A very interesting and constructive review of some well designed speakers. I would advise anyone buying these old speakers to be careful as they may appear perfect on the surface but in fact could have been over driven in the past. My first speakers bought in 1971 were Bowers and Wilkins DM1's. They were gorgeous open sounding speakers with similar tweeters as those on your DM4's. Unfortunately the woofer was an aluminum diaphragm elliptical speaker made by EMI. This woofer's voice coil became detached (glue failure?) after about five years of fairly careful use. Brilliant speakers in their day with the supersonic tweeter but alas, as you say, you need deep pockets to get anything similar today.
I have the very expensive b&w dm302 bought secondhand for 40 euro's and 2 infinity minuette subs for a total of 20 euro's and it sounds great. and that for60 euro's total ;-)
I got some b&a D5s (not DM5s) today and they were surprisingly bright, but with a good upper mid. Instrument separation and imaging isn't great, but clarity isn't bad, obviously not audiophile by today's standards. I found they sounded better running from the 4 Ohm tap on my tube amp. It helped roll off the brightness and made them sound smoother. I will probably replace the electrolytic caps for some polypropylene and oil ones. Not bad for £36 a pair delivered though! I'm going to use them for my TV. A sub will be required if you're a basshead.
I love your content and your whole approach to audio including your love of vintage gear. I'm about your age and so relate to your fondness for this golden age of audio. I lived it too and own (or have owned) many of classics from the 70s.
The Rogers and all LS3/5a speakers have an elaborate filter that is obsolete nowadays....They will always sound less than todays speakers. Monitor Audio Studio line is the secret tip... don't tell anyone.
In a January 1981 What Hi-fi the following prices are given Audiomaster LS3/5A £180 Chartwell LS3/5A £189 Rogers LS3/5A £180 JR149 £160 SuperWoofer LPA £207 Kef 101 £185
@@stereoreviewx Looking at purchasing power £100 in 1980 would need £431.64 in 2020. So £180 in 80/81 would be about £776 today. Rogers are asking £2750.
Great Video keep em coming. The trouble with older speakers and all old equipment is that things run out of spec, capacitors in speakers especially if they are electrolytic ones dry out over time and that changes the capacitance, I got the crossovers out of a pair of Linn Index once, a pain to get out because you had to go in from the bass/mid driver and it was glued in to keep it airtight being a sealed box design, anyway when I tested the electrolytic capacitors they were way out of spec, if i remembe right they were 3rd order on the tweeter using two 18mf capacitors which I thought was a weird value for a tweeter, they measured around 27 to 29mf, way out of spec, so if I did buy a pair of vintage speakers again I would definitely look at and test the Capacitors especially if they are electrolytic types. I wonder how many people have bought a pair of vintage speakers and moved them on because they didn't sound that good but wasn't hearing them at their best because of the crossover not working as it should
Great selection and I agree with your points as well. My choice would overwhelmingly be those gorgeous Monitor Audio MA4's. My close friend had a pair of those back in the day and they always sounded fantastic! Like you say superbly built as well.
Abs spot on.... I always look out for local sellers that are getting rid of OLD speakers and I've bought loads of BIG speakers for peanuts £5 Wharfedale Dovedale £5 KEF kit from Wilmslow Audio (B139 / B110 / T27 TL's) £10 LEAK Sandwich 2060 £16 Paralab 20 TL's £5 Celestion county £10 Celestion ditton 15 £20 RAM CD-20 (Small / Med) you can by so many old classic speakers for small amounts of money because people just don't seem to want to have them in their living space anymore combine this lot with my DIY jobs / multiple Celestion UL8's / Monitor audio's / Mission etc etc and the wife has gone bonkers and most are now in storage and I can't play with them!! so it has its disadvantages this 'bargain' speaker addiction, sadly
I got the Jamo Concert 8, the only great speaker they ever produced, all seas magnesium drivers, stunning sound in every way-used as a reference in stereophile for many years, but watch out for corrosion on the seas bass driver, inspect it closely at the front for white powder holes, but i have never heard a better speaker, unfortunately you cannot buy replacement drivers for it, so if you live near the sea (no pun intended) do not buy due to salty air accelerating corrosion.
I reckon in 95-99% of systems the loudspeaker is the bottleneck, even great budget amps from the 1980's like the pioneer a400 can driver insanely priced speakers well. Every major upgrade to sound I did was when getting a new pair of speakers, new speakers seem to be over-priced for the quality compared with those before the 90's, now everything is on a cost cutting exercise.
People in the UK don't know how lucky they are as far as second hand hifi. I've been trying to set up a vintage system for the last 2 months here in Germany. A pair of Celestion Ditton IIs I had my eye on went for 400 euros in the end. A pair of scruffy looking Castle Pemberton's are up now, starting price 360 euros. I could go on.
