Are vintage speakers worth it?

[spwath]

So, vintage speakers, are they worth looking into?

 

They seem very... big.

Would that then negate the need for a subwoofer?

 

So is it worth it to look into speakers from the 1970's-80's?

 

I really like the look of them, and they seem intersting.

Opinions?

[Goodman2265]

I have the BOSE acoustimass from 1998 (5 double speakers and sub) and a Pioneer DSX-606S receiver which is 1990's era

[BurgerBum]

So, vintage speakers, are they worth looking into?

 

They seem very... big.

Would that then negate the need for a subwoofer?

 

So is it worth it to look into speakers from the 1970's-80's?

 

I really like the look of them, and they seem intersting.

Opinions?

can we got some model numbers, photos, or info? 

preferabbyl all of those? 

 

just cause its ''vintage'' doesnt mean its good. 

ive seen people buy old things that still work thinking if they're stil working they must be great and they sound hirrific compared to actually good stuff. 

[spwath]

can we got some model numbers, photos, or info? 

preferabbyl all of those? 

Im not talking about specific ones, but the idea of getting vintage speakers instead of new ones.

[BurgerBum]

Im not talking about specific ones, but the idea of getting vintage speakers instead of new ones.

when it comes to audio gear, i dont really think age matters. 

get whats good. if it so happens to be much older, go for it. 

 

its like with the HD600s. they're old. but they're still amazing. 

 

audio is not something where it can just continue to get better. there comes a point where something in audio is -perfect- for someone. theres no point in getting something else. 

 

 

basically dont look for something of a certian age. 

if you want it for bling factor like having a model M because having one makes you instantly badass. then sure. just make sure you do your research. 

[blackadder]

Im not talking about specific ones, but the idea of getting vintage speakers instead of new ones.

if you like the sound, it may be worth it. its a whole setting thing, kinda like listening to a jutebox in a bar. 

[t0wer]

vintage speakers are a great way to go.

 

you have to keep an eye out for damaged drivers if you go used speakers vintage or not.

many speakers 20-30 years old need to be refoamed, which isn't a hard and is usually fairly cheap.

but if there's a tear or a hole in the cone, or a big dent in a dust cap I pass on it.

 

Replaced drivers are a skip from me, and if they only replaced a driver in 1 of the cabinets it's a huge skip.

that is, unless you can find some original drivers.

[Oktyabr]

I used to make a hobby out of flipping some of the mid-range to higher end speakers, especially from the vintage 70's and 80's era.  Here is my opinion on it:

It wasn't until "home theater" came along that manufacturers started pushing collections of tiny cubes with a big subwoofer into the arms of people shopping for stereo equipment.  Today, the big money maker in retail is 'sound bars' that take up even less room.  Before that most stereos were two speakers and only two.  M&K sold the first dedicated 2.1 system, for music, and then went on to make some of my all time favorite subwoofers for home theater too... but they never did make a proper floor standing stereo pair.

The golden rule is that it takes a big cone(s) to make big sound.  This is why many companies still make stereo pairs...  For example the Klipsch "Klipschorn" was first sold in 1946 and is still sold today (MSRP of about US$9000 a pair), and very little has changed in the general design.  

Knowledge is key.  If you find a pair that look interesting, dig as deep as you can, especially if you can demo them as working and the price seems attractive.  The $9000 pair of Klipsch I mentioned?  Yeah, if I found a blown up pair of those for a couple hundred dollars I'd take them home in a heart beat.  If you don't know what it is you are buying then you are gambling with your money and as in any kind of gambling, most of the time you will loose.  A good resource is the audiogon bluebook.  There is an annual subscription price (something like $30 a year) but it's pretty informative.  Searching the make and model on ebay is another good method.

In a nutshell, condition isn't everything... if the price is right.  I've seen vintage "white van" speakers before, believe it or not (google "white van speakers" if you don't know), that looked great, worked fine, but still weren't worth near what the asking price was.  On the other hand I've seen speakers with damaged cones or crossovers in need of rebuilding that even at a couple hundred bucks were still a steal of a deal compared to what I could (and usually did) sell them for later.

