Need info on 1970's Cerwin Vega speakers

GGonzo

Member
My mother received my late Uncle's stereo system after he passed in April 1981, unfortunately our family dog chewed the speakers up to the point where they had to be disposed of. I will attach a picture I found on the internet that shows the exact speaker I'm seeking information on. My brother swears the sub-woofer was a 12" and I'm having a hard time finding a model type for it. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm trying to find a replacement pair for my mom as a gift as this is the 33 anniversary of his passing. If by some miracle anyone has any leads about these speakers for sale, I would be very interested in that info as well :) Thank you all in advance!
 

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My mother received my late Uncle's stereo system after he passed in April 1981, unfortunately our family dog chewed the speakers up to the point where they had to be disposed of. I will attach a picture I found on the internet that shows the exact speaker I'm seeking information on. My brother swears the sub-woofer was a 12" and I'm having a hard time finding a model type for it. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm trying to find a replacement pair for my mom as a gift as this is the 33 anniversary of his passing. If by some miracle anyone has any leads about these speakers for sale, I would be very interested in that info as well :) Thank you all in advance!

It's a Cerwin Vega HED U-12, had a pair in the late 70's for a couple of weeks, found they had a large hole in the mid-range, $400/pair. Huge amounts of bass, great rock speaker. Returned them for a pair of Acoustic Research AR-12's, $500/pair, much better sound, gave them to my brother many yrs ago. Saw a pair of HED U-103's on the bay, three way system with a 10" woofer, would probably have a more balanced sound than the HED U-12. Just noticed it's only one speaker, too bad as it's only $35 and looks pristine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-HED...pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item2c7eb6466c

Hope this helps.

Martin
 
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Thank you

I deeply appreciate your response and help, so my search is for the "U-12" Cerwin Vega...got it. I'm sure there are other C-V speakers with better quality sound. I've done a great deal of research on the brand and they do make some amazing speakers. My particular needs fall into the "sentimental value" criteria though...more so than quality :) I did find some U-10's on ebay, but unfortunately they are not willing to ship them at this time. Thank you again for your help and for the model information, I know they are out there...now to just find a pair :)
 
I deeply appreciate your response and help, so my search is for the "U-12" Cerwin Vega...got it. I'm sure there are other C-V speakers with better quality sound. I've done a great deal of research on the brand and they do make some amazing speakers. My particular needs fall into the "sentimental value" criteria though...more so than quality :) I did find some U-10's on ebay, but unfortunately they are not willing to ship them at this time. Thank you again for your help and for the model information, I know they are out there...now to just find a pair :)

If you find a pair of U-123's it will be the same speaker with a mid added.

320484-cerwin_vega_hed__u123_speakers.jpg
 
These look very close, free shipping but the price looks to high to me.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-198...1851&_trkparms=aid=222003&algo=SIC.FIT&ao=1&a


Better price, same speaker.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CERWIN-VEGA...pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3a8e976dbf


Even better price. These look so much like the one you pictured, could these actually be the ones you remember? If so I see lots of these D-2's offered.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-of-Cer...pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item1c3ee9943b
 
D Model

I had actually looked into these speakers as an option, we do have some pictures of his system with the speakers, I will post the picture I have but I warn you it is of LOW quality as it was sent as a text. I think it shows that it must be the U-10 or U-12 though due to the space between the bottom of the sub-woofer and the floor. Again, I apologize for the eye-crossing picture I'm about to upload :)
 

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Yes, that threw me off at first! My older youngest brother swears they were Cerwin Vega though with 12 inch sub-woofers. We don't know if my Uncle bought them used or stained them himself....but yep, the speakers are black.
 
GGonzo, welcome to AK :) Guys, putting all those eBay links in this thread will get it moved to the Dollars and Sense forum as sale links are not allowed in the Speakers forum. CV had black speakers along side their wood veneer ones, well vinyl veneer I think on the U series, but could be wrong. There were many sold so keep looking and I'm sure you will find a pair, or a close matching pair. Also, just getting the terms straight :) what your referring to as "Subwoofers" are actually called "Woofers". Not a big deal but someone may comment, so this will head them off ;).

Good luck in your search and what a great gift idea for your mom
 
IF/When you locate a set that fits your needs, be aware that the foam surrounds on those old CV speakers will need to be replaced.

They ALL get old and brittle and even if they seem OK, they will not last long with use.

Refoaming is not difficult but there is a little skill and courage involved.
 
Thanks! Sorry about all the links...everyone has been so amazingly helpful. I sent a few emails out to individuals selling the speakers and hopefully the universe can make something happen. Sure would be sweet timing, that's for sure :)
 
IF/When you locate a set that fits your needs, be aware that the foam surrounds on those old CV speakers will need to be replaced.

They ALL get old and brittle and even if they seem OK, they will not last long with use.

Refoaming is not difficult but there is a little skill and courage involved.

Ain't that the truth.

The urethane surrounds are lightweight and very flexible, but rarely last more than 10-15 years.

I have a pair of U-123s (bought in high school) which need refoaming. Just about any speaker of that vintage will, and you're better off doing it yourself than getting someone else's mistakes.

I called Cerwin last year about this and the tech said Cerwin gave up trying to compete with Chinese import surrounds and now referred everyone to Orange County Speaker (aka SpeakerRepair.com).

No connection, even as a customer. I haven't ordered mine yet so I can't give you a review.
 
According to some of their sales literature, some models came with butyl rubber surrounds, the HED series was one of these. Not sure where I read this, it was when researching replacement speakers for your mother. So if you are able to find a replacement pair of HED U-12's and this is the case then there's a good chance the woofer surrounds will be fine.
 
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According to some of their sales literature, some models came with butyl rubber surrounds, the HED series was one of these.

The HED U-123s have urethane.

In a moment of madness was thinking of making some with thin cloth and butylene or using pure butyl rubber.

Then I found some discussion here (some of which I've replicated here):
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=357269
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=112551

The short version is that: butyl surrounds are thicker and are not as flexible as urethane, may alter the speaker characteristics including dropping bass response, may suffer dry rot, and may harden over time. Lots of mays, but this may be a personal preference.

I read about the hardening problem with the Radio Shack Minimus line from the sixties, which, despite RS's current reputation, were widely reported to be very nice speakers when new but which (according to what I've read) end up losing a lot of the low-end sound reproduction over time as the surrounds harden.

Disclaimer: I have no idea what actually happens. The problem with research like this is I end up with more questions than answers, which is discouraging.

This is part of why I haven't rebuilt my U123s. (I'm not using them and won't be using them, since there's no place in my small apartment, so I'm more interested in conservation and ensuring the cones and voice coils won't be damaged if the speakers are moved.)
 
Awesome to know! Although I must admit, through the useful info shared by all of the majorly informed individuals in this forum I have been able to properly clean and restore my uncles Akai 1730D-SS Reel to Reel and his Technics SL-Q3 Turntable for my mom....I love learning new stuff!....so the thought of re-foaming a pair of speakers doesn't scare me too much at this point in my adventure ;) I just hope I can find a pair!
I'm now just trying to find a few pieces that were originally with the system...but are not now... Once I find them, my mission will be complete :)
Thanks again to every single one of you amazing people...for the help you're giving me now AND the helps you've given these past few months without even being aware of it :)~
 
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Finally found the CV H12 Speakers!

It took me close to a year of hunting and posting in "wanted" ads, but I finally have them, the Cerwin Vega H12's I needed to complete my restoration of my late Uncle's stereo system. I just wanted to ppost some pics, I still have to clean up and restore the cabinets...but that's no biggie. Thanks to everyone for your help and guidance in my search!
 

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