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Cambridge Soundworks Model Six

RamblinE

RamblinE

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I can't believe I haven't seen any reference to these speakers until going on a Google spree last night :sigh:

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http://store.cambridgesoundworks.com/dp/B0034ZZ5W6

I'm just surprised because it seems as if KLH, Advent and Henry Kloss in general are held in such high regard around here.

I love the spartan utility rectangle shaped cabinets with the cloth grills (I have Advents, ARs and Utahs to prove the point :D ) I think a simple two way is a thing of beauty. The most appealing thing about speakers like this is the function over form as well as design principals that are far older than I am which are still used today.

Yet one of these beautiful relics is still being manufactured and isn't even that expensive ($149-200) and this is the first I've heard about it?! Just surprised that's all.

I want to know more about these speakers. The idea that I can buy something like an old AR or KLH and yet still have a warranty, or the chance to return it if I don't like it is tremendously appealing. Not to mention the fact that I won't need to refoam or recap a thing for at least fifteen years.

Lets talk, the good, the bad and the ugly :)
 
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They look like quite the bargain. Not too much more than what I just put into a pair of EPI 100's to refurbish them.
 
Every once in a blue moon on the CSW web-site, they would blow out their Model Six speakers for $99 with FREE shipping!!

Stock....they are quite good for the money!
They used to have a 10 year warranty, but I think it's a 5 year warranty now?
There is a Xover mod for them on the internet, that really improves their overall performance.
However, that would void their warranty, unless you picked up a pair of used CSW Model Six speakers on-the-cheap.

Steve
 
There have been the occasional CSW thread on several of their product line here in AK, the Ensemble series (which I own the series I), the Tower and the Model 6. Do a search and you should be able to dig up several threads.

The Tower I is on my list of speakers to own. The Ensemble set I bought new from CSW in 1989 and still have them. CSW definitely flies under the radar for the most part.
 
I considered getting a pair of these but instead settled on the BIC DV62si bookshelves. I chose the BICs because a) cheaper at $110 a pair and b) smaller boxes with only a 6 inch woofer. I never heard the Model 6's so I have not been able to compare them with the BICs. They may sound better. The 8 inch woofer may provide better mid bass. That may be a moot point now that I modified my BICs and enhanced the mid bass on them.

My main problem is the way I have my speakers mounted. Larger boxes simply don't work for me.

Edit to add I have 4 sets of CSW powered 2.1 so I know these 6's should sound good.
 
The only search results I came up with here on AK of any substance was that a certain moderator has a pair that were heavily modified in his main system.

I really like the idea that these are easily modifiable and that it's been documented. I could even see in my minds eye a dome tweeter fitting into the baffle. :scratch2:

I am seriously considering the idea of selling my Acoustic Research AR7's and (if the ARs don't get me enough) my Advent/3's to buy myself a pair of these puppies. :scratch2:
 
I had a pair, because I wanted to try them. I am a big fan of the old Kloss KLH speakers, and these are not really in the same league. That is not to say they are bad speakers; in fact they are decent for the money (especially on sale) but I would rather have AR7's, or several other possible options. I would not buy them again except to gift a decent system to someone without one. That is what I did with mine. I gave the Model 6's and a early eighties Marantz receiver and a Marantz CD changer to a friend and his girlfriend as a house warming gift.They absolutely love it. The six's could not make my rotation however.
 
I saw these on the CSW website but already had a good set of speakers and didn't need another. Henry Kloss sold the company to Creative Labs so I wonder how much time he really spent dealing with them. They don't look like "real" Model 6's to me.

One positive thing. Before the 80's even entry level speakers had an eight inch woofer. Now they are all 4, 5, and 6" expecting a subwoofer boost.
 
Buy these speakers!!

Even at $150 they are a steal. I don't think much has changed with this model over the last 10 or 20 years. They are my favorite budget priced speaker and actually sound very, very, good. They have a low x-over point and the cabinet is rock solid.

I think they pair especially well with vintage receivers, integrateds etc. I will never sell mine.
 
