The Celestion Owners Thread

S. Pupp said:
I’ve been watching that for what seems an eternity. At some point, the price went up from $4900 to $5400. As much as I would love to have them, I value food, electricity, and my marriage too much to spend the $5400.
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I had never heard of them until I watched the Ditton Works video. So of course I had to Google them. Fascinating speakers and story, but way out of my league re: $.... On the attainable front, someone locally is selling a pair of SL-12, which I'd love to have, but their asking price is unfortunately quite high (based on completed eBay sales). I will watch them, see if the seller lowers the price.
 
The little Ditton 100s cleaned up pretty nicely and will be headed to our teenage son's room, along with a little Pioneer integrated amp. Should make for a decent first stereo system. I'm trying to raise him right by introducing him to British speakers. ;) He gets the cheap ones on the house, but he will have to buy nicer ones himself.

Ditton100.jpg
 
Hi All,
I've recently acquired a pair of Ditton 22's. They looked the business, cosmetically, but I was advised that they didn't produce any sound. I thought that was quite mysterious, and assumed optimistically that the owner had not connected them properly. When I brought them home and opened them up, no crossovers!!!
I want to build some to the original design but I can't for the life of me locate a schematic diagram! Can someone help me out with one? Even one sketched from a crossover!
Thanks,
David
 
I didn't know about the Celestion owner's thread, so today I received a pair of Celestion SL6si
speakers and have to say they really sound good, I only had to fix in one of the tweeter's and
it came out smooth like brand new, just have to get use to the brighter treble sound I'm used
to those soft dome tweeters. So far it's sounds great with jazz and some rock haven tried
classical yet but I'm sure these will sing. One more thing I thought these are an low efficiency
speaker, with my 35 watt EL34's tube amp they sound pretty loud to me when I first put
them on.

Thanks
 
ditton works said:
Not bad speakers, can be light on bass, two versions of these.. series 1 polyopine bass driver and sealed cabs, series 2 paper cone and ported design
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I like the 3's they were a nice little speaker and I had the 5's I didn't like them as much they're bigger boxes
and at time a bit hollow sounding.
 
I've been listening to some ebay Celestion 5 MkIIs (ported, paper cones). Can't decide if I prefer them to Mission 751s.

As per above, yes there's a little of a hollow sound. But I think they are more natural than the Missions. Both suit different records. The Celestions sort of feel more like "mine", which is a gut feeling response I'm learning to trust. But I'm still playing around with them. Both are keepers, along with JPW Sonatas that I suspect have worn tweeters - need to break out my new soldering iron.
 
Call me crazy but I did a mod to my Celestion SL6si's after reading a few threads and seeing
a few video's I found a pair of crossover's from a pair of SL6s's the only difference is the SL6s's
use Alcap electrolytic's and the si's use CMC yellow caps (poly of some type) and I've been playing
records and CD's tonight and so far there is a difference, the si's had a slight hardness in the lower
treble upper mid's and the new crossovers seem to smooth it out maybe the electrolytic's are less
hard sounding I don't know but I like it better.
 
I didn’t realize there was a specific Celestion thread in the forums. Anyway, I came across a pair pf Celestion Ditton 120 bookshelf speakers but couldn’t find any info on the net. Mostly it’s about the Ditton 120 with a passive radiator. I think this may be the Ditton 120 MK2? Here’s a pic from the net:

8423A080-CCB7-410D-82BF-A06A41B75F62.jpeg
839D015D-0E68-44C2-A708-2532FD0FC8D5.png

Unfortunately I couldn’t listen to them in person so I’m hoping someone could chime in with some feedback on these speakers. Thanks!
 
