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Dedicated to the restoration and preservation of all original Dynaco tube audio equipment - Customer support for Tubes4hifi VTA tube amp and preamp kits and all Dynakitparts.com products

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+18

Dogstar

eickmewg

Pat R.

TPW

j beede

Dale Stevens

deepee99

Tube Nube

daveshel

StevieRay

Ernstmach

wgallupe

pmarcin

corndog71

sKiZo

zx

10-E-C

bluemeanies

22 posters

Go to page : 1, 2

Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

bluemeanies: Posts : 274
Join date : 2015-02-09
Age : 74
Location : Folsom Pa.

Post n°1

Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by bluemeanies Tue Sep 15, 2015 8:13 am

I know that this is a forum dedicated to tube amplifiers but I am interested in what kind of speakers are represented in members systems.
Also, has the need to upgrade bitten you lately.
I will go out on a limb here to say that my B&W 804S speaker never sounded so good with tubes but I still have that urge to upgrade to a better mid-range speaker.

Let the list begin!

10-E-C: Posts : 267
Join date : 2014-02-12
Age : 71
Location : upper east tn

Post n°2

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by 10-E-C Tue Sep 15, 2015 8:46 am

I have owned 4 set of speakers in 42 years. My first were JBL-100's with a Pioneer SX-850, I was 20 when I bought this.
I still have the other 3 sets of speakers.
Kilpsh Forte II's with a Klipsh Academy as the center and Definitives as the surrounds, HT setup.
My Paradigms SE11s are paired with my ST-70 sounds really well together.
MY last are Zu Audios Omen Defs with my M-125's mono blocks. They rock.
I tend to keep things!

TM
.

zx: Posts : 205
Join date : 2011-08-05

Post n°3

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by zx Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:59 am

For tube amps like my Dynaco stock MK3s......... say tube amp that have 50-80 watt ch.....that I see as min for tube amp power...

Magnepans....I like the older type...that to say the ... driver mylar faces to the back....like the MG1c..MG2c
MG2.5r......but the new MMG can sound great with tubes

Apogee Stage........the only full ribbon drivers speaker that can be driven with smaller tube amps ....an my Apogee Minors also work well with MK3s....

My MartinLogans....Ascent I....SL3 .....MK3s do a good job...
Today I have my Acoustat ESLs M3s running.....but not with tubes

As for the B&W speakers I have owen in the past... Max 801 802 803 804....805N....
801 were the only ones that needed more power for me.....the 100 watt.... my jadis Defy 7.....did a fair job......but the B&w can get dark sounding with tubes.................

As you see I have moved to all panels......to day...
I have tried to get the panel sound out of the B&W...thiel...an minny others......but for my ear... the panels win.... for me there like tube amps.....not for every one

sKiZo: Posts : 1530
Join date : 2013-04-01
Location : Michigan USA

Post n°4

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by sKiZo Tue Sep 15, 2015 2:43 pm

Got these bad boys 35 years ago, and never felt the need to upgrade ... McIntosh XR16's.

Speaker Ownership/Present and Future Grill-girls

Speaker Ownership/Present and Future Grill-girls

I HAVE had both the woofs and low mids refurbed professionally, and also replaced the upper mids. Tweets are original, and I've got the parts to upgrade the crossovers with true polys ...

Oh. And I did go back to the stock grills ... she was cute, but we're not speaking any more. ;-}

Guest: Guest

Post n°5

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by Guest Tue Sep 15, 2015 3:31 pm

I use Quad ESL-57's. I'm interested in the Omega single driver speakers.

corndog71: Posts : 840
Join date : 2013-03-19
Location : It can get windy here

Post n°6

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by corndog71 Tue Sep 15, 2015 8:07 pm

I've had several inexpensive speakers over the years bought from companies that went out of business. (Edge Audio, AV123, Definitive Technology) as well as Paradigm, Polk, B&W and Klipsch. Still have the AV123 speakers as they were great deals. Recently I'm running a pair of NHT SuperZero 2.1 off my ST120. They have a slightly more detailed tweeter than the others however even with upgraded crossovers they don't quite have the transparency I'm looking for.

My next dream speaker is the Magnepan MMG. They sound ridiculously good for $600 and I'm sure can be tweaked into better performance. But I have to wait until either I can sell some speakers or pay off my credit card. Whichever comes first.

