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Help! I’m picking out my first speakers!

Vinyl infant

Vinyl infant

New Member
Hey Guys!
My names Dave and I’m brand new to the world of high end audio. And especially to the world of vintage gear (hence my username)

Ok so I recently decided after building quite a record collection and listening to it on a $50 turntable with a built in speaker that it was time to step things up. I live in LA so finding used gear is fairly easy but there’s so much stuff on Craigslist that I have trouble deciding. What I’m looking for is suggestions on a decent set of vintage speakers to start off with in the the range of $700 or under to build a system around and if you feel like it maybe you could mention anything that might pair well with said speakers.

I also wanna say that I completely understand that so much of this is about taste but what I’m asking for isadvice on which pieces are tried and true as far asquality on my price range and have a nice warm sound. Generally I listen to a lot of southern rock like CCR and Steve Miller band at a medium to loud volume and my living room size is about 20x30ft.

So yea just trying to pick some speakers and hoping for some help. If you’re feeling like a real gentlemen I’ve posted a general Craigslist link to speakers in my area if anyone wants to pop on and take a look to help me even further. I know specific links aren’t allowed but hoping this is ok since it’s more of a general one.

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=vintage+speakers&sort=rel
 
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Go listen if possible.
Who knows if what someone else likes will be what you like.
 
What amplifier are you going to be using? That will help narrow things down (for example I see a pair of Thiels in that list, but you'd need a pretty gutsy amp for them to sound their best). I agree that auditioning is important, although that may be a bit harder now...
 
Vinyl infant said:
Absolutely! That’s what I’m hoping to do. Just looking for suggestions as to what it is I should go take a listen to.
Click to expand...

I see you mentioned the type of music you prefer and the size of the room your system will be in.
That should help with suggestions.
And like RW asked, what amp or receiver will you be using.
 
RossW said:
What amplifier are you going to be using? That will help narrow things down (for example I see a pair of Thiels in that list, but you'd need a pretty gutsy amp for them to sound their best). I agree that auditioning is important, although that may be a bit harder now...
Click to expand...
RossW said:
What amplifier are you going to be using? That will help narrow things down (for example I see a pair of Thiels in that list, but you'd need a pretty gutsy amp for them to sound their best). I agree that auditioning is important, although that may be a bit harder now...
Click to expand...
I have no amp currently. Looking for something vintage but totally open to suggestions with what would pair well with a set of speakers. There’s a Marantz 1060 I had my eye on (:
 
goodolpg said:
I see you mentioned the type of music you prefer and the size of the room your system will be in.
That should help with suggestions.
And like RW asked, what amp or receiver will you be using.
Click to expand...
No amp or receiver yet. Hoping to build it all around the speakers.
 
JoeESP9 said:
IMO building a system around the speakers is the way to go. Find speakers you like then acquire sufficient power to play them at the levels required.
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Yea that’s basically what I’m trying to do. No amp or anything else at this point. Trying to pick speakers first.
 
I'd try to audition something forward (JBL, Polk), something neutral (ADS, maybe Thiel but those are probably more forward), and something laid back (Bozak, AR, etc.). Once you figure out your preferences on that spectrum then you can start focusing your search a bit better.

Definitely do your homework on pricing, I see some very reasonable prices and some absolutely bonkers prices (like all of CL!).
 
RossW said:
I'd try to audition something forward (JBL, Polk), something neutral (ADS, maybe Thiel but those are probably more forward), and something laid back (Bozak, AR, etc.). Once you figure out your preferences on that spectrum then you can start focusing your search a bit better.

Definitely do your homework on pricing, I see some very reasonable prices and some absolutely bonkers prices (like all of CL!).
Click to expand...
Hahaha yea! Craigslist is wild but I’m a veteran of the landscape and will def fo my homework before buying. Can you explain what the terms forward, neutral, and laidback are generally refering to?
 
Vinyl infant said:
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=vintage+speakers&sort=rel
Click to expand...
Surprisingly not a lot of great stuff there (well, maybe not too surprisingly considering what's going on in the world at present). Again, can't post CL links here. Trying to avoid speakers that are either too old (Bozaks) that they'll need some work (do you have any soldering experience?), too exotic (the Phase Linear Andromeda), or both (Infinity 2000A) my first two choices would be either the ADS L700s (again, can't post CL links in this forum) or the Thiel CS2s. The price on the Thiels seems excessive, especially since the tweeters are pushed in (can probably be fixed, but you can use that as a negotiating tactic; also, the ad was posted 13 days ago), but maybe you can talk the seller down. Make sure sellers have equipment to audition the speakers with.
 
Vinyl infant said:
Yea that’s basically what I’m trying to do. No amp or anything else at this point. Trying to pick speakers first.
Click to expand...

Were I in your position I'd listen to as wide a variety of speakers as possible. Horns, ported, sealed, open baffle, electrostatic and planar magnetic speakers would be on my audition list.

