Criterion speakers?

Apolek

Apolek

Well-Known Member
Need a pair of bookshelf speakers for the gym (small room about 10'x15'x7') and decided to take a chance on these Citerion 100B speakers I got on CL for $25. Pretty good shape and 100% functional and they sound really good paired to my Sony STR-6055. Can't seem to find much info on these. Anyone have any experience/suggestions with this model?20161118_193001[1].jpeg
 
Lafayette, indeed...vintage 1971 and onward. 10" 3 way, original price $100/pr, 5 lb woofer magnets (not bad!), 3-1/2" mid, 1-1/2" tweeter. Ported design, rated 40 watts IPM.

Cheers,
Larry B.
 
Certainly not 5 lbs of magnet material unless you include all the plain iron used as well. Very few speakers used a magnet that alone weighed that much.
 
At that age, crossover caps are shot. Despite the fact that they sound okay, they can sound better with new caps - cheap and easy to do. Partsexpress, Mouser, Digikey... If they are indeed vented, make sure that the batting on the back panel is in place and if you are ambitious you can replace it with better modern materials. If they are closed boxes, stuffing with Acuostistuff (Parts Express) serves to make the woofers think they are in larger boxes.

I have a pair of Criterion 50A. They and your Criterion are indeed Lafayette. There was however, an independent brand by the same name which was a bit more ambitious in their designs.
 
g..v said:
Certainly not 5 lbs of magnet material unless you include all the plain iron used as well. Very few speakers used a magnet that alone weighed that much.
Click to expand...

I hear you, but that's what it says in the listing: "Powerful 10" woofer with 5-1/2 lb. magnet structure and 2" diameter voice coil." Perhaps the key is in the word "structure".:dunno:

Cheers,
Larry B.
 
I don't remember which pair of Criterions I have in storage. But they're one of the better ones and I was mightily impressed with them for what they are. I recapped them with Erse electrolytics, got them all taken care of. I still have them and plan on keeping them for a while. The bass is large and deep, detailed enough. The highs and mids do quite well and I don't have much to complain about. Sure, they look like a sonic mess. But they're not. If I saw a free or 20 dollar pair, I'd not hesitate to grab 'em.

Criterion002.jpg


Biggles
 
Back then the Criterions made by Lafayette were a great bargain. For us poor High School/ College kids, it was a great choice. I got my Criterion 25As in 10th grade and they stayed with me until I got my first decent pair of speakers; paid for by my first full time job. I still have those Altec Lansing Series II Model 3s. Your Criterions will suit your needs until another TS bargain shows up. That is the fun of shopping for vintage.
 
terpodion said:
At that age, crossover caps are shot. Despite the fact that they sound okay, they can sound better with new caps - cheap and easy to do. Partsexpress, Mouser, Digikey... If they are indeed vented, make sure that the batting on the back panel is in place and if you are ambitious you can replace it with better modern materials. If they are closed boxes, stuffing with Acuostistuff (Parts Express) serves to make the woofers think they are in larger boxes.

I have a pair of Criterion 50A. They and your Criterion are indeed Lafayette. There was however, an independent brand by the same name which was a bit more ambitious in their designs.
Click to expand...


Spent a little more time with them and can say the mids are a bit on the weak side, so a recap is definitely in order (an easy job... two 4.7's and a 2.2). Opening them up reveals that the batting could use an upgrade, too.
20161120_134046[1].jpeg
 
1tumbleweed said:
I hear you, but that's what it says in the listing: "Powerful 10" woofer with 5-1/2 lb. magnet structure and 2" diameter voice coil." Perhaps the key is in the word "structure"
Click to expand...

Structure is the key word. Looking at that photo gives all the information needed. You could actually determine the weight of the magnet by measuring the size of the slug and calculating it, then finding the weight of alnico per cubic inch. Might not be 100% exact, but it will be more accurate than just saying structure.
 
Ugh, fighting the urge to upgrade. Ordered audio grade caps and sound dampening foam, but looking at the cheesy 3.5" driver, I can't help but wonder what these would sound like with a better pair. At best, these speakers are worth $75... maybe, and they're going in a room with mediocre acoustics and attached to a so-so receiver. Still, hard... to... fight... urge...
 
Oh poo. What else do we have to do with our time and money? We've blown a lot more on a lot less. If you're having fun and enjoying the adventure, I say go for it. Getting new caps in there will make a world of difference and make the speakers usable again. I wouldn't suggest buying expensive, or near expensive caps. These old drivers won't make use of them. The extra expense will not return your value in sonic results. Erse poly or even electrolytic caps will do great, or Bennic.

Biggles
 
drbiggles said:
Oh poo. What else do we have to do with our time and money? We've blown a lot more on a lot less. If you're having fun and enjoying the adventure, I say go for it. Getting new caps in there will make a world of difference and make the speakers usable again. I wouldn't suggest buying expensive, or near expensive caps. These old drivers won't make use of them. The extra expense will not return your value in sonic results. Erse poly or even electrolytic caps will do great, or Bennic.

Biggles
Click to expand...


I went with the Dayton 5% polypropylene caps. I used those when I recapped my KLH 5's and was pleased with the results. If anything, restoring these is good practice. If I bollocks this up, I won't feel too bad.
 
Well, YEAH. Dayton poly caps are a great way to go. They're not too terribly expensive and are solid performers. I used the 5% in my Bozak N10102 crossovers, 4 pairs I believe. I tried the 1% caps, but their value and ESR were nearly identical to the 5%, so why bother. In my vintage DIY Bozak B302A's crossovers I used the 5% along with Audyn by-pass caps, .1uF and a .01uF on each 5% Dayton.

The thing is, these Criterions aren't going to make use of the Dayton's higher quality. You could put in Erse or Bennic poly and A/B them with the Dayton's. You won't hear the difference. Next time you're going to do a recap, go have a look at the cost savings between the brands. Even do the cost using Erse electrolytics, it's mind blowing the amount of money you can save.

Biggles
 
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