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Advice on floor-standing speakers for first "vintage" setup.

KMPLSV

KMPLSV

Member
I'm putting together my first vintage setup. I recently picked up a restored Pioneer SA-8800. My primary sound sources will be a Technics SL-1700MKII turntable and a computer streaming audio via AUX. I'm looking for recommendations on a good set of floor-standing speakers that will go nicely with my setup. My budget is around $300-$700. Two recommendations I've had so far are Pioneer HPM 100s and Pioneer SP-FS52 Home Audio Andrew Jones Designed Floor Standing Loudspeakers. I realize that the SP-FS52 are not vintage speakers, but I have heard very good things about them. When it comes to "vintage" versus "modern" speakers in this situation with my Pioneer SA-8800 powering them, is one "better" than the other or is it even relevant? If spending more money and being patient really does translate to getting better quality and sound from a vintage pair of floor-standing speakers, I don't have an issue being patient.

Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thank you!
 
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Two current long-running threads discussing the vintage vs modern thing.
Basically, it's not relevant on a subjective level: individual tastes trump any
other consideration/s (not even mentioning room treatment).

Otherwise, I'm an AR guy. Hard to go wrong with any 12" version, such as
AR-3, 3a, 11, 58, 91. Being patient, you might find one of the latter four in
your price range. I have HPM 40s, had 900s, and prefer the AR sound.
 
Speakers are a very personal choice as we all hear and listen differently.

Factoring in what you listen to, how you listen and the environment they are in all make a difference.

More information on your listening habits and space are required to make any suggestions.
 
Spend less get DCM Time Windows. Friend got that same 8800 Time Window system from me and cut the cable tv the next week. Loved his new tunes.

If you haven't heard the imaging possible with the DCM you need to.
 
wmgwizard said:
Speakers are a very personal choice as we all hear and listen differently.

Factoring in what you listen to, how you listen and the environment they are in all make a difference.

More information on your listening habits and space are required to make any suggestions.
Click to expand...

Listening environment is a small-medium sized room. About 700 square feet, but I don't plan on being confined to that space forever and would prefer to "future-proof" as far as room-size considerations are concerned. I listen to everything from classic rock, to old school hip-hop and EDM. Mostly hip-hop, EDM, and rock/metal.
 
Given your choice of music and the space you want to fill with sound two words come to mind: Cerwin-Vega

Typically very efficient giving you lots of output with relatively low input yet able to handle significant amounts of power and designed to take some serious abuse.

While the other speakers mentioned are all good choices, just not for your kind of music.
 
I’m partial to vintage Snell Speakers. Fall in your budget. Just be careful that the surrounds have been done correctly. E II’s are a great speaker. If you can find them, Tyle C’s are really good, but might need some work to sound best. I know where a set of C Iv’s Are right now that could be had in the lower range of your budget. No, they are not mine. I just know where they are, so I am not trying to sell outside of any rules. I wish you all the best.
 
Ohighway said:
You consider 700 sq/ft a " small-medium" sized room??! A 25 x 28 room calculates out to 700 sq/ ft.
Click to expand...

That woud be a "big ass room" in my book. :D My winter residence is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo that measures 1040 sq. ft. It also icudes a walk-in pantry and a walk-in closet.
 
Look for some Pioneer HPM-100. They should sound pretty good with EDM/rock tunes! Then you'll have a matching system from the same era!
 
The Fuxtor said:
Look for some Pioneer HPM-100. They should sound pretty good with EDM/rock tunes! Then you'll have a matching system from the same era!
Click to expand...
This is the second time these have been recommended to me. I think finding them is going to be the tough part.
 
Ohighway said:
You consider 700 sq/ft a " small-medium" sized room??! A 25 x 28 room calculates out to 700 sq/ ft.
Click to expand...
Well actually 775 square feet is the full size of my single bedroom apartment. The living room is just a bit bigger than my bedroom so I figure..... Shoot.... The speakers would be in a room that is a little approximately 380 square feet.
 
