Krosya
Well-Known Member
Thanks to all of you and this forum, ever since I got into vintage stereo I cant pass up on interesting speakers. To keep myself from buying everything I come across, I try to stick with rather rare and unusual model. Plus only if they are sold cheap (under $100). I already made a thread about rather rare Synergistics speakers that I absolutely love, and now I came across another uncommon pair - Jensen System 500. They were relatively cheap at a local second hand store, looked in pretty good condition, other that in need of woofer re-foam. So I thought I'd take a chance on them.
After getting them, I did some research on this Brand/Model, yet unfortunately there is not that much info on them, other than they are rare, come from a well respected company (at least at the time they were made) and model, while not the TOTL, but pretty close. Only real info I could find was on the TOTL System B, and their smaller brother System 400. As little info there was, all of it sounded very good so I decided to go ahead and do the refoam.
These are interesting speakers - at first they look like your typical acoustic suspension 3 ways with L-pads for highs and mids. But - turn them around and you find another tweeter - similar to System B and C Jensens.
After taking the woofers out for refoam, looking inside the cabinets you can see that Mid driver has it's own large enclosure. :
Woofers themselves to me look like your typical drivers ( I dont really have much experience on this subject)
Front positioned L-pad remind me of those on Realistic Mach speakers:
Overall - its a solid, heavy well made speaker.
Well, refoam is done:
And speakers are put back together and hooked up to my "test site":
And they sound GREAT! Now, I only had time to play a few records, but already I can tell that they sound very clear - great mids and highs. Good bass - strong when recording call for it but not overwhelming or exaggerated like it can be in some speakers. Superb soundstage. All in all - they sound great to my ears. I need to do more testing with different types of music, but so far they seem to sound better that my Mirage 360 (and I love those speakers) as well as Realistic Optimus 5B - both well respected here.
I think I lucked out with these - just to think I almost didnt get them - I walked away after looking at them first, but for some reason thought to come back and get them - Glad I did! I guess they really knew how to make a good pair of speakers back then in the USA!
After getting them, I did some research on this Brand/Model, yet unfortunately there is not that much info on them, other than they are rare, come from a well respected company (at least at the time they were made) and model, while not the TOTL, but pretty close. Only real info I could find was on the TOTL System B, and their smaller brother System 400. As little info there was, all of it sounded very good so I decided to go ahead and do the refoam.
These are interesting speakers - at first they look like your typical acoustic suspension 3 ways with L-pads for highs and mids. But - turn them around and you find another tweeter - similar to System B and C Jensens.
After taking the woofers out for refoam, looking inside the cabinets you can see that Mid driver has it's own large enclosure. :
Woofers themselves to me look like your typical drivers ( I dont really have much experience on this subject)
Front positioned L-pad remind me of those on Realistic Mach speakers:
Overall - its a solid, heavy well made speaker.
Well, refoam is done:
And speakers are put back together and hooked up to my "test site":
And they sound GREAT! Now, I only had time to play a few records, but already I can tell that they sound very clear - great mids and highs. Good bass - strong when recording call for it but not overwhelming or exaggerated like it can be in some speakers. Superb soundstage. All in all - they sound great to my ears. I need to do more testing with different types of music, but so far they seem to sound better that my Mirage 360 (and I love those speakers) as well as Realistic Optimus 5B - both well respected here.
I think I lucked out with these - just to think I almost didnt get them - I walked away after looking at them first, but for some reason thought to come back and get them - Glad I did! I guess they really knew how to make a good pair of speakers back then in the USA!
