Large ADVENT rated as $1000pr by Stereophile

[tusntuk2]

Hmmmm....about those Advent replacement tweeters. When Advent reintroduced the NLA didn't they switch to a Phillips tweeter? Maybe an AD0140 or AD 0160? And somewhere about then, maybe after Jensen bought Advent, it seemed like the round tweeter was redesigned to include the mounting plate, but it was still the Phillips AD, which continues until now with the replacements. 4 screws, huge thick round magnet. But I don't know for sure. I just saw pictures.
Phillips AD0140

I'm playing Advent /1's and I love 'em!

 

[KentTeffeteller]

it's kind of overated? well Large advents are decent sounding speakers.. however it can't compare with new speakers at 1000$. I also read the article that he wrote on recent issue of stereophile as well.

you get a lot of speaker new these days for $1000.

Like a pair of these: http://hometheaterreview.com/paradigm-monitor-7-floorstanding-loudspeakers-reviewed/

I'm thinking that's prolly just a mite better than the 'ole large advents...

So, yes. Definitely a bit of a stretch on that one. There are probably some $500 new speakers that it can hold it's own against maybe.

I have a test many loudspeakers can't pass. The speakers I buy must always pass it. If they don't, then they don't make the cut. I take a recording of a human male voice. Often it is one of my announcers, who's voice I know on and off microphone. If this voice is colored audibly, the midrange is colored. For me, the midrange must be accurately rendered. The Large Advent, and practically every Kloss design gets that aspect right. I like low bass and high highs, but not audibly colored loudspeakers. My Dynaco A 25 loudspeakers also get this right. I also take really good and really bad recordings. Bad recordings which don't sound bad, also don't pass my test.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

I read the Stereophile review and what *I* got from it is something that can drive 100% Objectivists crazy : while he did observe certain technical deficiencies in the LA, the overall "personality" or "feel" of the sound generated by the LA was good enough that music sounded like music and it felt good to hear that.

Here's a human analogy: ever meet someone that made a lot of noise while they ate, made jokes at the worst possible time, and painfully elbows you in the ribs whenever they see anything even vaguely interesting (or any other combination of subtly irritating personality traits) but you still include them in some of your most important social functions.....or they are your best friend? Confusing eh? Despite those "deficiencies" you still like them because you just feel they are the right person for you to hang out with, know what I mean?

Back to the LA.......

The "personality" of a speaker is something that (so far) no chart recorder or computer software can document, but if it's not there - whatever that "there" is that makes one person happy - the listener is not going to buy that speaker. And back when the LAs were brand new and all their components were up-to-spec and brand spankin' new, they must have been doing something right for all those hundreds of thousands(!) of people to lay down hard earned money to buy them during the LA's nearly 18 year(!) life span.

Remember too, in that era the average HiFi shop customer was much more demanding and educated than now. Music really mattered much more to them than it does now, many music lovers listened to a lot of gear and played it before they decided on what to spend their money on. Better dealers even let you audition the showroom demo speakers at home on the weekend when the shop was closed, if you were a good, reliable customer. And gear was bought with the mindset it was lived with for many years often. Advents were bought by very serious music lovers a lot, who didn't buy gear to impress people or for ego, it was a natural part of their lives. They were bought by people who demanded the best for their budget a lot. Most people didn't trade or upgrade their equipment often in the day, if they liked gear, they lived with it and used it for many years. If it failed or had problems, then they went and began listening to new gear and bought anew or decided to repair what they owned. A lot of gear then was repaired and maintained, and not throwaway if it was liked.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Remember, when The Advent Loudspeaker was brand new, Stereophile rated it very highly. The only loudspeaker they liked better in any way was the AR-LST or KLH 9. Which was saying something. As they were a more practically minded publication then. They also really loved the Dynaco A 25, their favorite loudspeaker for the price.

 

[Helom]

Just finished installation of the new tweeters. It was an easy affair overall. Had to drill three new holes and fill the old ones with wood putty.

 

[Johnny B]

... Most people didn't trade or upgrade their equipment often in the day, if they liked gear, they lived with it and used it for many years. If it failed or had problems, then they went and began listening to new gear and bought anew or decided to repair what they owned. A lot of gear then was repaired and maintained, and not throwaway if it was liked.

I’ve always bought gear that way. Buy the best when I can afford. When that breaks, buy the best I can afford, which is usually better than the last thing. I may be misremembering, but I’m pretty sure that this year is the first time I’ve bought upgrade gear before something broke (surround speakers to replace my crappy old Sonys stereo speakers in the living room, a surround receiver to use with the speakers, and a nicer tape deck for my listening room system). And the old cassette deck will find its way into something. At some point, I’ll have something more than a bluetooth speaker in the basement.

I’ve had a pair of Advent /1 speakers since 2012 and am very happy with them. I think I paid $125 for them. I know I could get something better, but it would cost a hell of a lot more than $125.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

I've owned Advents also since 1975. And have owned Large Advents and Dynaco A 25 speakers more than once, always had at least one pair of A-25 at all times.

 

[Sharpstik]

The Advent loudspeaker hit the market when, 68-69?

Wasn't the MSRP like $129 each or something similar?

In 2019 dollars that is like $1800 a pair.

What is the least expensive new loudspeaker with real wood veneer, a 10" or larger woofer and roughly the size of the OLA?

A ten year old thread , but this fact is nice to know anyway . I have a pair of refoamed, recapped , new crossovered , refinished with the whitish grills that are stunning . And never used . I was thinking of selling them , but now I’m not sure . I looked around for a similar sized speaker in the local store here and the one they could get cost 1200.00 . For one .

 

[Helom]

I looked around for a similar sized speaker in the local store here and the one they could get cost 1200.00 . For one .

Not to mention cabinets of similar construction quality (3/4") are rarely found in $3K speakers these days.

 

[Sharpstik]

Found this pin at the flea today....

 

[Rybeam]

I agree. The LA's are not the be all and end all...but they are fun. They were the first pair of 'vintage' speakers I bought when I got into that end of the hobby after years of "audiophilia nervosa". I put on Santana's "Supernatural" and within minutes my head was bobbin'. I didn't get that reaction in my "big rig"...I spent too much time analyzing the quality of the recording.
Hibuck...

 

[Rybeam]

Ask a cabinet shop to make you a nice pair of reproduction Advent hog nose cabinets. $1000 starts looking like a good buy.

 

[sanlanman]

My original HI FI rig out of high school had large BIC Venturi speakers that never really impressed me. When I heard the large Advents at a local dealer I bought a pair of the deluxe ones that had the solid walnut ogived edge molding on the front. For a while I thought I had found my final set of loudspeakers....................... until I heard the Polk Model 10B speakers at anther dealer. Sold the large Advents and bought the Polk Model 10B speakers