Best Vintage Speaker Kickoff!

This is my first post here. I've only just got back into hi-fi (well, mid-fi) audio in the last year. I have an older pair of Celestion DL8s that sound very good for their size and cost, but my freshly re-foamed Kef 107s sound pretty amazing in my system. I'm driving them with some very basic gear: an Adcom GFA 555ii, and a YS-Audio Symphonies pre (with some great tubes), and they throw a nice wide, deep and high sound stage, with good detail in the instruments. They do rock, jazz or classical equally well. So I guess Id have to agree with the anything 'Brit' at this stage in my experience.
But, I'd love hear some other vintage speakers sometime for comparison.

Dave
Welcome to AK!!!
I'm sure there are many here who will gladly advise you on any questions/thoughts you may have.
 
Thanks for the welcome. It's kinda funny that there's probably a lot of equipment now, like my Celestion DL8s that weren't really vintage when this thread began, but they are now!
And I'll definitely have some questions for some of the other threads. There's a lot of differing info out there on many topics.

Dave
 
Thanks for the welcome. It's kinda funny that there's probably a lot of equipment now, like my Celestion DL8s that weren't really vintage when this thread began, but they are now!
And I'll definitely have some questions for some of the other threads. There's a lot of differing info out there on many topics.

Dave
There is a Thread called Introductions, on the home page. You should check it out and let everyone know you have arrived.

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Thanks guys. And sorry it took so long to reply, I've had a couple of busy days.
Blue Shadow - I'm in Toronto, but next time I'm down your way I'll drop you a line and see if yer available. Btw, are you a super-hero? Cause I think I've heard of you. :)
I'll go to Introductions now and introduce myself and say where I am.

Cheers,
Dave.
 
Blue Shadow - Btw, are you a super-hero? Cause I think I've heard of you. :)

Cheers,
Dave.

I truly believe I'm more in line with my screen name initials than a super-hero. Ask many on ak or other boards I use that moniker and ... But no one seems to use my initials much, too bad, really.
 
BS - now I see the point. I just thought your, 'I gotta get me a new title' quote was humorous.
And your Dave Voorhis quote is spot on.
 
I did that title when I was subscribed and after I expired I couldn't change it. I do change the pic occasionally. The quote is fairly new and completely avoids any arguments and keeps those that can't or won't accept that expensive stuff might actually provide a step up from requiring test results or triple blind test results. Folks can prefer whatever they want. Not everyone needs to agree.
 
I've played around with some vintage stuff for a while now , and even though some people like too bag them the mach ones liquid cooled are huge bang for your buck you just have too remember to put plenty of power through them or they sound slightly off and room space has a big effect and configuration e.g. , on the floor , on stands , on there sides etc also makes a huge difference , I've got a pair and I put 370 w through each via a dj power amp and they loved it and brilliant sound big bass
 
Marantz Imperial 9's were once considered to be top flight speakers, early to mid 70's, how do they hold up overall?
 
Marantz Imperial 9's were once considered to be top flight speakers, early to mid 70's, how do they hold up overall?
Regardless, I'd still smack someone in the mouth to own a pair. My Imperial 6's lit the fire in me to climb the chain, such a wonderful 2 way. Sadly, I'm out of rooms for stereos, and they sit, unused.
 
So much good read here, just makes me wish there was a way to hear all of the great speakers mentioned. I have to say the Infinity RS 2.5 is one of the best speakers to make music for me. If you get a good match with components they are very capable.

I should also give good mention for the RS 4.5, while I’m still experimenting with them when things are right they are breathtaking !
 
I've played around with some vintage stuff for a while now , and even though some people like too bag them the mach ones liquid cooled are huge bang for your buck you just have too remember to put plenty of power through them or they sound slightly off and room space has a big effect and configuration e.g. , on the floor , on stands , on there sides etc also makes a huge difference , I've got a pair and I put 370 w through each via a dj power amp and they loved it and brilliant sound big bass

Welcome to the AK community!
 
Quite the list here.
I googled and read about almost every speaker listed.
I have the DQ-8's, and they're just ok to me. They might just be the cat's meow for pure classical, but that's not my thing. They're so relaxed.
I'm awfully intrigued by the DQ-10's. I'd like to hear a pair. I swear though, without the front's, they have to be the most butt ugly franken speakers on the planet.
I see them, and just have to wonder what they were thinking.
It's like they just put a bunch of stuff together, and made a good sounding prototype, and forgot to finish the project.
I can't help but wonder what would happen if one were to build a large cabinet and encase the whole mess?
Then again, I just saw some on ebay that were in a decent cabinet. makes me wonder what the other one I saw were all about?
 