Celestion SL-6Si

I've been looking for anything in this series for a long time, finally found some for a reasonable price and picked them up today. Right now they are in the basement system, where they've replaced a pair of B&W DM550. Big upgrade in sound (as it should be, as the Celestions were much more expensive when new). A couple of observations:
Much is made of how inefficient this series of speakers is, yet these are making beautiful music with a Nakamichi SR-4, which is rated at 60 watts per channel, and a Rotel CD player.
Some say the tweeters on this model are bright. I don't find them bright at all. Maybe I've been fortunate to find a good combination of amplifier and speakers right out of the gate. The bass, while limited, is better than I thought it would be. Vocals and acoustic instruments (jazz for example) are stellar. Serial numbers are gone, but overall condition is good, and I should be able to make them look a little better.

I'm really happy with these.

Celestion1.jpg Celestion2.jpg Celestion3.jpg Celestion4.jpg Celestion5.jpg
 
tube-a-lou said:
I didn't know about the Celestion owner's thread,
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I guess that's why I started it as oddly there seemed no following for the brand and I felt there was but it was in the closet so to speak. I've always loved the SL series of Celestion as do plenty of others and as such it certainly shows doesn't it ?

Anyway, enjoy this sub-forum and post away, there's a few very experienced and also some Ex Celestion employees on here.
 
montrecott said:
Celestion SL-6Si

I've been looking for anything in this series for a long time, finally found some for a reasonable price and picked them up today. Right now they are in the basement system, where they've replaced a pair of B&W DM550. Big upgrade in sound (as it should be, as the Celestions were much more expensive when new). A couple of observations:
Much is made of how inefficient this series of speakers is, yet these are making beautiful music with a Nakamichi SR-4, which is rated at 60 watts per channel, and a Rotel CD player.
Some say the tweeters on this model are bright. I don't find them bright at all. Maybe I've been fortunate to find a good combination of amplifier and speakers right out of the gate. The bass, while limited, is better than I thought it would be. Vocals and acoustic instruments (jazz for example) are stellar. Serial numbers are gone, but overall condition is good, and I should be able to make them look a little better.

I'm really happy with these.

View attachment 2678300 View attachment 2678301 View attachment 2678303 View attachment 2678306 View attachment 2678309
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Always felt that B&W lived on overrated hype rather than any proper performance. Celestion wins hands down.
 
IMF_Pioneer said:
Always felt that B&W lived on overrated hype rather than any proper performance. Celestion wins hands down.
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B&W did produce some excellent speakers (like the DM4 for example) but I would agree that Celestion had a better batting average. It seems like less models were produced but with just as many winners. I don't know about Australia but here in the US Celestion did not have the marketing of B&W and Kef. By and large, their speakers were/are harder to find, with the exception of something like the Celestion 3 which was a great budget speaker. Speaking of which, it's also a better speaker than the B&W DM550, made around the same time, and the Celestion cost less when new. It would be interesting to compare the SL6Si to the B&W Matrix 1 (wish I still had those). The SL6Si are stunningly good.
 
Yes Celestion weren't big in the USA, just like many other British speakers just didn't venture over that part of the world. Surprisingly most of the British stuff did actually make it here to Australia, but just in smaller numbers.
 
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montrecott said:
Celestion SL-6Si

I've been looking for anything in this series for a long time, finally found some for a reasonable price and picked them up today. Right now they are in the basement system, where they've replaced a pair of B&W DM550. Big upgrade in sound (as it should be, as the Celestions were much more expensive when new). A couple of observations:
Much is made of how inefficient this series of speakers is, yet these are making beautiful music with a Nakamichi SR-4, which is rated at 60 watts per channel, and a Rotel CD player.
Some say the tweeters on this model are bright. I don't find them bright at all. Maybe I've been fortunate to find a good combination of amplifier and speakers right out of the gate. The bass, while limited, is better than I thought it would be. Vocals and acoustic instruments (jazz for example) are stellar. Serial numbers are gone, but overall condition is good, and I should be able to make them look a little better.

I'm really happy with these.

View attachment 2678300 View attachment 2678301 View attachment 2678303 View attachment 2678306 View attachment 2678309
Click to expand...

Your right they are great speaker's, I'm playing mine with a seventy watt per channel mosfet amp and there really sweet with
great imaging all over. I have owned B&W and alway's found them a bit bright but someone else on a different system loves
them.
 
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