Kloss designed the Sixes when CSW was still independent; one of his last designs.
Everyone should have a pair :-) I bought a pair when on sale for $99 and built new XOs per the aX article (see the links in my earlier post). My daughter & son-in-law have those now (I bought them for her when she went to college - 2002).

I picked up another pair at a charity fleamarket this past spring.

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If I recall correctly, this is the last pair of speakers that Henry Kloss designed. Supposedly he modeled them after the KLH-6 which were his most famous speakers. They should sound good indeed.
 
gearhound said:
Stock....they are quite good for the money!
Click to expand...

Agreed- very good indeed! I found a pair at the thrift store. After looking at the drivers I didn't expect much. Made it all the more fun to hear how great they sounded! Just a very fine speaker.

I sold mine to a guy who was putting a system together for his mother. I think I ended up selling him a receiver too- all for about what I had in it. I remember feeling good about the whole deal. But I'll tell you, I could listen to a pair of those all day long. Nice speakers.
 
The Tower I, II and III speakers were among his last speaker designs. The Model 6 came earlier, Stereo Review tested the 6 in 1993 and Tower reviews came 3-4 years later.
 
I like the sound of all of this feedback.

I'm really on the fence about selling my AR7's for these however I rotate the AR's out a lot because I find them a little dull in both highs and lows compared to other stuff I have. The Advent/3's actually sound the best, until you put just tiny bit too much power into them and the woofer bottoms out.

The only pair of speakers I have that are off limits are my Monitor Audios and I really like them paired with my T-amp.

I'm thinking that the 6's would just be a good beginner speaker to start with. Everything else I've got has just been somebody elses scraps really.

I really want to settle down with a pair of budget speakers that could last me awhile. Could these really be the ones? Are there better out there at a similar price point?
 
RamblinE said:
Are there better out there at a similar price point?
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I really doubt it if you're talking new. Used? Sure, you could do better. I've seen Genesis speakers go for stoopid low money. I sold a cosmetically challenged pair of Boston A 150s on ebay for $10. Ouch. Those things sound incredible. But new? Those Sixes are going to hold their own against anything reasonably priced and show up more than a few speakers that cost a good bit more.
 
typesix said:
The Tower I, II and III speakers were among his last speaker designs. The Model 6 came earlier, Stereo Review tested the 6 in 1993 and Tower reviews came 3-4 years later.
Click to expand...

:yes:

The Six is a solid speaker all around. They sound great, image well and aren't terribly power hungry. They're not bass heavy either, so some folks like to add a small sub to give them a kick in the bASS. I gave my parents a set when they first came out. ( the gray grill version) - they still sound nice.

Personally, I'd buy them second hand, and dig into them if they needed a refoam/recap or anything, and hopefully save some coin that way.

At the risk of sounded repetitive ( I've posted the same comments on these a few times in other threads). I'm still a huge fan of the lesser known CSW "AMBIANCE" speaker. and the original 4 piece Ensemble ( laminate cabinet version) as well. - I've noted in other posts that the Ensemble paired with a 2 NAD 2200PE power amps
(bridged mono) is a completely different experience than using them with a typical Sony receiver (which is most often what they were sold with).

The ORIGINAL CSW line ( manufactured at 150 California Street NEWTON MA. and later the Higland Ave factory) are the only ones I recommend. I stay clear of the later versions that were made offshore. The Tower series ( also by Kloss, is solid as well as the Newton line which was designed by a different engineer are favorites too. , M60, M80 MC300 / MC500 and a few others).

Published reviews on these speakers are a mixed bag, mostly because CSW wasn't a traditional manufacturer. MAIL ORDER? NO DEALERS? NO SPECS? - My gut is that reviewers hated them for breaking new ground in how audio was being sold and few had nice things to say about the products. early on CSW included 100ft of 18g speaker cable, a pair of wire stripper/cutters and rubber feet for all the speakers in the box and offered a 30 day IN HOME TRIAL. Full money back if you didn't like them. A radical business model during it's time.

Bottom line.. if there were a picture of the Six and a "LIKE" button next to them, I'd be pressing it. :thmbsp:
 
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I have read good things about the 6's, I think someone wrote similar sound to the Advent Legacy (I & II) just less of it... Depending on where you live, the Legacies show up all the time on CL.
 
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