 preamp and a SA120 amp and a Carver TX-11 tuner with various turntable and tape sources during the 27 years I owned my Quaf 63 speakers paired with several good subwoofers. Quad 63's are still the midrange reference speakers for several high-end manufacturers and paired with an excellent subwoofer they will provide an ethereal sonic experience. They absolutely vanish and give the listener the capability of moving the instrument or instruments on stage closer or further away with the volume knob. Hearing fingernails classical guitar strings is special. I miss those speakers!
Got my first pair,Ohm L. They were nice but fragile with vinyl. Tweeters especially!. Got some Cervin Vega. R 30. Great power handling, played loud and articulate. Then a pair of Bose 10.2.!!! Fantastic room filling, sound everywhere beautiful speakers. Amps were, SAE. Onkyo A803. Proton930. Accuian. Now it's Emotiva. U got a sweet looking rig there. DEEP PURPLE, HIGHWAY STAR.
My first system from the mid '80s consisted of a NAD 40 watt receiver, a Denon DCD-1500 cd player, & a pair of Boston Acoustic A100 Series II speakers. That cd player w/remote from back then cost about what the receiver & speakers did combined,...kinda crazy, but it all sounded great together to me. Of course, I was hard-sold the obligatory & early days Monster Cable to tie it together, which was icing on the cake for a Hi-Fi shop's profit. I have the system packed away in the back of a closet. I guess I should dig it out, & fire it up! I'm sure the woofer surrounds need replacing, though. I remember 35 years ago that my local Hi-Fi shop seemed to always play punchy test music like Dave Grusin, Flim & the BB's, Mannheim Steamroller's Fresh Aire series, & great vocals from the The Nylons. The first cd I picked, back when they were a pricey newfangled thing, was Gaucho by Steely Dan. It sounded great & is still a fave! I also have a pair of B&O S75 speakers collecting dust, along with a pair of GRADO (the headphones company) bookshelf-sized speakers from the early 60s. Those beautiful walnut speakers built by Joseph Grado himself, back when he was renowned for his turntables & wooden tonearms, are super rare & sound fantastic for their age & size. They're the only ones of the small version in existence that I know of. Hang in there, & get well soon!
in 1970, I was an Airman 1st class in the USAF. i was poor then as I am now. I too went to Lafayette and purchased 2 Criterion 2 way bookshelf speakers w/ 8 in woofers & a Lafayette stereo 100 watt power amp. Couldn't afford the tuner. 2 yrs later, I got rid of Criterions for a pair of Marantz 6G 2 way speakers. Couldn't afford the Marantz 7's. Still own the 6G's. In 1976, I upgraded my Lafeyette to a Pioneer SX-838 stereo receiver. Later in the late 90's, I upgraded to a Yamaha Natural Sound RXV-995 & a KLH subwoofer. Still being poor, I own a pair of SVS Prime Bookshelf, a pair of SVS Prime Satellites, SVS Prime Center, Pioneer Elite VSX LX-503 AV Receiver and a HSU VTF-3 MK3 subwoofer. However, the best speakers I ever heard was the Wilson Watt Puppies with a Krell CD player. Waaaaaaaaaay out of my league!! Anyway, get well soon and God Bless You.
KLH 17 is what hooked me....now I've been through hundreds of speakers and amps. Klipsch CF-3 are now my goto speaker. in my 7.2 HT. JBL in my 2 channel listening and Bozak.
Outstanding video! I too started out with Lafayette speakers. First the 2001+ 10" 3 way them the 2002+ 4 way. Powered them with an H.H. Scott 30 wpc receiver and a used Phillips turntable with Shure cartridge.
My dad owned a hifi shop in Oak Ridge in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s so I grew up in the audio business. Worked for him washing windows early on then worked at his store selling thru college. My high school years were 70-73 so I demonstrated AR-3s, KLH 17s, The full suite of Criterion 66, 77, 88s for low end. But my crown jewell that I loved to show off was the JBL L100’s at $273/ea. Sold a load of them and listened to them for hours at night while my dad did the books. I save up my bucks and Senior year bought my first full blown rig: JBL L65 Jubal Floor Speakers, Pioneer SX1010 100W RMS/Chan receiver, Pioneer PL12D TT, and a Sony TC-160 Cassette Deck. Not a bad setup for 17 years old. The L65s were a 1-up on the L100s and sounded terrific with tight, tight base and the classic bright JBL highs (that some didn’t like, but I loved). I had the envy ‘Fi of my MIT fraternity throughout the 70’s. Had the L65’s (with the blue grill and smoke glass tops) until my house was broken into and everything stolen in 1996 so 23 years with those speakers. After listening to EVERYTHING, i then picked up a pair of Snell Type Ds which I still have and love today (along with a classic Sunfire True Subwoofer). I recently picked up a pair of used JBL L100’s and a pair of new burnt orange foam grills. Refinished the cabinet and have them in my Man Cave. Classic 70’s rock still lives in my Cave!
1995 I was in high school, saved $150 and for my birthday my dad matched me. Went to Circuit City and purchased a pair of DCM KX-12, the 4ohm models. That's what really got me into hi-fi. Still have them to this day in the garage. They are powered by a Pioneer SX-850 just a simple setup.
For me, my list starts with the AR2ax. My father bought these speakers in 1965 (or around then) and they are still going strong in my mother’s house even after my father passed away in 2012. The only fix they needed was new woofers- which I replaced in 1995- and new screens. Other than that, they’re original and sound superb. Next would be your standard-issue Fisher floor speakers. Ridiculously loud and terribly flabby, these speakers served a purpose but sounded really terrible. I never owned a pair and back then all I knew was they looked impressive. Until I met the Shahinian Obelisk. I first heard these at my friend’s house in the late 80’s. We played them loud and they never complained or distorted. The sound was so clean and so precise that I coveted these speakers for nearly thirty years. I finally got my chance to buy a pair three years ago so I grabbed them. Such a distinctive sound. I have yet to find a speaker that compares in its precision and musical accuracy.
Back in 1978 while shopping for "better" speakers I found (and loved) the Ohm Acoustics model H, but I couldn't afford the $700+ price tag. I settled on the Ohm L systems and still use them today. Last year I acquired a restored (with Ohm drivers) sonically and cosmetically pair of Ohm H's. Got them for $275 the pair. A freakin' steal. Nice video, gettin' some of your audio history.
Mine was going to my brother in laws house in the 1970's and listening to Boston's (the band) first album on his Boston Acoustics speakers and Teac real to real. Funny you mention Polk. The first car audio system that hooked me (early 80's) was a friend's 1968 Nova's aftermarket system (maybe 50 watts a channel) with a set of Polk Mini's sitting in the back window facing forward. I stopped when I got my second set of Infinity RS IIIa's. Just didn't see much reason to go on from there except to empty my bank account. I use a EQ and can fix them for any room.
No love for the circa late 70's DCM Time Windows ? They were my first, and I still have, and they are functioning. Nowadays I'm on the upper tier Klipsch, it's all all I can afford for my 7.2 Atmos system . Remember the old days, great video.