Your giving away all the buyer secrets! Too much good info. Stop it LOL great insights! I like my date nights like I like my speakers: 3-way FTW 720p your better than that LOL
I have a pair of Kef Referance 104's swapped out two pairs of modern Kef's for these which was priced at £275 and been rebuilt and will outlast me! Paired with a high Quality valve pre and power amp and my linn the sound is awesome and i will keep these for life as ive heard many other speakers costing thousands and not even come close to the quality of my old 104's
Hi Kelvin i thought id tell you my set up which is Linn Sondek with Nirvana/Vahalla , Roksan Tabriz arm with extra weighted counterweight for Ortofon Rondo Bronze MC cartridge into Audionote AN-S2 step up transformer into Audionote M2 Phono pre-amp and Audionote P2 poweramp all with proper Audionote interconnects, Meridian GO7 CD Player, Nakamichi BX300E Cassette deck have a Akai AP10C turntable which i bought in 1978 and still working for i use with 45s and 12"singles and a Denon 3900 DVD player for SACD and DVD Audio and my KEf Reference 104's with Atlas Hyper 3.0 speaker cable , system sounds awesome esp when valves warmed up 😁
Hi there great video. been given a pair of Goodmans Q60s the led doesnt light up red or green . Not sure how the front grill comes off. Any ideas? Cheers. Keep the videos coming
I just found a pair of Rogers Export Monitors. Something you wouldn't see much here in the USA. Do you have a take on those? They were at an estates sale and they sound awesome to me!
Immediately back to my schooldays in the mid-late 70s....bittersweet memories. What was, was might have been etc, etc. I certainly remember the Codas and the Dittons (probably aspired to both as a kid). Anyway, my mate's dad (who turned out to be a percussionist with English National Opera, although being a council estate snot I hadn't a clue at the time) had a pair of Rogers LS3/5a in the living room of their semi in Hounslow. Ran them with a Sugden A21 Class A amp (I later bought one myself secondhand) and a Dual turntable (can't remember the precise model). He also had a UHF receiver that he could hook up to the Sugden to get a decent tv sound, pretty innovative back then. We tried a wide range of music with this setup (when his dad wasn't in). From classical through prog rock, Led Zeppelin, Queen, even punk. Overall a fairly dynamic sound (for back then), and indeed balanced upper and midrange. But of course zero bass. Madness to part with that sort of money for them. I paid a similar amount for a pair of ESL 63s about 10 years ago (they're probably available for less now) and they were (still are) way, way better value. A completely different league. But what with all the musical instruments they had dotted around the house, I guess they didn't have sufficient room for such beasts. And for a few hundred pound, I managed to pick up a pair of Linn Saras. Not quite bookshelfs but fairly small and so much more weight than the LS3/5a.
The LS3/5a became what it is today for a reason. Many people preferred them for sheer accuracy. They are said to have good bass for a little speaker though I think my JR149s improved on them. Bass is somewhat a function of the amp.
I just recently purchase a pair of KEF Coda III's. Mediocre at best. They play sound and not music. The KEF logo does not automatically guarantee good sound. I own B&W DM4's, Spendor BC1'a and BCII,s. Whatever possessed me to purchase these Coda's is a mystery to me. I must be getting senile. I think I was hoping for a somewhat similar sound to the LA3/5a's. The Coda's are available for free to the 1st person who comes by!
Yes the only good KEF range was the one with the teak veneer and the models are cadenza concerto chorale the original coda but not this code 3 basically the 70s early 70s keg rubbish by the 80s generally speaking
you ever try a pair of early kef concertos 1969 i have a pair of 104ab and the early concertos sound so big like 105 and later concertos just dont sound the same like for u to reviwer them
Yes I have had concertos a really big sound I found I had to do a fair bit of tweaking with position and amps to get it sounding good but it did get very good
My father worked on outside broadcasting for radio Nottingham and he had all sorts of hifi gear. I've ended up with most of it. Some he sold like his nagra reel to reel. His idea of what was good may come across as nonsense. But here's what I've got that still works. Turntable home made with sme tonearm and matsuhito motor off his accutrac 4000. Pioneer z series hifi . Jamo d4 speakers. Some eagle speakers full range I think. Sony es series wood slides need varnish. Home made reel to reel in chipboard case motors say revox.and loads of tapes with aluminium splice block. I would like to say most of his gear got sold after he died.
Just to add. Ive got some new monitor speakers they where only 130 pounds and they sound really good. They are the presonus 4.5s. I run my synths thru them. 303 909 808 sound good aswell.
My man, I am not going to lie, you could patent a drinking game, every time you say ‘yeah’ in your videos, someone should take a shot, easily they’ll be inebriated, I am up this late as I am on break whilst working nights 😂 good content
Among KEF C75, KEF C80 and B&W 220 speakers, can I ask your opinion which represent best British speaker sound? Which one deliver deep base, clarity and definition? Thanks
I have 4 pairs of bookshelf speakers and one of them will be used with my Cambridge Audio CXA60. They are, B&W DM302, KEF Coda 7, Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 and Paradigm Atom. That's for a mid size room. The Paradigm are out of the race to me. I know eventually I will get some good new speakers like the Triangle Borea BRO3 but for now I have to choose between those I have. Which pair should I use? I know my ears have the final words but your opinion would be appreciate. Thank you.
