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Any opinions on RCA LC-1C MI-11411-C Vintage Dual Cone 15"

G

GingerCat

New Member
Hi,
I was wondering if anyone had any information or clue as the the value of a pair of RCA LC-1C MI-11411-C Vintage Dual Cone 15" Broadcast Monitor Speakers ?

I've found some tech info, but these are mounted in huge bass reflex cabinets (look original from national broadcaster) and appear to be in quite good condition.

I have an opportunity to purchase them and wonder if anyone has any experience about what year they may have been made, do they sound any good, and any idea of what would be a reasonable offer ? Thanks.
 
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Very, very desirable, particularly in Asia. Make sure the tweeters are not fried, as they are (nearly?) impossible to repair. I traded a pair of the original design (1A I guess) in original RCA cabinets to a friend and he later got $3,800 the pair on eBay. Price will vary a lot depending on exact model, cabs, condition, time of day, weather, etc.
 
Well. If you end up passing on them, please PM me. I would likely buy them. I just got a pair that had the voicecoils replaced, so it apparently IS possible, but they are no longer original voice coils, so have lost much of their collector value...but I'm guessing my pair sound 99%+ similar to ones with original voicecoils...I haven't heard 100% originals yet though.

Anyway, yeah value...All I can say is check hifishark.com. Value on these is a tough one. They are certainly valuable. Does the seller know what they have? Are you trying to lowball and get them cheap, or pay true market value? The few I've seen sell were at around $1500 apiece, just for the drivers (no cabinets). I've seen original cabinets (empty) at asking price of $4-5k. Not sure if any have sold at that price, but that's the asking price.

I think there was an AK'er here who paid around $3k for a pair with home-made cabinets (not original). Nice cabinets, but not original.

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a lot of sale data out there.

If it were me, I'd offer $1500 and see what happens. If they know what they have, they'll likely want more, but you never know.

Definitely go give them a listen if you have not already! To me, they remind me of Quad 57's...they may not meet your "expectations" at first...then your ears and brain adjust to what they can do...and they may amaze you. I am sure glad I picked up the pair I did.
 
You've found some rare gems - only way to find something like this is to unknowingly stumble into it, or to search for ages and then pay big money. There's a lot of info out there on the LC-1A, it's a true classic. As for value, used Ebay completed auctions as a baseline but be aware RCA made the speaker for about 20 or 25 years and along the way made different versions. Which one it is along with condition play a role in value. Having a matched pair is big plus.

Tweeters on these are fragile.. dont play Metallica at top volume, keep in mind these are made with late 40s tech, and the amazing sound they make is in spite of this, but they remain quite delicate compared to modern speakers with big power handling.
 
I wish I could help you guys out from a sound quality standpoint but I've never heard the LC-1C rendition of these great speakers. I've heard that they were more for professional use than home use such as PA or theater sound but I can't qualify that with any proof. I've had the originals, MI-11411 or just plain LC-1, the second version, the MI-11411A or LC-1A (first one with bumps and tweeter deflector) and the third version, the LC-1B or MI-11411B. They all sound wonderful with a slight edge, in my opinion, going to the LC-1B but I could happily live with the original version forever. :) Currently I've got LC-1B's in my main system and have some others "waiting in the wings", so to speak, for possible future systems or?
Good luck with these, I would go for them, if for no other reason than to know what they sound like compared to the other versions. If you're anywhere near me, you're welcome to come hear what I've got so you have some form of reference point to go from. :)
 
From what I recall I've heard a few things about the LC-1C but I can't find where I read this: I believe the C version had the similar cloth surrounds instead of the pleated paper surrounds of the LC-1. Also, I've heard it mentioned that these used a ferrite magnet, but I can't confirm that. I've also heard that these were developed to handle a bit more power.

Anyway, I have LC-1's that I got from Nelsress. I love these speakers. I will say that they don't have as much treble response as modern speakers, probably rolling off around 14khz. They also beam more and don't have a very wide sweetspot, but they have a very nice and natural midrange and mine have an excellent bass response too. I have heard some mention that the cloth surrounds can harden over time giving less bass response, though the cloth surrounds were probably developed to increase bass response at the time?

Either way, I would grab these, especially if they're in original cabinets.

Best,

Jonas
 
Not to be a negative Nelly here but I kind of get the impression that "Ging" was fishing for value and may well not circle back on this. Apologies if my assumptions are wrong, I hope I am and we get an update!
 
Well he did not post since May 9th 2019, so there you have it.
Nelsress- I am about 2.5h away but may take you up on a listening session this summer if things get a bit more normal. Been hunting for these for a while but just got not spend 6k on drivers alone
 
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