Uncolored vintage loudspeakers 80s-90s: recommendations

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Phasecorrect, Apr 27, 2017.

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  1. Phasecorrect

    Phasecorrect Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    WI
    Any specific models that meet this criteria: clean, controlled bass, open midrange, relaxed top end. Considering:

    Boston A 100/150
    Paradigm
    PSB
    B&W
     
    tmtomh likes this.
  2. Phasecorrect

    Phasecorrect Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    WI
    Also:

    NHT Super one
     
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  3. fortherecord

    fortherecord Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    Polk Monitor 7b or Monitor 5 with Peerless tweeters are very neutral.
     
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  4. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    All speakers are colored in some way. What size and price range are you thinking of? To be used with what amplifier? What room size? All of that will effect the resulting sound.
    -Bill
     
    CowFish, bhazen, SandAndGlass and 4 others like this.
  5. russk

    russk Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse NY
    I'll second the above and add what kind of positioning as well. I never really found Boston, B&W, or Polk to be very neutral, uncolored speakers.

    If you have a lot of room and some decent power say over 60 watts with some decent reserves/current, Vandersteen's 2ci/2ce series were always considered pretty good and often some of the highest praise they received in reviews was that they do nothing really wrong.

    Personally I choose speakers based on my room size and where they will have to go. Right now I use a 13x16 sized room with corners and an 8 foot ceiling with an area rug and full of soft furniture. I wanted something dynamic with bass that can be tucked away in the corners pushed up against the wall. So I picked Cornwalls.
     
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  6. JBStephens

    JBStephens I don't "like", "share", "tweet", or CARE. In Memoriam

    Location:
    South Mountain, NC
    Infinity Quantum Junior. IF you can find them.
     
  7. 62caddy

    62caddy Forum Resident

    Location:
    PA
    Boston Acoustics A400, A200.

    AR9, AR90.
     
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  8. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    B&W, KEF, LS3/5a BBC licensed proper versions.
     
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  9. timind

    timind phorum rezident

    I was going to suggest the Polk Audio 7b. I had a pair back in the early 80s and always thought they had a neutral sound.
     
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  10. Phasecorrect

    Phasecorrect Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    WI
    In my area I have the following available-

    Polk 5 Jr
    Infinity monitor Jr
    BA A100
    Mirage sm-1
    Snell type j III

    Thoughts?
     
  11. ls35a

    ls35a Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, Idaho
    Anything by ADS.
     
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  12. RiCat

    RiCat Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT, USA
    Every speaker has a "voice" and every ear has a bias as to what it hears as pleasing. This is why so many people will tell you to listen before you buy. Pre-owned may be the way to go however speaker technology has advanced and a pair less vintage may be your best bet. Your profile does not list much make and model information. Can you please expand a bit on what the new speakers will be paired with? What is your budget?
     
  13. joshbg2k

    joshbg2k Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    I've got a pair of Canton Karat 940s that I like a lot.
     
  14. Phasecorrect

    Phasecorrect Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    WI
    Great suggestion. Thanks!
     
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  15. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Yeah, I'm an acoustic suspension convert.
     
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  16. Phasecorrect

    Phasecorrect Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    WI
    Punchy, clean, tight bass
     
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  17. Phasecorrect

    Phasecorrect Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    WI
    Basically, im looking for a larger, full range , vintage standmount monitor that doesn't SOUND like a vintage speaker: boxey, muddy, boomy. I have had good luck with BA in the past, in still being competitive for a used product, so there early A line is intriguing. ADS suggestion as well as Canton were welcome. Any other 2-way, 8-10 " under the radar models from this golden era design?
     
  18. Tim Irvine

    Tim Irvine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, Texas
    Look for a pair of ADS 1290s. They are towers but have a small footprint and sound lovely. I think any of the ADS stand mounts I've heard were not what I think of as full range on the low end, although they sounded great.
     
    Sneaky Pete likes this.
  19. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    There is a current closeout, sorry I cannot remember the model number, posted a few places here. They looked like quite good designs.

    Why are you looking for 80s/90s? Nothing wrong with that, but my perspective as a loudspeaker engineer is that there have been very large advances in speaker technology since then, so I'm not enamored or wearing rose-colored glasses for old designs. Well, OK, full disclosure, I do carry a big torch for the B&W 801F, those sounded freaking amazing and therefore still should. And I'm not saying old designs are somehow bad, I simply disagree that there is some kind of magic going on there.

    If you do get something old, avoid foam, it is probably not in the best shape. And crossover capacitors may not be working correctly. Also consider rotating drivers which have been pulled downwards by gravity for decades and therefore maybe out-of-center.

    In the end, you just have to listen. All speakers of whatever price are horribly inaccurate transducers full of flaws and tradeoffs, so you have to pick what sins you can live with.

    As for "a larger, full range , vintage standmount monitor that doesn't SOUND like a vintage speaker: boxey, muddy, boomy" you might try to find the Celestion SL600/SL700/SL700SE with their honeycomb Aerolam cabinets. My dad has my Celestion 100s-not Aerolam but still very neutral sounded and pair-matched.
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2017
  20. Phasecorrect

    Phasecorrect Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    WI
    Mirage fans: M 790s. What can one expect?
     
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  21. Bhob

    Bhob Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta Ga
    I second that emotion.
     
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  22. Brother_Rael

    Brother_Rael Senior Member

    Heybrook HB1. If you can find a pair...
     
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  23. fortherecord

    fortherecord Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    The Quad ESL speaker was produced from 1957 to 1983, the most neutral and uncolored speaker ever made, with a glorious midrange like no other!
     
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  24. Phasecorrect

    Phasecorrect Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    WI
    What they do , they do almost without 0peer. However, not really designed for deep bass or classic rock imho
     
    fortherecord likes this.
  25. thxdave

    thxdave "One black, one white, one blonde"

    A lifetime of wandering through several brands, but I always come back to a/d/s.
     
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