Help figuring out these vintage Lorenz S-1288 speaker cabinets

[Krisgi12]

Hi! I was pointed over here by someone who restores vintage audio and said you guys might be able to help me figure out what I have.


I bought this pair of older speaker cabinets and honestly don’t know much about vintage speakers. Once I opened them up I realized the two aren’t exactly the same inside and it looks like they’ve probably been modified at some point.


The large speakers are marked Lorenz S-1288. I also found a Norelco/Philips AD 4877 M, a Speakerlab midrange sub-enclosure, a Calrad control on the back, and a couple things I haven’t been able to identify.


Before trying them I checked the ohms at the terminals with a multimeter, then briefly hooked them up to a Kenwood amp. Both cabinets do play. I haven’t rewired or changed anything inside.


I’d really love to know more about what I’m looking at. Are these likely custom/home-built cabinets that were changed over the years? Does anyone recognize the cabinets or the way these components were originally put together?


I’m also trying to decide whether these are something I should leave exactly as I found them or whether someone over the years mixed components that really don’t belong together. I don’t want to start taking things apart without understanding what I have first.


I’m adding pictures of both cabinets and everything I could find inside. Any information would be greatly appreciated!

 

[eiraved]

I’d really love to know more about what I’m looking at. Are these likely custom/home-built cabinets that were changed over the years? Does anyone recognize the cabinets or the way these components were originally put together?


I’m also trying to decide whether these are something I should leave exactly as I found them or whether someone over the years mixed components that really don’t belong together. I don’t want to start taking things apart without understanding what I have first.


I’m adding pictures of both cabinets and everything I could find inside. Any information would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you for including pictures! You're correct in that these are what's commonly known as "home-brew", or homemade speakers. I don't know whether they're from a kit although it's definitely possible. The speakers look identical externally but are not a matched set by the different size/make drivers installed. It's likely they may have been used in mono setups.
The drivers all appear to be good quality drivers. I would replace the old capacitors and measure the resistance of each individual driver to verify they’re still good, if possible. I would also spray some DeoxIT into the Calrad L-pad if possible, working the L-pad fully back and forth about 10x-20x. Afterwards and if all measures well, try listening to them again. There should be an improvement in sound quality.

 

[Krisgi12]

Thank you, this helps a lot. When I tested them before hooking them up to an amp, I only measured the resistance at the cabinet terminals, not each individual driver. I can definitely do that.


Since I’m ultimately hoping to sell them, would you recommend replacing the capacitors and cleaning the L-pad first, or would you leave them as found and let the next owner decide what they want to do?


Also, when you say they may have been used in mono setups, do you mean these two cabinets may not have originally been intended to be a stereo pair?

 

[eiraved]

Thank you, this helps a lot. When I tested them before hooking them up to an amp, I only measured the resistance at the cabinet terminals, not each individual driver. I can definitely do that.


Since I’m ultimately hoping to sell them, would you recommend replacing the capacitors and cleaning the L-pad first, or would you leave them as found and let the next owner decide what they want to do?


Also, when you say they may have been used in mono setups, do you mean these two cabinets may not have originally been intended to be a stereo pair?

It would be good to measure the drivers to know that all the drivers are working. I suppose you can also verify by ear as well.
You never did mention how these sound. Do they sound good? It would be a hard sell if they sound bad.
If they sound good, then there's probably no need to update the caps unless you prefer to. If they don't sound good, you could replace them and see if there's an improvement. Personally, I would replace the caps and DeoxIT the L-pad if there's easy access to them.
Regarding the mono question, the differences between both speakers (midrange and positions of midrange and tweeter) lead me to believe they may have been used in mono arrangements. But who knows? Whoever built these may have taken the time to ensure both mids are close to equal in performance so they could be used in a stereo setup.

 

[swechsler]

I'm going to be brutally honest: I doubt these are worth any of your time or money. The original speakers have been butchered and left for dead. The fact that they are now completely different (from the originals and each other) and they were apparently put together with no thought means they probably don't sound very good, nor are they likely to sound like each other. While the cabinets look like they might have been decent at one time, they'd need to have the front baffle replaced if anyone wanted to use them as a base for a speaker construction project.

 

[Krisgi12]

I appreciate the honesty. I did hook them up to my Kenwood and both cabinets play.

I’m not really looking to rebuild the cabinets at this point. What I’m trying to figure out is whether the individual drivers/components themselves have any value.
Each cabinet has a Lorenz S-1288 12” driver. There are also Norelco/Philips and other components in the cabinets, and I realize the two cabinets have been modified differently over the years.
Are the Lorenz S-1288 drivers something worth pulling and selling on their own? And are any of the other drivers/components worth saving individually?
I also have a video of them playing if hearing them would be helpful — I’m just not sure how to post a video here yet.

 

[eiraved]

Before trying them I checked the ohms at the terminals with a multimeter, then briefly hooked them up to a Kenwood amp. Both cabinets do play. I haven’t rewired or changed anything inside.

I did hook them up to my Kenwood and both cabinets play.

You said they play but you never say how they sound, which leads me to believe they don't sound good to you.
So what is your honest opinion on how they sound? They have value if they sound good to you, no value if they suck.