I now have B & W DM 1600 ( with metal stands!) in mint condition , all original units, and front covers, almost perfect. Paid £100 for the lot . 25-minute drive. In todays money @ £2000
"Most people don't want big speakers".....true, AT THE MOMENT! I predict, after the 'revival of vinyl' period, there'll be a revival of big speakers. :)
I had Sonys from the same era. I bough these and at first I was underwhelmed. I thought Sony was bassier and chirpier and these jbls sounded weak and muted. Now I like how flat and natural they sound. The highs and mids are delicious, and the low end is surprisingly good too. They really shine at higher levels and no specific frequency sticks out to my ears. Are modern speakers under $200, by Sony, etc., surely better?
Thank you Kelvin. On your recommendation I bought the Celestion Ditton 11. Small room listening to Eva Cassidy its sublime. You are right about modern speakers. Compared to what I'm used to the Celestions are a night and day difference. Thank you for your channel.
Thank you for your review! I have exactly the same KEF Coda at home. Built in 1972 and they sound wonderful. B&W DM 4 is also one of the favourites I have collected. Very nice speakers. I have more old B&W at home, including a set of white B&W DM 1 from the late 60s and a few sets of very good sounding B&W D5 ( Not DM5 ). B&W made good speakers. Recently I got my hands on a pair of LENTEK S4 sets. One of the tweeters has blown up but Falcon Acoustics has replacement parts so I will repair the Audax tweeters. The set is in almost perfect condition, I am very happy with it. ( Not much info online about the Lentek's )
After enjoying your channel for the last few months one of my speakers broke, and I had a look for a replacement and I have managed to spot a bargain using knowledge garnered from your advice, and I have to say a big thankyou! I am at present listening using Chartwell PM210 another of the BBC monitor style speakers, 1980, early use of polypropylene bass driver. Lovely sounding.
I bought a pair of Wharfedale Denton mk1 or at least I think that’s what they are. They sound pretty great but I have a minor issue is the wires come out of the back quite easy. The connectors are quite simple as they are just two simple screws. I tried spades but they are to wide and the left and right connectors touch. Any Tips?
Hello Kelvin.. I have Monitor Audio R352s which I had for nothing & they where going to be Skipped before & friend who is no longer here wanted to get rid of things .. So I felt as though I should try them out.. So I put them into my system in place of my Monitor Audio 9s.. & they blew my mind.. I changed the wood colour to Black vinear colour & now they are my pride & joy as the perfect sound in my system .. Respect..
Watched this upload TWICE NOW … as you need to absorb this in 100 percent and the way Kelvin delivers this upload is a measure to watch … HAPPY DAYS … it’s my weekly slice of knowledgeable info…..👍😉👌☮️
Maybe it's because I live in Nashville Tennessee (music city) USA but all those speakers are small to tiny 😁. I built the BBC LS3/5'S here way back in the day to spec for people who wanted them and still have a pair. They are excellent near field monitors, far superior to the standard Yamaha ns10. Of course the other standard was the JBL L100 which could provide everything one needed in the near field mode. They are used still some but sound dated mostly due to the LE 25. If I were stranded on an island I would pick the Speakerlab supper sevens, the ones that have the Electrovoice T 350 tweeters and 8HD mid horns. Hopefully I could have a big Mcintosh amp too😅. Gotta be able to scare off the predators! What do you think about the Goodmans axiom drivers of old and the first maximus speaker? I have heard those decades ago and purchased a pair of maximus 2's thinking they were similar, they are definitely not. Also are there other speakers you can get that have other drivers than keff woofers? And if so are any of them to your liking? Thanks for the tutorial.
30 years ago was the best time to look for vintage speakers. They were in every thrift store and for cheap. The downtown Seattle Goodwill, always had something. Now just about all and anything of value is taken up by flippers. Occasionally you can find something, but not like it was before.
Hi Edwards just to say I did buy a different pair of Diem fours maybe three months ago I think £135 on eBay you have to spend time on it that’s the problem
I cover a few continents with my choice of speakers that I bought new in the 80's and that I still own and cherrish; Celestion Ditton 66 Series II, Altec Lansing Model 14, Technics SB-L100 and Elipson Melodine Series 1 MKII on one computer and a set of Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 on another computer. Each has a different sound; Great Britain, United States, Japan, France for the Elipson and the United States for the Klipsch. They were all speakers that shine in sound reproduction when they came out; Celestion Ditton 66 Series II and Elipson Melodine Series 1 MKII for Classical, Altec Lansing Model 14 Rock and Blues, Technics SB-L100 for Techno and keyboards and wind instrument like saxophone or trumpet and the migthty Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 for movies on computers.
Few minutes in, liking your approach. I'm also glad to be in a different situation to most people and to have a suitable space for my big AR9 speakers. I'm sure the size was a factor in them being donated to the local recycling depot.
