Utah WD-90's?

[bd1886]

Did a search and didn't find out much from people who actually heard these and compared to decent speaks of more common populations. (Did get some opinions from proven "good ears".....that had never even heard them though!)

What was this company's whole intent with their products and how did they stack up? (American Kabuki?) I'm looking at a pair for $10.00 will probably spring for them (just because they are pristine as far as grills and components go/quality walnut cabs will be an easy resto leaving finish intact) and I'll probably use them as either gifting or a package selling point.....they present very well cosmetically.

Who knows about this line of speakers...not many folks do apparently? Are they non-audiophile decent?

 

[jonman]

Picture wold help, if posible.

 

[theebadone]

Not bad speakers at all. You could do a lot worse, for 10.00 i would not hesitate. They are not JBLs or Klipsch, but they are not thrusters neither, i used 4 for surround sound and it worked out pretty good.

 

[mhardy6647]

They are quite bland-sounding loudspeakers. Worth $10 if you have a use for them and space in which to put them - not worth acquiring just to have, I'd opine.

(and I say this as a guy who picked up a pair of R/S Nova-10 speakers off the swap pile at our dump last Saturday on my way home from SELLING OFF and GIVING AWAY excess hifi junk at a local antique radio fleamarket)

 

[halo71]

They are terrible sounding speakers imo. To me the value would be in the cabinets for a future DIY project.

 

[1tumbleweed]

I don't know that you could really call Utah a "hi fi" speaker manufacturer. The bulk of their products were journeyman speakers for car radios, console radios and the like, back in the day when there was an American industry as such. A comparable producer was Oaktron. IIRC, at some point I think they purchased Stephens Trusonic as a means of entry into the audio market...don't think it worked very well.

If you're jonesin' for some stamped baskets, seamed cones and tiny magnets, Utah's your source...

 

[mhardy6647]

I think that characterization of Utah is a little extreme/unfair - Utah certainly effected to play in the big leagues (at the level of University, EV, and Jensen if not JBL and Altec) in the 1950s and 1960s (even into the early 1970s). Radio Shack sold Utah OEM coaxes and drivers typically branded "Americana" with stout, cast baskets. Unfortunately, it is true that their extended-range (twincone) and coax drivers don't sound as good as the other above-mentioned manufacturers... but they weren't exactly junk, either.


For example, although they're not in the same league as Altec Duplexes, or even the EV 12TRXB, these 12" Utah Celestas aren't exactly junk...

Their speaker systems, on the other hand, were pretty forgettable (as other posts to this thread have already intimated). One will also find Utah OEM speaker systems (e.g., some of the 1960s and 1970s "Knight" branded speakers from Allied - altough some of the Knight speakers were considerably better and featured other OEM drivers (e.g., EV).

 

[Groove_capn]

Currently trying to refurbish a pair myself I'm trying to find a tech readout if you happen to run across one hit me up lol.

 

[milosz]

I had a pair of Utah speakers in the early 1970's. Kinda awful speakers. Flabby, boomy bass, honky sounding mids and mushy sounding treble. But fairly efficient.... these were ported designs. Some of their sealed designs of the same era were better sounding.

 

[Papa Dog]

They are quite bland-sounding loudspeakers. Worth $10 if you have a use for them and space in which to put them - not worth acquiring just to have, I'd opine.

(and I say this as a guy who picked up a pair of R/S Nova-10 speakers off the swap pile at our dump last Saturday on my way home from SELLING OFF and GIVING AWAY excess hifi junk at a local antique radio fleamarket)

 

[Papa Dog]

You got it bad, Mhardy. Me too.