My Personal 5 Favorite Vintage Speakers!

[@garykittleson3987]

Selling my ADS L710's was a mistake, and I regretted it as soon as they left. When I put them on Craigslist with a bunch of other good vintage equipment for a garage sale, I had a guy drive an hour and arrive early to buy them before anyone else showed up. I had them set up to demo with a NAD 7155 when he rolled up. We listened for a nice long time while I brought out and wired up my other sale stuff. His absolute joy helped me get over my melancholy. I still have a great little walnut set of ADS 300's (not the L300) in a near-field setup over my workbench. The clarity and richness of those little boxes have amazed me for decades. And they look just cool.

[@kennethellison9713]

Yeah, I sold my Jubals about 10 years ago for only a few hundred dollars. Big mistake.

[@AKASHAXJ]

" Only an issue for the audiophiles who are too scared to play with their knobs. I'll let you in on a secret, sometimes I push the loudness control..........." THX it's been a while since I've laughed that hard!!

[@WelshRabbit]

Yes, audiophiles are, by definition, inveterate "KNOB TWIRLERS." In 65 years, I've never met a true audiophile who wasn't.

[@thefleaflop]

Got my 3a's in Nov 1970. When tea for the tillerman came out. My first music thru it. And I got chills and remember it like yesterday.... Funny thing, I still get those chills when I put that album on.... Great job. Enjoyed it very much.

[@jaybickford512]

Hi Kevin, I'm glad you mentioned ESS as an Honorable Mention, as the ESS amt 1b is currently my favorite vintage speaker. I fell in love with them back in High School when they were new, but of course couldn't afford them at that point. Fortunately, I found a really nice pair here in the Twin Cities a few years ago, and they have been my primary speakers ever since. If you haven't already had a chance to listen to this particular ESS speaker, I hope you will get the opportunity to at some time in the future. They are really quite special.

[@oldtop4682]

I'm late in finding this channel, but had to comment. We had some ESS speakers for years, but they got destroyed in a move. When I got back into the hobby my lovely boss (wife) demanded ESS. She wanted the exact model we once had, but they are pretty rare. I found a pair of AMT-1 speakers on Craigslist for.....$200. I figured I'd have to put some work into them, but they were in excellent condition! Not being a jerk, I asked the gal if she knew what she actually had and their worth. She did, and said she just wanted them to go to a good home. Also picked up a spare for the AMT part of the speakers for another $25. These are my primary speakers as well.

[@NCislander]

I agree, I miss my set of ADS speakers from back in the day (1980's). Now have them on my radar once more after this reminder. Thanks for all you do out here Kevin.

[@karlvoigt789]

Thanks!

[@skylabsaudio]

Thank you so much!

[@lotusmanb3832]

I'm so glad you mentioned my favorite speaker of time the BA A400. I bought a pair brand new back in 1987 and thru my vintage Crown amplification they blew me away. They are long gone but I've never heard a speak since that matches the depth and detail they gave me. Thank you.

[@gdemirjian]

Klipsch kg4 are my current fav vintage speakers. Great video. Thanks.

[@scanspeak00]

I had the Boston Acoustics A100 as my first hi-fi speakers in the mid 1980s. It was the speaker that got me addicted to hi-fi, such a huge leap from the regular mid-fi speakers I had grown up with. Years later I built my own loudspeakers based on the wide-baffle design and they have been my love for over a decade now. Great video!

[@ccrm10]

I have 2 sets of the AR 4x speakers and I will never give them up. This was a great video, I have never heard of some of these speakers. I will now need to try to get a pair of one of these. Thanks!

[@kitgerhart8749]

I have two AR4x, but the tweeter controls are open. I'm afraid I'd mess them up if I tried to remove the grill to get inside and fix them.

[@Techno.Junkie]

Always enjoy your presentations. I was a bench tech at Audio Genesis, Glens Falls, NY 79-81. Picked up a Pioneer SX 1050 someone traded in for a song, it’s connected to a pair of AR 2X’s in the living room & AR 8’s in the large kitchen. Keep the videos & knowledge coming & enjoy the Holidays.

[@upscaleaudio]

Hey what a fun video. My name is Kevin Deal, and I sold and owned a few of these back in the day. The entire first series of Boston Acoustic was crazy good, even by today's standards. And like you said the A400 was EPIC. They really were designed with the wide front baffle to sound like there WAS no baffle. And the BASS! So fast, deep, and controlled. I don't recall them needing to be placed against a back wall, but that was in the early 80's. DQ10's really needed a sub, and they made a passive one for it called the DQ1W, usually used in pairs with the DQLP1 active or DQMX1 passive crossover. I still have some DQM9's in my stash somewhere. A fantastic 9" 3 way standmount. I sold both Braun in the late 70's when I worked at Cal Stereo, and ADS (who used Braun drivers) later. All the speakers above require re-coning. Most ADS do not. L1530 are cool, and they made an amazing powered sub called the PB1500 for the L300 or 400 that was ahead of its time. Sorry to prattle on. I'm 66 and have been doing this for 48 years. It never gets old. You're in a fun spot.

[@Justwantahover]

If you want to try building amazing sounding speakers do this. Buy some 5" full range drivers and (somhow) mount the driver on top of the speaker box. Mounted completely open, out of the box. And under, is a good woofer in the box. I made some speakers based on that idea and took the speakers to a hifi shop for evaluation. They loved them! My friends love them and I made some bookshelf speakers of the same design, to post to my sister far away. When she heard them, she texted me ❤❤❤❤ about the speakers.

[@patmeadows4759]

Hello Kevin. Another great topic and presentation. My personal faves from the 70's; Dynaco A25 and A35. OLA (Original Large Advents) I had them double stacked. The NLA (New Large Advents) and the Boston A200.

[@skylabsaudio]

Make sure to watch next week's video :)

[@johnnyhiett]

I cant wait! 🎉 All the AR 3As me and others had simply blew up woofers and tweeters. Sounded more like a cardboard box on the the Dynaco amps. But I rarely blew out a Dynaco tweeter 😂. I still have an NOS flat of Dynaco tweeters. I ran 6 Dynaco A25s stacked. Alongside with the Magnepans. Later I got the biggest Dynacos made...still have them (forsale) the Phase III Model 80. I love your vintage list! I have 3 models of ESS. The Tempest Lab 3e, the original AMT-1 and the circa 2018 AMT LTD. For smoothed over sound I have the Polk SDA II. I run all this stuff on a 1994 Niles selector.