I have the B&W DM4s which I use with a Technics SL1200 MKII.....pretty happy. HOWEVER, maybe I'm looking back with rosetinted spectacles, but my Dad's Garrard SP25MkII sounded flipping immense through his Wharfdales during the 70s and 80s. Whether it was Rush, Chic or Delius everything sounded bloody marvellous. Somehow I've got it in my head that my current set-up is not as good. But hey!! Could be the amp, could be the stylus, I know. But anyway, I'm sticking with what I have as I can't afford to upgrade.
I had a pair of old JVC speakers that had been driven hard and the tweeters burnt out but as the cases were good I stripped them down and restained them, I then found a pair of Mordaunt Shorts on eBay that had badly damaged cases so did a swap over, the cases of the JVCs were ported and The Mordaunt Shorts were closed cabinets, When fitted together I was surprised at how wonderful they sounded.
I love these reviews. Wish he'd do more. Seems to be only him and the Dutch guy doing these detailed reviews and I have no idea what the Dutch guy's on about.
Hi! Very interested on vintage speakers. Can I ask for some tip? I have in mind two different speakers to complete a nikko 690 amplifier (70's). One is the b&w you show on the video (saw the complete analysis you made of it). And in the other hand I have a celestion ditton 33.. Wich do you think will fit better to the nikko? Do you recommend another one? Again thank you. Very useful all the content
I would go narrowly but definitely for the BMW curiously they have a celestion tweeter Now I did have the ditton 22s I just found it wasn’t well put together just a little unrefined like not enough love put into it
@@stereoreviewx Thank you! I'm still looking for speakers, and I found a pair of Martin Lab 38 in very good condition and good price. American speakers with Norwegian manufacture monitor studio speakers. I am in doubt again with the bowers and these that I comment on, some reviews speak wonders of them. I was asking if you've had a chance to listen them. I think both of them are a good choice..
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I've often wondered what happened to Tintin. I reckon he'd be in his 40s now, probably a hifi fan too.
haaa, Tin Tinn! lol. where is Milú? I hpe far away florstanding ones. XD
Idiot.
@@grahamd5418 Goose :)
With snow now
1000s of blistering barnacles
Cracked me up man
It’s about time somebody started a vintage audio review channel.
@Maxwell Kayson fake scams
A very interesting and constructive review of some well designed speakers. I would advise anyone buying these old speakers to be careful as they may appear perfect on the surface but in fact could have been over driven in the past. My first speakers bought in 1971 were Bowers and Wilkins DM1's. They were gorgeous open sounding speakers with similar tweeters as those on your DM4's. Unfortunately the woofer was an aluminum diaphragm elliptical speaker made by EMI. This woofer's voice coil became detached (glue failure?) after about five years of fairly careful use. Brilliant speakers in their day with the supersonic tweeter but alas, as you say, you need deep pockets to get anything similar today.
If I lived in the UK, I would have a (much more) amazing stereo.
I have the very expensive b&w dm302 bought secondhand for 40 euro's and 2 infinity minuette subs for a total of 20 euro's and it sounds great. and that for60 euro's total ;-)
I got some b&a D5s (not DM5s) today and they were surprisingly bright, but with a good upper mid. Instrument separation and imaging isn't great, but clarity isn't bad, obviously not audiophile by today's standards. I found they sounded better running from the 4 Ohm tap on my tube amp. It helped roll off the brightness and made them sound smoother. I will probably replace the electrolytic caps for some polypropylene and oil ones. Not bad for £36 a pair delivered though! I'm going to use them for my TV. A sub will be required if you're a basshead.
Of these speakers, the best by far are the B&W DM4s. Most overrated are (of course) the ls3/5a's.
Ruark speakers are a terrific brand to pick up secondhand.
Hi-fi rich lunatics 😂
I love your content and your whole approach to audio including your love of vintage gear. I'm about your age and so relate to your fondness for this golden age of audio. I lived it too and own (or have owned) many of classics from the 70s.
The Rogers and all LS3/5a speakers have an elaborate filter that is obsolete nowadays....They will always sound less than todays speakers. Monitor Audio Studio line is the secret tip... don't tell anyone.
In a January 1981 What Hi-fi the following prices are given
Audiomaster LS3/5A £180
Chartwell LS3/5A £189
Rogers LS3/5A £180
JR149 £160
SuperWoofer LPA £207
Kef 101 £185
Wow that’s interesting shows you what happens over time .
I mean what speakers gain a reputation and what that does to the price.
Great stuff thanks
@@stereoreviewx Looking at purchasing power £100 in 1980 would need £431.64 in 2020. So £180 in 80/81 would be about £776 today. Rogers are asking £2750.
