Advent 5002 vs modern speakers

Harth

New Member
Hi, this is my first post to what seems like a very knowledgeable and friendly group.
I just bought a pair of very clean 5002s (in original boxes) for $75. I know these were considered to be very good but how do speakers like these compare to modern speakers? Are medium quality speakers today as good as the higher end ones of the 70's, like these Advents? I have a smaller pair of KEFs that I can't wait to compare them to but it may be awhile before I can set it up to do so.

I will use them with an NAD 705 until I set up my newly aquired Marantz 2265B.

Thanks,
Harth
 
Welcome aboard! I had two pairs of 5002 awhile back.

The 5002 advents are simply put - the best speaker advent produced. They will kick the crap outa any modern speakers that you'd buy at best buy, circuit city, etc....

Get them re-foamed and enjoy them. 75 is a very good price for these speakers. There are people here who can help you get the kits you need to refoam them yourself.
 
I'm a big fan of the 5002's also. Mine are in excellent with the original foam intact. If they sound good and the foam is pliable I wouldn't worry. Welcome to AK and enjoy your Advents.

cubdog
 
just wondering... let's say you were to buy a modern day speakers.... what brand/model would be comparable to these 5002's?
 
On the foam issue- I always just poke on it pretty good with my finger. If you can press it pretty much flat with the basket/cone without it falling to bits I'd say you're good. So far I've never found a vintage speaker that I didn't have to refoam, but the 5002s are a bit newer than some.

Ross, I would like to hear yours when we get together next month.

Ed
 
I'm not certain of the date of production of the 5002s, but it was later than the 70s. I bought my Advents in 1979, and they were the first revision of the original large, branded The New Advent Loudspeaker. Yours are very similar and are the closest to the original design, but are probably more like mid-80s.
 
THe 5002 was the last of the 'Real Advents' it was made from around 83-88 IIRC. In 89 Jensen bought out advent, and the legacy and other models of that design continued into the mid 90s when jensen was purchased by reconoton. From then Advent was crap because they were no longer using kloss design, nor advent designed drivers.

And as far as comparing to something new. i honestly don't know what would compare because I've never head anything in the line of speakers newer than the advent legacy.
 
Harth said:
SNIP Are medium quality speakers today as good as the higher end ones of the 70's, like these Advents? SNIP

I would give that a definite negative. You have to get to or past upper middle class speakers on new ones to compare to a middle class speakers of the 70's.

This makes an assumption that the older speaker is in good operating order, foam in good shape and caps replaced if needed.

I have has a couple of dozen sets of vintage speakers go thru my house is the past year or so. I had some Yamaha NS-7390 towers I had bought new prior to that, and Bose 141 bookshelf speakers before that. Neither could touch any of the vintage speakers, including minimus 7's (Radio shack book shelves) That I don't care for that much. My original concept ST19's with replacement woofers blew them away.

I'd say you would have to spend in excess of $500 at least, on say New Polk monitor/bookcase or tower speakers to come close, but I'm plenty happy with what I'm getting out of my vintage speakers, so I'm not willing to even try them unless someone else foots the bill.

Oh, and welcome! :thmbsp:
 
Just got a pair of 5002s tonight from a local Craigslist contact. They are amazing - great base. They just replaced a pair of Polk Monitor 10s in my living room system and I moved those bad boys to the upstairs system. The 5002s are in as new condition, original woofers and tweeters, perfect foam. I inagaurated them with The Best of the Cranberries CD and will spin some vinyl with them tomorrow... It's been a long wait but I finally have some big Advent speakers!
 
I "Like" my pair or Advent 5002's......but.......they took a back seat when I brought home and hooked up and listened to my ESS speakers.
 
For $75, the OP got a great deal, no doubt about it.

However, let's not kid ourselves. While the 5002's were very good speakers of their time and still considered very good speakers today, I'd hardly make the blanket statement that they're better than any modern speakers that you'd buy at Best Buy, etc.. which would include Magnolia. There's well over a few dozen speakers offered at Magnolia that I'd take in a heartbeat over the 5002's including various models from Sonus Faber, B&W, Definitive Technology, Monitor Audio, Martin Logan and possibly even Audio Engine.

Welcome aboard! I had two pairs of 5002 awhile back.

The 5002 advents are simply put - the best speaker advent produced. They will kick the crap outa any modern speakers that you'd buy at best buy, circuit city, etc....

Get them re-foamed and enjoy them. 75 is a very good price for these speakers. There are people here who can help you get the kits you need to refoam them yourself.
 
True....$75 is a good deal on the 5002's....I gave $20 for a pair of 25th Anniversary Large Advents but they aren't the "be all end all" to me. But in tip top shape, (caps, foam, etc) they do give a lot of the Best Buy "basic stuff" a good run...including some of the Klipsch and whatever else they are carrying now. I don't even go to the home A/V part of BB anymore when I'm in there. Most of those sales people are idiots anyway....not all, but most. (unless they came from a specialty shop that went out of business) After having been in the Home and Car Audio/Video world for 25 years (15 years retail, 10 years as a rep), there aren't many speaker and electronic lines that I can't buy for cost (or even employee purchase cost) still....but even at those prices, I still didn't/don't care to own any. Maybe one day...
 
I've got to listen to the Advents vs. the Polks more critically...I was getting the evil eye from my family when I was cranking the volume last night on the Advents :music:

Does anyone have a copy of a review of the 5002's when they came out? I was wondering what the actual low end of the speakers is - I'd guess around 40-45hz?

At first test, they do better at filling my large living room (appx. 18' x 48') better than anything else in my speaker arsenal.
 
I believe around 45hz.
In terms of bass output it is reportedly a bit cleaner and tighter than OLAs but less plentiful.

I have the 4002s which are the same drivers in a smaller box. I like them quite a bit and they compare nicely with other similar speakers (AR-2AX, AR-38, EPI 120, KLH 23 etc).
 
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