HPM 100's or HPM 900's in good shape would be very nice. Very full bass and extended frequency range on the top end (if you can hear it). Of course, I'm biased.... Only drawback would be failed surrounds on the HPM-900s. I got mine cheap for that reason, but beware damaged carbon fiber cones on those woofers, they are VERY brittle and no longer available. Replacement is possible, but not with original and the sound will probably be different (and lower quality).

To my ears, the HPM series is extraordinary. You may not feel the same. but they are good speakers.

Listen before you buy if you can whatever you find. Real bummer to spend some good money on something you find disappointing when you have them home.
 
In your range, if you can find them, some of the ADS XX90 towers would be pretty sick. I have L1290s that I got near the low end of your range and spent another couple hundred bucks having them restored (nothing was wrong necessarily, just making sure the usual wear-and-tear is dealt with, treating the woofer surrounds which are rubber rather than foam, and recapping the X-over).

L990, L1090, L1290, all can be potentially found in your price range, and are all great speakers. Some folks say the 1090 is the best-sounding of the bunch; I love my 1290s to death, though.

Depending on where you are, they might pop up on local sales, but they're a lot more common in New England and get less common the further west you go.
 
Ohighway said:
You consider 700 sq/ft a " small-medium" sized room??! A 25 x 28 room calculates out to 700 sq/ ft.
Click to expand...

Correction. I was quoting the full-size of my single bedroom apartment. My living room, where the speakers will be for now before I move into a house, is probably more like 380 square feet.

That being said, I'd rather future proof and get speakers more suited for the basement of a decent sized house. Even if that means running larger speakers at a lower volume while I'm still at my apartment. I don't have a problem with that.
wmgwizard said:
Given your choice of music and the space you want to fill with sound two words come to mind: Cerwin-Vega

Typically very efficient giving you lots of output with relatively low input yet able to handle significant amounts of power and designed to take some serious abuse.

While the other speakers mentioned are all good choices, just not for your kind of music.
Click to expand...
Any particular model of CVs you'd recommend?
 
HPMguy said:
HPM 100's or HPM 900's in good shape would be very nice. Very full bass and extended frequency range on the top end (if you can hear it). Of course, I'm biased.... Only drawback would be failed surrounds on the HPM-900s. I got mine cheap for that reason, but beware damaged carbon fiber cones on those woofers, they are VERY brittle and no longer available. Replacement is possible, but not with original and the sound will probably be different (and lower quality).

To my ears, the HPM series is extraordinary. You may not feel the same. but they are good speakers.

Listen before you buy if you can whatever you find. Real bummer to spend some good money on something you find disappointing when you have them home.
Click to expand...
Hmmmm these don't seem to be too horribly priced. What kind of differences are there between the 100s and 900s? Would you recommend one over the other?
 
Have not heard HPM-100s, I have a pair of 900s not attached to anything at the moment.

Main difference is the woofer -- the 100 is much more likely to be intact and undamaged since it has a butyl (or cloth) surround and the 900 is foam. The original is long dead, my 500's barely made a decade before it failed. Replacement foam seems to last much longer. Running with bad foam surrounds can kill the voice coil, and it is impossible to replace the voice coil without breaking the cone.

The 100 is the classic "West Coast Sound" rock speaker if that's important to you. Otherwise I suspect they are far more similar than different.
 
The D series(D-7, D-9) CV's are readily available and nice ones can be had within your budget. You may find some at the lower end of your budget that will need refoaming & recapping($50 - $75) while the upper end of your budget should have new foams and capacitors.

These would be "future proof" a you mentioned.
 
KMPLSV said:
............ I'd rather future proof and get speakers more suited for the basement of a decent sized house. Even if that means running larger speakers at a lower volume while I'm still at my apartment. I don't have a problem with that.
Click to expand...

Good thought process. Listening in a larger area is always a better experience IMO. (once your situation allows)
 
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