![Megan Thee Stallion - Neva Play (feat. RM) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TpYTyAaTRts/mqdefault.jpg)
I wish you a speedy recovery and am including you in my prayers.🙏
@@TiTiTiTiT Will do better than talking to you.
João Veludo You’re sure about that? How do you know? Who told you?
Well Gene, you can imagine my shock and surprise when as the original designer (co) and importer of the Criterion 2002+ speakers, I clicked on your video and saw them magically appear from over 40 years ago! First though...let me say how happy I am to see you well along the road to full recovery. Now I'll share the story of the 2001's & 2002's with you. First came the 2001's...mission was to create a rock & roll speaker for $99 each based on the BIC Venturi type design. We put in a nice little tweeter, a Fostex horn, and a proprietary 10" paper cone with foam surround for the woofer...along with a nice 5+db base hump around 56hz. Surprise... we got a BestBuy from Consumer Reports (LOL) and we were off to the races building 10's of thousands and shipping them across the Pacific. I got the bright idea that a bigger, better speaker for 50 bucks more might do well...so we made a bigger box, added a 12" woofer and used two of the same tweeter on an angled baffle for better dispersion...and sold 10's of thousands more of those as your 2002's. (Also built a 15" 2003 later for disco!) These were all built to spec by Sanyo-Kogai in Japan and they were the largest private label speaker company in the world back then with full design and testing capability including an anechoic chamber. No golden ear would ever mistake these for audiophile speakers...but we did break a lot of wine bottles! Hope you got as much a kick reading this as I did watching yours. Hope they spring you soon too!
Get well - stay vertical my friend! In 1982, my first set if speakers were Kenwood KL-999. I bought 4 of them while living in the barracks in Korea - low budget drew the cards on that deal. The white woofers became a royal pain as everybody wanted to touch them as if they had some kind of healing power. They did more damage than good unfortunately - they were LOUD, which at the age of 18 was all we really wanted. A guy down the hall bought the KL-10,000 series....and we were always in competition - other residents hated us both. As time passed and I grew older, I began to appreciate the finer things in life. I would eventually find myself working at the Armed Forces Radio & Television Service (AFRTS & AFN) in Germany...early 1990's where we would employ the JBL 4312 and EV Sentry 100 models. Both speakers in my mind were fantastic. While the EV's were powered, we drove the JBL 4312 speakers with a simple Crown D-75... Many joyous happy beams of smiles originated in those studios. It was the best tour of my life...I'll never forget it. Today, I own over a dozen different pair(s) - mostly Klipsch (LaScalla, Cornwall, CF-3, KM-6, Tangent), JBL, Onkyo (D-77), and I believe I still have a pair of Sansui SPX-9000 speakers around here somewhere. Once it's in the blood, it never goes away - no pun intended....
My first hifi experience was at age fifteen in 1965 when Acoustic Research operated a Show Room at NYC's Grand Central Station. It had that new hifi smell and AR speakers and turntables with a Dynaco amp (I think). That stuff sounded swell. My first speakers purchased in 1974 (after a stint in the navy) were KLH model 31's. Strictly budget components. In 1978 I got Ohm Acoustics model L's and have used them ever since as my living room speakers. Of the speakers I've owned I still have (and like) my EPI-100's, EPI-180's, Ohm model H's and Boston Acoustics model A-40's. Not the most expensive systems but satisfying to me. Into the mid 1970's JBL, Vega and Altec had that "west coast sound" with forward, prominent midrange and were not as accurate as some eastern manufactures like AR, EPI, Allison, Polk, Ohm and KLH. But speaker preference is a very personal thing. Interesting video and well done. Wishing you a speedy recovery from your illness. At seventy now I gotta be careful with that infectious shit.
I walked into a hi end store in the early 90's and heard a pair of Klipsch speakers. The dude played me Time, from Dark Side Of the Moon in a dark room and told me to try and point to where I thought the sound was coming from. I couldn't and I knew at that point, I was hooked. Thanks for your video Gene. Get Well soon.
It was 1976, a friend of mine and myself snuck into his older brother's room and fiddled with his stereo until we managed to get it turned on and working. What met my ears was the most incredible sound I had ever heard. I had absolutely no idea music could sound so lifelike and fill a room so completely.. I was dumb struck. It was the first time I had EVER heard hi-fidelity music and I was hooked at twelve years old. To this day, even with my Polk Reserves and Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A8A, I have never heard it's equal (not even close). So what was this speaker that was so influential? Well, I can't remember what receiver we were using but I sure remember the speakers. They were Klipsch LaScalas!
I'm still using a pair Polk Audio Monitor 5jr and am very satisfied with them even though they are old. The sound is very pure and the brilliance is impressive.
Thanks for taking the time to do this video. Hope you are feeling better soon.
My personal (partial) list that I can recall from the age of 16:
Numerous low-cost Cerwin Vega, ESS, ADS speakers.
Cerwin Vega 12T
JBL 4311 - one of my favorites of all time.
AR 58s
AR 90
Boston Acoustics A400
Paradigm Studio 100, and Adcom GFA 5800 Power amplifier. - still using this fabulous amp.
B&W CDM 9NT - still own these speakers, augmented with the Monolith 15" THX Ultra subwoofer.
For most of my early years as an audiophile, the speakers I lusted for and never obtained were the KEF 105 and the AR9.
Byron Franek ESS 10s. I was waiting to see if anyone else mentioned ESS. Great inexpensive speaker back in the day.
Wow, you made me think about the speakers that influenced me over the years. In the 70s, it was the JBL L100 for great bass with records. In the 80s, it was my fathers Allison 1 speakers that made me realize how much better music could sound through well engineered speakers. In the 90s, I bought 4 NHT 2.5i speakers with 2 NHT SubTwo subwoofers and they still bring a smile to my face every time I listen to them.
Remembering the time I became the audioholic is easy for me. 1973, I was 15 years old working as a busboy, I had $250.00 to spend on a system (int amp/speakers/turntable) my friends thought I was crazy, $250 was a lot of money in '73. I bought a Pioneer amp and speakers, can't remember the turntable but replaced it shortly with one of Pioneers "new" S shaped tone arms models. We brought it home, set it up, I didn't have money left to buy even one record, so a friend brought his Steely Dan "Can't Buy a Thrill" album. The system started its play, and within a few seconds I was hooked for life, the sound was amazing, I had never heard anything like it before, in the early '70s parents and kids my age simple did not own anything like this. The detail, the room filling sound, incredible. Now, obviously, this system even in the '70s was bottom line in stereo stores, but compared to anything else I heard in other homes it was light years ahead in sound.
Today, 47 years later, still remember like it was yesterday. Always love listening to any system that disapears and I feel like the band / orchestra / singer-songwriter vocal guitar....is in the room or on stage in front of me. That is the thrilling part of audio reproduction, that it is live in my room. As a musician/composer the detail I hear in live acoustic concerts, and my own music performed in concert, continues to be missing in stereo's today. I wonder if those missing elements will ever show up someday in new technology???