Vinyl infant said:
Hahaha yea! Craigslist is wild but I’m a veteran of the landscape and will def fo my homework before buying. Can you explain what the terms forward, neutral, and laidback are generally refering to?
Click to expand...

IME:
Forward: Accentuated midrange, in your face presentation.
Neutral: smooth response with no dips or peaks. (my choice)
Laidback: Depressed midrange and treble.
 
One other thing you want to avoid is buying speakers that have had their drivers replaced (this is unfortunately all too common), either people don't know that drivers can be repaired/refoamed and they just replace them with some generic driver, typically from Radio Shack, or some genius thinks he knows better than the engineer who designed them and goes off the deep end substituting whatever he can. For whatever speaker you go to look at, pull up some pictures of it using Google, then compare to the speakers in the listing and make sure all the drivers look the same. If you find something that doesn't look right, you can post it on AK and we can let you know if that's a normal variation or some unauthorized changes were made.

Also, when you go listen, bring some music you're familiar with, ensure that the seller has equipment that can play it (e.g. vinyl, cd player, MP3 player) and make sure all the drivers are playing properly by placing your ear in front of each one.
 
swechsler said:
One other thing you want to avoid is buying speakers that have had their drivers replaced (this is unfortunately all too common), either people don't know that drivers can be repaired/refoamed and they just replace them with some generic driver, typically from Radio Shack, or some genius thinks he knows better than the engineer who designed them and goes off the deep end substituting whatever he can. For whatever speaker you go to look at, pull up some pictures of it using Google, then compare to the speakers in the listing and make sure all the drivers look the same. If you find something that doesn't look right, you can post it on AK and we can let you know if that's a normal variation or some unauthorized changes were made.

Also, when you go listen, bring some music you're familiar with, ensure that the seller has equipment that can play it (e.g. vinyl, cd player, MP3 player) and make sure all the drivers are playing properly by placing your ear in front of each one.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice brother. Super helpful stuff.
 
Vinyl infant said:
Hey Guys!
My names Dave and I’m brand new to the world of high end audio. And especially to the world of vintage gear (hence my username)

Ok so I recently decided after building quite a record collection and listening to it on a $50 turntable with a built in speaker that it was time to step things up. I live in LA so finding used gear is fairly easy but there’s so much stuff on Craigslist that I have trouble deciding. What I’m looking for is suggestions on a decent set of vintage speakers to start off with in the the range of $700 or under to build a system around and if you feel like it maybe you could mention anything that might pair well with said speakers.

I also wanna say that I completely understand that so much of this is about taste but what I’m asking for isadvice on which pieces are tried and true as far asquality on my price range and have a nice warm sound. Generally I listen to a lot of southern rock like CCR and Steve Miller band at a medium to loud volume and my living room size is about 20x30ft.

So yea just trying to pick some speakers and hoping for some help. If you’re feeling like a real gentlemen I’ve posted a general Craigslist link to speakers in my area if anyone wants to pop on and take a look to help me even further. I know specific links aren’t allowed but hoping this is ok since it’s more of a general one.

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=vintage+speakers&sort=rel
Click to expand...
I am very partial to vintage Snell speakers. Your biggest problem is to make sure that if the surrounds have been replaced that they were done with the correct surrounds. If you find that, then you will love what you hear. Models I have owned: Snell E II. One of their best IMHO. Snell Type C IV's. harder to find, but if in really good shape will blow you away. Snell Type C's. Even harder to find and may need some work. If you have the room and the wall for these, you will be very happy. IMHO. Also: Look for some of the classics: Dynaco A25, The large bullnose Advent. EPI's, Boston, etc.
I wish you well!
 
There's a pair of ADS M15's for a good price on CL in LA. The seller has dropped the price a few times, so who knows; maybe he'll welcome an offer. I have the slightly smaller sibling speakers, M12's and I really like them. M15's are similar with bigger woofers. M12's like lots of power, but I used them with a vintage Sherwood S-5000II tube amp at around 35 watts, and it was wonderful and as loud as we wanted. Just search LA's CL for M15.
edit: these may not be 'vintage', though they are now over 30 years old. However, I'd be curious to know what similarly priced vintage speakers sound better, just for fun.
 
There is a pair of ADS L1230 listed in Ventura for $400. The ad was posted about a month ago, but they would be worth the drive for the price if they are still there.

I own a pair and listen to some of the bands you mentioned. Another plus is the ability to have the drivers rebuilt. I would be after these if they were within a hundred miles of me.
 
Tiver said:
There is a pair of ADS L1230 listed in Ventura for $400. The ad was posted about a month ago, but they would be worth the drive for the price if they are still there.

I own a pair and listen to some of the bands you mentioned. Another plus is the ability to have the drivers rebuilt. I would be after these if they were within a hundred miles of me.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice. Just curious. What’s amp are your running and where are you listening?
 
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