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Speakers you will NEVER sell.

Well this thread has been an entertaining read, and informative at the same time. Definitely the right prescription I needed as I battle the chronic Speakeratitis virus. Yup, you all know at least one person who is suffering from it, might even be yourself. This insidious ailment which causes one to buy vintage speakers whenever one finds them at a good deal. I’ve been trying to seriously stop but can’t, the speakers took over the house , but most got exiled to the garage. I even went so far as to sell off two sets of speakers. First to go were the Altec 15” ers in their original cabinets, things so big I had used them as end tables next to the couch (probably the intended design). They just took up too much space. Next to go were a pair of RogerSoundLabs studio monitors in solid walnut cabinets. Both set were beautiful but I needed to find some space. Other non notables followed them out the door but still have plenty to go around.
Now for the question asked: The speakers that I will never ever sell are ca. 1969 Tannoy 12” Gold monitors in their original walnut cabs and grills. These dual concentric baby’s perform well for me no matter what type of music is on the turntable. But that’s not why I won’t sell them. They were a gift from a friend when her father passed away. Seems he back in the day had spent his whole first paycheck (after being unemployed for an extended time) as a down payment on these. Needless to say the wife hated them and just wanted them out of her sight. Her loss my gain. But alas, once my friend came over one day and we were listening to them, she requested that if I ever decide to get rid of them, she’ld like to have them back. So a promise was made, and no matter what the value is or isn’t, I just can’t sell them. But then again it might just make me keep them forever.

I kind of feel like that was the cheaters way out of the decision so I must make another choice. Guess it would then have to be the set of JBL 4311 studio monitors in walnut cabs, that I picked up at a thriftstore for $30. Great find so they had to come home with me. Right? Being in perfect shape but large enough to crowd the livingspace, these have become the garage system speakers. They will last for the rest of my life, I think, so if the Tannoys leave they will rejoin me in the house.
The victim pool of possible ones I would sell does include some other interesting items which given the right time and place might just have to be sold. One of these days I’ll have to get some solid advice on which ones not to sell, after all the Altecs are sorely missed at times. None of them are real expensive, or at least not for me, so I think I could part with anyone of them. What do you think of the possible victims?

AR2s : original light colored plywood cabs
B & O Beovox P-45 : wall mount in rosewood cabs
Tandberg Hi-Fi 15 : very cool looking teak cabinet/grills
Stark Designs Sr2s : sleek walnut cabinets
2 pair Audax CA-70 : unusual slim design for the 1960 production date, walnut framed grill cloth backs with a cool geometric decorative grill

See what I mean, speakers just seem to call out to me from thrift stores and estate sales, if they are sleek kind of Danish modern is styling, they seem to follow me home. I’m getting better though since I know there is little room left at the inn. Perhaps I should sell some of these to make room for future finds. Guess I'm not cured yet.
 
I would have to say:

1. My DIY MTM's - The best sounding speakers I've ever owned.
2. Optimus 1b's - They are a true underdog and sound really good, almost sentimental to me.

So far that's it for me.

Ron
 
I'm going this this right now..deciding which to keep, which to sell (actually, I usually give things away to keep the karma going). I'm trying to get to a point where I don't have any middle of the road stuff around. It never gets used and just takes up space. So..speakers I will keep:

Sony SS-M7. I probably won't ever get rid of these. I did a thread on them last week...not what you'd expect from Sony. One of the most musical speakers I've heard.

Rega Jura. Again..just plain musical. I will only get rid of them if I acquire a pair of ELAs. Even then, I might keep them.

Dynaco A-25. Love 'em. There are probably better, modern, small speakers, but I don't care.

Acoustic Research AR3a. My pick of the New England Sound. I just need to get mine fully functional. Cosmetically they are one of the nicest pair I've seen, and came from the same estate as some of my furnitue.