The speaker that influenced me throughout my childhood until my early twenties was my dads pair of AR-3’s. There was absolutely no genre of music that didn’t get taken to a whole new level of experience from these speakers. When my dad passed away in ‘83 he left me the speakers because he knew that I would take care of them and appreciate them for what they were. I joined the Navy in ‘87 and my first time home on leave discovered that my mom decided she would sell them in a garage sale, and if that wasn’t bad enough, I found out she sold them for $50. I literally cried and didn’t speak to her for almost 3 yrs.
I agree about the AR-3's. In college my room mate had them and a Marantz model-19. I remember they usually smelled like Lemon Pledge.They could do it all from classical, jazz, hard rock, (and dare I say it) even disco.
Wanted the AR3's but could only afford the 2a's. Was happier with them when they came out with the mid-range mod to convert them to 2AX's. Kept them until 1980. They ran on Dynaco PAS-3 and Dynaco 70 tube amplification.
Isn’t it interesting that young immature eyes will land on something of quality and sense that quality without a scrap of useful information. The AR design look and feel as well as some other brands of that era were intuitively attractive. I wish I had that same access to todays product but “brick and mortar HiFi stores are few. I sensed in your post you had a good relationship with your dad. Cheers to that and thanks for posting.
Happy to see you back online and looking better.
Yea looks like corona virus is not even a big deal
@@Charmander009 Yeah just a worldwide pandemic.
Stay strong Jean thank you for all the videos I hope you recover well God bless you.
in my youth, my brother's JBL L100's. In college I bought Cerwin Vega HED's.. After college, got into home theater with Definitive Technology BP7004's with BPVX surrounds.. After a few different jobs, Revel Performa 3's + Revel B112 + C763's as surrounds. My home office has JBL ES30's with a SB250 subwoofer.
Found myself some Tannoy Berkeley’s recently and just super blown away. When you move up a tier in speaker quality from the "shop floor" standards then music can really come alive in so many differing ways.
GENE, YOU are a working horse 😁🔊🔊🔊, Thank you for take some time to give us another great video . MY Start for Audio was when i was a kid my Dad have a SANSUI 9090 and a pair of SANSUI SP-1500x ( THAT Receiver waits a ton ) IT sounds really good . I Got one of those Receivers and is a Beast . I Remember those Cerwin vegas 😁🔊🔊🔊. I Remember the cerwin vega stroker 15”for car AUDIO ( They was really expensive and good) . I HOPE you get Better really soon my Brother . GOD Bless You 🙏🏻!
So many random capital letters lol, you DO know, that Dad, isn`t a name and should technicahlle BE capitolized RIGHT?
I`m just mesing with you though, WE all love AUDIO here, and that`s WHAT we`re here for, SO, have a NICE day and enjoy SOME fine music ;)
tihi..
Btw, I also remember the stroker, a friend had two in a 220 liter box behind his couch, we played wipeout and his couch moved an inch or two every round, it was craaaaazy :D
My parents had a full Sansui system they bought in a parking lot audio show at the PX in Japan. They went big and got two (!!!!) cassette decks - the model that didn't have a door. The cassette was herd in place over the heads by some spring loaded clips. The receiver and speakers were massive! (I still have the Sansui turntable I got for a christmas present.)
Excellent topic. These were my early influencers. Bose 901s, Cerwin Vega D15s, Klipsch Forte II and La Scala, Polk Audio RTA 12c (really miss that sound), B&W DM601s,
My dad in 1978 purchased 4 New Advent Loudspeakers and stacked them with the tweeters in the middle wired in parallel connected to a Kenwood receiver rocking Styx Equinox on a Garrard spinner and I was hooked, still have a pair of walnuts today.
My favorite speaker was the 1900s Paradigm Studio Monitor, which seemed to be a cut above the 11-series. I had it until some burglars walked out of my house with them. The bass control with an Adcom pre made the bass ultra-powerful. The replacement I got was the Gershman Acoustics X-1, which had a most delicious sound, but the bass on the accompanying sub was quite weak; this got flooded by a major disaster in 2005.
I had done a lot of gigs on the road, so I had a pair of Paradigm Active/20 that I took with me, and they are the ultimate in a computer speaker, LOL. I'm in a small house now (when I'm home - I'm still away a lot), with my listening "room" being my computer desk area, and I still use these.
I have a pair of Montana Audio EPS, with unreal imaging, that I got as a demo that I'm still waiting to set up whenever my home size can accommodate it, but I'm wondering if a tower speaker, with all the space it requires, is the way to go. I'm considering going back to Gershman with their new Studio Monitor, which is the latest in their X-1 evolution.
I wonder what a lightly used, but finish-damaged (it looks like mold damage from sitting in a closet that was in a room with a roof leak), EPS pair would go for. even though I got it for $3500 (list $8K), I would happy to let it go for $1K and never look back on a tower.
Dude you are such a badass for doing a video during your recovery.
Gives me hope during a time of anxiety, uncertainty, and a feeling of being out of control.
So thanks for being a small island in a sea of insanity.
--an audioholic from Seattle
Charles Shamseldin
I agree. Gene has been a source of inspiration and hope during these times.
The speakers I have always wanted and played a big part in my interest of hifi are the Pioneer HPM -150, HPM -100, HPM - 1100 and HPM -900. Thankfully I have all of the HPM range except the 200. They sound AWESOME!
You've got to be kidding. Pioneer?
@@davidbland8153 why? You haven't heard their TAD gear?? Even the HPMs are far better than the rubbish, in their price range, that was around at the time of their release. Still I have many different brands that I have put them up against, owned by mates, yamaha, infinity, jbl, elac, jamo, q acoustics, sansui, interdyn, onkyo, kef and they do an excellent job, I if not better than most.
Man oh man your bringing back memories. My most influential speaker was his Infinity SM 122’s my brother had when he left the military and came home. That summer while he was at work I was listening to CDs and tapes on his Kenwood rack system. That’s what got me hooked.
Then I traveled down a road of trying to find better sound. I went from two channel to HT and the pursuit is still on today. Paradigm, PSB, Av123 XLS encores, Athena and my favorite ended up being 5 JBL S26 II ‘s with a 12” titanic II DIY Sub from Parts-express with SACD and DVD Audio. That was the first time the Speakers disappeared for me in my own system. Great channel and I hope you get to feeling better!
I had the Cervin Vega D9E, JBL 120Ti, Dali 1288, Dali 400, B&W DM640i and later DM604, Onken Focal, QLN Cubic 166, JBL CST 5.1, And now I still have in different room ´s: Dynaudio DM 3/7, Dynaudio BM5A Mk3, Scandyna Bigpod Mk3, and last a Custom build 2 Way High End Monitor with D9700 Tweeter`s and 18W/8546-00 Woofer from ScanSpeak, build by Danish Peak Consult, and the filter components are from Mundorf Supreme, Polink Coils and Vishay Resistors, the best speaker ever. ;)
All the best to you during your recovery, Gene! As for my speakers growing up, it was also the Polk Audio 5 jrs+. My friend and I got the last 2 pairs during a clearout sale. I could not have been happier with these speakers. Some good memories with the Polks. I still have them to this day at my parents' house. Maybe I'll pass them onto my kids someday, or set them up in my studio. Take care Gene.