[@DSG-br5lk]

Another vote for the Dynaco A25s. I have had a pair for 40 years and use those as my primary speakers with a pair of Polk RTI28s as rear channel speakers (all run in extended stereo off of a Pioneer AV amp), and a small Yamaha sub to balance out the bottom ends. Such a warm, natural, easy to listen to set up.

[@larrysmac]

My A-25's might look like shit, but they're still kicking after all these years. LOL

[@davids1920]

I love seeing the original advertising material for the products. I've stumbled across your channel today and it brings back so many memories from my time working in a small retail store in Australia in mid-to late 80's . Thank you so much!

[@mikemccallister2056]

I first saw/listened to the DQ-10 in 1983 and knew I had to have a pair. I finally got my DQ-10's last year for $300 including the DQ-MX1 and the Dahlquist subwoofer. I'm missing the wire mesh cover on the back of the speakers and there was no grill cloth but I left them like for the longest time just because they looked so industrial that way.

[@Drummerjuice]

I bought a minty set of DQ-10’s along with a pair matching DQ-1w subs and the DQ-LP-1 active crossover about 2 years ago. They sound amazing in my room.

[@danab7472]

I never much thought about vintage speakers (have always loved older electronics) until I chanced upon a pair of Celestion Ditton 551 that I ended up restoring and I LOVE them.

[@Vandyfw]

I have owned my ADS L710s since the late 70’s. I love them. They out perform my very pricey B&W 700 series. I did add a sub to supplement the low end. I highly recommend ADS. They are incredibly well built.

[@stevezeidman7224]

Me too!

[@robmaxfield780]

ADS L710s were my first ADS speakers and I absolutely love them! I also own a set of 1530s and they are incredible!

[@stevezeidman7224]

@Vandyfw Wow! I’ve always wanted to hear those large XX30. I’m sure those 1530 are amazing. Have you ever seen the or heard the 2030?

[@goodun2974]

On the plus side, a/d/s speakers usually used a rubber surround and so they wouldn't rot out like foam surround speakers. On the negative side, as mentioned here, that sticky damping material on the dome mids and tweeters not only tended to collect dust and lint but would over time migrate and settle towards the bottom edge of the surround and I would imagine that this might affect its dispersion or frequency characteristics. Early versions of the Dahlquist DQ10 used an Advent woofer. They could sound good in the right room with the right equipment driving them, but they were inefficient, very fussy to set up and fussy about amplification, and the open metal mesh grill over the back allowed dust, lint and pet hair to settle on the drivers and crossover. PS, its not ADS, its a/d/s. Back in the early 1980s I had their 2001 automobile sound system in my car, consisting of their biamped mini speakers and an added subwoofer box ( Dynaudio 10's) that I built, driven by an Audiomobile preamp EQ and subwoofer amp, and a Nakamichi 250 tape deck.

[@omnion100]

I have the same speakers in Germany called Baun l810. The founder of Ads imported the speakers in the 70s. They sound excellent. The Braun company was a leader in German loudspeaker construction in the early 1970s.

[@Warhawk1952]

You mention Fisher, I had that set up in 1974, it was great till I purchased my pioneer system. Big difference. You left off one of the best speakers ever made. In the late 60s and 70's, there was a company in Anaheim, CA called Altec-Lansing. They were, for a brief time, the Rolls Royce of their time. Made in the USA too... Very expensive fir the time. Love your channel! Takes me back to when I would build my Heathkits!!

[@CSMSteel7]

Got 4 my brother in home made cabinets. A pair with 12’s and a pair with 8’s. You might also remember Utah’s.

[@haroldbrooks4235]

That’s JBL actually. That’s where the L comes from in Lansing James B Lansing. Well it used to be his company

[@garyrodriguez8414]

I had a pair of Jim Lansing signature L77's sadly Helene destroyed them. I bought a pair of Acoustic Research 707's at Salvation Army store to replace the Jbl's flooded put by the storm I only paid twenty bucks for them and being I lost everything in that storm including my car I am now living in an apt and can not crank up my Onkyo like I used to when I still had my home that and the Technics SBLX7's stacked on top of the AResearch and a a set of Fisher STV816 on the opposite side of the room to give it that quadraphonic kinda of influence they make for great listening when I have on a DVD or a CD, unfortunately my ex copped my pioneer turntable so I no longer have my record collection of about three grand but I still get by and Lord of the Rings DVD or Celebration Day sounds amazing like you are sitting in a really nice theatre somewhere or when I took my ailing viet Nam vet cuz to see the Who at the Ice Palace just a few years back, we both like it loud and right up front. I noticed you did not mention Bose at all I had a friend that had the 500 series and they sounded really good in his trailer, but nothing compares to those Dalquist( too rich for my blood) my good sailing buddy had in his home, talk about realistic theatre quality sound, wow!

[@jackdelal128]

I have the JBL 4312A for 40 years and it is still perfect!

[@karaDee2363]

Love the review you gave on all the speakers and as always I value your opinion. Don't ever apologize for what you like.

[@skylabsaudio]

Thank you, Karen! We always seem to agree :)

[@karaDee2363]

​@@skylabsaudioYou're welcome. Yeah I noticed that, it's rare that I agree with anyone all the time and that anyone agrees with me.. it's refreshing for a change...lol

[@rankenfile]

Fun video. Absolutely love my ADS L810's I scored 12 years ago. Such a wonderful sound.

[@CraigHollabaugh]

Totally not what I expected. ADS, BA, AR and even Dahlquist ( that's the old school sleeper ) make up quite a unique list. Love the passion and your thoughts. Thanks for the video.

[@skylabsaudio]

Thanks, Craig!

[@andrewg824]

Dalhquist DQ 10’s with two HK citation 19’s and a passive sub were fantastic. A wall of sound.

