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Synergistic Speakers

C J Brown

C J Brown

Member
Back in December of 1977 I purchased a new Pioneer SX1250. At the same time I purchased a pair of tower like speakers for my main room. These were Synergistic model S62. I really liked the mid range and upper range sound of these speakers and the wise dispersion of the same that these speakers seemed to have.The bottom end was also solid and well suited for rock music. I have never seen these speakers elsewhere since back then. I purchased these speakers at a high end dealer. They cost $500.00 new back in 1977. They served me well until the summer of 2000 with only one repair session all those years. Does anyone else have these speakers or know anything about this brand ?

Charlie
 
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welcome to AK CJ

while perusing the bluebook the synergistic entry said they were affiliated with a company called RTR, here's the book info,

SYNERGYSTIC SPK, S-62 (PAIR)
Manufacture Years: 1977 - 1978
MSRP: $760.00
USED: $56.00
 
Synergistics were sold (pushed) by Stereo Discounters in MD back in the 1970's. I have the system brochure as a PDF; PM me if you'd like a copy.

I back-extracted a little info on the S-62A from the brochure. These won't be all that clear, but may be helpful(?).

They were decent-sounding if unremarkable speakers, as I recall.
 

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Hi Fi Buys in Indy, Louisville, and Nashville sold the heck out of these. They used RTR drivers. The designs were mostly 2 way with cone tweeters. I don't remember the S62 particularly, but I think it had tweeters on 3 sides. They sounded OK, mostly because the crossovers were simple ( 1 cap). If you blow a tweeter, Pioneer still has them for sale. Synergistics was a 120 point line, which means you could sell them for 1/2 price and still make money! We sold Pioneer SX 780's at cost with Synergistic speakers and made 60 points!
 
I have a small pair of Synergistics that I bought at the flea market for $10 about 20 years ago. Real wood. Two way. They always sound nice to me. Right now I use them with a Fisher RS-250 receiver for the PS2. Games sound great through them.
Rob
 
Thanks to everyone who has responded. Lots of memories have been kindled. These were my main speakers to about 2000. I had forgotten about the RTR driver connection. And yes they do have tweeters on three sides. I still have the pair of s-62's in a storage area.

Charlie
 
Wow do these (S-62A) bring back some college memories. A dorm mate of mine bought these at a local Hi-Fi shop and paired them up with his Altec model 9's and his pioneer sx-1050 receiver. I liked the towers back then but have been unable to find any info or another pair for my collection. I keep looking though. They were impressive in a dorm room setting for sure!
 
I decided to pull my Synergistic S62's out of my storage room and give them a try after 6 years. The cones and foam all seem to be fine. I hooked them up to a Yamaha DSP A1000 that I know works well and drives a set of classic Infinity QB's just fine. Well I got sound out of all the drivers but it was weak and only about 1/3 what it should have been. Can someone give me a short basic crash course on speaker problems 101 ? Other than broken cones or rotted foam I have no knowledge on what to expect or look for. I guess I just need a general idea of what could be wrong so I can shop around for some reliable local repairs.

Charlie
 
Weak sound is usually speaker wire strands touching. When woofer foam goes the bass is weak, but the treble is fine. As I recall these were more efficient than QBs. I don't remember the crossover, but I suppose there could be a problem there? Somethimes a hot glue bond breaks and an inductor falls off. Infinities are the classic poster child for this fault.
 
I checked carefully for speaker wire strands touching and found none. I agree that the S62's are a little more efficent than the QB's . That is one of the reasons I am worried. My search continues. Charlie
 
My S-73's play magnificently nearly thirty years after I purchased them. The foam's gone around the woofers but the rest still kicks tail! I'm having the woofers repaired to bring them back to their storeroom glory.
 
Found - a pair of Synergistics S62

Old thread I know...but just today I spotted and snagged a pair of Synergistic S62 speakers - thrift store, $19.95 (!!!) the pair. Weigh a ton, undamaged fabric, veneer needs a deep clean and rubbing with oil, but overall in near mint condition and...perfect working order!!!

