Vintage speakers

[Chad Etchison]

Hello Forum,

I'm trying to get advice from audoiphiles regarding vintage speaker choices. I'm getting a Fisher 500B integrated tube amp to go with my Denon DP 1100 with Denon moving coil cartridge. I have looked into Fisher vitage speakers and I'm considering either the XP-7B or the XP-12. Which would be more appropriate for my set up, I want something vintage, warm and tubey sounding, but definitely audiophile standards. Help!

Thanks Guys

You can also contact me offline.

Chad:)

[therockman]

Welcome to the forum Chad. I am pretty new around here myself but there are lot of nice and knowledgable people that hang out here. As for your question, you might want to look at some nice '60's Advents or KLH Model 6. As far as I know, these have a nice warm "tube" sound, but some of the other forum members might be better off adviseing you.

Good luck with your audio adventures and I hope that you enjoy it here at Steve Hoffman's place.

[vinyl anachronist]

The most important thing is to avoid speakers with foam surrounds, which usually deteriorate after about ten or fifteen years. Unfortuantely, many many vintage speakers use foam surrounds for the drivers. You may run into a vintage pair here or there that have been recently refurbished, so that may work. Dynacos are good vintage speakers that don't use foam surrounds.

I tend to recommend Spicas to most people looking for a great bargain in used speakers. They may not be "vintage" enough for you, but they're definitely a safe choice.

[Clay]

Hi Chad,

Do you have a link to information about the speakers?

I was listening to a Fisher 400 receiver hooked up to some ESS AMT 1A speakers with a Dual turntable tonight and it sounded great.

[audio]

The KLH Model Six is not bad advice at all. They can be had cheap, for under $100 for a nice pair. The only problem is that they don't sound good with my Fisher tube amp. I sold my pair to a friend of mine who runs vintage Scott gear and they sounded great with his amps. To me, the Fisher seems a little more on the dry and accurate side of things than the lush, romantic sound of Scott gear. With my amp, the KLH were downright harsh. Thus said, I have no idea what your Fisher sounds like, so you might be just as well off picking up a pair and giving them a spin. I've never heard a pair of vintage Fisher speakers that I thought were worth a darn, FYI.

Some other things to consider......I adore my Tannoys. I've got two pair, in fact. Steve has spoken very highly of using vintage Tannoy Monitor Golds with old tube amps. I took his advice and have never been happier with the sound of my system. Besides Tannoy, other vintage speakers that are extremely popular for use in such systems as we speak of are those by Klipsch, Altec, JBL, Electro Voice, and Bozak. From what I have heard of a few models by these other various vintage giants, the Tannoys beat them all in terms of realism, imaging, soundstage, warmth, and presence. While some of the others sounded great, the Tannoy is the only vintage speaker I've heard that I would call a true "audiophile" unit.

A disclaimer:

I have not personally heard Klipsch Cornwalls, Altec 604s, or Altec A7s. I have heard Klipsch Khorns, Bozak 302-A, Altec Santana II, various models of vintage Electro Voice, and a massive, horn loaded JBL tower whose model number escapes me.

[Gary]

Welcome to the forum! :)

I would not worry too much about foam surrounds. They are easily replaceable! There are even places on the 'net that you can buy surrounds from.

Speakers are system dependant (like Prix sez). And listener dependant, too ;) . Perhaps it's best to start out by trying to listen to as many pairs as possible first to see what you want. And you can eliminate the real "clunkers"!

Happy hunting!

[Chad Etchison]

Thanks to everyone on the list whom offered advice regarding speaker choices, I've got a lot of research and web surfing ahead. Specifically to Clay: I would love any linkd or sites that you know of with info.

Thanks!

[vinyl anachronist]

I would not worry too much about foam surrounds. They are easily replaceable! There are even places on the 'net that you can buy surrounds from.



I was going to mention that, too, but in my experience that is a stopping point for most people. I've seen the issue of foam surrounds brought up time after time, and I've watched person after person say that it's too much trouble. I've seen people throw away otherwise perfectly nice speakers because they don't wan't to bother. I've given up recommending refurbishing because not one person has come back to me to say, "Hey, thanks! I took it to Joe's Speaker Shack just like you said, and the speakers sound great!"

It's a real shame, too, because it really doesn't cost that much money to do it. Oh well.

[Chad Etchison]

Another Question for the list: I'm close to purchasing a Fisher 500b, but now I'm in doubt as to what to do, some of the advice I've gotten, including form Clay has made me question some purchases, especially the fisher 7b speakers. The description of the fisher sound may not be what I'm after. Any more advice regarding a vintage set-up? Amp, pre-amp if needed or integrated amp and a matching pair of speakers? Thank you very much, you guys are really kind to help!

[Chad Etchison]

To Prix:

Have you ever heard the fisher XP-7B or the 12? I could get a pair that have been restored of either model for under two hundred. Bad idea? Or is it just to subjective to answer definitively?

[Chad Etchison]

Yet another question: Does anyone have an opinion about the decware zen triode amp. On the other end of the spectrum a Dynaco st70. Thanks again for all of your help.

[audio]

Originally posted by Chad Etchison
Another Question for the list: I'm close to purchasing a Fisher 500b, but now I'm in doubt as to what to do, some of the advice I've gotten, including form Clay has made me question some purchases, especially the fisher 7b speakers. The description of the fisher sound may not be what I'm after. Any more advice regarding a vintage set-up? Amp, pre-amp if needed or integrated amp and a matching pair of speakers? Thank you very much, you guys are really kind to help!


Get the Fisher. It's a WONDERFUL amp. What is the condition? How much are they asking for it?