[@teebomus1]

I agree with you on the Jubals. Aside from being really cool with the glass top, have put mine on stands too and turn down the treble a little bit. They sound fantastic

[@dondorfman3951]

My favorite JBL Paragon and KLH 9

[@kitgerhart8749]

A college friend had KLH 9s, which I loved. I've only heard a Paragon once, and it wasn't my thing. Nice furniture, though.

[@timd5365]

My Boston A150's blow people away with their punch and clarity. Highly agree with your choices Kevin.

[@kelboodha]

I have a pair of A200s that sound amazing

[@brunohebert1351]

I had a pair of A100, was able to get a pair of A150. The choice was a little tough as the A100 had a punchier bass I thought. But the clarity and details got me on the A150. Plus they were just freshly refoamed. So I parted with the A100. Now I wish I could find A200 or A400... But now I'll keep an aye for the ADS 810 too.

[@dennyphillips2178]

Had to replace the woofers on my 150's ten years ago, otherwise going strong

[@dzhaughnne]

My first serious speakers were a pair of A60s, which although obviously not in the league of their larger siblings were simply incredible for their size: punchy and clear and with better detail than a lot of more expensive speakers. Still miss them decades later.

[@Dan-Tesch]

So happy to see the DQ-10 on the list, an enormously influential speaker for me early in my audio journey. I was talking with you in the store about a year ago and hadn't even noticed you had a pair. It was awesome to listen to them again, I just wish I had a place to put a set these days.

[@richardw.b.feigen8700]

I ❤ Dahlquist too. I bought my DQ 20s new in the mid-late 1990s, and I'm still using them, now in my third system. It's been a wonderful love affair. Dahlquist speakers, particularly the DQ 20, are beautiful sounding (and beautiful looking), well built exemplars of acoustic engineering. And the superb Scan Speak Drivers Dahlquist used are still available.

[@timothyjudsontaylorofficia9786]

I had a pair of Boston A400’s and Polk SDA1’s with phase link. Between the two, the Bostons won hands down. Another truly great speaker was a set of industrial grade La Scala’s with Crites upgrades. Many others came and went. Thanks for the share.

[@jlcougilljr]

GLAD YOU POSTED TIM!!! i have SDA 1A's that i love. i'm gonna have to check some A400's out for sure!! I have a few pairs of the more modern Polk's from over the last 15-20 years but i have collected several pairs of and really love the Monitor series from the 80's like the Monitor 10's, 5jr., 5's, 4's and 7's and have always loved these from the first time seeing and hearing the Monitor series back in the day, i was still in high school in the early/mid 80's so hell i didn't have money but was starting do to part time work in the workforce so i could start buying things i wanted as a young man, like some bad-ass Monitor Series Polk Audio's , and beer of course-lol!! so yeah brother, i need to check out the A400's considering your opinion of them against your SDA1's, take care brother! \m/ \m/

[@TravelandAudio]

I can see that you really know about speakers. I heard the Boston Acoustics A400 a few months ago and I was shocked at how smooth they sound.

[@swinde]

I still have my pair of AR-3a speakers from 1970. They sold for $250.00 Each at the time or $500.00 a pair. They are a classic speaker. Before AR came out with the AR-LST, one of their "blurbs" was: "This is the best speaker we know how to make". The entire AR line sounded amazingly similar with the trade-offs as you went lower in price was more roleoff at low frequencies and less dispersion of the midrange and high frequencies, but the character of the sound remained the same.

[@stevenmeyer9674]

I have a pair of AR-LST speakers in my storage as I type.

[@quiksr20]

L810s are my main speaker and I love em!!! The build quality is killer and they sound so good. Even today with all the other modern speakers these can hang or surpass them still in sound.. I paid a decent chunk for my 810s but they were mint and ill also never sell them, Found some beat up L620s a few weeks ago and even those sound great.. They are more like a large advent setup ( 2 way / 10" ). Another speaker I love and hope to acquire are Dynaco A25's they also stand up well today.

[@protowave]

i've got a pair of Dyna A25's and they are the best jazz vocal speaker i have ever heard. Ella Fitzgerald sits next to you and sings in the room when you put her on through the A25's.

[@quiksr20]

Cant wait to pick up a set of A25's@@protowave

[@rubevaughn]

So right about the DQ 10s needing a big space. I used to have one of their bookshelf speakers which I loved. They were fantastic in my small apartment. Best I ever heard a lot of was my dad's KEF 104s. Just loved those speakers.

[@charkuat]

From, Malaysia, you selection are all thumbs up. My Jubals are my pride and joy, alnico bass drivers, 707 crystal "hot" tweeters and solid mid speakers, from the softest of volume to pushing the volume limit, it holds well. Added an active Jamo sub, happy as a lark.

[@richbowie76]

I bought a pair of the A100s in the late 80s for my first apartment. Loved em ! My neighbors too !

[@dgillies5420]

You can get 1/2" quarter circle mouldings and cut 4 pieces to glue in a square and make press in grills for the AR speakers and buy cloth from a fabric store for cheap! Did it, worked great!

[@peterrichard3706]

Got my Ohm L,s. 40yrs. Just perfect! Had woofer factory replenish. Run them on Emotiva stuff. Never use tone controls. No need.

[@rasherbilbo452]

ADS brings back memories. Had the monster L2030 for a while. Other than a bit soft in the very top-end (to my much younger ears back then), a TOTL contender.

[@robmaxfield780]

I have a set of ADS-L1530s that easily compete with my later aerial acoustics model 8s. I also have a set of ADS L710s that were my first set of vintage speakers and got me hooked onto the ADS line. I absolutely love the ADS brand! Fabulous speakers!

[@MuscleBN]

I have had almost every ads speaker with the exception of the 910 and one other ..And I have to say the most accurate and pleasing to me was actually the 710 over the 810...I am so sorry I got rid of those...they were my favorite..the bass from the 2 -7 inch was so tight and snap. They didn't go as low as the 810 did.but prefer the 710 quickness.😢

[@customconsult3045]

I’m still sorry I dumped my L1530’s after I bought a pair of L1590’s. Being young & foolish I believed newer meant better even though my ears said otherwise. It’s a shame ADS didn’t survive to present days.

[@chienminchang40]

I sold my ADS -L1530 because size too big, then sold L-710L , now use Proac response D1 . Still keep AR3a , and 4x .