Good physical condition is the first thing I look for.  Especially if they have real hardwood finishes.  If you can find a pair with the original boxes, manuals, etc. even better. 

Speakers that look great, but have been sitting in storage for the last 20 years, might have some unpleasant surprises for you when you get home.  Caps that start to leak, surrounds that crack or turn to dust when you finally start using them again, etc.  It's better to haggle on vintage speakers AS IF both of you know that some refurbishment is due... unless they have paperwork proving that professional work was done sometime in the relatively recent past.

A few easy tests? 

Inspect the entire outside closely.  Look for water damage, cracks, or worst of all, where the seams in the cabinets have started to separate.  Check out the grill too, carefully.  New grill fabric isn't expensive but it still costs money and is a pain in the butt to learn how to replace it to anything close to OEM condition.  

Carefully remove the grills.  Make sure that any pins that might attach the grills to the cabinets are all still there, not broke off or glued.  If the grill isn't designed to be removed this is *almost* guaranteed to be a waste of time and money, with few exceptions (the original Paradigm Atoms as an example, new around $200, were excellent and the grills did not come off)

If the speaker has any sort of adjustment controls take a note of if the knobs/switches are all there and that they move as you would expect them to.

Gently touch the surround of the speaker itself.  If it's foam, lightly rub it with a finger tip just a bit.  If it starts to rub off onto your finger it is already badly deteriorated and will need replacement, no matter how good it looks at that moment.  A light pinch can also confirm this but be prepared to buy the speakers when the surround breaks in your hand.  Accordion style treated fabric surrounds typically last much longer and are generally a much safer bet.  Look for a less than perfect glue job where the surround meets the cone.  This is usually a sign that they have been replaced at least once before and may be a good thing, even if it doesn't look cosmetically perfect.

Look at the cones themselves and the center caps for any damage.  You can get most larger drivers reconed, which isn't exactly cheap, and many places sell replacement drivers too, even for popular vintage speakers.   Ebay again may be a real money saver here on parts.  Pay particular attention to the screws that hold the drivers into the cabinets.  They should all match and should all have perfect paint.  Even removing a screw one time will usually leave noticable flaws in the head of the screw and then you only have two questions... "Why?" and "How much is this going to cost me?"  Or possibly "How much can I talk down the price because these have obviously been tampered with?"  

Part of the collection I used to have:





 

[spwath]

I used to make a hobby out of flipping some of the mid-range to higher end speakers, especially from the vintage 70's and 80's era. Here is my opinion on it:

It wasn't until "home theater" came along that manufacturers started pushing collections of tiny cubes with a big subwoofer into the arms of people shopping for stereo equipment. Today, the big money maker in retail is 'sound bars' that take up even less room. Before that most stereos were two speakers and only two. M&K sold the first dedicated 2.1 system, for music, and then went on to make some of my all time favorite subwoofers for home theater too... but they never did make a proper floor standing stereo pair.

The golden rule is that it takes a big cone(s) to make big sound. This is why many companies still make stereo pairs... For example the Klipsch "Klipschorn" was first sold in 1946 and is still sold today (MSRP of about US$9000 a pair), and very little has changed in the general design.

Knowledge is key. If you find a pair that look interesting, dig as deep as you can, especially if you can demo them as working and the price seems attractive. The $9000 pair of Klipsch I mentioned? Yeah, if I found a blown up pair of those for a couple hundred dollars I'd take them home in a heart beat. If you don't know what it is you are buying then you are gambling with your money and as in any kind of gambling, most of the time you will loose. A good resource is the audiogon bluebook. There is an annual subscription price (something like $30 a year) but it's pretty informative. Searching the make and model on ebay is another good method.

In a nutshell, condition isn't everything... if the price is right. I've seen vintage "white van" speakers before, believe it or not (google "white van speakers" if you don't know), that looked great, worked fine, but still weren't worth near what the asking price was. On the other hand I've seen speakers with damaged cones or crossovers in need of rebuilding that even at a couple hundred bucks were still a steal of a deal compared to what I could (and usually did) sell them for later.