Same here have Model 5 brought them in 1988 still as good as the day I brought them 33 year ago.
I think I will be sticking with Polk there speaker seem unbreakable are the new ones as good as the old 80/90 models for durability are they still USA made? You would not believe how expansive high quality speaker are in Australia so we don't replace them to often as there to pricy if your on working wages so for me durability is important.
Get better soon, Gene. I still have (and use) my 1990's KEF tower speakers. I had lusted after them but never thought I could afford them. By luck, I was reading the Times on the Staten Island Ferry on my way to work in mid-town just before Christmas. There was a quarter-page advertisement that the president of Kef was giving a talk at a high-end audio shop just around the corner from where I worked. If you went to the talk you would get the speakers for 50% off the SALE PRICE. I had just gotten my Christmas bonus. That plus my savings allowed me to get them. I never regretted that purchase. Your piece reminded me of that story. Keep isolating and get better soon.
It was Spendor SP1's which cemented my love of music, circa 85. Their midrange transparency is still something to behold.
Still have the JBL L100T3's right here in the den. Used them a few weeks ago at a 'sweet 16' party. These babies can still get a party started... :-)
Glad to see you Gene. Hope you get well soon!
I am not an audioholic anymore, but you and some other channels have stirred my interest again.
My first HiFi system (worth the name) in the mid 70:th was a Harman Kardon 630 with AR 6 speakers and a Thorens TD 150. 10 years later I upgraded to a Marantz PM 94 with Carlsson OA 50 speakers and a Thorens TD 165 player. After that I came to a halt. Still have the HK receiver, the PM 94 and the Thorens 165 in storage.
Speakers I wanted to have... The JBL L100 and some Cabasse that I don't remember the model of.
My dad brought home a Roberts receiver with Pioneer speakers in 68' and it cranked! I remember waking up to Led Zeppelin thinking who is this? I was hooked from that day on!
Glad you're feeling better hopefully you have passed the worst and are on the mend!
Recover quickly, Gene! I grew up in the San Fernando Valley as a musician, so Cerwin Vega was well known and an employer of a couple of my musician friends. Gene Czerwinski wowed us with his dramatic demonstrations of the sheer power of his speakers. But the most influential speaker of that era for us was the venerable JBL 4311's found in so many of the recording studios I worked at. But the pair I could afford and subsequently bought (and still have in perfect working condition) was a knock-off -- the RSL 4200 3-way which I bought from the Van Nuys, CA store on Van Nuys Blvd. At the time I was the envy of my musician friends. We mixed a lot of material in my basement recording studio on those boxes from a Teac 3340s!
Hi Gene.. First and foremost, Please Be Well..
Much like you, my love affair with the Magic and Mystery of high quality audio goes back many, many years.. I have found ways to make a decent amount of money from a very young age and I began with a pair of Infinity SM 125's, which I loved and still own to this very day.. But I have been fascinated by designing and building loudspeaker systems most all my life.. It's been a very rewarding passion that has allowed me to share the joy of listening to great music at a quality level that would have otherwise been out of the reach of so many people.. Such a rewarding hobby.. Music is the language of the Universe.. Lary
I'm about your age Gene, I'm 59. My first speakers, or rather my dads, were KLH 6's. Everybody from the 60's and 70's remembers those. Then, came a couple of Speakerlab kit speakers. Speakerlab was a Seattle based company. Super 7's were the one's I had. Then, at about 20 yrs old, I fell in love with VMPS, and have owned them ever since.
The Polk Monitor 5JR+ and other versions of this speaker were the default speaker used for the in store sound systems paired with a Yamaha Natural Sound integrated Amp, for most Music Land/Sam Goody record stores opened or remodeled from the late 80s through the mid 90s.
When a store would close, or was remodeled and the sound system was upgraded to a Sub woofer/satellite speaker system, store personnel could buy the used Polks. While they were dusty from being hung for several years, many were in near mint shape. I was able to buy several pairs for $25 per pair. They went from wood grain to black,, some had banana connector, others just spring clamp connectors. The tweeter bubbles were either black or clear. The last generation had a redesigned grill, slightly different size cabinet, and different woofer and resonator.
I still use them. Great speakers, very full sound.
This video came along while browsing, and I’m glad you have recovered and keeping your great work with audio.
I have a pair of JBL L-100Ts and LOVED how they sounded. My now older kids broke the grills and poked holes in the cones.....I should have the money to get them reconed in the near future and start enjoying them again.
I had a friend with Cerwin Vegas. She came over one day and was blown away by my JBLs. She regretted her purchase lol.
Hope you feel better soon!
Hope you get better soon 🙏. I’ve had two sets of speakers !! I bought the L100’s with the acoustic foam on the front back in the seventies, and later I bought a pair of Dahlquist DQM-9s with dual back ports for bass. Sadly, Dahlquist is no longer made, but the sound was very life like ! You actually thought you were in the studio with the musicians. If I remember correctly the drivers were German made by Magnat. The enclosure was also unique. A sound damping material from 3M called Nextel was used at the time to keep the speakers from having a boxy sound. As always I enjoy your videos and hope you have a fast recovery !!
Hey Gene ... I am listening to you on a pair of Sansui's - Sp-5500x - with 15 inch woofers... had them since the early 70's, I am 71 years old. They are hooked up to my PC in my computer room with Kenwood amp that I bought at the same time. I have had to replace the woofer's but all other speakers in the cabinet are original. My Kenwood KR-6400 amp has been turned on an off damn near every day since early 70's.. It is still working great. I have had to replace the led's on the panel and that's all I have done to it. I can't believe the ON/Off switch has survived this long....
Sometimes I prefer listing to my Sansui's over my new surround sound system in the living room that cost me over 5 grand. I will die owning these speakers ...
I hope you beat this virus Gene... sorry to hear about your misfortune. Scary stuff. Your in my prayers my cyber friend. I will pray for your speedy recovery...
Thanks for all the help you have given everyone, ... you da man.
You guys helped me buy my sound sound system... much appreciated.
The speakers I enjoyed the most were a pair of Kef 103.2 that I bought dirt cheap. Hooked up with a powerfull Sony broadcasting amp. Unbelievable soundstage and midrange clarity and completely disapearing in the room. But best of all, I could listen to them all day long without ever getting tired.
Dynaco a25, radio shack mach1, celestion sl600, thiel cs3
I still have the Dynaco A25's I used in college. Occasionally I hook them up and instantly remember what I love about them, but also why I prefer the Allison 3's I bought after graduating and getting a job.
Get well soon, Gene. My first system consisted of a Dynaco PAT-5 and a Dynaco ST400 amp that I built from kits. They drove 8 Dynaco A25 speakers that I stacked 4 per side in my parent's basement. Decent sound and could move a lot of air. But my favorites after that were a pair of Apogee Duetta II ribbons. I traded some volume and bass extension for better leading edge and timbre considerations. I used those with a Belles Research 200wpc amp and an Apt Holman preamp. Then I traded those for some VMPS speakers and definitely got the bass back. Good memories just like yours.