Great Video keep em coming. The trouble with older speakers and all old equipment is that things run out of spec, capacitors in speakers especially if they are electrolytic ones dry out over time and that changes the capacitance, I got the crossovers out of a pair of Linn Index once, a pain to get out because you had to go in from the bass/mid driver and it was glued in to keep it airtight being a sealed box design, anyway when I tested the electrolytic capacitors they were way out of spec, if i remembe right they were 3rd order on the tweeter using two 18mf capacitors which I thought was a weird value for a tweeter, they measured around 27 to 29mf, way out of spec, so if I did buy a pair of vintage speakers again I would definitely look at and test the Capacitors especially if they are electrolytic types. I wonder how many people have bought a pair of vintage speakers and moved them on because they didn't sound that good but wasn't hearing them at their best because of the crossover not working as it should
Well said, most people are oblivious to this and like you say, just sell them on
I got Optimus X-100 for ten pounds.
Sounds like a harry enfield character “yeh” good content
Great selection and I agree with your points as well. My choice would overwhelmingly be those gorgeous Monitor Audio MA4's. My close friend had a pair of those back in the day and they always sounded fantastic! Like you say superbly built as well.
Abs spot on.... I always look out for local sellers that are getting rid of OLD speakers and I've bought loads of BIG speakers for peanuts
£5 Wharfedale Dovedale
£5 KEF kit from Wilmslow Audio (B139 / B110 / T27 TL's)
£10 LEAK Sandwich 2060
£16 Paralab 20 TL's
£5 Celestion county
£10 Celestion ditton 15
£20 RAM CD-20 (Small / Med)
you can by so many old classic speakers for small amounts of money because people just don't seem to want to have them in their living space anymore
combine this lot with my DIY jobs / multiple Celestion UL8's / Monitor audio's / Mission etc etc and the wife has gone bonkers and most are now in storage and I can't play with them!! so it has its disadvantages this 'bargain' speaker addiction, sadly
I got the Jamo Concert 8, the only great speaker they ever produced, all seas magnesium drivers, stunning sound in every way-used as a reference in stereophile for many years, but watch out for corrosion on the seas bass driver, inspect it closely at the front for white powder holes, but i have never heard a better speaker, unfortunately you cannot buy replacement drivers for it, so if you live near the sea (no pun intended) do not buy due to salty air accelerating corrosion.
I reckon in 95-99% of systems the loudspeaker is the bottleneck, even great budget amps from the 1980's like the pioneer a400 can driver insanely priced speakers well. Every major upgrade to sound I did was when getting a new pair of speakers, new speakers seem to be over-priced for the quality compared with those before the 90's, now everything is on a cost cutting exercise.
have a old pair of mission 710 , with out the originals drivers , can you
recommend a beautyful driver for jazz vocal
Not sure I know the answer to that
@@stereoreviewx thanks , i have a pair of mark audio full range , i am looking a nice warm amp any thoughts and what i could look at?
@@stereoreviewx I am using a Nad 302 n a Rotel power amp
Dynaco A25 and A26 by SEAS are nice.
People in the UK don't know how lucky they are as far as second hand hifi. I've been trying to set up a vintage system for the last 2 months here in Germany. A pair of Celestion Ditton IIs I had my eye on went for 400 euros in the end. A pair of scruffy looking Castle Pemberton's are up now, starting price 360 euros. I could go on.
Your giving away all the buyer secrets! Too much good info. Stop it LOL great insights! I like my date nights like I like my speakers: 3-way FTW 720p your better than that LOL
I have a pair of Kef Referance 104's swapped out two pairs of modern Kef's for these which was priced at £275 and been rebuilt and will outlast me! Paired with a high Quality valve pre and power amp and my linn the sound is awesome and i will keep these for life as ive heard many other speakers costing thousands and not even come close to the quality of my old 104's
Hi Kelvin i thought id tell you my set up which is Linn Sondek with Nirvana/Vahalla , Roksan Tabriz arm with extra weighted counterweight for Ortofon Rondo Bronze MC cartridge into Audionote AN-S2 step up transformer into Audionote M2 Phono pre-amp and Audionote P2 poweramp all with proper Audionote interconnects, Meridian GO7 CD Player, Nakamichi BX300E Cassette deck have a Akai AP10C turntable which i bought in 1978 and still working for i use with 45s and 12"singles and a Denon 3900 DVD player for SACD and DVD Audio and my KEf Reference 104's with Atlas Hyper 3.0 speaker cable , system sounds awesome esp when valves warmed up 😁
Great video. The days of DM4's at £125 are long gone sadly. People want £250+.
Great video. Those acoustic monitors won't be a bargain on ebay now, after people have watched this.
Hi there great video. been given a pair of Goodmans Q60s the led doesnt light up red or green . Not sure how the front grill comes off. Any ideas? Cheers. Keep the videos coming
I just found a pair of Rogers Export Monitors. Something you wouldn't see much here in the USA. Do you have a take on those? They were at an estates sale and they sound awesome to me!
I think they are like the Spender BC ones which are very highly regarded
K
Hi! Do You know something about Celestion F1, I saw a pair at good price, but nobody has info about them. Thanks for your time.
i love the way you compare vintage speakers and comments are fair n speak from user’s view👍👍😊😊
I went and bought some way overpriced Russian Tubes the other day. I now identify as a Hi Fi Lunatic.
