Best vintage speakers you ever heard?

[Dave N.]

HPM-100
RBH-1261
Rectilinear III Highboys
Sansui SP-300
In that order. Thanks

Cool. Thanks for your list. HPM 100 is your favorite. I want to hear a set badly myself. One day. I dont know what RBH is??? Sansui sp -300. Wow. Cool. I want real bad to find a set of Sansui speakers I like some day. It just hasn't happened yet.

 

[Dave N.]

Tympani Magneplanar 1C’s with Audio Research gear. 1976.
I was so impressed I bought the system and financed for 3 years.
Dumb 24 year old!

Ha ha ah. I've financed some dumb stuff before too. I dont know this exact speaker. I'll try and look it up sometime. Enjoy man.

 

[Dave N.]

Only what I know, limited as it is. (Acquired and refurbished, not the stuff I built myself.)

Dahlquist DQ-10
Bozak Symphony

I've heard of both. Basically on here. I've never actually seen or heard either of them. Thanks for your input.

 

[Dave N.]

QUAD ESL (1957).

Wow . 1957. I do not know of these at all. I will try and look all these up when I have some time for it. Thanks.

 

[Guido57]

Impossible to say, too many different rooms, amplifiers, music, etc. The best that have passed into my hands are Hartly Zodiac 74's, albeit upgraded with better crossover components and new Hartley tweeters that I believe were introduced on the last models they produced, don't know the origin date of these.
Would not have invested in the improvements if I had not recognized their potential in their original configuration.

 

[Dave N.]

Impossible to say, too many different rooms, amplifiers, music, etc. The best that have passed into my hands are Hartly Zodiac 74's, albeit upgraded with better crossover components and new Hartley tweeters that I believe were introduced on the last models they produced, don't know the origin date of these.
Would not have invested in the improvements if I had not recognized their potential in their original configuration.

Cool. Another one I have never even heard of , much less heard in person. I have lots of speakers to look up from this thread. Thanks for your input.

 

[Metamodern]

Man! My old pair of B&W Matrix 3 S2’s. Resolution for days,tight bass, built like a brick shithouse.

 

[sberger]

In the mid 70's I heard a pair of Klipsch La Scala. This event started me down the rabbit hole that I'm still stuck in.

La Scala's, Allison One's, and AR3's.

Not so coincidentally, I own them all.

I also like KLH Model 5's and 6 a lot.

 

[MaxP]

I fully understand that there are "better" speakers out there but there is just something special about the JBL L150s that has always kept them as my favorites. The align almost perfectly with my listening preferences. The texture of the bass (likely due to the passive radiator), that also reaches amazingly low for only having a 12" woofer. The tweeter that is very pleasant to listen to, while still being revealing and not veiled at all. When I listen to my L150s, I'm never disappointed. I have heard many "better" speakers that I did not like nearly as much.

Chris, you beat me to it! While I’ve only had my L150As for a few months, I really like ‘em! I have them sitting next to a pretty well-regarded pair of Silverline Sonatina IIs, and they are sooooooo much better…

 

[litefootdan]

For me, it’s got to be a toss-up between the Hartley Holton A’s or the Hegeman Model 2’s

 

[w3jn]

McIntosh XRT-22s, which just barely meet the 1989 criteria. Truly jaw-dropping in every way. Here's the story from the engineer that designed them: http://www.roger-russell.com/xrt22pg.htm

 

[JRhoBurton]

Infinity QLS, the larger speakers in this ad.



I bought the smaller Qa's.

I imagine I would have thought the IRS to be better, but I never got to hear those.

 

[spicer]

Well I'll put these out there, my Altec 19s with a couple hundred watts in a good room. With a good source they put the musicians in the room with you. Sold them fairly recently because I no longer had a good room for them but when I did they were absolutely great sounding at any volume.

 

[fjdds]

I've heard of both. Basically on here. I've never actually seen or heard either of them.

The Bozaks, for me, excel at low level listening. Could have them on all day and never tire of them. But when I want, they'll shake the house.

A different beast from the OBs I've made, depending on what I'm listening to.

 

[jobrewer1983]

Sinus 44f

super rare speakers, some of the 1st true full range speakers ever developed. I was lucky enough to land a set that I have put away. They blow away and all of my vintage JBL.

Sinus 44f are the best vintage speakers I’ve ever listened to.

 

[efzt]

I fully understand that there are "better" speakers out there but there is just something special about the JBL L150s that has always kept them as my favorites. The align almost perfectly with my listening preferences. The texture of the bass (likely due to the passive radiator), that also reaches amazingly low for only having a 12" woofer. The tweeter that is very pleasant to listen to, while still being revealing and not veiled at all. When I listen to my L150s, I'm never disappointed. I have heard many "better" speakers that I did not like nearly as much.

How do they compare vs those 590's? Ironically enough you can get the newer 590's much cheaper.

 

[S. Pupp]

Acoustat (I forget the model) electrostatics
Celestion SL6S

Both project a spookily realistic soundstage.

 

[Dave N.]

Man! My old pair of B&W Matrix 3 S2’s. Resolution for days,tight bass, built like a brick shithouse.

Wow. There are so many on here I hBe never even heard of. Much less heard. You guys are something else. When I have time I will be trying to look up all these cool speKers. Thanks.

 

[Dave N.]

La Scala's, Allison One's, and AR3's.

Not so coincidentally, I own them all.

I also like KLH Model 5's and 6 a lot.

Nice. I've only heard of a couple of those in this very thread. And you own them. What's the story on that? If you don't mind bragging.

 

[eastbrown]

Magnepan MG-20