What was the total resistance in Ohms of the 4 stacked speakers? Did that create a problem driving it with the Dynaco?
I'm 62, and I loved Stereo Review and it's technical articles. The founder was an acoustics expert and created the dampening system for submarines, and from there he went on to develop acoustic enhance add ons for the home stereo systems. The one I use is an IMX PLUS, SIMPLE, BUT EFFECTIVE. BBE is another .
Hello sir , first of all best wishes and positive vibes to you for getting well soon. I enjoyed your segment about your influential spkrs. I would say mine that ushered me into audio as a kid, were my dads amp and speakers he was an audiophile , but two companies you don't hear much about these days even with big resurgence of vintage market they wer Design Acoustics d6, powered by a Setton AS 3300 integrated amp. then in highschool (about 1993) we found for me quite a few pairs of speakers at Salvation Army back in the day , the dynaco a25's , DLK model 1 2 ways, and old genesis with 8" woofer, that "famous" inverted dome tweeter,10 passive radiator the models with the green foam surrounds. They were my favorite until he brought home two other sets, beat up OHM Walsh 2 , terrific sounding and beat up old Magneplanars mg I's that took me to another level. Thanks 🙏🏾 sir keep up the good fun work get well soon
I bought some Klipsch KG-4 speakers in my mid 20s. 1985? They are still my main speakers. Switched out every component so many times I can't keep track.
Joel Oliver I had a pair of KG3’s and bumped up to the KG4’s a year later per the store’s upgrade policy.
Welcome from Australian Gene. I went to home to purchase a second hand Dynavector cartridge as a student in 1980 and this guy had stacked Quad ESL57’s with 2 Kef B139 transmission line subs at the back of the room. This was fed by a Linn LP12, Naim pre/power amplifiers and Quad 405 power amplifiers for the Kef’s. This was an epiphany for me and I haven’t heard to many systems to this day that was as good as that did back then. My personal journey the speakers I loved most were my Kef concerto’s, AR LS3/5a, JBL L100 Century which I still have and my reference Speakers are JLTi/Custom Analogue Audio “Elsinore” which are a DIY masterpiece. I’ve always lusted over a pair of ATC 150, Harbeth 40.2’s and a large pair of Magnapan’s.
Hope your feeling better. My dad was into audio when I was growing up in the 60's so when I finally got out on my own the first thing I did was hit up my audiophile friends and found a LaFayette 550 100 Watt amp, some Hafler preamp, went into hock for a set of PWK Klipschorns, a B&O Linear Tracking turntable and a Akai X-1800SD reel to reel. Yup, I was hooked. Proof, had more into that system than my car. I still have the turntable, Klipschorns and a Carver M-400 cube. At least the Klipschorns still sound great.
I am a little younger but my first real pair of speakers were the Infinity Beta 50. I hooked these up to my dad's Marantz 2285 and coudn't believe it. I was listening to music through a Aiwa "mini theater system" from circuit city. When I heard this I was blown away. My dad got me a Marantz 2265 to go to college with and paired with the Beta 50's everyone wanted to come over to my apartment to listen to music before we went out. I don't think they knew why they did, but at least that is why I think everyone came over.
My father was a gadget guy and he started with a Scott receiver, Rectilinear "Rectumlinear" speakers and an ELAC turntable. My oldest brother after being in the Army in Germany became a Teac rep (and later repped ESS, Metrosound and M&K in the states). My first real system was a Sansui 3030 receiver, ESS towers and my dad's old Elac turntable with a Shure M95 cartridge. I won't bore you with all the hifi I've owned since then but I am in love with my Martin Logan esl 9's as the centerpiece of my home audio/surround system.
My interest in audio began sometime in 1986. I walked into the audition room and was greeted then intimidated by the sizeable Polk SDA"-SRS 1.2's. I was awestruck, and then the salesman asked me if I wanted to listen to them. 'Uh, sure', I answered. Each speaker was powered by dual mono block Threshold amps, to the tune of somewhere around 600 wpc, I listened to Chuck Mangione's Feels So Good. Right then and there, I knew I would always have an interest in audio.
I listened to those Polks at a dealer who had them hooked up with a huge Perreaux power amp. Played Led Zeppelin extremely loud and I can remember being amazed at how the front windows of the store were flexing.
@@garygroth6402 Four decades later, I no longer listen to my music at ear bleed levels. Lol. But I still enjoy the heck out of talking audio experiences and equipment. I've long since graduated to some big Macs and K-horns helped with a 12" M&K sub, cd and internet, vinyl to come. What are you listening to these days?
We sold a lot of JBL LX44 at Circuit City back in the days . We used to compare them side by side to Bose 501's.
Infinity Qe and Qb speakers (eventually sold them) were very influential in starting a long lasting love for and addiction to Infinity loudspeaker sound and build quality. Then purchased Infinity RS-6/B's with clear poly cone woofer in oak cabinets (still listen to them to this day in the bedroom). Then, moved up to Infinity Kappa 8's (main speakers with 12" woofer, dual emit tweeters, etc.) and 7's (side channels) in oak cabinets, both of which look and sound amazing. Added an Infinity Kappa SSW-212 servo powered sub-woofer with dual 12 inch woofers in oak cabinet which vibrates the house and scares skunks away from the neighborhood. Then added 3 Infinity Kappa Video Center channel speakers in matching oak cabinets (1 for center channel and 2 for rear channels) to complete an Infinity Kappa 7.1 channel surround sound system which is still playing daily.
Owned other loudspeakers and sub-woofers before, in between, and while owning Infinity speakers, including JBL in custom cabinets, Wharfedale, AR, and Velodyne (subwoofer) but am hooked on Infinity... so infinity speakers are the most influential in this audioholic's loudspeaker addiction journey.
PS: Gene, hope you're feeling better and your family is doing well. Praying for your full recovery and good health for you and your family. Get well soon.
The fact that a piece of paper could shake the walls just totally fascinated me as a kid. For me it was my dad’s Advents 11” woofers.
For me the most influential speaker I have owned is the KEF Carlton II. I am a lifelong stereo nerd, and I have been a full time DJ and sound engineer for over 25 years. I listen to a lot of bass heavy music with a lot happening below 60Hz, and my ears tend to favour generous but tight and accurate bass, a relaxed midrange and I appreciate tweeters that deliver smoothly and create a sense of space around the music without getting strident or harsh. I have the privilege of DJing tunes on big high quality sound systems which is one reason why I expect a lot from the bottom end performance of speakers. I picked up my Carltons for the equivalent of about $100 USD.