I picked up a pair of Spendor SP 2s for £10 in BHF. The bass is incredibly lush
Immediately back to my schooldays in the mid-late 70s....bittersweet memories. What was, was might have been etc, etc. I certainly remember the Codas and the Dittons (probably aspired to both as a kid). Anyway, my mate's dad (who turned out to be a percussionist with English National Opera, although being a council estate snot I hadn't a clue at the time) had a pair of Rogers LS3/5a in the living room of their semi in Hounslow. Ran them with a Sugden A21 Class A amp (I later bought one myself secondhand) and a Dual turntable (can't remember the precise model). He also had a UHF receiver that he could hook up to the Sugden to get a decent tv sound, pretty innovative back then.
We tried a wide range of music with this setup (when his dad wasn't in). From classical through prog rock, Led Zeppelin, Queen, even punk. Overall a fairly dynamic sound (for back then), and indeed balanced upper and midrange. But of course zero bass. Madness to part with that sort of money for them. I paid a similar amount for a pair of ESL 63s about 10 years ago (they're probably available for less now) and they were (still are) way, way better value. A completely different league. But what with all the musical instruments they had dotted around the house, I guess they didn't have sufficient room for such beasts. And for a few hundred pound, I managed to pick up a pair of Linn Saras. Not quite bookshelfs but fairly small and so much more weight than the LS3/5a.
The LS3/5a became what it is today for a reason. Many people preferred them for sheer accuracy. They are said to have good bass for a little speaker though I think my JR149s improved on them. Bass is somewhat a function of the amp.
You should try speakers from the philips HiFi International line up from 70-80s. They are amazing!
yeah I believe you
I just recently purchase a pair of KEF Coda III's. Mediocre at best. They play sound and not music. The KEF logo does not automatically guarantee good sound. I own B&W DM4's, Spendor BC1'a and BCII,s. Whatever possessed me to purchase these Coda's is a mystery to me. I must be getting senile. I think I was hoping for a somewhat similar sound to the LA3/5a's. The Coda's are available for free to the 1st person who comes by!
Yes the only good KEF range was the one with the teak veneer and the models are cadenza concerto chorale the original coda but not this code 3 basically the 70s early 70s keg rubbish by the 80s generally speaking
@@stereoreviewx Cadenza and Concerto seem to be pretty similar in specs.
I own a pair of Celestion ditton 25's I just can't listen to small speakers anymore!
you ever try a pair of early kef concertos 1969 i have a pair of 104ab and the early concertos sound so big like 105 and later concertos just dont sound the same like for u to reviwer them
Yes I have had concertos a really big sound I found I had to do a fair bit of tweaking with position and amps to get it sounding good but it did get very good
Most of those speakers dont look familiar here in California, but great points that still apply. Thanks.
My father worked on outside broadcasting for radio Nottingham and he had all sorts of hifi gear. I've ended up with most of it. Some he sold like his nagra reel to reel. His idea of what was good may come across as nonsense. But here's what I've got that still works. Turntable home made with sme tonearm and matsuhito motor off his accutrac 4000. Pioneer z series hifi . Jamo d4 speakers. Some eagle speakers full range I think. Sony es series wood slides need varnish. Home made reel to reel in chipboard case motors say revox.and loads of tapes with aluminium splice block. I would like to say most of his gear got sold after he died.
Just to add. Ive got some new monitor speakers they where only 130 pounds and they sound really good. They are the presonus 4.5s. I run my synths thru them. 303 909 808 sound good aswell.
Acid
I like my big speakers especially my JBL CS 3115 😆
Just bought a pair of these KEF Codas for 35€ delivered. Let's see how they sound
So how they sound?? Thxxx
Your number 1 in my book, Keep on :)
Subbed very good speach on the speakers. Ive just bought some mission floor speakers for £30. Nice punchy bass.
I only look for 12" and at least 8" drivers! Just used sanded and rubbed tung oil on my '74 Pioneer CS-53...
My man, I am not going to lie, you could patent a drinking game, every time you say ‘yeah’ in your videos, someone should take a shot, easily they’ll be inebriated, I am up this late as I am on break whilst working nights 😂 good content
Thank you Daniel Craig
Among KEF C75, KEF C80 and B&W 220 speakers, can I ask your opinion which represent best British speaker sound? Which one deliver deep base, clarity and definition? Thanks
I have 4 pairs of bookshelf speakers and one of them will be used with my Cambridge Audio CXA60. They are, B&W DM302, KEF Coda 7, Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 and Paradigm Atom. That's for a mid size room. The Paradigm are out of the race to me. I know eventually I will get some good new speakers like the Triangle Borea BRO3 but for now I have to choose between those I have. Which pair should I use? I know my ears have the final words but your opinion would be appreciate. Thank you.
coles super tweeters on dm4 go to 35000khzr
I now have B & W DM 1600 ( with metal stands!) in mint condition , all original units, and front covers, almost perfect.
