Vintage speakers for Luxman R-1040

[Gurkov]

Brauns are nice boxes, good choice.

Having a sub that can take the bass out of the Brauns would be best but any added bottom end for a sub would be welcome.

I saw pair of Braun L900's, but it was much too long a drive to pick them up. Anyway, I thought they were a little larger and hence beef up the sound... Well, turned out they were like 85 cm tall and weighing in at 26 kg each. Yikes!

 

[ernieS]

On the lookout for a pair of new, or rather vintage, speakers for my Luxman R-1040. Would love to hear from fellow Luxman owners what speakers have worked best for them, and why.

Currently alternating (and sometimes running simultaneously) Monitor Audio Silver RX1’s and Pioneer CS-F51’s but really not happy with either of them. The MA’s are just lacking in everything and the Pioneers are too dark (plenty of bass but too little and too undefined treble - turning up the treble knob reveals their lacking quality). They’re better together, but not good enough.

When listening with my ATH M50X headphones, everything just sounds so right. The receiver has a clear, detailed sound, which together with the warmth of an Empire cart or a Shure M91 is just magical... Even with my iPod ”5th late gen”, it sings.

Some options I’ve heard mentioned, which are also available for me (Sweden) are:

Dynaco A25
Epicure 100
Celestion Ditton 17 or 44

I could try the auction site for sellers in the EU, but not sure how good it is to ship vintage speakers. Advents are hard to come by here, Bostons are more available, but mostly newer budget lines...

Ive had a ball with a pair of Hafler 300 I picked up. May be hard to find. My fav would be a JBL L100T or 80T. I also love the L-3 and L-5. For bookshelf type, Boston VR-M60 hands down. Huge punch and low end grunt.

 

[Gurkov]

Ive had a ball with a pair of Hafler 300 I picked up. May be hard to find. My fav would be a JBL L100T or 80T. I also love the L-3 and L-5. For bookshelf type, Boston VR-M60 hands down. Huge punch and low end grunt.

Haflers seem impossible to find here. JBL’s are a plenty, but go for ridiculous prices...

Speakers are like a whole new world for me, I did all the critical listening on headphones until my tinnitus got worse and I had to keep phones use to a minimum.

I had a pair of Carlsson / Sonab speakers for a long time, probably my country’s most famous speaker. One of the older models where the four (4!) tweeters sat too low in the plinth. They raised it for the Mk 2. Still a very interesting construction and perfect for using if you rarely are positioned in the sweet spot, since the room is ”a part of the speakers”.

 

[ernieS]

Haflers seem impossible to find here. JBL’s are a plenty, but go for ridiculous prices...

Speakers are like a whole new world for me, I did all the critical listening on headphones until my tinnitus got worse and I had to keep phones use to a minimum.

I had a pair of Carlsson / Sonab speakers for a long time, probably my country’s most famous speaker. One of the older models where the four (4!) tweeters sat too low in the plinth. They raised it for the Mk 2. Still a very interesting construction and perfect for using if you rarely are positioned in the sweet spot, since the room is ”a part of the speakers”.

Ive had to be very patient. My opportunities come up usually as speakers with rotted woofers and cheap. My L-80t was $180. Woofer rebuild was 45 per. I did the wood and poof, $850 value. Same with my L3,L5, L1, L20T3 and my L100T3. Picked those up for $200. Did the woofers, sold $900. My speaker guy is an artist.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Need to know what speakers to look for and make a long list and then take advantage of when a speaker on the list hits the price point you want.

We don't know what brands are common in Sweden so it is hard for us to recommend specific speakers for you to find even though we have recommended a lot of speakers you might not find.

What are some of the brands you have readily available to you?

 

[Gurkov]

Ive had to be very patient. My opportunities come up usually as speakers with rotted woofers and cheap. My L-80t was $180. Woofer rebuild was 45 per. I did the wood and poof, $850 value. Same with my L3,L5, L1, L20T3 and my L100T3. Picked those up for $200. Did the woofers, sold $900. My speaker guy is an artist.

Good deal! That’s usually the way to go, except around here even defective JBL’s go for crazy prices. Oh well. Patience is key, though, I was lucky with my Brauns.

 

[Gurkov]

Need to know what speakers to look for and make a long list and then take advantage of when a speaker on the list hits the price point you want.

We don't know what brands are common in Sweden so it is hard for us to recommend specific speakers for you to find even though we have recommended a lot of speakers you might not find.

What are some of the brands you have readily available to you?

Oh, I’m really happy with my Brauns, even if I ultimately want to use them for closer listening, too far away in the room now.

Not really hunting now, but if I stumble upon a bargain I will try other stuff too. Gonna pick up a pair of 70’s Sonys made in Norway soon, said ro have Seas parts that should sound nice - at least good enough for my work setup (though who knows when I’ll actually be back in the office).

Beovox are very common here, and usually aren’t too steep. A pair of Kefs are nearly always too steep, but some of the older models less so. I saw some Cadenza’s that were just a tad north of my worth-a-try limit... Grundigs are reasonbly priced too, for example 4400 and 65 boxes, but might be too harsh for my taste...

 

[Gurkov]

Oh and yes, a list like that is precisely what I’ve been doing. @Blue Shadow A lot of excellent old threads here to keep me well-informed!

 

[Blue Shadow]

There are a few Beovox speakers I would like to try. They have good drivers in them. What about some of the later Tandbergs? Are those available and reasonable or do folks know they are good making them more expensive?

 

[Gurkov]

There are a few Beovox speakers I would like to try. They have good drivers in them. What about some of the later Tandbergs? Are those available and reasonable or do folks know they are good making them more expensive?

Yeah, what are some of the ones you’d fancy? I think the S-45 model is the one I see the most.

Yep, just forgot to mention Tandberg, a lot of them too. The TOTL’s go for above 300€, but otherwise you can find them relatively cheap, probably bargains to be made if you’re persistent. I’ve been eyeing a pair of TL2520’s but the seller is a little too far away and I don’t think I want to pay up for unsafe shipping...

 

[Blue Shadow]

I haven't heard any B's that I remember just read good stuff about the ones that are of at least decent size. The Tandbergs, once they started making speakers instead of fancy wooden boxes with driver behind wood slats I think they are considered nice sounding units.

With gas at ½€ per liter we just make road trips to grab stuff that isn't too far away.

 

[Gurkov]

Yeah, if decent B&O’s or Tandbergs show up within reasonable distance, I will prolly grab or at least audition them. Gas is about three times that price here, but above all I hate to see my six year old sitting in a car for hours when we could have a day together. Shorter drives, though, yesss! That feeling when she tells me to skip to Yellow Submarine or Obladi Oblada or Bungalow Bill and we scream along!