They have incredibly fat, low and accurate bass for a 1980s design sporting only an 8 inch driver (plus of course a passive radiator; I am now a huge fan of this config) in a pretty simple small & lightweight cabinet, seriously ridiculously good. The midrange is really revealing but not forward, and the top end has a really relaxed but detailed sound. Imho, KEF were nerds on fire in the 1980s, pioneering the science of computer aided acoustic modeling, and producing some fantastic speakers. Having listened to a fair few speakers in my time, I would describe my Carlton IIs as the speakers which a) taught me the most, b) are so undervalued they are a second hand bargain c) still give me a huge amount of listening pleasure. Chur. downtown.
I love those old speakers which have larger drivers. I trust physics, only speaker drivers similar in size to the music instruments can reproduce the sound true in an open air. But, they are hard to find now.
While stationed in Pensacola FL in 1970 I heard a pair of Klipsch Cornerhorns. I was hooked. When I got out I could only swing the Klipsch LaScala but loved them. My early Mac amp and Revox A77 rr deck, Thorens TT, and Advent Dolby cassette deck gave me years of sonic bliss. Get well Gene, love your site.
I am inside for the duration as well...Just keep hydrated,get rest,do plenty of reading/tutorials,and I am keeping my bathroom damn near sterile...Thanks for taking time to share your audio stories...
A walk down memory lane, thank you! I became addicted by seeing the resonation of the Panasonic Thrusters woofers in Musicland when I’d go buy records there in our local mall back in the mid 70’s. So I bought some to hook up to my MCS record player through HiFi Buys. Sent them cash in an envelope. No tax or shipping considered as an 8th-grader. My parents were so mad and shocked that I wasn’t ripped off when the UPS van dropped them off 😂. And as I look back I just think🤦🏻♂️! This started my never-ending journey.
Very interesting and enjoyable trip down memory lane. Like you Gene, I still have my IMF CM2 speakers that I bought secondhand in the early 80's for just 200 pounds and they're still one of the best pair of speakers that I've ever owned and I enjoy listening to them every week.
Glad to see you're doing a little better Gene. I started out with a pair of Cerwin Vega D5E's in 1984. Then went to a more refined Wharfedale Diamond three's in 1988. Then switched back to Cerwin Vega for the next 25 years owning many lines including the awesome Special Edition 280SE Series and the refrigerator sized XLS-215 still in production.
However, seeing that Cerwin Vega remains irrelevant these days with nothing new on the horizon, i left CV for JBL and bought a pair of the Studio 5 Series, the JBL590 still in production and designed by Greg Timbers. I'm happy with JBL and love the 500 series speakers. I also have it's center channel, the 520C.
Hi Gene.
I was surprised to hear you mention the Cerwin Vega AT-12's while talking about the JBL LX44's because I rarely hear them mentioned in speaker forums.
I have had mine for around 30 years now and would not part with them. I bought them at The Wiz in Middletown, NY for somewhere around $600.00 for the pair after auditioning the speakers they had on display and which would fit within my budget. I brought a 10-disc magazine to the store loaded with my most important music for the test.
In 2012 I replaced the surrounds with an after-market kit that cost about $35.00 for the pair and another $10.00 for the dust caps. The kit came with everything needed to do the job, including the surrounds, the large Q-tips, the glue, the voice coil alignment spacers, and instructions. The replacement surrounds are not quite as compliant as the originals, so woofer sensitivity is not quite as high as it is with the originals, but they ARE red! And the speakers are still going strong.
Another speaker I never hear about pre-dates the ones you spoke of. I am talking about the KLH Model 58 floor speaker. I bought these in the early 70's and drove them with a Pioneer SX-750 receiver. These were acoustic suspension speakers and the bass quality was superb. The proof of the bass performance could be observed by listening to the final, high level, low-to-high frequency sweep at the very end of The Yes Album's track "Yours Is No Disgrace".
started with my dad's HPM100's, then JBL L100's, then JBL 4425's, Polk SDA1C, JBL L250...and now I have the JBL Studio 590's....try them out when they go back on sale for less than $1,000 a pair..bargain of the century...and they are the first speakers that I noticed really disappear into the room. They are really special. Lovely sound stage. Feel better, dood!
Clock radio got me started on the road to high fidelity sound. Next was the Pioneer HPM 500 speakers I purchased in '81. Finally, the 27 year old Klipsch kg3 speakers I bought in '93. Still performs beautifully.
Hi Gene, hope you are feeling better!!! Cerwin Vega were my first real speakers. The R123 models. Real Rock speakers. Had them with a Samsui AU9900 Amp, Tu7900 Tuner, Pioneer PL 570 turntable and a Samsun SC 3110. From there I went on to Genesis and Infinity then I got lazy and for quite a while had a Wurlitzer CD Juke Box and a Bose Surround. I now live in Virginia and have a Marantz, Outlaw and Klipsch 7.2.4 Home Theater and because we are rehabbing a 1880’s farmhouse I am using Kef LS50 Wireless with a Bluesound Node2i and Rega P3 turntable with a Schiit Tube preamp for my two channel system. Soon hopefully that will go in my office and I will be picking out a new 2 channel system for my main listening room.
You’re probably not going to believe this, but Bose (I know, shocking) got me interested in the very beginning. Now, I have a GoldenEar and Polk Audio collection. But, Bose is where it started.
David I started with Bose, too. I think they’re a great midway between low-end and high-end. I’ve never heard a Bose system that sounded bad and their headphones always surprise me with their decent sound, quality and above all else - comfort.
I’ve recently been trying a pair of Stax Esta4u Extra speakers which really are wonderful. They are little ESL panels so they suffer from being a bit beamy and lack bass under 100hz but when combined with a decent subwoofer and are positioned nicely, they really image well. So well in fact, I had to check I wasn’t accidentally playing through the speakers and my surround sound. I was convinced the singers voice was coming from the centre speaker.
SNELL got absorbed into Harmon International, Company during the 80's after Peter died in '84. Kevin Voelks took over designing for the company and still produces his own designs under the REVEL name.
Watching the video brings me back when I started out in audio. I also had the JBL 100. Used them with the dynaco amp and preamp that I put together as a kits. Alot of fun
I remember back the around 85’, my buddy just came back from the Army. He was stationed in Germany and brought a brand new Stereo system. I remember walking to his room and he showed me a pair of technics 3 way speaker hooked up with a light gray Sansui amplifier. When he dropped an Iron Maiden Song “Revelations” My jaw hit the floor and I was blown away! Never heard a sound like that before. The bass an highs sounded life like and was incredible. No cd... just vinyl and a diamond needle. It has been more than 30 years and honestly I still haven’t found that sound again. that day was my introduction to good taste in sound systems. I love my good friends and my life... truly blessed💪💥
Kenwood KR5030 with large Advents bought fromTweeter on Comm Ave in Boston in 1978. Akai cassette player and some DD turntable with a nice Grado Cartridge. Kick-ass college sound, Still remember hearing DSOTM and Days ofFuture Passed for the first time...things got even better when my roommate got a set of advents and we stacked....get well soon!
My first pair. AR 2ax. Then I had a pair of KLH bookshelf speakers. The L100T3 was a scaled down version of a 4 way L280Ti (or something like that). After that most of my speakers were DIY using parts from A&S speakers, Just Speakers, Madisound etc. I did get a own Heresey’s, Maggie MMGa, Polk SDA 1A, Snell Type J, small VMPS and used pair of 801F.