Last edited by corndog71 on Wed Sep 16, 2015 5:26 pm; edited 1 time in total

pmarcin: Posts : 128
Join date : 2009-01-20
Age : 77

Post n°7

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by pmarcin Wed Sep 16, 2015 9:05 am

I have owned Klipsch Fortes and Hornshoppe Horns.

I currently own GR Research Ob-5s, Madisound Odins and Hsu Ht-1s.

All sound great, but distinct with tube gear. I would recommend Roy's pres oe an Aikido to front end them.

wgallupe: Posts : 138
Join date : 2014-05-18
Age : 70
Location : Central Mass.

Post n°8

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by wgallupe Wed Sep 16, 2015 9:59 am

My current speakers are GR Research OB-5s. Also have a pair of Magnepan MMGs in my workshop system. Both sound great when powered by my VTA ST120. However, with the ST120, I prefer OB-5 over the MMG.

Forgot to mention I also have two Mirage BPS150i bipolar subs. One for the left channel and one for the right.

Over the years I have also owned:
Ohm C2
ADS L1590
Infinity RS2.5
Apogee Caliper Signature
Mirage M7Si
Paradigm Studio 40 v2
GR Research N3

My wife has been very tolerant....

Speaker Ownership/Present and Future 2014-08-08%2017.45.49

Speaker Ownership/Present and Future 2014-08-08%2017.45.49

Last edited by wgallupe on Wed Sep 16, 2015 12:41 pm; edited 2 times in total

Ernstmach: Posts : 98
Join date : 2015-08-30
Location : The Great Mitten.

Post n°9

Speakers

by Ernstmach Wed Sep 16, 2015 10:50 am

I'm currently running some Focal Aria 948s. Powering with 50 watts.

bluemeanies: Posts : 274
Join date : 2015-02-09
Age : 74
Location : Folsom Pa.

Post n°10

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by bluemeanies Wed Sep 16, 2015 12:53 pm

wgallupe wrote:My current speakers are GR Research OB-5s. Also have a pair of Magnepan MMGs in my workshop system. Both sound great when powered by my VTA ST120. However, with the ST120, I prefer OB-5 over the MMG.

Forgot to mention I also have two Mirage BPS150i bipolar subs. One for the left channel and one for the right.

Over the years I have also owned:
Ohm C2
ADS L1590
Infinity RS2.5
Apogee Caliper Signature
Mirage M7Si
Paradigm Studio 40 v2
GR Research N3

My wife has been very tolerant....

God Bless your Wife....my wife and yours may be related.
We are going Saturday for her to take a listen to the speakers I will be buried with...B&W803d

wgallupe: Posts : 138
Join date : 2014-05-18
Age : 70
Location : Central Mass.

Post n°11

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by wgallupe Fri Sep 18, 2015 5:33 pm

[quote God Bless your Wife....my wife and yours may be related.
We are going Saturday for her to take a listen to the speakers I will be buried with...B&W803d[/quote]

Those are great speakers. Hope the audition goes well.

My wife and I have been married for 33 years. She really does understand and 'allows' my 3 passions (besides her and the kids): home audio, golf and cars. Very Happy

Very Happy

Sounds like you are in the same boat...

Wayne

StevieRay: Posts : 67
Join date : 2009-01-09
Age : 62
Location : Central VA

Post n°12

Speakers

by StevieRay Sat Sep 19, 2015 9:56 am

Quad ESL (57) and Magneplanar MMG's......no upgrade bug here since getting the 57's finished/rebuilt. MMG's are about 15 years old.

NO MONKEY COFFINS.

daveshel: Posts : 169
Join date : 2011-11-06
Location : Tucson AZ USA

Post n°13

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by daveshel Sat Sep 19, 2015 4:37 pm

I've been running stacked Advents on my solid state system. One pair I bought new in 1980 or so, then I got another pair maybe 15 years ago when I was upgrading my electronics.

The tube rig has been harder to find speakers for - I used Polk Monitor 10s for a while, until I got some Dynaco A25s, which I love. Enough so that I later got some A50s, which are even better.

Tube Nube: Posts : 707
Join date : 2008-12-06
Age : 61
Location : Calgary, AB

Post n°14

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by Tube Nube Mon Sep 21, 2015 1:15 pm

Linn Index bookshelf speakers to start with.