And that just might be my collection when all is said and done. I have BA A-150s and Large Advents with one foot out the door. My Vandersteens IIa are so ratty looking that their sound doesn't make up for it. My Dahlquist DQ-30s sound amazing, but the Sony's, believe it or not, do what they do better and take up less space and look better doing it. My DQ-10s...I may keep them depending on what my housing situation is in the future. They take up mucho space and I've never completely fallen in love with the sound of them. They're in perfect condition but they don't like my room right now. I'll give them a shot in a new place and see. I could easily part with my L100s and possibly my AR2ax (only because I have AR3s). And my beloved KLH 6...I love them, but could see passing them on at some point.

I've been very lucky when it comes to speakers, and acquired so many so I could judge with my own ears to see what I like. Next up...panels. I could see loving a Magneplanar.
 
My problem is I never sell any of my speakers, I need to start selling a few of them soon.

My favorites change all the time, but my all time Keepers are my little destop Tektons, My Bottlehead Strait 8's, and my Dana Audios... Note, "not dynaudio"... but Dana Audio out of Texas.
 
infinity rs2.replaced stock watkins woofers with recent infinity ten inch car subs.bi amping with parasound to the mids and emits.running a qsc pro amp thru a behringer electronic crossover to the subs.the sound is amazing. I also have a pair of large advents on a pioneer sx1000 tw reciever.
 
bigdogk5 said:
infinity rs2.replaced stock watkins woofers with recent infinity ten inch car subs.bi amping with parasound to the mids and emits.running a qsc pro amp thru a behringer electronic crossover to the subs.the sound is amazing. I also have a pair of large advents on a pioneer sx1000 tw reciever.
Click to expand...


:thumbsdn:

Put the watkins woofers back in place please.
 
Well I don`t hardly ever use that word, my Maggies will stay and probably my Aristocrats once they are finished!And maybe even my Soundspan 2000`s. Only because I don`t know of anyone else who has them.
 
None. Ever.

I'll never sell any of my speaker systems. I would not have acquired them if I didn't plan to keep them.

Besides, they just sound so damn good! :yes:
 
My JBL CF-100s and a couple of Pinnacle Bookshelf speakers sitting on my desk that have some very nice imaging.

JBLs we're a hand-me-down from the old man, I can't see myself ever parting with them.
 
I don't think I will ever sell the double pair of KLH model 9 electostats that I purchased used back in 1977.

I first heard model 9s when I was 14 at a neighbors house (2 of them running in mono).

As I grew up and started getting into Hi-Fi I always had in the back of my mind that I would own 9s. I found it strange that I never came across any of them outside of the ones I saw in my youth.

After college I returned to L.A. and, like all wayward children, moved back in with my parents. I was working at the Rosemead Blvd University Stereo store when the conversation turned to electostats. Out of the blue another customer entered the conversation and said that they knew someone, who knew someone else, who wanted to sell a double pair of KLH 9s saying "you ever hear of them?" and that ended my sales pitch. I grilled this person for more info, finally getting their name, address, where they worked and their home and work phone # I told them to find out more and I would call them that evening.

After a few days of badgering this poor fellow, who I am sure was very sorry they ever said anything to me, I got in touch with the owner of the double pair and yep they were "thinking" of selling them as they moved into a smaller house. Four of them would not fit in their new house and they only had 2 hooked up but they were willing to hook up all 4 if I was interested and wanted to hear them.

I went over to his house on a Thursday after we both got off work with a stack of vinyl to see if they were as good as I remembered them from my long ago youth. They were....... EVEN BETTER..... As a double pair in stereo they were physically impressive room dominators to say the least. The first album I put on was Bach's concerto for 3 harpsichords in D flat... When I closed my eyes not only did these massive panels disappear but the entire room completely vanished and in front of me was placed 3 harpsichords. The center one was a few feet back from the other two and the one on the right was turned differently from the other 2 and I could occasionally hear the performer's fingers hitting the keys of that right side harpsichord.... The evening got better and better the more I listened. Before I realized it the sun was up. I told the owner that I would take them and would be back to pay for them and pick them up.

All day Friday at work I tried to think of ways to come up with the extraordinary sum that I would need to pay for the 9s. The thought of armed robbery or prostitution were quickly put aside and I finally realized that I would have to sell something of value and sell it quickly before the owner decided that they really did not want to part with their 9s.