I had D-2's also. Have had D-9"s for 30 years now. Will never replace them. Play every genre' of music exceptionally.
I also have D9s amazing sound best speaker I've had
And can get loud enough to make your ears bleed.
My first encounter with quality audio was helping sound man at our church.
They had Altec speakers and amplifiers. The sound tech saw I was very interested and
asked if i would like to come hear his home system. When I went to his family home
He had Altec voice of the theater horn loaded speakers , Roberts cross x 10' reel to reel and
Mcintosh amp and tuner. After about an hour or so of listening I was hooked. That was 50 yrs ago. Still love quality sound even though 45 yrs of construction work my hearing has changed.
Man, you are one tough guy, Gene! Make sure you listen to your body.
Great video, Gene. I love your list. It made me reminisce on my audio journey from 3 sets of JBL's starting with the L112 Century II's which I still use in my office to my many, many, many RBH Sound speakers scattered throughout my home. I visited Shane, John and the crew at RBH HQ this week. Shane showed me YOUR old 8T speakers. Gorgeous! It was fun to the speakers in your videos and reviewed by you. Keep up the great work!
Something I never understood is why a lot of cabinet speakers makers (brands) made their models, NOT in symmetric pairs, concerning the drivers positions. Thanks for your video!
Enjoyed your journey. Had to let you know, in 1985 I bought the Real to Reel/Legacy Audio "Classic" delivered for $1,400? My previous stuff was Bose 901's/junk and Thiel 03A's and Walsh Ohm 4's so the Classic was a true monitor/accurate speaker that revealed my marginal equipment. I did have a Luxman L-110 which blew-up so I went to Kinnergetics and then to Adcom to get a better sound. I had the Classic's until a year ago and gave them away. The "leaf" tweeter was hard to replace once you blew them. Thanks,
Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane. Back when I couldn't afford a whole lot I got years of pleasure from Speakerlabs with the Nestorvic (?) woofer system. It was a 10" woofer and a 12" woofer that cut out at lowest frequencies to become a passive radiator. For reference, I am a bass player.
I'm a sucker for 70s "bookshelf" speakers - KLH Seventeen, Dynaco A30, etc. They're so simple yet so nice to listen to. Objectively maybe not that great but they have a charm that can't be replicated.
My dad had hidden away in a store room some, 'Rhino' speakers he loved. The were pretty much rotted away so I never heard them. But I started taking apart all the speakers in the house out of curiosity. I had some great (at the time) mini systems in my teen years, and heard some B&W 802s and just loved the midrange and clarity. I ended up deeper into car audio and had some amazing systems. I just got the Monitor Audio Bronze 6G 100s and the C150 as upgrades to my home theater. One day I hope to get something truly high end.
The speaker that influenced me the most, and still to this day is the original 'inline' JBL Century 100. (1974)
This speaker was the sound of rock and the reason it sounded so good is because it is essentially the same speaker as the JBL 4310 which was the defacto mix down studio monitor of the Classic Rock era. When I listen to Carly Simone's 'You're so Vain' the bass intro grunts-- an Ampeg SVT through 10x 8" speakers. The drums explode like cannons. For this era of rock the $650 JBL 100 blows away my $30,000. Magnepan/REL system.
I had all kinds of speakers too. Laugh if want but the cerwin vega t12s of the 70s still amazing today .if you can find a pair you'll understand
Hey Gene hope your feeling well , I saw the Lafayette 2002 on your video and it brought back some great memories. I worked at Lafayette in Sayville , we had a great sound room . Most of our receivers were made from Sansui. I sold a boat load of 2002 and 2001 speakers. Most of my sales came from music by Earth Wind and Fire , and Chuck Mangione. We also sold a pair of speakers that were made by ESS that incorporated the Heil tweeters . We paired that up to our version of the sansui 9090 . It was a great time to be in audio I was 16 years old and making instant commissions on needles up to cb radios to tubes for TVs .
A local record store in the early eighties had a pair of baby advent bookshelve I bought a pair. I then got a fisher rack system . My brother who was in the Air Force sent me a pioneer sx750 and a pair cs 63 speakers man those things sounded great.
For me it was always the Pioneer HPM series and now I have just about all of them and still enjoy them to this day.
Dynaudio DM 2/6, Mission 770, Acoustic Energy AE-1, Genelec 1030A, Yamaha NS 1000-M, Roksan Darius Mk 1, Spendor BC1, Klipsch La Scala, Martin Logan CLS-II, ATC SCM50, Totem Arro, KEF 105/2, KEF KM-1, Triangle Magellan, Stenheim 3, Genelec 1236A, Wilson Audio Grand Slamm X-1, Tannoy GRFM, Infinity IRS-V, Living Voice Vox Olympian.
Hope your feeling better . I had a set of Cerwin Vega regret selling them many years ago. The had a horn facing from the back. A 12 in woofer and tweeter .The covers were red at the top and black below two separate parts. Man they could put out thew sound . I think my amp was around 18 watts but that all you needed. I have never found a picture or any info on my model .
My cousin worked in HiFi in the late 70's/80's. I remember the music, and can't forget "Don't touch my receiver!!!" I recall it being a big Pioneer. I wish I knew what model.
My progression of “influential” speakers:
Jensen Model 17 (got them in 1974) - Cheap enough for a paperboy budget, and it made the hang tag vibrate, and the “brightness” knob to tinker with.
BIC Venturi Formula 2 (got them in 1978) - Loved the idea of the venturi accelerating the air, feel the wind out of the port. The cut-away demo had tufts of yarn lining the curved venturi that showed the acceleration.
DCM Time Window 1a (got them in 1983) - Loved the name, the flat line specs, the square wave reproduction, and the wide sound.
DCM Time Frame TF2000 (got them used 2003) - Full stop, I’m done. My deathbed speakers. They disappear for me. Love the sound stage musician placement front to back and across.
years back i got a pair of Pioneer DSS-9's from a garage sale for $20. First thing i noticed was they seemed heavy for there size which follows my simple audio collection advice i give everyone... "if it's heavier than it looks" then it's probably good. I got them home and hooked them up to my Adcom 555 and i was amazed. If you find a pair of these get them for sure but be warned the woofer is a graphite cone and very fragile, as far as i know there are no replacements that i know of.
Enjoyed the video. I currently have a pair of JBL LX-55s that are undergoing re-foaming on the woofers. I have always had an an appreciation for music and have always appreciated speakers that demonstrate good separation. I wish you a speedy recovery.
Gene, we're separated by a few generations in the HiFi world. My first good set up in the late 1960s was secondhand H. H. Scott 340 receiver running secondhand KLH 5 speakers, my entry into good equipment. My best ever set up was Conrad Johnson MOSFET Sonographe separates, a SC 1 preamp and a SA120 amp and a Carver TX-11 tuner with various turntable and tape sources during the 27 years I owned my Quaf 63 speakers paired with several good subwoofers. Quad 63's are still the midrange reference speakers for several high-end manufacturers and paired with an excellent subwoofer they will provide an ethereal sonic experience. They absolutely vanish and give the listener the capability of moving the instrument or instruments on stage closer or further away with the volume knob. Hearing fingernails classical guitar strings is special. I miss those speakers!