You might also like to inquire on Audiokarma.com and also Vintage Asylum, Tubes Asylum, Speaker Asylum, and High Efficiency Asylum.

[audio]

Originally posted by Chad Etchison
To Prix:

Have you ever heard the fisher XP-7B or the 12? I could get a pair that have been restored of either model for under two hundred. Bad idea? Or is it just to subjective to answer definitively?



Fisher made FANTASTIC amps. I cannot say the same about their speakers.

[audio]

Originally posted by Chad Etchison
Yet another question: Does anyone have an opinion about the decware zen triode amp. On the other end of the spectrum a Dynaco st70. Thanks again for all of your help.

I heard this piece in an A/B test with a McIntosh 240 through a set of custom towers with EV 12"s in them. The Decware Zen Triode sounded very airy with startling realism and three dimensional illusion. However, I would say that this amp is for lovers of acoustic, folk, jazz, and classical only. If you ever plan on cranking up the volume and playing some rock music.....forget it.

[Chad Etchison]

Prix,

Thank you so much for your helpful advice. The fisher amp is on ebay at 152 it will probably go for two hundred.Here is a link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? Hope it will open. Would the KLH Model 6 sound good with this?

[Chad Etchison]

Prix,

The link doesn't work to the fisher amp on ebay. It sounds like it is in good working order and I have learned cap kits are available from fisherdoctor.

By the way I dig your icon!
Chad

[audio]

Your link didn't work. What's the item number? Also, before I can give you any serious advice, tell me the dimensions of your room and the type of music you listen to.

[audio]

Originally posted by Chad Etchison
Prix,

The link doesn't work to the fisher amp on ebay. It sounds like it is in good working order and I have learned cap kits are available from fisherdoctor.

By the way I dig your icon!
Chad


If you order ANYTHING from the Fisher Doctor, be prepared to wait at least a year to get it.

[Chad Etchison]

Prix,

Room is 14'x14', hard wood floors with 10' ceilings, hardwood floors this is an old victorian house if that makes a difference. I listen to everything including jazz and classical but to be honest I mainly listen to rock music, loud guitars, bass and drums. Queen live killers for instance.

Thanks, this is really helping a lot.

[audio]

Originally posted by Chad Etchison
Prix,

Room is 14'x14', hard wood floors with 10' ceilings, hardwood floors this is an old victorian house if that makes a difference. I listen to everything including jazz and classical but to be honest I mainly listen to rock music, loud guitars, bass and drums. Queen live killers for instance.

Thanks, this is really helping a lot.


It's not a problem. I enjoy helping if I can. Most of my knowledge is from this very forum itself, so I am more than happy to share it. A few more questions before I proceed:

1) What is your budget for this system?

2) Do you know how to repair electronics?

3) Do you listen to vinyl or mainly cds?

4) Do you listen to radio?

[Chad Etchison]

Prix,

1. I'm keeping budget low knowing that I could change it up later. $5 -750?
2. I unfortunately don't have any skill or knowledge with electronics.
3. I listen exclusively to Vinyl.
4. I don't listen to the radio that much at home but it would be nice to have the option.

This is awesome!

[audio]

Originally posted by Chad Etchison
Prix,

1. I'm keeping budget low knowing that I could change it up later. $5 -750?
2. I unfortunately don't have any skill or knowledge with electronics.
3. I listen exclusively to Vinyl.
4. I don't listen to the radio that much at home but it would be nice to have the option.

This is awesome!


Okay, then what you want is a Scott. Scotts have better phono stages than Fishers. Scotts also have more of a "warm" and "tubey sound". I would not recommend getting a receiver with a radio. The excess circuitry can create noise in the phono section. You should look for an integrated amp. If you want radio, buy a separate tuner. If you don't know how to repair electronics, don't buy a vintage tube amp unless A) it's completely restored or B) you know someone that can restore it for you. Take a look here for starters. The 299C is a nice piece:

http://hhscott.com/photo.htm

[Chad Etchison]

Prix,

Thanks, I now know where to begin search. I found a place called maplewood that restores scott amps. Also would the klh 6 speaker work well with the Scott 299c?

Thanks again

[audio]

Originally posted by Chad Etchison
Prix,

Thanks, I now know where to begin search. I found a place called maplewood that restores scott amps. Also would the klh 6 speaker work well with the Scott 299c?

Thanks again


That's funny. I was just on the phone with Mapleshade inquiring about their mods. They sound interesting, but pricey. They want $850 for one of their amps or they'll restore yours for $750. Actually, restore is the wrong term. Gut and modify is more appropriate. The KLH Six sounds surprisingly good in the right application, but with the wrong amp it sounds like ****. For example, at my friends house we tried his Scott LK 72 with the KLH and it sounded fantastic.....a magic combination. We tried another of his Scott amps and it sounded horrid and bright. It all depends on the piece that you end up with. I would steer toward a better speaker in the first place that is not so much a matter of getting lucky with the right combo, but more of a scenario where you get out of it what you put in. A lot of Scott owners love Klipsch speakers, but I've not yet heard this combination. There are a few members on the forum who have this setup, though. The Klipsch Heresy can be purchased for $200-300. I've got a pair of Altec Santana II for sale right now, BTW. I also may have a restored Scott available soon, but I am pretty sure I am keeping all mine. Vintage tube amps are so gorgeous, it's addicting. Another option is to find a good deal on an amp and I'll refer you to my technician who can rebuild it for you. He is currently working on forum member pdenny's Fisher 800-C.

Also, if you want the KLH Model Six, send a PM to efhjr. I think he has a pair he might be willing to sell.

[Chad Etchison]

Prix,

How much for the Altec Santana's, also any chance of selling the scott amp?

Thanks!