Good physical condition is the first thing I look for. Especially if they have real hardwood finishes. If you can find a pair with the original boxes, manuals, etc. even better.

Speakers that look great, but have been sitting in storage for the last 20 years, might have some unpleasant surprises for you when you get home. Caps that start to leak, surrounds that crack or turn to dust when you finally start using them again, etc. It's better to haggle on vintage speakers AS IF both of you know that some refurbishment is due... unless they have paperwork proving that professional work was done sometime in the relatively recent past.

A few easy tests?

Inspect the entire outside closely. Look for water damage, cracks, or worst of all, where the seams in the cabinets have started to separate. Check out the grill too, carefully. New grill fabric isn't expensive but it still costs money and is a pain in the butt to learn how to replace it to anything close to OEM condition.

Carefully remove the grills. Make sure that any pins that might attach the grills to the cabinets are all still there, not broke off or glued. If the grill isn't designed to be removed this is *almost* guaranteed to be a waste of time and money, with few exceptions (the original Paradigm Atoms as an example, new around $200, were excellent and the grills did not come off)

If the speaker has any sort of adjustment controls take a note of if the knobs/switches are all there and that they move as you would expect them to.

Gently touch the surround of the speaker itself. If it's foam, lightly rub it with a finger tip just a bit. If it starts to rub off onto your finger it is already badly deteriorated and will need replacement, no matter how good it looks at that moment. A light pinch can also confirm this but be prepared to buy the speakers when the surround breaks in your hand. Accordion style treated fabric surrounds typically last much longer and are generally a much safer bet. Look for a less than perfect glue job where the surround meets the cone. This is usually a sign that they have been replaced at least once before and may be a good thing, even if it doesn't look cosmetically perfect.

Look at the cones themselves and the center caps for any damage. You can get most larger drivers reconed, which isn't exactly cheap, and many places sell replacement drivers too, even for popular vintage speakers. Ebay again may be a real money saver here on parts. Pay particular attention to the screws that hold the drivers into the cabinets. They should all match and should all have perfect paint. Even removing a screw one time will usually leave noticable flaws in the head of the screw and then you only have two questions... "Why?" and "How much is this going to cost me?" Or possibly "How much can I talk down the price because these have obviously been tampered with?"

Part of the collection I used to have:

OK, thanks!

Also, how do you see the tv, thoes speakers are right in front of it

Edit: also, you said you flipped them. Where would you sell them? I feel like shipping costs would be crazy if you sold them on eBay

[Warren Pnigel]

Some vintage speakers are, it depends. Just like today there were crappy speakers and really good speakers manufactured 30 or so years ago, so if you get a good set they are worth it imo. 

[JR1911]

Speakers that were good 20-30 years ago are still good speakers today, assuming they've been taken good care of and are in decent working condition.

[Oktyabr]

OK, thanks!

Also, how do you see the tv, thoes speakers are right in front of it

Edit: also, you said you flipped them. Where would you sell them? I feel like shipping costs would be crazy if you sold them on eBay

One pair at a time in the living room....  sometimes two, for doing listening comparisons...  "shoot outs"  That photo is just to show many of them together at the same time.  

At the time I lived in a large city in the USA.  I had craigslist, primarily, newspaper classified ads, and yes, even ebay (local pickup only).  I have had people drive several hundred miles to buy something I had.  A lot of trading too.  A few good clubs locally, several friends that had the same interests (some of my first time customers became long time friends!) and I always took trade-ins, especially if they came with cash as well.  It's a hobby, and if you get into it as such you will realize you aren't the only one interested in it as such.

[TumbleButt]

Consider the following:

1.) Will they actually work? (Like... is the seller actually selling a working product?)
2.) Are they well taken care of? (Did the seller actually take care of it?)
3.) Will it fit? (I'm guessing here since I'm not sure how large or how small the speakers you are gonna buy)