[@trog69]

It seems most people who've heard both prefer the L710s. I am most fortunate to have a pair of 910s practically drop into my lap here in S. Arizona. There are a few 910s that occasionally can be bought off Craigslist in the NE markets around where they were built.@@MuscleBN

[@MarkMiller-i8q]

I've had my ADS 1230s since 1983. Can't give them up. I'd regret it, I'm sure. They have the same driver compliment as the 810s (which I also had before purchasing the 1230s) but in a much bigger cabinet.

[@jamester1ful]

Love my l1230s, in my top three favorite speakers

[@FanOWater]

I've been using a pair of Braun LS100's since 1985. Still love them. What impresses me the most is that they sound the same at any volume. Their compact size and awesome performance made it easy to keep them. Cheers

[@markmorrow3250]

Nice trip down memory land. I got my first stereo in about 1978, it was a Rotel 25 watt receiver and and pair of AR18 speakers. My brother in-law is still using the Rotel at his house. I kept the AR’s unit sometime in the early 90’s I think. I had some other speakers in those years but they didn’t trip my trigger. But I bought a new pair of Boston A400’s in 1984-85 sometime. Kept them for several years. They were really nice to pair with modest electronics and gave a great experience. But it was easy to annoy the other people in our apartment building with them. In the late 80’s I was working at a couple different audio stores, and changed out gear kind of regularly. But I did sell several of the brands that you mentioned here. I always liked and sold lots of Boston Acoustics especially the A100’s. ADS was a great speaker, but didn’t sell as well because they were more expensive, and not as flashy, people tended to like a little bump and splash in the demo room. Despite their popularity, I never worked at a store that sold JBL. I always thought that they were bass heavy when I heard them, but lots of people liked them.

[@goodun2974]

The audio store I worked for in the 80s sold Boston acoustics BMW face Tech and dalquist speakers. We sold plenty of Boston A40's and A60s but not too many of the larger models because he B&W DM10's at $300-somehing a pair just about crushed almost anything in the store until you spent 3 times that. Everybody working in the store-bought a pair of those b & w speakers for themselves at half price on salesman's accommodations.

[@murrayhunt765]

Love it, I had a pair of Ar17's paired with a technics amp and turntable (with an ADC ZLM Mkiii cartridge.) I still have that original gear from 1978, in original boxes. As I got older and had more disposable income I started gathering all the gear I'd drooled over when I was in high school, but couldn't afford. I picked up a pair of AR-11's about 15 years ago for a song and have then hooked to my pioneer SX-950 receiver. Best sound ever!

[@mike.thomas]

I had the little brother of the Boston A400 - the A100. It was basically the only speaker I could afford at my local high-end shop back in the late 80s. But it honestly fit very well in my apartment and sounded great due to the wall-loading, and was my first true quality speaker and one I could be proud of.

[@richardsmith5362]

Hi Kevin, Another gem of a video. I worked in three different audio stores from '73-'80. It was really interesting how owners and management had differeing views concerning their philosophies on hi-fi. Two were focused on having the most "accurate" speakers and electronics, while the third was mostly interested in making a buck. Regardless, it was sad that the '80's saw most of the electronics manufacturers moving to department stores. I'm certain it improved their bottom line, but it destroyed all three of the shops that I had enjoyed being a part of for so long. What was most interesting, was that the mom & pop audio stores sold things at the same price as did the department stores. Obviously, the department stores had no service department, and you were no longer able to trade in your old equipment with a department store. I heard and have owned all of the speakers that you feature in your top five picks. I still own a pair of Dahlquist DQ-10a's, that were an upgrade from the standard 10's, because the two speakers were mirror imaged and had mylar capacitors. I also still own a pair of Boston Acoustic 100's, as I felt they had a more accurate bass response compared to the 400's. Again, we are talking about highly subjective personal tastes. I tried to review all of the previous comments and hope I'm not repeating a sore spot that someone else has already mentioned, and I have done the same thing more than I wish to admit. At any rate, the DQ-10 speaker measures 31 inches, from side to side as you originally mentioned, but at about 20 mins. in to your video, you mention the width of the DQ-10's as 42 inches!?! If there is a 42" DQ-10, perhaps it has a built-in side-burn trimmer... I wish I still owned the first six "Absolute Sound" mini magazines that a customer kindly gave me in hopes that our store would take on a couple of new innovative lines. In summation, thank you for picking up the torch and showing how enjoyable and even gratifying, it can be to critically listen to great music. P.S. Does anyone know how I can get rid of the annoying emoji that now emblazons all of my comments?

[@greganderson1681]

Wow, that was a trip through the Wayback Machine! I saved up and built my first hifi system when I was a junior in high school. And there it is in your video! Well, mine was slightly less impressive - Pioneer SA-8100/TA-8100, Thorens TD165 and a pair of large Advents. Only one of our rich kid friends had a stacked pair of Advents and I’m not sure I ever heard them. But I loved my setup so much I didn’t care. Still have the Thorens although I have much better TTs now. Still have the amp & tuner although the amp needs a refresh. And I gave the Advents to my daughter, who’s still rockin’ out with them.

[@bunkie2100]

Back in 1979, I met both Andy Pettite and Frank Reid of Boston Acoustics when they came to visit the small speaker company (AEI) I was helping to run. I’m not sure why they wanted to talk us, in retrospect, I think it was that they were looking to expand Boston Adoustics and might have wanted to buy us for the manufacturing space we had in East Boston. Our speaker (the Evolution One) was designed by Roy Cizek and subscribed to the larger baffle more shallow cabinet design that the A100 took to extremes. Back in the 1970s, It was beginning to be understood that baffle-edge diffraction was an issue. The large baffle was designed to be, at least, one multiple of the frequencies where most of the detail in music can be heard. This would allow a full wavelength to propogate across rhe baffle allowing for less edge diffraction and phase cancellation. At least that’s the theory. It you look at a Dhalquist 10 (which sounded fabulous and predated the A100 by a few years), the five-way design had all but the woofers mounted on individual open-baffles, each sized to be larger than one wavelength of the driver just at or below the low crossover point. One of these days, I’m going to build my own version of the A100 and see how it sounds. Edit - Regarding the DQ10, fhat’s what I get for commenting before watching the whole video. The first time I heard them (At the Audio Exchange in Manhasset, NY), they really blew me away. They were set up in open space and the sound of Mick Jagger singing Angie gave me goosebumps.