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Hmm... Interesting... I have a new lust... Been a while.

In the Stereophile review, they use a lot of terms to describe the Churchill that totally apply to the W90. "Intimate" is a good one in particular. Nothing like a huge speaker that still demonstrates a sense of intimacy. Sounds like my kind of speaker.

And based on my experience and the experiences of other owners, the Wharfedale W90 belongs on this list. Easily one of the best when it comes to that all-important midrange. I have spoken to W90 owners who have also owned some truly-legendary speakers (so many that I'm afraid to mention them here) that they say just do not measure up in the middle, no matter the extension at either end. The W90's only get down to about 39hz as far as clean bass goes, but they still sound deep.

Timbre is as good as it gets. The tone, the texture, etc. It's all there in spades. Guitars are spooky-real (Classic-rock guitars will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, I kid you not). Same goes for orchestral instruments and especially the larger horn instruments like the tenor and baritone saxes and trombones. Gives me chills. And all of those old-school electronic instruments like the Hammond B3 organ/Lesle rotating speaker, the Mellotron, the Rhodes electric piano, old-school analog synths, etc. sound INCREDIBLY-real (The Mellotron is a delight through W90's, even on a fairly-modern album like Fiona Apple's "Tidal"... And as far as the Hammond B3 and classic-rock guitars are concerned, Santana's debut is a particular highpoint... That band is right there in the room, jamming their asses off and not gettin' paid a dime for it).
Where have you been?
 
Yeah....they had a serious "OMG Factor" (capable of going down to an honest 17 Hz), when listening to recordings such as the first Emerson, Lake, and Palmer album. During the "Clotho" segment of "The Three Fates", Emerson was playing the Royal Festival Hall Organ, and the SPLs that could be achieved were mind-boggling.
I will be checking this out later today..


We'll see how my OHM's do with these low notes on organ.
 
I'm awfully intrigued by the DQ-10's. I'd like to hear a pair. I swear though, without the front's, they have to be the most butt ugly franken speakers on the planet.
I see them, and just have to wonder what they were thinking.
It's like they just put a bunch of stuff together, and made a good sounding prototype, and forgot to finish the project.
I like the way the ingredients used seem to be quality and the build (mine are early with nuts and bolts, not rivets) can be undone and redone. There are reasons for the homemade look. the size of each baffle board for the drivers was chosen to provide the least interference for the boards. With the desire to have them look a bit like the Quad ESL, I see why they stopped where they did and designed grilles as they did. And with that they needed to have something hold the metal of the grille in place without it rattling and they used a chunk of foam for that, making the speaker sans grilles look even more unfinished. But as you listen to the sound, you realize they work just fine.

I need to post a pic of the right speaker in the rig. I like the way the light comes through the speaker with the grille on, you can see all this interesting 'butt ugly frankenspeaker' covered by the grille and letting the listener know that some serious design work was done to make them work right.

My speaker for the unfinished crown is the AR-3 and some of the others. There is a reason the glued that grille on so owners would not be able to see inside. What an unfinished/partially finished mess. Whatever both the DQ and 3a speakers sound very nice.

Attached are a pic of all the parts mounted to the woofer box except the crossovers and all those damn wires going everywhere from one pair of DQ-10s and a pic of one with the grille off. Kit speaker it sure could have been.
 

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I like the way the ingredients used seem to be quality and the build (mine are early with nuts and bolts, not rivets) can be undone and redone. There are reasons for the homemade look. the size of each baffle board for the drivers was chosen to provide the least interference for the boards. With the desire to have them look a bit like the Quad ESL, I see why they stopped where they did and designed grilles as they did. And with that they needed to have something hold the metal of the grille in place without it rattling and they used a chunk of foam for that, making the speaker sans grilles look even more unfinished. But as you listen to the sound, you realize they work just fine.

I need to post a pic of the right speaker in the rig. I like the way the light comes through the speaker with the grille on, you can see all this interesting 'butt ugly frankenspeaker' covered by the grille and letting the listener know that some serious design work was done to make them work right.

My speaker for the unfinished crown is the AR-3 and some of the others. There is a reason the glued that grille on so owners would not be able to see inside. What an unfinished/partially finished mess. Whatever both the DQ and 3a speakers sound very nice.

Attached are a pic of all the parts mounted to the woofer box except the crossovers and all those damn wires going everywhere from one pair of DQ-10s and a pic of one with the grille off. Kit speaker it sure could have been.
This presentation looks much better to me. I could live with this.


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