Paid £100 for the lot . 25-minute drive.
In todays money @ £2000
The B&W looks just like a Spendor SP1, -- same midrange and tweeter.
Yes same tweeter and supertweeter different bass driver yeah
"Most people don't want big speakers".....true, AT THE MOMENT! I predict, after the 'revival of vinyl' period, there'll be a revival of big speakers. :)
I had Sonys from the same era. I bough these and at first I was underwhelmed. I thought Sony was bassier and chirpier and these jbls sounded weak and muted.
Now I like how flat and natural they sound. The highs and mids are delicious, and the low end is surprisingly good too. They really shine at higher levels and no specific frequency sticks out to my ears.
Are modern speakers under $200, by Sony, etc., surely better?
Thank you Kelvin. On your recommendation I bought the Celestion Ditton 11. Small room listening to Eva Cassidy its sublime. You are right about modern speakers. Compared to what I'm used to the Celestions are a night and day difference. Thank you for your channel.
You Buying All Them 6.5 Tweeter As Speaker Is A Waste Of Money All The Same Size My Stereo Will Popped them Thngs Cross over and All!!!
your dm4 diver looks unhappy :(
Thank you for your review! I have exactly the same KEF Coda at home. Built in 1972 and they sound wonderful. B&W DM 4 is also one of the favourites I have collected. Very nice speakers. I have more old B&W at home, including a set of white B&W DM 1 from the late 60s and a few sets of very good sounding B&W D5 ( Not DM5 ). B&W made good speakers. Recently I got my hands on a pair of LENTEK S4 sets. One of the tweeters has blown up but Falcon Acoustics has replacement parts so I will repair the Audax tweeters. The set is in almost perfect condition, I am very happy with it.
( Not much info online about the Lentek's )
After enjoying your channel for the last few months one of my speakers broke, and I had a look for a replacement and I have managed to spot a bargain using knowledge garnered from your advice, and I have to say a big thankyou! I am at present listening using Chartwell PM210 another of the BBC monitor style speakers, 1980, early use of polypropylene bass driver. Lovely sounding.
Good to hear
I bought a pair of Wharfedale Denton mk1 or at least I think that’s what they are. They sound pretty great but I have a minor issue is the wires come out of the back quite easy. The connectors are quite simple as they are just two simple screws. I tried spades but they are to wide and the left and right connectors touch. Any Tips?
Brilliant information, thanks
The Rogers are going for £2500 on ebay now
Excellent video.
You need toi add a Ditton 15XR to the collection
👋 THANKS KELVIN, FOR HELPING OUT THE COMMUNITY 🤗😎👍💚💚💚
Hello Kelvin.. I have Monitor Audio R352s which I had for nothing & they where going to be Skipped before & friend who is no longer here wanted to get rid of things .. So I felt as though I should try them out.. So I put them into my system in place of my Monitor Audio 9s.. & they blew my mind.. I changed the wood colour to Black vinear colour & now they are my pride & joy as the perfect sound in my system .. Respect..
I mean B&W DM220 speakers.
I use the BW DM4 as computer monitors with rel sub , that combination produces wonderful sound, better than most computer sound systems.
dude,try dm4 with turntable and good vintage amp.listening from computer,and i think,with stock audio its like drive F1 10km/h :))))
Watched this upload TWICE NOW … as you need to absorb this in 100 percent and the way Kelvin delivers this upload is a measure to watch … HAPPY DAYS … it’s my weekly slice of knowledgeable info…..👍😉👌☮️
Have you tried the KEF 101? iF SO, What do you think of them.
Maybe it's because I live in Nashville Tennessee (music city) USA but all those speakers are small to tiny 😁. I built the BBC LS3/5'S here way back in the day to spec for people who wanted them and still have a pair. They are excellent near field monitors, far superior to the standard Yamaha ns10. Of course the other standard was the JBL L100 which could provide everything one needed in the near field mode. They are used still some but sound dated mostly due to the LE 25. If I were stranded on an island I would pick the Speakerlab supper sevens, the ones that have the Electrovoice T 350 tweeters and 8HD mid horns. Hopefully I could have a big Mcintosh amp too😅. Gotta be able to scare off the predators! What do you think about the Goodmans axiom drivers of old and the first maximus speaker? I have heard those decades ago and purchased a pair of maximus 2's thinking they were similar, they are definitely not. Also are there other speakers you can get that have other drivers than keff woofers? And if so are any of them to your liking? Thanks for the tutorial.
Picked up a pair of Diesis Solitaire from the late 80s for $50 on eBay. Designed by the Ruark people before Ruark became a thing. Total bargain.
Nice review ! what do you think about leak 2030 speakers ? i want to buy them.
Well not sure about the leaks I doubt it sounds very refined and all those tweeters Metal I’m not sure
Kef cresta 2, cost me 17 pounds... Hahaha
I also acquired some Kef Cresta's quite cheap.