These are big speakers - they dwarf my great old American Monitors. They are 36 inches tall, 18 inches wide and 11 inches deep. I estimate about 55 pounds each in weight. 12-inch woofer, 4.5 or 5 inch midrange, piezo horn tweeter, 3 cone tweeters (one front, one each side). Adjustable mid and tweeter controls. A happy find. Not easy to squeeze into my 2003 Honda Accord - which already contained my two large dogs and a 10 gallon fish tank! :)

Listening to Sarah McLachlan on the Synergistics at the moment - nice sound. Here are some 'as bought' pics...these babies will really gleam when I am through working on the wood! :banana::music::banana::music:
 

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I'm sorry, your avatar appeared 3 times in this thread, and I lost my train of thought.

Nice looking woofers.
 
OscarEmmy said:
Old thread I know...but just today I spotted and snagged a pair of Synergistic S62 speakers - thrift store, $19.95 (!!!) the pair. Weigh a ton, undamaged fabric, veneer needs a deep clean and rubbing with oil, but overall in near mint condition and...perfect working order!!!

These are big speakers - they dwarf my great old American Monitors. They are 36 inches tall, 18 inches wide and 11 inches deep. I estimate about 55 pounds each in weight. 12-inch woofer, 4.5 or 5 inch midrange, piezo horn tweeter, 3 cone tweeters (one front, one each side). Adjustable mid and tweeter controls. A happy find. Not easy to squeeze into my 2003 Honda Accord - which already contained my two large dogs and a 10 gallon fish tank! :)

Listening to Sarah McLachlan on the Synergistics at the moment - nice sound. Here are some 'as bought' pics...these babies will really gleam when I am through working on the wood! :banana::music::banana::music:
Click to expand...

Nice find, those look interesting. Looks like a phillips mid which is good. Tell us more as you listen to them. :yes:
 
I think I ran into those speakers last week somewhere near me. You in Indy?
I think that's the Peerless cone tweeter, to go along with the Philips mid. Also looks like a made by RtR design.
 
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Well defined top end and decent midrange...bass not as defined and punchy as my American Monitors, but not soggy either; overall a decent sound. This big speaker needs a firm foundation - on my bouncy wood floors, I don't think the bass is helped. Bass definition improves a lot when these are moved away from a back wall. Very competent, seem efficient enough. Listening to Sting's 10 Summoner's Tales...also listened to Dave Gruisin 'Migration' and Earl Klugh 'Heartstring.' These can be cranked without harshness...apparently take up to 150 watts, but on my old Sony STR-7800SD I can only bear about a quarter turn before things start shaking around the house and the dogs start vibrating across the floor! In a big room, with some damping wall coverings (curtains), these would sound terrific. It's really the mid and upper ranges that are the strong points of these babies. Quoted FR of 26Hz to 24kHz...who am I to argue. A nicely styled speaker with decent sound - and a steal for under $20, that's for sure.
 
wank said:
I think I ran into those speakers last week somewhere near me. You in Indy?
I think that's the Peerless cone tweeter, to go along with the Philips mid. Also looks like a made by RtR design.
Click to expand...

No, I got these in Muncie - I live about 50 miles from Indy.
 
funny how so many 70's speaker companies copied the exact look of ESS's original line of 'tower' (they originated that style) speakers from the early seventies, like the transstatic, translinear and transmonitor...but not the sound.

the synergistics did briefly use that great peerless cone tweeter from the ess translinear and transmonitor even copying the side-firing tweeter of the translinear.

none of those imitators did kef b1044 woofers in a folded transmissionline like ess used!

as i recall, the acoustic suspension synergistics had a nice bass response but not the d e e p extension of the early ess (for roughly the same size tower cabinet). they were so much like the RTR stuff that i always suspected a connection with that company.

this thread brought back some nice memories of actually lusting after a pair of big synergisitics for a little while back in the mid 70's...
 
s53

Hello all,
I just bought a pair of s53's off of a guy in town for $10.
They look like they are in really good shape. The woofers are pulled out.
The other speakers all look to be intact, but havent been tested yet.
I know absolutely nothing about these so I am wondering if anyone can
tell anything about them. I saw above that you guys are talking about s52's and s62's, I wasnt sure if these were made in the same year or if they are similar at all.
 
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