Saigo
Don't Fear the Reefer
Craigslist strikes again. A few days ago during my daily perusal, I noticed a posting for a pair "Cerwin Vega S-2" speakers, asking price $70. The seller claimed audiophile quality construction, audiophile quality sound--but I was skeptical. I'd always dismissed CV speakers as mass market crap. The one grainy photo the man posted didn't so much look like that, though, and what little info I could find on these things didn't sound so much like that, so when he dropped the price to $50 on Friday, I lost the fight and went to look.
What I found was this: Two VAST old school box speakers--seriously, the hugeness of these things makes my HPM-100's look like bookshelf speakers. The weight is also vast; I'm guessing it at around 80 lbs. each. One 15" cast frame woofer with signature red surround in cloth rather than foam, slot loaded via the rear baffle. One 6.5" stamped frame midrange, with rotted foam, set in a sort of open baffle via tube that goes all the way through the box (many apparently mistake this for a rear port). Two phenolic(?) tweeters, one in the front baffle, one in the back. Cabinets constructed of no **** furniture grade plywood on top, bottom and sides, veneer over particle board front and rear, all fully 1" thick. Fairly extensive internal bracing. Minor scuffing and the obligatory water rings on both. Rather simple crossover with separate attenuators for front and rear tweeters and midrange. Both grilles present, all mounting pegs intact, both nameplates present with minor scuffs on one, one small pinhole in the grille cloth.
The photos:
When I saw all of this, I had to get them. Despite the fact that vintage audio equipment is stacked in three rooms of my house (one of the virtues of living alone), I had to get them. I didn't even try to talk the guy down. They definitely have the audiophile construction, but the sound remains to be seen. I have to find a way to keep my hands off them until the surrounds arrive. Even then, I suspect that they will obliterate my little 14'x14' listening room.
Finally: Can anybody hook me up with specs for these things? I can't find much of anything on the web. In particular, I'd like to find out the crossover points.
What I found was this: Two VAST old school box speakers--seriously, the hugeness of these things makes my HPM-100's look like bookshelf speakers. The weight is also vast; I'm guessing it at around 80 lbs. each. One 15" cast frame woofer with signature red surround in cloth rather than foam, slot loaded via the rear baffle. One 6.5" stamped frame midrange, with rotted foam, set in a sort of open baffle via tube that goes all the way through the box (many apparently mistake this for a rear port). Two phenolic(?) tweeters, one in the front baffle, one in the back. Cabinets constructed of no **** furniture grade plywood on top, bottom and sides, veneer over particle board front and rear, all fully 1" thick. Fairly extensive internal bracing. Minor scuffing and the obligatory water rings on both. Rather simple crossover with separate attenuators for front and rear tweeters and midrange. Both grilles present, all mounting pegs intact, both nameplates present with minor scuffs on one, one small pinhole in the grille cloth.
The photos:
When I saw all of this, I had to get them. Despite the fact that vintage audio equipment is stacked in three rooms of my house (one of the virtues of living alone), I had to get them. I didn't even try to talk the guy down. They definitely have the audiophile construction, but the sound remains to be seen. I have to find a way to keep my hands off them until the surrounds arrive. Even then, I suspect that they will obliterate my little 14'x14' listening room.
Finally: Can anybody hook me up with specs for these things? I can't find much of anything on the web. In particular, I'd like to find out the crossover points.