[@martyjewell5683]

A buddy of mine had the Cizek model 1's back in 1980. They were connected to a 60wpc Kenwood KA-7100 integrated amp and sounded boss. Lotsa great speakers to choose from in those days.

[@burlingtonbill1]

For me, the Dahlquist "goosebumps" came from hearing Stevie Nicks & F. Mac doing "Rhiannon." The airiness and etheral qualities in that song were something you HAD to exoerience again & again! The amp driving them was the legendary GAS "Ampzilla II". Absolutely unbelevable experience. And regardless of the "needs a subwoofer" comment -- MY experience was this: "World Turning" from the same LP has KILLER gutpunching bass starting at 1:40 into the song. The DQ-10 setup I heard (sans the DQ-1W / DQ-LP1 crossover) reproduced it beautifully without strain, distortion, or the sense that something was missing! I eventually bought a pair (actually owned 2 pairs over the years) and had the DQ-LP1 with DQ-1W setup as well, so I think I'm pretty well-experienced here.

[@TheWorldRealist]

I have a pair of Wharfedale Dovedale 3 from 1972. The sound superb - Darkside of the Moon - fantastic NAD amp Audio technics deck. Speakers are like new.

[@wasclywabbit]

I still have a pair of ADS 810s that I bought new in 78 or 79. Fabulous speakers when driven by my Kenwood KA7100 (which I still have but needs some work). A buddy of mine had the ultimate setup though, a Sansui AU717 with a Thorens turntable that had one of the first carbon fiber arms. I can still remember how good that sounded.

[@pervertedalchemist9944]

My favorite vintage speakers are the ones I am currently using. I have a pair of AVID 102 speakers made in 1980. They have a knob to adjust the sound of the tweeter and have a fuse to power them. I don't hear them talked about much - if at all.

[@MarkManner]

My college roommate had the 3as, and I spent many hours listening to them in 1971. I had some AR 2as. We were too close to them most times, but occasionally took them to my uncle's house and let them shine.

[@lobstame]

Great presentation Kevin! My fond memory of the AR 2A’s back in the early 70’s were powered by a flagship Sherwood receiver (not sure of that model) and spinning vinyl on a Benjamin-Miracord turntable sounded just superb. You are so right about good vintage gear all of the same era sounded very good to us. None of us were audiophiles, we just listened to music. Soon out of college we got jobs and began to trade up. We got the fever.

[@jackstrawjr2963]

In the '70s I grew up listening to Heathkit AS-2A loudspeakers (Heathkit's version of AR-2A) connected to a Garrard turntable running through a Heathkit pre-amp & AA-121 tube amplifier. Around 1997 I stumbled upon an eBay auction for New Old Stock AR-2A speakers in the original boxes for $300... I still have them today & they still sound awesome! They've had some attention over the years (re-sealed the cloth woofer surrounds, upgraded the level control pots) but still amazing.

[@arlopop]

Personally, I was a huge fan of JBL112s. They were immaculate, and in my youth when I tended towards cranking things up, they were great. They could handle a lot of power but didn’t require super wattage. The 12” woofer was a beast, and I’m sure my neighbors loved me. I’ve often looked back fondly at the sound. Although JBL categorized them as “bookshelf speakers”, they were definitely not at roughly 55lbs per. Highly recommend, though I wouldn’t be surprised if a vintage pair needed a reform.

[@DQ-su6qf]

First heard the DQ10’s at Paris Audio in Sherman Oaks ca. back in 1973 and To this day that speaker has made the biggest impression on me..

[@amandamak8808]

after my DQ10 broke down. Not many things come closed... Snell, B&W, infinity

[@Koji-888]

My father had these DQ10 shipped to Osaka. It was the open air sound. Feeling so light and clear. Like I was at a concert. 💁🏻‍♀️

[@toddcovington1172]

Great list. The honorable mention of ESS makes great sense. I love my ESS AMT 1 B's! Completely agree with different types of speakers. I rotate the ESS's, Vandersteen C2 i''s, Ohm H's, Ohm Walsh I, and JBL 4310. Jubal's and ADS's are/have been on radar ! Love your cast!

[@ronblackburn308]

Pair my Yamaha cr-820 with ESS model 7s' and get JBL like rock tones. Use ESS Pedestals speakers for fronts with Pioneer Elite SC-68 for that clear airy sound.

[@johnbrender7635]

I'm a huge fan and collector of JBL. mainly L100/4311. I specialize in restorations of JBLs but also restore any vintage speakers. Last year a customer dropped off a set of ADS 810's and let me use them for a few weeks. I was blown away. Now I'm looking for a pair for myself. Having said that, Nothing beats the look and presence of a set of vintage JBL's. The looks go to JBL but the sound goes to ADS.

[@MarkMiller-i8q]

I've owned the ADS 1230s for 40 years. A few weeks ago, I heard the JBL L100 Classic. Can't say I was blown away but I wouldn't mind having those (in addition to my 1230s) for an "alternative" sound to the East Cost sound of ADS. That tweeter is specked all the way up to 40Hz. Also, like you, I like their retro aesthetic. A local sound shop offered me a huge discount, $3800 for the pair, INCLUDING the stands.

[@grumpy9478]

great to have both! ... for both "sounds". a friend has had 810s forever & I recently acquired a well cared-for set of the L88+ that had been upgraded to L100 spec years ago. the Century has the Big Sound of its time & place (esp fun for recordings wherein they were the monitors), while the 810s are so smooth & easy on period jazz, folk, blues & classical, while quite "honest" about everything else. @@MarkMiller-i8q

[@roguesquatch1]

My 2 favorite speakers that I own are my ADS L810s and my JBL L110s. The JBLs are halfway recapped and should be finished soon. Unfortunately I blew a tweeter in the ADS though so I need to get that fixed.

[@jeffmalloy8200]

I run a pair of L810's paired with a set of JBL 4311's and I'm in dog heaven.

[@danmcaleer3993]

Hi , I have 4 pairs of vintage JBL speakers all need repair can you help.

