Braun L810s

  These are the biggest Braun driver speakers I've had here (and the biggest I'd want in my space). A 3 way design, not unlike the ADS L780/2s below, but with bigger midrange domes (with massive magnets), beefier tweeters built on huge faceplates, and two eight inch woofers in each cabinet.
  The clarity of the ADS/Braun designs is extended another octave. These are awesome, very engaging speakers. Listening to Ella Fitzgerald jamming with an all star Pablo band on Fine & Mellow (on original vinyl) almost brought tears of joy to my eyes.

ADS L780/2 Loudspeakers

  Visitors to Seventies Stereo World Corporate Headquarters who've heard ADS speakers here in the past have commented that they have a level of clarity and natural detail that they've only experienced before when using headphones. It's hard to argue. I've loved all seven sets that have passed through here from tiny to healthy medium.
  This pair of 3 way eight inch beauties are chips off the block, clean, clear and very musical.

Spendor BC1 photos.

  First off, they sound fantastic, and did before I did anything to them, but they were a mess. One tweeter was missing substantial pieces of it's plastic casting, including around a captive screwhole, so the heavy magnet was pulling it into the cabinet, putting it at an odd angle, with lots of play. I would've liked to replace it, and it looks exactly like the tweeter in many Celestion models (Ditton 15, Ditton 25 etc.), but it's rated at 16 ohms. I wanted to save it, so I glued together what I could, and cast the missing pieces in epoxy. The cabinets were terribly scratched, and I got most out, without going through the veneer. I haven't touched the backs (yet).

New Arrivals.

Recently arrived at Seventies Stereo World Headquarters: Spendor BC1s, Braun L810s, ADS L780s! I can't wait to hear them all. Also, a new champagne face Pioneer SX-828.

Just Arrived. KEF Chorales.

  From the first line of speakers KEF produced with the B200 woofer, this became a bestseller, and was in production from 1970-1979! A classic 2 way sealed system, with the popular and famous T-27 tweeter, they sound just lovely, with better bass than I would've expected. Based on the styling, this pair looks to me like fairly early production.

The speakers that got me through the winter.

  I just finished the cabinets of these Canadian made Rega (Camber) speakers. When I look back on this blog, it's clear that I have a soft spot for 2 way, 8 inch ported monitors, a classic form factor. For all intents and purposes I consider a 3 speaker system with a supertweeter 2 way. I've had Spendor BCIIs, Rogers Monitor 2s and Studio 1s, many Mission 770s, and a slew of Canadian speakers (Energy, Image, etc.). I'm not saying that the Rega 3s are definitely the best. I love listening to them, keep coming back to them, and find them always musical and satisfying. I love Rega 2s as well, but the larger woofer and bigger cabinet elevates the 3s.
  I love the Rega 3s aesthetically. The depth  of the cabinet makes the proportions very elegant. The woofer mounted from inside and screw on rear baffle echo the British style. The construction quality is excellent (with extensive internal bracing), and the wood veneer is gorgeous.
  I've been using these for more than 6 months (driven primarily by my Arcam Delta 60). They looked like a dog's breakfast until a few days ago, with scratches everywhere (including a couple of tic tac toe boards carved into one side), missing bottom trim pieces (where the brass badges would've been), and years of neglect. I refinished the cabinets (getting all scratches out:), applied new veneer at the bottom, and replaced the cheap speaker connectors with proper 5 way binding posts.
  Most cool to me though, is that for the first time, I had Rega badges 3D printed! I've been following the development of 3D printing for a while now, and knew that there would be useful applications for a vintage freak like me. This was the ideal circumstance to try it out. Thanks to the nice people at 3DPhactory for their help.

Speakers I worked on in hibernation.

2 pairs of Mission 717s.

The foam grills one one pair should've been dust 15 years go.

A beautiful pair of Mission 700s.

Early seventies vintage KEF Corellis.

with SP-1231 tweeters, replacing dead T-27s.

And soon I'll show you the speakers I listened to most through this long winter.

I'll be out of hibernation soon.

Happy New Year.

 UPDATED: I should've said weeks:)
 I wish that this wasn't my first post in over a month, and that I couldn't/didn't post in December. It's the first missed month since I started the blog in 2008.

  I was busy with my day job, and didn't have nearly the time I'd hoped for audio projects in the fall. I never stopped listening to lots of music, finding fabulous vinyl and experimenting with speakers. I'll try to catch up over the next few days. UPDATED: I should've said weeks.

Happy Holidays! I'll be back soon.

Just Arrived. Spendor S1s!

I've wanted to get my hands on one of these babies for a long time! The articulated tonearm is a unique approach to tangential tracking, the build quality is awesome, and it's gorgeous. The sound isn't anything to write home about at the moment, but I know the problem is a mediocre Shure cartridge. I have an Ortofon X3-MC high output moving coil that I hope to install soon. I'll keep you posted.

Energy 22 Reference with Sound Dynamics tweeters. Canadian hybrids.

  I told you I had an idea, but I wasn't the first. When I told the guy I bought the Energys from what I planned to do, he told be it would work well, because he'd tried it. The tweeters come from Sound Dynamics (made by API, like Energy), and were used in 2 way systems with woofers as large as 15 inches. This told me that the tweeters must be capable of being crossed over low, an important thing to consider when replacing a hyperdome.
  The system sounds fantastic, exceeding my expectations. I've been enjoying them with all kinds of music, from delicate to very heavy.

The hyperdome tweeter (critical to the awesomeness of the Energy 22) almost always fails eventually. The company that bought the original manufacturing equipment and was rebuilding them is gone. Many owners have tried alternate tweeters. A pair will be arriving tomorrow with no tweeters. I have an idea. Stay tuned.

JBL L20T photos.

  Right now, I'm listening to a stunning acoustic jazz recording by Sphere (Ben Riley, Kenny Barron, Buster Williams & Charlie Rouse), an album called Four In One. I'm using a dual CS5000 with a Grado Black, into an Arcam Delta 60, driving these sweet L20Ts. It all sounds magnificent.