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Top three vintage speaker, vote please!

From the list of very few speakers I've actually experienced:

- JBL 4343: Most amazing sound I've ever heard, being driven by a 'tiny' 40wpc tube amp.
- AR 3 / AR10pi - Just because the AR3 is a AR3, and the 10pi because it's the closest substitute I own.
- Pioneer HPM 150: becuse I own a pair, and I can't get over the looks or the deep 15" driver, and it just fits with an SX-1250.


The L100 really belongs on the top 3 too because to me, it's the most iconic speaker ever made, but I couldn't squeeze it in, Large Advents as well :)
 
Snade said:
Speakers with biggest impact on a generation - widely owned and great performance:

AR 3a

Large Advent

Dynaco A-25​
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That was what I was going to post before I got distracted.

Funny our tastes are still the same lots o' years later, my friend.

After hearing them last weekend sound much better than they should have (in my own house with no setup angst whatsoever), driven by Fisherdudes's modded Stereo 70 and Bottlehead Foreplay, I wish I still had my A-25s.
 
Favorite that I have owned-

1) ADS L910, best speaker I have ever owned new or vintage. Need a little wattage to really open them up. Sound good with my MAC4100 but really blew me away when used with my dad's 6900. An incredible depth is revealed in the recordings and the dynamics are phenomenal. The opening percussion the Eagles "Hotel California" from Hells Freezes Over truly frightened me the first time I listened to it. I actually like these speakers better than the Vandersteen 2CE Signature my father owns.

2) Dynaco A25XL- best bedroom speaker ever! Very open, almost sound like little panels. Great at low volumes.

3) Braun L710s- very quick, extremely open, with surprising amount of low end for their size. Great for jazz or stuff with primarily acoustic guitars
 
Merciful lord jlindsay, you mix a pair of JBL's into that gorgeous Pioneer set ??? Get a pair of HPM100's or 200's for the love of God!!
 
what a great thread...

to bring back memories of great speakers.
I'll have to stick with those I've heard at some length in appropriate listening rooms (getting to hear a pair of K-horns and a pair of La Scala's together in a room that couldn't have been larger than 15'x15' was not a fair test).

AR-3a's - 35 years of satisfied listening pretty much says it all.

Large Advent's

Rectilinear III Hi-boys

plus a pair of Leak monitors (that I can't identify as to model-they were big though) in a local studio. When I heard the playback of our band (this was around 1974 or so), it was almost disorientingly realistic.:thmbsp:
 
I'm sure most of you have more experience than I, but restricting my list to speakers that I know I offer up (as mentioned more than one already) my DQ-10's and AR3a's.... I like the Genesis/EPI's also, but would not put them in the same sonic league....nor would I lump HPM-100's and the like in that list, a great rock 'n' roll speaker without doubt, but not in the same class at all as the DQ-10's and AR3a's, my view.
 
Kef C60

I had never heard of these speakers and could'nt find anything on the net
about them. But I bought them, they sound better than my Monitor Audio RS6's, more organic is the word that comes to mind.....DK
 
Quad ESL 57, still to this day considered an "audiophile" quality speaker, even with it's warts.

Dahlquist DQ 10, having heard these they were/are much better than the sum of their parts.

Dayton Wright XG 8, incredible midrange.
 
KLH 17 ----They have a way of making music suggestive of live performances. They are easy with jazz instrument and soothing with soulful voices. They are energizing with great seperation of voice and instruments.
 
sheltie dave said:
Klipsch Klipschorn...the longest continuous production run speaker, 61 years and counting.

QUOTE]


The KHorn was out of production for a year or so several years ago and there was doubt at Klipsch at the time whether it would go back into production.

In any event the Altec-GPA 604 has been in production several years longer than the KHorn, also with a break in production though.
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I know I'll get smacked for this, but this is what I use and like:

1) Altec 604G's w/ 620 cabs
2) "Large" Advents
3) Bose 501's
 
OK, no WAY I can answer this without qualifying it somehow. Being a fan of engineering I'm going to go with top 3 unique config units in order of my preference in sound quality:

1) B&W nauts / 801 / 80X
I'm admittedly a B&W fan-boy but if money's no object, in my mind there's no question.

2) Ohm F / any well built Walsh
Theses are just plain cool and the 360 degree sound is a unique experience, granted with pros & cons.

3) Bose 901s
Not the most impressive sonically, but truly a uniqe design with interesting merrits.

This question is way too hard with just 3 choices. (Hello, my name is Greg & I love speakers!) Some honorable mentios - still not eve scratching th surface of the vas array of speakers I admire:

JBL L110s - I remember being blown away by the intersection of size, sound quality and efficiency the first time I heard these.

Any B&Ws - Did I mention I'm a fan-boy??

AR9s - for reasons already stated

All well executed Klipsche - for the horny SOB in all of us!

All well executed Infinitys - were really cool.

Energy 22s - excellent 2 way system that were one of my favorites which I actually owned. My sister still has 'em along with my Luxman amp & tuner!

Man - way too many others to type in on this stupid Blackberry while killing time in an airport!

BTW - sorry, no spell check. I'm sure I mutillated a few words here.
 
AR - I have working 2AX and project 3a's. So either till I listen to 3a's.

Dynaco A-25

EPI - multiple burhoe units like 202
 
My three favs are the:

Altec A7 bottoms with 1505/288C horns
IMG_0520.jpg


The Edgarhonrs
IMG_2189.jpg


And now the EV Patrician 700
IMG_2939.jpg
 
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