[@Palaemon44]

Being older than dirt, seeing those old names brings back memories. My roommate in the Air Force had a pair of 2ax’s, Dual Turntable, and Marantz receiver. That was some great listening.

[@douggarber8731]

In 1968 I sold AR3a and AR2a speakers in a Hi-Fi department at Hess Brothers in Allentown, PA. The salesmen preferred KLH 5s and 6s, so we drilled holes in the back of the ARs to kill the deep bass. Hardly sold any ARs after that - true story!

[@swinde]

So you sabotaged the better speakers. I will guess that the markup on the KLHs was better. KLH made excellent speakers as well. Back in the late 1960 I worked as a tech at a retail store that sold quality audio equipment. They had the AR-3a speakers, Advents, JBL L-100s and they had speakers marketed by H. H. Scott. The manager wanted us to push the Scott speakers because it had a much better markup. Luckily, I did not do too much sales because the Scott was not a great speaker.

[@morrisonAV]

You should have seen me smiling as you began with the L810s. My first "real" speakers and they were the original cloth grille version. I strayed away from a/d/s (or aDs or ADS) a couple of times but always came back. Have a pair of 1230s in my living room now and they are sublime. Great video.

[@earlyetman5588]

A/d/s products were amazing! I used their car speakers, amps, and crossovers back in the day , amazing products!

[@rajoconnor]

Great list. Amazing sounds from them all…. Wish your list would include the kappa line.

[@blueshoes8481]

Still rockin' the Acoustic Research TSW910s and Yamaha M85, C85, T85 I bought in the 80s. Love this setup. Also, a friend of mine worked at RTR in the 70s. I still have a set of PS-1 "Pyramid" satellite speakers that used to be paired with their DAC/1 Rhombus subwoofers. I also still have a set of DIY 'bookshelf' speakers with RTR components that I used to have set up in my big GMC Jimmy. That was the best vehicle audio I ever had!

[@bb_lz9790]

I love these videos!!! Historically, I'm really cheap, so as a teenager getting my first stereo system, I got a Sansui 7070 and built my own speakers. I sold the Sansui years ago and have been using a Nikko 7075 that I bought from a friend for my then girlfriend, now wife of over 40 years, back in about 1980. Never owned a pair of factory built speakers until I found a pair of ESS AMT5 at a church rummage sale for something like $35. I needed to refoam the woofers, but they've been fine ever since then. I dream of owning something fancier, but I enjoy how the Nikko/ESS pairing sounds. No idea of what I'll do if something wears out. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. When you showed the Dahlquist with the grilles removed, I gagged when I saw a Piezo horn tweeters. I've long despised those things as they always sounded harsh to my ears, but it seems like they made them work.

[@shodan6401]

First I'm seeing your channel, but I immediately understand that you know what you're talking about - because you nailed it right out of the gate. You obviously have a discerning pair of ears. BTW, you owe it to yourself to chase down the original Stereo Review articles on the L810's and much of the ADS line, as well as many of the others in your list of favorites. You may have to use the "WayBack" machine, but it's worth the effort. Years ago, while working at a HiFi shop, we took most of these models in on trade, and 35 years later, I still have my L780 Mark II's, L810's, many of the ADS bookshelf models, and the classic AR's. Love the "fried egg" tweeters. Great vid, thanks.

[@robertmceuen3630]

My favorites are the ones I built myself. Two 8" JBL's, horn mid, and ribbon tweeter. Column design, ported. They sound pretty good for home built. Solid, 60 lbs each.

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

they really should just sell it asap, im sure many people prefer simple portable solution to accompany their activities (and their expensive iems)

[@robertmceuen3630]

@@jesse75 of course. I built two others also. Each have JBL 15" 2226, LE175 horn, 2 8" JBL, and a Renkus Heinz horn tweeter. They really smoke, no subwoofer needed.

[@robertmceuen3630]

@@jesse75 those LE8T's are sweet. Cabinets from 2 to 3.5 cu. ' will do fine. Ports about 8"×2"×4" deep. More cu. ' cabinets = more bass.

[@williamsarver2491]

You and I agree on most audio topics- As a salesman from 72 to 79 my audio shop carried multi lines of tts and receivers and speakers - When the DQ 10 came out it blew away everything I had heard up to then except if you wanted to crank up hard rock - My ultimate system in 1976 was Technics 1100 with SME 3009 arm with ADC-XML cartridge HK CITATION 11 preamp Marantz 500 power amp Dalqiuist DQ10s Chair -palm plant - Cat Stevens albums 😅 Sad I sold them but it helped me pay for college The AR3 was the first air suspension book shelf speaker that delivered great bass in a small package

[@charlesivey100]

I paired my JBL-L65s with the L-56 off my Marantz 2275 (I bought it in 1977) back around 1982. I lived in an apartment at the time, so I didn't get much chance to open up the volume. When I moved into my first house, I set the speakers in four corners, trying different placement combinations. The L-65s sounded better on 1' pedestals. The bass was fantastic, while the mid and tweeters, I scaled back some. And yes, I used the loudness button on my Marantz. I can give a good example of the bass: the band Styx had a song named Queen of Spades. The synthesized bass at the end would rattle the walls and you would feel it inside your body. Live recorded music would sound as if you were present.

[@EfficientRVer]

I often use Castle Walls by Styx when comparing speakers.

[@triples4good]

Great video. I love these kinds of videos. As an owner of a pair is L810s I agree. I would like to have a pair of the newer ones with metal grills too! I admit I turn the treble and bass knobs and push the loudness button.

[@ph4rddesciple719]

Advents I bought in 1978 or so were the best speakers I ever had...

[@spywithme]

My brother still has his. I've had to refoam the surounds three time for him. He loves them.

[@hubert-williams3379]

I have the ADS L780/2... 3 way 8ohms in black.. I gotta say these speakers sound incredible.. if you push them with the right amp.. truly amazing!

[@ecyfoto]

“Audiophiles are too scared to play with their knobs.” Classic!

[@beercanshooter7680]

Excellent Video, I watch every one you publish and also, your record cleaning kit actually works pretty good.

[@cjpayne677]

I see you like the Acoustic Suspension vintage. Pity no driver maker today makes woofers designed for AS cabs. Infinity was another brand that had some good AS speakers. I had a pair of RSe's that were not terribly big but had a really big sound.