Got my first pair,Ohm L.
They were nice but fragile with vinyl.
Tweeters especially!.
Got some Cervin Vega.
R 30.
Great power handling, played loud and articulate.
Then a pair of Bose 10.2.!!!
Fantastic room filling, sound everywhere beautiful speakers.
Amps were, SAE. Onkyo A803.
Proton930. Accuian. Now it's Emotiva.
U got a sweet looking rig there.
DEEP PURPLE, HIGHWAY STAR.
My first system from the mid '80s consisted of a NAD 40 watt receiver, a Denon DCD-1500 cd player, & a pair of Boston Acoustic A100 Series II speakers. That cd player w/remote from back then cost about what the receiver & speakers did combined,...kinda crazy, but it all sounded great together to me. Of course, I was hard-sold the obligatory & early days Monster Cable to tie it together, which was icing on the cake for a Hi-Fi shop's profit. I have the system packed away in the back of a closet. I guess I should dig it out, & fire it up! I'm sure the woofer surrounds need replacing, though.
I remember 35 years ago that my local Hi-Fi shop seemed to always play punchy test music like Dave Grusin, Flim & the BB's, Mannheim Steamroller's Fresh Aire series, & great vocals from the The Nylons. The first cd I picked, back when they were a pricey newfangled thing, was Gaucho by Steely Dan. It sounded great & is still a fave!
I also have a pair of B&O S75 speakers collecting dust, along with a pair of GRADO (the headphones company) bookshelf-sized speakers from the early 60s. Those beautiful walnut speakers built by Joseph Grado himself, back when he was renowned for his turntables & wooden tonearms, are super rare & sound fantastic for their age & size. They're the only ones of the small version in existence that I know of.
Hang in there, & get well soon!
in 1970, I was an Airman 1st class in the USAF. i was poor then as I am now. I too went to Lafayette and purchased 2 Criterion 2 way bookshelf speakers w/ 8 in woofers & a Lafayette stereo 100 watt power amp. Couldn't afford the tuner. 2 yrs later, I got rid of Criterions for a pair of Marantz 6G 2 way speakers. Couldn't afford the Marantz 7's. Still own the 6G's. In 1976, I upgraded my Lafeyette to a Pioneer SX-838 stereo receiver. Later in the late 90's, I upgraded to a Yamaha Natural Sound RXV-995 & a KLH subwoofer. Still being poor, I own a pair of SVS Prime Bookshelf, a pair of SVS Prime Satellites, SVS Prime Center, Pioneer Elite VSX LX-503 AV Receiver and a HSU VTF-3 MK3 subwoofer. However, the best speakers I ever heard was the Wilson Watt Puppies with a Krell CD player. Waaaaaaaaaay out of my league!! Anyway, get well soon and God Bless You.
KLH 17 is what hooked me....now I've been through hundreds of speakers and amps. Klipsch CF-3 are now my goto speaker. in my 7.2 HT. JBL in my 2 channel listening and Bozak.
Outstanding video! I too started out with Lafayette speakers. First the 2001+ 10" 3 way them the 2002+ 4 way. Powered them with an H.H.
Scott 30 wpc receiver and a used Phillips turntable with Shure cartridge.
My dad owned a hifi shop in Oak Ridge in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s so I grew up in the audio business. Worked for him washing windows early on then worked at his store selling thru college. My high school years were 70-73 so I demonstrated AR-3s, KLH 17s, The full suite of Criterion 66, 77, 88s for low end. But my crown jewell that I loved to show off was the JBL L100’s at $273/ea. Sold a load of them and listened to them for hours at night while my dad did the books. I save up my bucks and Senior year bought my first full blown rig: JBL L65 Jubal Floor Speakers, Pioneer SX1010 100W RMS/Chan receiver, Pioneer PL12D TT, and a Sony TC-160 Cassette Deck. Not a bad setup for 17 years old. The L65s were a 1-up on the L100s and sounded terrific with tight, tight base and the classic bright JBL highs (that some didn’t like, but I loved). I had the envy ‘Fi of my MIT fraternity throughout the 70’s. Had the L65’s (with the blue grill and smoke glass tops) until my house was broken into and everything stolen in 1996 so 23 years with those speakers. After listening to EVERYTHING, i then picked up a pair of Snell Type Ds which I still have and love today (along with a classic Sunfire True Subwoofer). I recently picked up a pair of used JBL L100’s and a pair of new burnt orange foam grills. Refinished the cabinet and have them in my Man Cave. Classic 70’s rock still lives in my Cave!
1995 I was in high school, saved $150 and for my birthday my dad matched me. Went to Circuit City and purchased a pair of DCM KX-12, the 4ohm models. That's what really got me into hi-fi. Still have them to this day in the garage. They are powered by a Pioneer SX-850 just a simple setup.
For me, my list starts with the AR2ax. My father bought these speakers in 1965 (or around then) and they are still going strong in my mother’s house even after my father passed away in 2012. The only fix they needed was new woofers- which I replaced in 1995- and new screens. Other than that, they’re original and sound superb. Next would be your standard-issue Fisher floor speakers. Ridiculously loud and terribly flabby, these speakers served a purpose but sounded really terrible. I never owned a pair and back then all I knew was they looked impressive. Until I met the Shahinian Obelisk. I first heard these at my friend’s house in the late 80’s. We played them loud and they never complained or distorted. The sound was so clean and so precise that I coveted these speakers for nearly thirty years. I finally got my chance to buy a pair three years ago so I grabbed them. Such a distinctive sound. I have yet to find a speaker that compares in its precision and musical accuracy.
Back in 1978 while shopping for "better" speakers I found (and loved) the Ohm Acoustics model H, but I couldn't afford the $700+ price tag. I settled on the Ohm L systems and still use them today. Last year I acquired a restored (with Ohm drivers) sonically and cosmetically pair of Ohm H's. Got them for $275 the pair. A freakin' steal. Nice video, gettin' some of your audio history.
Good to see you doing alright. Best to you and your family.
Mine was going to my brother in laws house in the 1970's and listening to Boston's (the band) first album on his Boston Acoustics speakers and Teac real to real. Funny you mention Polk. The first car audio system that hooked me (early 80's) was a friend's 1968 Nova's aftermarket system (maybe 50 watts a channel) with a set of Polk Mini's sitting in the back window facing forward.
I stopped when I got my second set of Infinity RS IIIa's. Just didn't see much reason to go on from there except to empty my bank account. I use a EQ and can fix them for any room.
No love for the circa late 70's DCM Time Windows ?
They were my first, and I still have, and they are functioning.
Nowadays I'm on the upper tier Klipsch, it's all all I can afford for my 7.2 Atmos system .
Remember the old days, great video.