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Help identifying AudioLab speaker

K

Kaerukame

New Member
HI
I found these speakers at a weekend garage sale, but cannot find any information about them. There's no manufacturer's label or model number. I've included photos of the front and back. The foam "grills" are glued in place and so I was not able to see what type of drivers and tweeters hidden behind.

The paper on the back is a warranty but does not identify the company.

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Can anyone here identify these speakers including approximate age, manufacturer, specs?

Thanks!
 
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I had a good run of luck on the weekend and got them for $10.
From the same seller, I also got pair of Sansui SP-3500, and Cerwin Vega HED U-123.

I'm guessing the Sansui will be the best of the three.

The AudioLab speakers are very heavy, at least as heavy as the Sansui SP-3500 . Haven't connected any of them to my system yet, but I'm looking forward to trying. I'm just curious about the specs of the AudioLab.
I'll have to decide which of the three I will keep.
 
Thanks Biscuithead, (great online name)
When you say "it is a great lottery ticket", do you mean "you never know what you might get" or that AudioLabs are generally really good?

I'm tempted to peel the foam off the fronts just to see what lies behind. I could always reattach the foam with velcro. Any suggestions?
 
It might be considered unusual but when doing a quick assessment of an unknown speaker, I feel the rear edges of the cabinets with my fingers. I don't need to see it. If the cabinet backs are recessed from the edge as they are here in the photos, I don't bother examining the speakers any further. In my mind that is a telltale of a cheaply made enclosure.

If the cabinet backs are flush to edges of the enclosure, I will investigate further.

In my travels this method has so far been as accurate an indicator as anything else of "worth having" vs "not worth having" when it comes to speakers.

Too many speakers out there to be familiar with but cheap 'n' easy construction techniques are a giveaway of quality. At least to me that is so.

Making dado cuts like that are fast and take little time to plan out and execute as opposed to a joint that leaves an enclosure's rear flush with the sides, top & bottom.
 
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Based on looks, etc those speakers might be from the late 70's to mid 80's.
I'm surprised the foam grilles are still intact.
 
62vauxhall said:
It might be considered unusual but when doing a quick assessment of an unknown speaker, I feel the rear edges of the cabinets with my fingers. I don't need to see it. If the cabinet backs are recessed from the edge as they are here in the photos, I don't bother examining the speakers any further. In my mind that is a telltale of a cheaply made enclosure.

If the cabinet backs are flush to edges of the enclosure, I will investigate further.
Click to expand...
I thought about this, was going to agree with you, then thought about it some more and discovered that this isn't 100% accurate. One counterexample is the Infinity Qa/Qb (see below). Interestingly, the Qe, the cheapest in the same line, has a flush back.

Infinity-QB-vintage-speakers-_1.jpg
 
In the case of those Infinity's I could almost buy a theory that the cabinet backs were recessed in order to achieve a particular internal volume.

I say that because my speakers are Kappa 7.1's and they're perfect. After all, Infinity would never do anything wrong....right?
 
I have read that recessed backs are actually be stronger and less resonant than flush backs. I can see how trapping the back, front and back, might give a stiffer and more rigid back, and that little bit of extra side might change how the panels flex.
 
Don't forget the POS series, the name of which means what you fear it does. They cranked them out cheap to fund their better speakers. Not terrible sounding, but flimsy and literally fell apart easily.
 
Thanks for the replies!
The foam grills are glued in place. I'll see if I can carefully remove them with a razor knife so I can have a good look at the speakers and take a few photographs.
 
It turns out that the foam covers were not glued onto the front face. The foam is glued onto a thin panel that functions as a grill and is held in place by velcro tabs. Once I pulled on the edge, the velcro released and I was able to remove the 'grill' cover to reveal the speakers.

Woofers: 11 inches from edge of surrounds.
Big tweeters: 4.5 inches

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Height: 25.5 inches20190524_165245.jpg 20190524_165334.jpg 20190524_165327.jpg 20190524_165704.jpg 20190524_165419.jpg
Width: 16 inches
Depth: 11.75 inches.

The surrounds on the woofers appear to be made from a rubberized cloth and are in good condition. The speaker cones move freely and seem to offer a good amount of movement.
 
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