I called the L.A. times office and placed an add in the Sunday classifieds to sell my car. This was a very heart wrenching decision. Did I really want a pair of speakers so badly that I would sell the car that I had also lusted after for all of my youth? After all I had looked for years to find this car and had only purchased it the previous year. I had grown VERY fond of it and was not sure I COULD sell it.

The Sunday L.A. Times comes out around 12 noon on Saturday and if you are looking for anything you will be at the Times office waiting in line on Saturday with a LOT of other people to get the first copies. The 1st call on the car came at 12:05 from a pay phone at the times office. I told the caller "only cash, No I would not take a deposit, no I would not hold it, no I was not interested in any trades or partial goods for payment." Who ever showed up with the cash first would drive it away. The title was free and clear and I had the pink slip with me.

The first caller made it from the Times office in downtown to my parents house in the San Gabriel valley in under 15 minutes and before he arrived I had 10 more calls. I told everyone the same thing. Cash. No trades. No I would not hold it AND someone was already on the way. That was the longest 15 minutes of my life. On several occasions I was in the car with the engine running thinking of running away. When the prospective buyer arrived I was not all that keen to sell. NO you can't drive it. Cash only. Take it or leave it as there are a dozen people already on the way if you don't want it.

He started counting out hundred dollar bills on the hood and when he got to within $1k of what I wanted he stopped and looked at me. I said nothing but shook my head no. He counted out another 5 and looked at me again. I picked up the pink slip, folded it in half and put it in my shirt pocket and shook my head no. We looked at each other for the longest time. The stare down was broken by my mother who came out of the house and said "it is someone else calling on the car. What do you want me to tell them?". I told her to tell them that the car was still for sale and to bring cash. This was enough to shake the last $500 out of the buyer. I signed the pink slip, took the cash, gave him the keys, turned and walked away, not looking back.

It was only after I got back inside and sat down at the kitchen table that it struck me. I no longer had a car. How was I going to get the speakers? How was I going to get to work on Monday?

I sold a 1966 Shelby GT-350 (guardsman blue with white stripes) to come up with the money for these 4 model 9 electrostats. I have enjoyed them every day for the past 31 years and I don't think that there is anything that can entice me enough to sell them.

.
 
The horn setup

Modified Heresies

Modified JBL 4301s

Modified (by Urizen) Dynaco A25s

Modified Bozak 302A Urbans

Everything else has a price.:yes:
 
Rogers LS 3/5 a and AB1 bass units.
Why? Because they're just magic. Listening through them is like going back to my musical source.
 
I will always have a pair of Advents. Unless something crazy happens or I'm given something crazy insane, I'll probably have these for a long time.
 
KLH 9,
What a way to debut at AudioKarma......
That is Audio Karma. :yes:
Hang around.You'll like it here. :D
 
I have a pair of Mission 770 MkIIs and have not sold/will not sell them.

The same applies probably to my Martin Logan Ascents :yes:
 
I love my 2 pair of Celestion 25's....with upgraded Stryke Audio Silk Dome Tweets!....replaced my 2 pair of JBL L36's. I have my vintage speaker collection of AR 3a,AR2...Advents,Cambridge Audio R-50, A nice pair of vintage Fishers??, Sansui SP2500 x3 pr....approx 40 pairs of vintage speakers...and approx. 200 assorted new + used drivers..to build my ultimate hometheater one day! I want to build a pair of Karlson enclosures someday, for my vintage Decca tube amp...with 15" JBL's ...I have a pr. of 12" JBL's at the moment!
 
While life is very long and nothing is for certain I may keep my VMPS FF3SRE speakers forever, I have upgraded them to the max and really like them and besides at over 300lb and close to 6 ft tall each not many would want them or want to pay for shipping and making coffins for them is pricey......they will be around a long time if not forever.
I never thought I would sell my DCM Time Windows, Teledyne AR-9 or my Innersound Eros Electrostat hybrids so never say never!
 
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