A massive bargain and lovely sounding speakers. Open soundstage and crisp vocals.
Hi, im wondering if you could help me find a pair of vintage speakers to buy ? im based in london
30 years ago was the best time to look for vintage speakers.
They were in every thrift store and for cheap.
The downtown Seattle Goodwill, always had something.
Now just about all and anything of value is taken up by flippers.
Occasionally you can find something, but not like it was before.
Yes, I agree in England, even 10 years ago you could get incredible bargains
Not anymore, half of, that’s my fault 😝
Do you know anything about Wharfedale W3? Would they be worth £200 for a pretty rough pair?
Those are some ugly buggers.
4 pairs of BA DM4 on eBay right now ... Prices £285 to £300 .... Ridiculous.... You can buy quality new speakers for £400
Hi Edwards just to say I did buy a different pair of Diem fours maybe three months ago I think £135 on eBay you have to spend time on it that’s the problem
I got DM2 for forty quid.
I cover a few continents with my choice of speakers that I bought new in the 80's and that I still own and cherrish; Celestion Ditton 66 Series II, Altec Lansing Model 14, Technics SB-L100 and Elipson Melodine Series 1 MKII on one computer and a set of Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 on another computer. Each has a different sound; Great Britain, United States, Japan, France for the Elipson and the United States for the Klipsch. They were all speakers that shine in sound reproduction when they came out; Celestion Ditton 66 Series II and Elipson Melodine Series 1 MKII for Classical, Altec Lansing Model 14 Rock and Blues, Technics SB-L100 for Techno and keyboards and wind instrument like saxophone or trumpet and the migthty Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 for movies on computers.
Few minutes in, liking your approach. I'm also glad to be in a different situation to most people and to have a suitable space for my big AR9 speakers. I'm sure the size was a factor in them being donated to the local recycling depot.
Yeah me too, I will never sell my Celestion Ditton 25´s I just love the effortless way they fill the room with music!
I stay with my B&W DM14000, this set will last one life and more. Top quality, almost full spectrum down to 30Hz. Advanced project in any detail.
I have the B&W DM4s which I use with a Technics SL1200 MKII.....pretty happy.
HOWEVER, maybe I'm looking back with rosetinted spectacles, but my Dad's Garrard SP25MkII sounded flipping immense through his Wharfdales during the 70s and 80s. Whether it was Rush, Chic or Delius everything sounded bloody marvellous. Somehow I've got it in my head that my current set-up is not as good. But hey!! Could be the amp, could be the stylus, I know. But anyway, I'm sticking with what I have as I can't afford to upgrade.
You know it is seriously worth rotate the base driver let’s say 90° and tighten up those screws for the base driver this can be a big plus
you look like the last 007
Thanks very much for sharing. Greetings from James J in Limerick city Ireland
I had a pair of old JVC speakers that had been driven hard and the tweeters burnt out but as the cases were good I stripped them down and restained them, I then found a pair of Mordaunt Shorts on eBay that had badly damaged cases so did a swap over, the cases of the JVCs were ported and The Mordaunt Shorts were closed cabinets,
When fitted together I was surprised at how wonderful they sounded.
Brilliant
amazing speakers !
I love these reviews. Wish he'd do more. Seems to be only him and the Dutch guy doing these detailed reviews and I have no idea what the Dutch guy's on about.
Dutch are foul people.
I'm dutch. Do you happen to know the name of the channel?
Hi there i have two vintage Mission 710 with not the original driver and 720 do you know who may be interested
good stuff you got there
Hifi lunatics 😂.
Hi @Stereo review X i found Celestion DL8 Series on gumtree for £80 am i able to use it for my record player or is it a bluetooth ??
I think my B&W 601 S2 sound better than those Rogers, but I understand that’s not really the point.
No problem all information is good cheers K
Where are you pal ,
very informative
Hi! Very interested on vintage speakers. Can I ask for some tip? I have in mind two different speakers to complete a nikko 690 amplifier (70's). One is the b&w you show on the video (saw the complete analysis you made of it). And in the other hand I have a celestion ditton 33..
Wich do you think will fit better to the nikko? Do you recommend another one?
Again thank you. Very useful all the content
I would go narrowly but definitely for the BMW curiously they have a celestion tweeter
Now I did have the ditton 22s I just found it wasn’t well put together just a little unrefined like not enough love put into it
@@stereoreviewx Thank you! I'm still looking for speakers, and I found a pair of Martin Lab 38 in very good condition and good price. American speakers with Norwegian manufacture monitor studio speakers. I am in doubt again with the bowers and these that I comment on, some reviews speak wonders of them. I was asking if you've had a chance to listen them. I think both of them are a good choice..
“Really rich hi fi Lunatics will collect 20 pairs of these” LoL
what's your opinion on Goodmans Mezo 3g?
Aren't the Rogers what's called 'near field' monitors?
What do you think of the KEF Carina II with 2 woofers?