Cerwin Vega fans: D9 vs AT-15s?

MOEB74

Active Member
Ive narrowed my search down to these two units. I havent found much on them as of lately. I had seen some talk about how the you shouldnt spend much on them ( that was 4-5 years ago ) but it seems that the cost is back up on large speakers? No price talk here please, just wanted to talk specs and performance.

I listen to almost all music, so thats going to be hard choice maker for me. I may leave the Dynaco A25s for the lighter stuff and run the CVs for everything else I listen to.

With that being said, should I opt for one over the other ( D9s or the AT15s )

Thanks.
 
Can't go wrong with either but I've always felt that the AT-15 was a very slight reduction in quality compared to the D-9. The D-9 was produced for a very long time, and they kept making the D-9 even once they began making the AT-15. I had two pairs of D-9 speakers at one point, one from ~1984 and one from ~1991. One thing about the horn tweeter on the D-9 is that it can sound somewhat harsh. The tweeter on the AT-15 is less harsh than the D-9, though still on that end of the spectrum.

I would say if you are going to really push the volume and/or play lots of bass-heavy content, go for the D-9s. The AT-15 speakers might be slightly more pleasant overall but won't quite match the D-9 in party performance.
 
I have never heard them side-by-side, so I don't have much to offer there. But, I always liked the look of ribbed cone on the AT-15, lol!
 
I've had AT-15s about 30 years and I listen to a lot of music on them.
Plenty of people have bashed Cerwins for jazz and classical but the few jazz and classical pieces I've listened to through them sound great. Along with folk, pop, blues, rap, new wave, multiple kinds of rock, techno, club, country, hip hop, j-pop, Latin, new age, old soul, funk, big band, broadway musicals, vocal, Celtic, and even the occasional polka.
So types of music Cerwin Vega's are good for - All.

Click here to see a small selection of stuff I love through my ATs. A host of genres from the 50's-now.

My D5s I've had for a few weeks and I'm running them with my original Technics SA-R530 that I bought with the ATs. While I can't say I'm displeased with them, I'm glad I've had the ATs all this time. The D tweeter seems too clinical, like it's a scientific instrument. Here are your highs, do you observe this shimmer here? This sparkle here? Are you paying attention?
The ATs domes are more like they know you're there for a good time, so they want you to lean back and relax, cause they're highs, and it's all good.
 
DX9 are worth checking out too. Slightly upgraded woofer with a vented voice coil, and a seperately enclosed midrange unit compared to AT-15. Not sure if they are as common as the other two .
 
I have seen several sets of the DX9 locally. But didnt see them mentioned much on here so I just passed them by... I found a pair of D9s Im picking up this weekend. Thankfully the seller is going to hold them for me.
 
I have a set of D9's and I love the sound. I can attest to the clinical horn tweeter though, at sane volume levels its not an issue, i find it revealing, like a B&W metal tweet. When I put the wattage to them though (200WPC)I usually attenuate the highs 2.5db, or they can get a bit too foward. Listening off axis with a well treated room though is enough for me to tame it.

Best of all though, they are alot of fun.
 
D9 or At 15 or DX9 or RE38 or my favorite the 380SE are all excellent vintage Cerwin Vegas I've had the D9 & AT15 & 380SE all side by side doing A to B back to back comparisons and it's splitting hairs but my overall winner was the 380se because the vocals and mid-range or just slightly more pleasing ...... All three rock out phenomenally but if you like jazz or classical music my ears believe the 380se to be the winner, and regarding the sound of the at15 tweeter it definitely is less harsh and more smooth but when you attenuate and adjust the L-PADS on the D9 and 380se to the lowest setting or about the 9 o'clock position there was balance.... The L-PAD adjustment was turned up to about the 2 o'clock position with the at15 ..... So in all reality it's so close between those series the re 38 uses the same tweeter as the AT15 and if you can find them in Black they are a nice looking speaker.... Find near mint condition any one of those series and you will be very very happy just don't pass up near mint condition set.... I just recently paid $300 for a mint condition set of 380se and I am extremely happy because I had a brand new set in 1990 that I had sold that same year and regretted it ever since I paid $900 brand new back then and $300 today.....You will not purchase this caliber of a speaker today for less than $2000.00 that is made in America, and expect to pay $1,500 for the xls-215 or XLS series with one woofer is $1,000 and made in China....
 
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IMG_20170904_154950991_HDR.jpg the day I brought these home I did some back-to-back comparisons again all these years later and I still feel the same way since I did back-to-back comparisons all those years ago... the AT15'S are no longer part of my life so I couldn't do a recent comparison but I'm going on my past experience when I had them.... If I ever find another set of AT15 in mint condition for the right price and I had the money I would acquire them again... But only if they were black!... I do not like the dark fake wood color of the AT15....
 
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I love using 15 inch woofers all around for my surround sound systems of which I have 2.... There is no replacement for displacement, and all my black pairs are used in my dedicated home theater and my wood grain ones are used in the living room
 
I will just post what I could compare.
AT-15's lost to VS-150's. AT cabinet was better built, drivers better sounding in newer Cerwins. Not that close. Wife also picked VS in closed eye test.
RE-38's and VS-150's, both held their own. Have not tried the Chinese Cerwins....... Don't plan too unless cheap
Your ears may vary! Hope this helps.
 
And I was disappointed when the VS series beat the AT series. So much hype, and the twin mids/older horn did not come through as clean
as the VS. I did want the AT's to win.
I listen to rock/alternative rock. Vocals are clear on the VS series.
 
I had similar experience with AT-15. Wanted them to sound better, but I preferred the midrange of the DX9 in comparison.
 
I have the D9s and DX9s and I am a big fan of the dual mids. But the DX9s sound great too! Here in the NW when they are on craigslist I see them go for $200 and thats what I paid for mine! Keep in mind they are rated @4ohms so you need a good amp to make the shingles on the roof dance! I wouldnt trust running them on a receiver even if rated to do so-they really need a good amp. When I first got the DX9s I had my Pioneer SX-1010 mated up to them and they sounded really good but the receiver got a little warm for my comfort. Now have several amps to bring the best out of them like the Sunfire 300x2 and Soundcraftmen MA5002A Everyone has their favorite when it comes to CV I can only base my opinion in what I have but one thing is certain is mating your system with the right components and thats for another thread...
 
I was told a few times that the SX-1050 would work fine for those speakers. I noticed some say that the D-9s are rated for 4 ohms but the speakers themselves say 4-8 ohms.
 
I was told a few times that the SX-1050 would work fine for those speakers. I noticed some say that the D-9s are rated for 4 ohms but the speakers themselves say 4-8 ohms.
Of the 5 different Receivers I've been using since 1986.... Sansui QR6500, Technics SA500, Kenwood KR-V95-R, Sony STR-DA2000ES and a Pioneer Elite...... I've always run them to their full output RMS for 65% of the time I listened to them for music and 100% of the time watching movies with the 2 surround sound receivers..... NEVER a problem with any of them....
Only the Sony runs cool... All the other Receivers can get warm..... but All have perfect ventilation
 
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