[@MarvinHartmann452]

These ADS look amazing. I like the dome mid and tweeter, they usually sound very good.

[@garthkolbeck8674]

Oh crap I just remembered that I had JBL and STILL blew them up... i just never had the right mix.. Speakers I blew up. Radio Shack minimus(???) Bose, Celestion, Panasonic, Yamaha, Sears, Onkyo (??) Fisher, ar or kloss rip off copies... A few homemade bought at yard sales(50'vintage) The pioneers are my favorite in my lifetime. I'm looking for a yard sale Kenwood or Pioneer 70's 100 watt receiver or amplifier

[@DanielLevecque]

I have a pair of Snell Acoustics Model E original version. I purchased them new in 1983 I was fortunate to sit with Peter Snell when I auditioned them unfortunately he passed away shortly after I met him. 41 years later they still sound fabulous.I did have some upgrades done by New England Hi Fi in South Portland Maine. Truly vintage and a great investment. Powered by Nad 7000 Receiver Bryston 2B Amplifier. All original from 1983

[@toddclarke1580]

The 2 most magical Audio Moments in my life involved wiring up a pair of AR3a , to my Sansui 9090 db, that was about 2002. And another was hearing the DQ10s playing outside on someone’s porch around 1984. Epicure/Epi Speakers are also really under rated and Impressive Sounding.

[@johnnytoobad7785]

I've owned BA speakers since 1994. Sub-stat7's. It's an external woofer box and satellites. (almost 30 years old!) Just got the satellites re-coned last year.

[@FlatWaterFilms]

Best ones I ever had were Voice Of The Theater, 500mhz crossover in custom cabinets, which I built. Twice the size of the production ones. 🙂 They had 20lb magnets. Those were the days of the 429 SCJ Cobra Jet. lol

[@JK-gm6kk]

Ooooh man, altec voice of the Theater and those (also massive) JBL studio monitors that all the good studios seemed to have in the 70s. I call the jbl monitors "the kabuki kings". Both absolute end game speakers, quite possibly for both vintage and modern. Both are just so damn cool and impractical. I feel like its unlikely you'll be able to have anything else, save audio components, in a room with them. Maybe someday

[@MH-rl9ep]

Awesome list, Kevin….these are all my bucket list vintage speakers! Oh, and I’m all I’m on loudness and tone controls too!

[@Poppinwheeeeellllllieeeeez]

There are tons of great speakers. Yamaha NS-690 are my personal favs. That said, I have about 10 sets ranging from ESS to AR to Energy to BA. All are good in the correct environment paired with sympatico components. I'm not a JBL fan myself, but they are trendy like Pioneer and Marantz amps. I love the BA tweeters....very spacious.

[@philallen4592]

👍

[@donwalker8246]

In 1962 I loved sitting in my dorm room and listening to Verdi’s Requiem on my AR 2a s driven by my Dynakit Stereo 70s (I built) and in 1992 at home driven by my Marantz Receiver 223; I gave the receiver and speakers to my daughter soon after.

[@gman7625]

The DQ10's were arguably the first open baffle speaker. You talk about putting them in a large room, well I knew a kid who had them in a small dorm room. I would marvel them every time I went into his room. Good bass, I think the 10" woofer was the same as the one in the large Advent. You didn't mention the sensitivity, I think they were 84 or 85dB, fairly low. Shops would typically pair them with the GAS Ampzilla.

[@goodun2974]

The DQ10 did indeed use the Advent woofer. They could be a good sounding speaker in the right room and with the right equipment but they were very fussy about what you drove them with, and pretty inefficient. They also were great for collecting dust, lint and pet hair that would pass through the metal mesh rear grill and collect on the drivers and crossover.

[@burlingtonbill1]

Yup - my experience exactly. Once you heard that open soundstage, you MADE your home setup, amp choice, and budget AROUND that speaker -- TOTALLY worth making changes for !

[@gli7utubeo]

AR had these AR Music Rooms that had all their equipment set up for listening but it was not for sale there. One was in Grand Central Station in New York and the other was in MA (Cambridge I think). This was in the first half of the 1970s.

[@jeffbrooke4892]

Another well worth listening to video. As always, thanks! PS- love the Boston A series. I have a set of early issue A150s and A200s with oak veneer and light brown grill cloth and feel they are hard to beat. PSPS - you need to do a program on your Fisher 400. Seriously! I have a 800B that's been long on the deferred maintenance list and into a shop for recapping and getting back into rotation with a set of Klipsch Heresy Is. I would be very interested in hearing your opinion on the Fisher series of receivers from that period, especially the amp and preamp sections.

[@supergimp2000]

Just came across this video. So cool to see. I heard ADS L910’s at a friends house and put ADS on my radar and was able to eventually pick up a pair of L710’s. I have a pair of Buchardt S400’s and added the ADS switchable. You’ll probably appreciate that I drive them with a Sansui CA/BA2000 set. The L710’s really hold their own, enough that often people come over to hear the Buchardts and we end up listening to the ADS all day. Enjoy the channel a lot.

[@robsonbass6058]

Back in the day, my main problem with the DQ 10s was their inefficiency. And price. IMO, the ADS L810's walked all over them, which is why I bought them. This was at Magnolia hi-fi in their fairly new (at the time) Roosevelt store in Seattle. They sold both brands. BTW, I was in the store to buy stacked advents. My friend and I both. We BOTH walked out with our own pairs of L810's.

[@trog69]

I've talked to a few sellers from that era who say that the L810s sold out constantly and the workers there drooled over the looks. A photo of a pair of L810s on their original stands sold me on having to get a pair, unheard. Unfortunately, the stands for them and others are as rare as hen's teeth nowadays, and having them fabbed up by someone seems to cost a small fortune for us broke-ass retirees. hehe My son made a pair of stands for me.

[@kennethkuehl4270]

Reformed the woofers in my Infinity 1001A and Bose 301 speakers. When these were played together, powered by a Pioneer 1010 receiver, the sound was so full, I could listen for hours.