Then built Zigmahornets after reading the 6moons on line mag. review. [razor sharp image, no bass]
Then built Saburos (back loaded horn, single full-ish range driver). [less good image, but much better all around, though still bass shy]

Now building DTQWT (double tuned quarter wave tube) design of Troels Gravesen. ) Reviews are excellent -- I hope these work out alright.

deepee99: Posts : 2244
Join date : 2012-05-23
Location : Wallace, Idaho

Post n°15

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by deepee99 Tue Sep 22, 2015 8:37 pm

Speakers I have owned (and for the most part loved)

Radio Shack Realistic Little David copies
KLH-17s
AR 3As
Mac ML-1Cs
Dynaco A-25s and Dynaco A-35s (still have and use the A-35s in the den)
ESS Heil AMTs
Magnapan IIs
Vandersteen 2 CE Signatures w/ single 2W subwoof, and 5 AC Carbons
Tyler Acoustics D12Xs
I parted with the big Vandies for need of some bread, but am hugely happy with the Tylers. Great sound-staging, effortless tonal response throughout the audio spectrum, and arse-kickin' bass if you want it. Phenomenal design, and at 200 lbs each they ain't going anywhere.

pmarcin: Posts : 128
Join date : 2009-01-20
Age : 77

Post n°16

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by pmarcin Wed Sep 23, 2015 6:43 am

Thanks, Deepee, you jogged my memory. In another life, I've owned:
Dynaco A25 - the 2nd best of the lot
KLH 33 - hidden gem - constant impedance like the A25s
EPI 100 - good treble
ADVENT Classic
Panasonic S100
BIC Venturi 6 - whoa - blows your socks off - amazing soundstage-wonderful with
tubes - > 100 db @ 1w/1M

Last edited by pmarcin on Wed Sep 23, 2015 6:50 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : added)

Dale Stevens: Posts : 206
Join date : 2014-07-06
Age : 75
Location : Loris, SC

Post n°17

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by Dale Stevens Wed Sep 23, 2015 5:40 pm

I have the K Horns I built in 1980 from the Speakerlab K plans; EV SP 15 drivers w/T35 & T350 horns in the top end. >>100db,
Crossed over @ 400/5k.
I would encourage all to do a speaker build as all that time is well spent. Did the outer cabinets in birch and had them professionally
finished in walnut stain and oversprayed with clear poly. These things are so clean with the ST120, quality cart on vinyl. Yes, a tad large at 31" x 51" and 200lbs, and they need a corner! Well, make that two. Dale

Tube Nube: Posts : 707
Join date : 2008-12-06
Age : 61
Location : Calgary, AB

Post n°18

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by Tube Nube Wed Sep 23, 2015 6:13 pm

Dale, that is an ambitious and difficult DIY project, but stunningly good from what I read. Perhaps just difficult relative to other speaker DIY options.

I second the motion to "Just try DIY." Access to a table saw, an orbital sander, router, clamps and some glue. Not much more is needed. It's surprisingly easy and inexpensive, relative to audio boutiques, to produce good speakers.

One member of our forum has built a pair of Linkwitz Orion open baffle speakers, if I recall correctly. Another ambitious, stellar performing speaker system.

Dale Stevens: Posts : 206
Join date : 2014-07-06
Age : 75
Location : Loris, SC

Post n°19

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by Dale Stevens Wed Sep 23, 2015 6:28 pm

Yes, Tube Nube; With JUST 51 different cuts of plywood only in the bottom end and what a puzzle! This makes me wanting to build another set. And at $9000 a pair retail?? You know, I do have a pair of 12' drivers in a box, then there's 4 cone twtrs and a set of xovers in my SnapOn box..... a PAT 4 pre in the closet, Altec amp in the garage......HMMMMMM. Dale

bluemeanies: Posts : 274
Join date : 2015-02-09
Age : 74
Location : Folsom Pa.

Post n°20

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by bluemeanies Mon Sep 28, 2015 5:55 pm

deepee99 wrote:Speakers I have owned (and for the most part loved)

Radio Shack Realistic Little David copies
KLH-17s
AR 3As
Mac ML-1Cs
Dynaco A-25s and Dynaco A-35s (still have and use the A-35s in the den)
ESS Heil AMTs
Magnapan IIs
Vandersteen 2 CE Signatures w/ single 2W subwoof, and 5 AC Carbons
Tyler Acoustics D12Xs
I parted with the big Vandies for need of some bread, but am hugely happy with the Tylers. Great sound-staging, effortless tonal response throughout the audio spectrum, and arse-kickin' bass if you want it. Phenomenal design, and at 200 lbs each they ain't going anywhere.

