• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Why are vintage speaker prices so high right now?

turboyam said:
Reading your signature: "Trying not to be a small speaker hoarder'' makes me laugh... Show me a BPC audio receiver or amp, from the 70's WISE GUY................
Click to expand...

See an Allied Radio and Radio Shack catalog of the time and you'll see lots of cheap crap among the good stuff. Not to that mention that lots of the good stuff from the 70s sounds like crap, including many a harsh sounding early SS amplifier that only sounded decent when played through a speaker that sounded like a blanket was over it, like an AR.

But the more serious flaw in your reasoning is your implication that modern gear is necessarily crappy, that is absurd.
 
Last edited:
Tom Brennan said:
See an Allied Radio and Radio Shack catalog of the time and you'll see lots of cheap crap among the good stuff. Not to that mention that lots of the good stuff from the 70s sounds like crap, including many a harsh sounding early SS amplifier that only sounded decent when played through a speaker that sounded like a blanket was over it, like an AR.

But the more serious flaw in your reasoning is your inference that modern gear is necessarily crappy, that is absurd.
Click to expand...

A lot of people think of quality when looking at 60’s and 70’s gear because most of what they see has been dependable enough, and sounds good enough to survive the trip to the landfill. They never saw the hundred million tons of nasty sounding crap, or good sounding, but utterly unreliable junk sitting in the landfill.

I think most people are unimpressed with new because all they have heard lately is home theater crap from Best Buy.

There just isn’t as much consumer demand for stereo as there was last Century. It doesn’t smack you in the face by being on every street corner. You have to look for the good stuff now, and audition at home.

Lot’s of good/great stuff being made today. (Affordable to cost prohibitive) you just have to look for it.
 
I think it is a combination of factors.
Boomer (at their wealth peak) nostalgia, weak dollar and inflation, the vintage and vinyl craze, a yearning for the "golden age" of a product, and lastly - THE PANDEMIC. People have time to sit at home and shop.
More competition equals higher prices.
I think back to prices I paid for things and almost feel guilty for getting them at the then current value. I have not slowed down my shopping and do not plan to - because I still get better value for used equipment than new. I cannot afford my taste in new equipment and still have a life outside the hobby.
Save your money while enjoying music and searching out new stuff. Then you will have a "war chest" for winning the next gear sale. If you never get there - you had the music. That is what it was always about, anyway.
 
kfa888 said:
BTW all those speakers you listed except maybe the Pioneers are good ones and priced close to right. Barter a little and get them for $300-$350 and that seems right in line.
Click to expand...
I'm a JBL fan and avid owner and those Lancer 77s weren't good speakers when they were new, and haven't gotten any better with time. Sometimes nostalgia overcomes logic in vintage purchases.
 
botrytis said:
The system in my signature will put many high end vintage systems to shame.
Click to expand...

As I write this I'm listening Roxy Music in 16 bit/44.1 khz from Amazon streaming through a Marantz PM7000N streaming integrated amp driving Monitor Audio Silver 50 speakers. The system is new and cost $850 for the speakers, bought from a local audio store, and $1000.00 for the amp, bought from Amazon. The sound has excellent tonal balance and smoothness, superb clarity that allows hearing deep into the music, rock solid imaging and a wide soundstage, though not as deep as I'd like. True high fidelity sound for under 2 grand. I think some of these guys who think you won't get good sound with new gear unless you spend big bucks need to get around a little.

006109CB-CCB8-439D-B16B-4B9E484137E6.jpeg
 
Last edited:
colohiker said:
It depends on your location. Here in northern Colorado, the only way I seem to sell speakers is at near give away prices. Seems like 1/2 of them end up parted out on Ebay a few days later.
Click to expand...
Thanks for posting this. Starting to think I was the only one in this predicament. I'm not even trying to sell my stuff anymore. Allison, JBL, A/D/S, KLH, Klipsch. All in great sounding and looking condition. Not giving them away to low ballers and that's who nibbles at the listings!
 
bobschneider said:
Early AR domes used suspension plastic which is now stiff, so the output is way low. A replacement or rebuilt tweeter will fix the problem
Click to expand...

I formed my opinion of AR speakers listening to them when they were new. For speakers of the type I preferred KLH, I thought they had better clarity and life than AR, and I bought a pair of KLHs at the Hi Fi Hutch in Villa Park.
 
All the traffic will bare. If people would stop paying ridiculous prices, the prices would come down. I don't care how bad I want a particular set of speakers or equipment, I refuse to pay hyper inflated prices. I get $10 back then is like a $100 now, but older speakers are old, and will probably need even more money put into them to get them to preform more like new. Speaker tech has come a long ways. There are some really nice sounding speakers being sold today that would cost about the same or less than some of these vintage speakers being sold.
 
Even Klipsch KG4 are hard to find
Lavane said:
All the traffic will bare. If people would stop paying ridiculous prices, the prices would come down. I don't care how bad I want a particular set of speakers or equipment, I refuse to pay hyper inflated prices. I get $10 back then is like a $100 now, but older speakers are old, and will probably need even more money put into them to get them to preform more like new. Speaker tech has come a long ways. There are some really nice sounding speakers being sold today that would cost about the same or less than some of these vintage speakers being sold.
Click to expand...
Amen brother!
 
colohiker said:
It depends on your location. Here in northern Colorado, the only way I seem to sell speakers is at near give away prices. Seems like 1/2 of them end up parted out on Ebay a few days later.
Click to expand...
It is a tough market here. Thankfully, I ended up selling some KEF's (needed tweeters) and Epicure's in a package deal a while back. But like you, I practically gave them away just to get rid of them (I'm moving soon).
 
pauldrewry said:
I'll never understand the vintage craze, to each his own. But I dislike the notion that vintage is better then new. I have to wonder how many systems are compromised because of that. I'm thinking of kubuki speakers.
Click to expand...

On the same token, I don’t like when folks dismiss vintage gear outright. Yes, there have been technological strides made in electronics, but considering the popularity of stereo systems from this bygone era, there was a plethora of great equipment made that still stands up now. Barring the absurdity of an $11,000.00 Pioneer receiver, great stuff can be had for a pittance of what good new stuff costs. However, I don’t deal in absolutes, so your mileage may vary. JMHO
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom