MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
Swung by the local Goodwill on my lunch hour to look through their used vinyl section. Didn't find anything that appealed to me. Lots of like new 1980s Country and Western. Not my cup of tea.
So, I swung back through the furniture/electronics section where I found the most usual pair of vintage speakers - a pair of Bertagni BES (Bertagni Electroacoustic Systems) SM-275 speakers:
I hooked them up to a crappy BPC A/V receiver and a Sony DVD player and verified that they were functional and decided to take them home and give them a real listen.
Many here are familiar with the Bertagni speakers. Some seem to love them. Some definitely hate them. They are certainly unique. I didn't pay a lot for them, but on the high side for a thrift store find. I have 14 days to decide if I want to keep them or return them for a store credit.
Initial VERY brief (like 15 minutes) Impressions: Well, they certainly look cool and are VERY well built. They are very heavy given how thin they are. Those pedestals are solid oak, not veneer over particle board. I haven't check if the side pieces are also solid oak, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are.
They don't like bass. I've read others say they are very weak in the bass, need to be paired with a good subwoofer, etc. So, I was prepared for them to be bass shy, but I also learned that not only do they not put out a lot of bass, they don't like being force fed. That's a little 14WPC Sherwood S-7100A receiver that I usually run with a pair of JBL 4301B Control Monitors, or their fraternal twins the L19As. With small bookshelf speakers, at low to moderate listening levels, the loudness control on the Sherwood helps fill out the bottom end. On the Bertagni's, even at low volumes, flipping the loudness control on just resulted in some really awful, boomy sounding bass.
So, turn off the loudness control and just accept the lack of bass (or add a sub). I will say that in spite of what I assume is less than ideal placement, these things do image very well, and I suppose that's the whole point/appeal. The image has very substantial depth and breadth. Fans of the Bertagni's say they work well with jazz and some classical music. Not really my thing, more of a classic/alternative rock guy myself, but I could see that working. I can confirm that these aren't "rockers". My little JBLs (and bigger JBLs and Rectilinear III Highboys) eat them alive when it comes to bass impact.
I also don't think I have the space to do them justice. Maybe in the master bedroom, but I'm already running a pair of KEF 104/2 Reference Series there that I love in that space/application.
However, I know someone who has a teenage daughter that's into jazz and 1960s - 70s R&B. I have offered to help her assemble a decent system on a limited budget and am wondering if these might fit the bill - if they have the space for them. Since they are a Goodwill find, the cost is less than even a pair of bargain basement new bookshelf speakers (which will also lack deep bass and won't look NEARLY as cool).
In any case, I have a small amount of Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin in my collection. I'll give them some extended listening time and see what I think. If I don't want them and can't find a home for them, I always have the option of returning them.
Here's a few links I uncovered:
NY Times article from 1982
Blog post titled: The '70s Plastic Planar Phenomenon - BERTAGNI SM-275 RESTORATION
And, from right here on AK: The misunderstood Bertagni Speakers
So, I swung back through the furniture/electronics section where I found the most usual pair of vintage speakers - a pair of Bertagni BES (Bertagni Electroacoustic Systems) SM-275 speakers:
I hooked them up to a crappy BPC A/V receiver and a Sony DVD player and verified that they were functional and decided to take them home and give them a real listen.
Many here are familiar with the Bertagni speakers. Some seem to love them. Some definitely hate them. They are certainly unique. I didn't pay a lot for them, but on the high side for a thrift store find. I have 14 days to decide if I want to keep them or return them for a store credit.
Initial VERY brief (like 15 minutes) Impressions: Well, they certainly look cool and are VERY well built. They are very heavy given how thin they are. Those pedestals are solid oak, not veneer over particle board. I haven't check if the side pieces are also solid oak, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are.
They don't like bass. I've read others say they are very weak in the bass, need to be paired with a good subwoofer, etc. So, I was prepared for them to be bass shy, but I also learned that not only do they not put out a lot of bass, they don't like being force fed. That's a little 14WPC Sherwood S-7100A receiver that I usually run with a pair of JBL 4301B Control Monitors, or their fraternal twins the L19As. With small bookshelf speakers, at low to moderate listening levels, the loudness control on the Sherwood helps fill out the bottom end. On the Bertagni's, even at low volumes, flipping the loudness control on just resulted in some really awful, boomy sounding bass.
So, turn off the loudness control and just accept the lack of bass (or add a sub). I will say that in spite of what I assume is less than ideal placement, these things do image very well, and I suppose that's the whole point/appeal. The image has very substantial depth and breadth. Fans of the Bertagni's say they work well with jazz and some classical music. Not really my thing, more of a classic/alternative rock guy myself, but I could see that working. I can confirm that these aren't "rockers". My little JBLs (and bigger JBLs and Rectilinear III Highboys) eat them alive when it comes to bass impact.
I also don't think I have the space to do them justice. Maybe in the master bedroom, but I'm already running a pair of KEF 104/2 Reference Series there that I love in that space/application.
However, I know someone who has a teenage daughter that's into jazz and 1960s - 70s R&B. I have offered to help her assemble a decent system on a limited budget and am wondering if these might fit the bill - if they have the space for them. Since they are a Goodwill find, the cost is less than even a pair of bargain basement new bookshelf speakers (which will also lack deep bass and won't look NEARLY as cool).
In any case, I have a small amount of Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin in my collection. I'll give them some extended listening time and see what I think. If I don't want them and can't find a home for them, I always have the option of returning them.
Here's a few links I uncovered:
NY Times article from 1982
Blog post titled: The '70s Plastic Planar Phenomenon - BERTAGNI SM-275 RESTORATION
And, from right here on AK: The misunderstood Bertagni Speakers