Vintage Speakers

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anis493

Active Member
Hello all,
I am looking for vintage speakers under 100$ - 200$.
I have listed following speakers, Does any body has positive comments on following speakers ? or any other recommendation ?

WHARFEDALE Laser 50
Lafayette Criterion 2002+
SANSUI S-U570
Pioneer CS-G303
Pioneer S-200X

Personally i like Pioneer speakers Japan Made would appreciate if some one can share experience with Pioneer CS-G303 & Pioneer S-200X. I want stereo speakers with solid base, should have woofer size 10inch. Pioneer HPM is bit expensive for me now. Please suggest any other model.
My room size is 10X16F.


Regards
 
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I've never heard that much good about the Criterion stuff (That's the old Lafeyette house brand, right?).

The Wharfedale Laser models get great reviews. That's a laid-back British speaker that you can listen to all-day-long without your ears getting fatigued. Rich sound with great mids. 8" woofer, but that series is underrated. Out of those you mentioned, the Laser 50's would be my choice, and not just because I'm a Wharfedale fan. The other models you named don't sound like anything to write home about. I don't recognize the Pioneers (Neither of them look very-good), and that sounds like a later Sansui model, which is not a good thing. Their best speakers were back in the '70's as far as I know. The Wharfedales are a solid deal in the under $100 dept, but no more than $100, as they made even better speakers that can be found for $150-$200 (The Laser series is good though... They weren't cheap back when they were sold new... I believe that's from the tail end of their British-made stuff, although don't quote me on that... But even their modern stuff made in China is good, even their cheap ones... Well-reviewed).
 
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- i bought my Genesis 2 's from Barter Town (you really should join, because the deals are a-plenty... then again... you might go broke! lol ) for less then $200 and I absolutley love them.
 
@ Gang-Twanger, I will connect them with Pioneer SX-780.
I like Everything. Classic Rock is my favourite but I also enjoy most kinds of metal, rock, classical.
 
anis493 said:
@ Gang-Twander, What else model of Wharfedale is better than Laser 50 under 200$ budget ?
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Well, it's complicated. If you looked around, you might find some E70's or E90's for $200 if you get lucky (A pair of E50's is probably on par or even better than the Laser 50's). The E*0 series still flies somewhat under the radar. They were high-end from the late '70's. The Lasers I think are late '80's, give or take. Can't remember exactly.

And you can also look for the W*0 models, which were '60's to early '70's. The W60D or W70D would be a good score for $200 or less (The W70D's often sell for more, but not always). W90D's would be even better, but hard to find that cheap. All 3 are excellent for classic-rock as well as classic funk/soul stuff. The W60E's and W70E's (Last series of the W*0 range... Early '70's) would be easier to find at the $200 or less range, mainly because Wharfedale had gone through some changes at that point, one of them being the elimination of the sand-filled rear panel, which was a staple of their W*0, W*0B, W*0C, and W*0D lines. Still excellent speakers, but just not quite as well-made as the ones before them. Any of the W*0C, W*0D, or W*0E models would be doable with an SX-780, and they will upgrade with you. If you go tube, those will do nicely, although the later the W*0 series, the less-sensitive/less-efficient they are. The ones with cone-tweeters are the best with tubes. You'd be surprised what kind of sound you can get from a pair of early W90's and an old tube amp or receiver. For classic-rock, it doesn't get much better. Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Zeppelin, etc. That sort of thing, not to mention funky stuff like James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Al Green, Tower Of Power, etc. Old '60's Wharfedales are amazing reproducers of horn instruments and old-school electric instruments and effects (Classic-rock guitars and analog-based guitar effects, Hammond B3's, baritone horns, etc.). Tube and tube-like amplification is the key to getting the most out of them. I run a Fisher 800C with my W90's currently, although I did run them with a Sansui 2000X before that. Those early solid-state Sansuis are a great match for old Wharfedales in terms of solid-state gear.
 
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You may want to take a look at the KLH Model Fives. Their prices are going up but they can be found in your price range needing a cross over rebuild, but well worth it.

These are known for outstanding bass, very nice mids and highs, also non fatigueing. Great for any music. They can take lots of power and set up with at least 8 feet between them will give an outstanding sound stage.

The KHL Model Six and Twenty Three are also great speakers.

Have fun with your search.

Glenn
 
Wharfedale Laser series were from the late 'Seventies/early 'Eighties. I believe they were so named because they were the first models to be produced using computer aided design. They were not/are not particularly well regarded.

The Diamond series are much better, particularly the early ones up to and including the Diamond IV. These should be available under $100.
 
EDIT another cheap Wharfedale which is a good one is the CRS3 but no idea if they were ever sold Stateside. These are all small speakers, though.
 
GD70 said:
You may want to take a look at the KLH Model Fives. Their prices are going up but they can be found in your price range needing a cross over rebuild, but well worth it.

These are known for outstanding bass, very nice mids and highs, also non fatigueing. Great for any music. They can take lots of power and set up with at least 8 feet between them will give an outstanding sound stage.

The KHL Model Six and Twenty Three are also great speakers.

Have fun with your search.