And I thought I was NUTS!! lol

bluemeanies: Posts : 274
Join date : 2015-02-09
Age : 74
Location : Folsom Pa.

Post n°21

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by bluemeanies Mon Sep 28, 2015 6:00 pm

wgallupe wrote:[quote God Bless your Wife....my wife and yours may be related.
We are going Saturday for her to take a listen to the speakers I will be buried with...B&W803d

Those are great speakers. Hope the audition goes well.

My wife and I have been married for 33 years. She really does understand and 'allows' my 3 passions (besides her and the kids): home audio, golf and cars. Very Happy

Very Happy

Sounds like you are in the same boat...

Wayne[/quote]

Demo went well...very well. The 803d's were sublime to my wife.
They will be in the house by Friday or Monday

wgallupe: Posts : 138
Join date : 2014-05-18
Age : 70
Location : Central Mass.

Post n°22

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by wgallupe Mon Sep 28, 2015 8:07 pm

That's fantastic! Looking forward to your comments after they have settled in their new home...

j beede: Posts : 473
Join date : 2011-02-07
Location : California

Post n°23

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by j beede Wed Sep 30, 2015 10:48 pm

corndog71 wrote:I've had several inexpensive speakers over the years bought from companies that went out of business. (Edge Audio, AV123, Definitive Technology) as well as Paradigm, Polk, B&W and Klipsch. Still have the AV123 speakers as they were great deals. Recently I'm running a pair of NHT SuperZero 2.1 off my ST120. They have a slightly more detailed tweeter than the others however even with upgraded crossovers they don't quite have the transparency I'm looking for.

My next dream speaker is the Magnepan MMG. They sound ridiculously good for $600 and I'm sure can be tweaked into better performance. But I have to wait until either I can sell some speakers or pay off my credit card. Whichever comes first.

No need to wait for $$$ to buy MMG... track down a pair of vintage SMGa ($0-100) and enjoy what has to be among the greatest values in audio.

TPW: Posts : 7
Join date : 2015-09-18

Post n°24

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by TPW Thu Oct 01, 2015 8:40 pm

I'm currently listening to Sonus faber Venere 2.5s - still settling in but I really like them. I love revisiting my collection and hearing it like I never really heard it throughout the years!

MMGs for my TV with a Velodyne servo sub

Hanging around the house:
Thiel 2.2
Magnepan MG1
Aurum Cantus V2M
Spica TC 50

Over the years:
Ohm H (oh, brother)
My first pair of MG1s that got me hooked on all this.
Falcon LS3/5a
KEF 101
Magnepan MG3.6r
Acoustat 1+1 (oh do I miss these)
Infinity Intermezzo 2.6 (my son has these now)
Designed and built several others based on Dynaudio and Morel drivers

Pat R.: Posts : 57
Join date : 2015-02-26
Location : SE Pennsylvania

Post n°25

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

by Pat R. Sun Jan 17, 2016 9:25 pm

Since I'm 100% tube audio I like to stick with hi efficiency AlNiCo magnet speakers..

For my main system I have a trio of Altec 604C's L and R speakers in original Altec 606 cabinets and center channel is a 604C in an Electro Voice Royal cabinet (just think really big Aristocrat). All rhree are also using GPA crossovers that were designed for use with 16 Ohm duplex speakers that were reverse engineered by a friend to be much more precise for the 604C. They are good generic crossovers out of the box for most of the Altec Duplexes but are a compromise at best. The reverse engineering made them more specific to the 604.

For my house system (which is the one I am using my VTA 70 on) I use a pair of Electro Voice Aristocrats. These are not the factory versions but the type that was farmed out to a furniture manufacturer. I think the build quality is much better. These house a pair of EV 12TRX speakers. Bass is fantastic with the PWK designed cabinets.

Both systems sound wonderful. I am really sold on point source speakers like the 604's and the TRX's. They add a certain presence.

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Post n°26

Re: Speaker Ownership/Present and Future

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