[@sfbadboy]

I lucked out and got some AR7s at a thrift store for $12. After replacing the foam, they sound amazing staring my whole audiophile journey

[@EfficientRVer]

Almost as good as my finding a pair of Klipsch Cornwalls for $7.99ea in the furniture section at a Goodwill bins outlet. I presumed they were blown. They weren't. The key to finding amazing stuff at thrift stores, is to be in the right place at the right time, which you can only do by figuring out which ones get especially good stuff, what their schedule is for putting out stuff, then putting in your time doing the rounds of good stores, and thoroughly checking what is there. Eventually it pays off. It also pays to pick and resell stuff other than what you're personally interested in, to help justify spending more hours in your personal quests. It's funny what picking/reselling skills you can develop if you pay attention, or if you make friends among other regular pickers/shoppers. If looking for stereo components, make a deal with a picker friend that they'll grab good stuff for you, if you'll grab stuff in their own areas of interest, say kitchen appliance blades and Legos. At first, just do it while you're both in the store, to exchange stuff into each other's carts. Then, consider buying for each other when only one of you is there, and squaring up later. It might lead to a $10 mistake once in a while, but not often enough to outweigh frequent $100+ wins.

[@stevezeidman7224]

Nice vid! Great to see ADS! 44 year ADS owner. My L710s are still fantastic.

[@pdxtomct]

The stereo shop I frequented back in the day always advised patrons to purchase the best set of best speakers they could afford when assembling a system. I always thought that was good advice, though I watched plenty of people buy powerful receivers and amps, then scrimp on speakers.

[@rotaxtwin]

True story. You can slap together a little IC-based 5 W amplifier and have impressive results if you are driving real speakers. Look what results they were getting back in the day with a pair of theatre Altecs and a medium size (for the time) tube amplifier.

[@dalefoote2957]

Bought ADS L810 `s in 1982 sold in 2000. I still miss them. Wonderful experience. Currently have the AR 4x`s paired with a vintage Yamaha receiver in a secondary system, again a wonderfully engaging experience. Loved the video.

[@alexw890]

Many JBL tweeters have a reputation for being harsh including the old horns as well as the 80’s and 90’s titanium domes. In my experience it’s all about the crossover. I have done crossover upgrades on several models and the measurements all show an elevated top end. Not sure why they did this but they did. They are all great drivers however and when implemented properly, have a nice flat response. As for the A400’s wide baffle, one big plus to that is it pushes the baffle step frequency down to where it’s much lower. Without getting into too much theory, that makes the crossover easier to design and the low end better.

[@analogkid4557]

I remember back in the 80s hearing B&W, KEF, Polk, Infinity etc. The Infinity speakers were great back then but when I heard Thiel, that was it for me.

[@danwheetman6914]

Shhh…don’t talk about ads, they are still affordable. I have the 810’s, 1090’s and the 1290’s and they are so sweet. You can lose yourself and listen all day long without fatigue. I’m a believer.

[@skylabsaudio]

Lol, we have had so many requests to talk about ADS speakers. I thought the same thing, as they might be the best kept secret in vintage audio, IMO

[@phongpit]

I know for a fact that AR-3a speakers were available in the early 1967 and likely 1966 time frame, I was stationed in the Azores in an Air Rescue Squadron and several of my friends got a pair of them. I left there in August of '67 so I know they had them for a long time before that. As for flat sound, I read that you needed lots of power with AR-3a's (maybe 80 watts per channel or more) because you needed the power to get greater fidelity at lower volume settings. ( I have a pair of Altec-Lansing Model 14 speakers, my dream speakers purchased in early 1980's while in Japan)

[@ThresholdZhor]

The ADS L810 are very good, sweet sounding midrange very close sound as the DQ10 which also use a dome midrange, years ago I repaired a L810 tweeter filament and heard them, personally I prefer the Canton Plus S couple with Canton Plus Beta active subwoofer from that era, the DQ10 years ago I improve the crossover with Solen caps of one of my clients, they are very easy on the ears and have an incredible 5 component integration in phase that you hear one driver at 2 meter, the JBL jubal is the same L166 but with the 075 ( 2405) tweeter which sound hyper detailed, the L166 use an almost identical tweeter as the L112 which is very detailed also, the AR were very good in sound, ugly build but excellent balance, the 4311 are excellent but with a roll off after 10 khz that bothers me, they improve that problem with the L112

[@ArKay-nj2nh]

In 1977 I bought a pair of Tannoy Berkleys, liked them so much I picked up a pair of Ardens. I believe they were about $1500 for the pair. Some times I would flip the Berkleys upside down and stack them on top of the Ardens. Ten years later I was stacking 2 pairs of Ardens for Parties for our Camaro Club.

[@bifff8433]

A pair of Polk Monitor 7B's has been my main speaker since the 80's. I love them and recently did an upgrade to the crossovers which brought the tweeters back to life. They are fantastic.

[@AudiophileTubes]

I have a pair of Polk Monitor 10's that I bought new back in 1986, and I still listen to them frequently! They are very dynamic and detailed, and i'm still blown away by their full bodied sound! I have several stereo systems in my house, but I always make time to listen to the 10's, as they are magical to me!

[@bifff8433]

@@AudiophileTubes - That whole monitor line from back in the day was great.

[@morayjames92]

excellent selection of loudspeakers. /very good video. thanks.

[@carlveilleux5744]

Love your videos, keep them coming! Would love to hear your thoughts on Dynaco's A25 (or better still, A25XL which I currently have) and also the smaller HPM series like the 40 and 60.

[@burlingtonbill1]

A25XLs -- wish I still had a pair. Those were SUPERB.

[@PeacefieldStudio]

I still have my very first serious bookshelf speakers from the 1970’s! Mint condition: These speakers have not deteriorated in any way. Yes I have purchased my dream high end speakers, since those days, but my Dynaco A-25’s are still producing tight bass & crisp clean highs. For a bookshelf pair of speakers, that are over 50 years old, I am still amazed! My high end are a pair of definitive technology BP 2000’s . Do they compare to those…. Of course not, but for a little guy… wow! It is so nice to find a community of people that understand what real audio is all about. The younger generation is totally clueless!!!

[@deekay2]

The Boston Acoustics A400 speakers use (2) 8" woofers in each cabinet for the bass frequencies, not 6" or 6.5" as you stated.