Glenn
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Sounds like a good idea. The 780 is only like 40 or 45 watts per channel, but what were the old '60's Fives rated? 50wpc or something? I assume the earlier ones are more-sensitive than the later ones, just like with the Wharfies. The Fives might be a better match for that receiver. Depends.

If you spot ANY University models in your price range, grab 'em. Those are underrated and sound very, very-good. High-quality stuff that was priced up there with Altec stuff. Bozak is another possibilty. Boston Acoustics as well.

Some people scoff at cone-tweeters, but my favorite tweeters are the cones in my avatar (alnico Wharfedale Super 3's... same ones used in my W90's). Depends on the speaker though. Most speakers from 1980 or later that use cone-tweeters are not all that good. But a pair of W70's, W70B's or W70C's with some good tube gear powering them can knock your socks off. And the same goes for the even larger W90 and W90C (I believe it was simply called W90 until the W*0C series came out in the mid '60's... No W90B as far as I know). Ultra-smooth, yet airy-sounding highs. Rich, coherent, refined mids (Here's a pair of early W60's from around 1962-'63 with some good tube power, just to give you an idea of the kind of mids I'm talking about: https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=qxPljs82Xgw ). Excellent separation. Plus, they just have the tone. A truly-authentic-sounding speaker for music from the '70's and earlier (Old blues from the '30's, '40's, '50's, and '60's? ... Forget about it... They OWN that stuff, and the same goes for the old jazz and country too). If classic-rock and '60's and '70's music is your thing, you will surely want to put the W*0 models on your "someday" radar. I will NEVER sell my W90's. They do tend to run in the $300-$500 range nowadays though, as they are the TOTL model in that line (Six drivers... Two 12" woofers, two 5.25" mids, and two 3" tweeters per cab).

But for the Pioneer SX-780, my guess would be to look for the KLH Five, Six, and Twenty Three, plus the Dynaco A25 and A35. I thought about the AR2ax, but they would be harder to find for $200 or less. The Epi (Epicure) 100 is another to look for at that price.
 
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Mart Mccall said:
Wharfedale Laser series were from the late 'Seventies/early 'Eighties. I believe they were so named because they were the first models to be produced using computer aided design. They were not/are not particularly well regarded.

The Diamond series are much better, particularly the early ones up to and including the Diamond IV. These should be available under $100.
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Not the most-well-regarded WHARFEDALE series, but I've heard a few owners say some very-nice things about them. They USUALLY sell for under $100 though, so...

The TSR series is excellent (early '80's), and they fly under the radar (Is that the series you meant?). High-end like the E*0 series. Wharfedale made SO many different lines/models, it's really-hard to sort them all out. I would love to go to the UK and find a pair of English-assembled SFB3's. There were US-sold versions which were assembled at B.I.C. in New York using the British-made drivers, but I like the look of the British/European-sold version a little better. But on the other hand, you guys don't have the W*0 models like the W70's and W90's, which is really a shame. They are loaded with potential.
 
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Gang-Twanger said:
The TSR series is excellent (early '80's), and they fly under the radar (Is that the series you meant?). High-end like the E*0 series. Wharfedale made SO many different lines/models, it's really-hard to sort them all out. I would love to go to the UK and find a pair of English-assembled SFB3's. There were US-sold versions which were assembled at B.I.C. in New York using the British-made drivers, but I like the look of the British/European-sold version a little better. But on the other hand, you guys don't have the W*0 models like the W70's and W90's, which is really a shame. They are loaded with potential.
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No never heard the TSR speakers, I think they are pretty rare in the UK, like the W range are.

The Diamonds are from the mid 'Eighties onwards, here is a review of the Diamond IV on U-Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLZphV-vSyU

I've never heard a Wharfedale I didn't think was good, except for the Delta 30 - avoid those like the plague.
 
I started looking for vintage Pioneers ,but gave up & settled for these GL 60 Cantons . Came with a pair of GL 45s . Got them off the bay for $160 . The 60s have 8.5 inch woofs ( 1 was blown ) , 1.5 inch dome mids & a 1 inch dome tweets. This GL series goes bigger ,maybe up to a 10 inch woof . I don't think you need to with your room size though , I only drive mine with a Sansui AU 555 & at 30% volume they roar . That's about 8 watts .:yes:
I modded mine a bit as I put in the new woofer . Here's a couple of pics ,with the amp as well . I can't believe the power of this little amp . I have the 45s hooked up to the b speaker output & running both at once , at around 35 % volume ,lets just say there's no cats left in da house .:no:
 

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Thank you so much guys for your valuable & informative suggestions/discussions.

As an start I found good pair of Laser 50 (single owner) in genuine condition (no refurbished no faulty, clear history) 100$. These looks good to me in appearance & they have nice reviews under my budget as well.
I am from Middle East Region - Bahrain. We don't have mature audio market here hence I can't find most of brands & models locally. I have to buy online, no other option for me. Some of speakers you guys suggested are not available for sale.
I was not even aware of brands name you guys are talking about :) I heared about them first time.

Thank you so much for your answers & show me the world of vintage systems.

Much appreciated
 
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