Not manufactured any more.


I'm looking at old Pics of speakers that I would love to see come back. 

I'll post two or three. What do you like? Post your DIY or that speaker that got away..

Enjoy the Holidays

Ag insider logo xs@2xoldhvymec

I own a set of the DQ10's.  Picked them up for $375 from the local retirement center about 3 years ago.  Mint! 1 owner, all original except for a refoam.  They still amaze me when I put something on that I haven't heard in years...70's-80's era stuff that I'm very familiar with..Hear things I'd never heard.  And especially 60's-70's Jazz titles.

Polk Audio SDA SRS Signature Reference System 

I will never forget the first time I heard these.  

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JSE Infinite Slope, Model II (my son has them now)

Image 1 - Pair JSE Infinite Slope Model 2A Speakers - refurbished, teak finish

 

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DBX Soundfield 100; Great for Creating Wide L/C/R Imaging for Home Theater

http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/dbx-soundfield-100-135.html

 

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AR-2Ax, my first decent speakers while in college. Got em with wedding gift money. Anyone remember the AR sound booth at Grand Central Station, NYC? Sam Goodys?

 

I was ransacked once, I still miss them, but I inherited the Fisher President II with the Electrovoice Drivers I still use.

 

@oldhvymec , sure you can (make someone happy)...

At the base of your mind and the sump of your heart, you will still think they're nutz.

*clink*  To all the lost souls.....

"....daydream deceiver, and an _ old closet queen..."

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Apogee Accoustics Centaur Majors. I had these, but sold for insurance money after they did face plants in the Loma Prieta earthquake.  I should have replaced them; they were magnificent, and Jason was a true audiophile's audiophile. thumbnail  1 - Apogee Speakers.Centaur Major.Hybrid.Excellent

Sonus Faber Electa Amator 2

Arguably the best speaker I’ve ever owned. Isobaric design, perfect highs, mids and deep bass, never bloating. Made all music sound just as it should.

Played them on a Naim 250/252 system with Nordost Frey cables

Sold them after I dismantled my entire system some years ago.

@decooney Thanks for all the pics of the ESS speakers.  I never realized they made so many models.  I used to own the AMT-1B's which I believe was basically an AMT-1A but added a rear facing 12" passive radiator.  A friend of mine also owned a pair and had the ESS 500 watt amp. Talk about a revolutionary sound in the late '70's.

 

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The RTR brand always sounded ' right' to my ears. I think it was model 280, not sure

Dynaudio Audience 82! I will always miss em and compare all others to them...See the source image

Martin Logan Monoliths

 

Apogee Scintillas (I own one of the few power amps capable of driving those 1 ohm amp killers, but have never been able to find a pair for sale)

Vandersteen 4A (I also own a pair of those - only a few hundred made in between his other higher production speakers. Pic is my pair, triwired and biamped. (the amps are Classe DR3 VHC run in mono mode -they made only 133 of them - I own 3 of them - so not exactly thick on the ground). Bass is run by PSE V monos) If you ever find a pair of these speakers, buy them!.

 

The mighty ESS AMT3; dual 10" woofers. 6" midrange and a Heil Air Motion Transformer. Back in 1975 I drove then with a Crown IC150 and DC300A pre/power fed by a Dual 701 tuentable and Stanton 681EEE cartridge. They had a fantastic dynamic range and "jump factor".

 

 

Image 1 - Infinity Infinitesimal RS 0.2 Speakers

These were a ton of fun. I still have 2 pairs. It looks like this pair has a ribbon problem or two maybe.. They still make repair kits..
Infinity Infinitesimal RS 0.2 Speakers.

Back in the early 80s fell in love with the Quad ESL63s and bought a pair that I had and served me well for over 20 years. Another of my very favorites was the Apogee  Duetta Signiture. Now that I'm back in a larger living space with a large dedicated audio room, It's been my quest to get a good, rebuilt pr. of the Duetta Sigs. Unfortunately, the few available pairs I've found are 2K to 3K miles away with pick up only.

Other of my  favorites of the 70s, 80s and 90s (for different reasons), were the Dahlquist DQ-10s and 20s, Marten Logans, Maggies, Ohm Walsh, Klpsch Corner Horns and the big Altec Lansings.....Jim

[@cycles2] @decooney Thanks for all the pics of the ESS speakers. I never realized they made so many models. I used to own the AMT-1B’s which I believe was basically an AMT-1A but added a rear facing 12" passive radiator. A friend of mine also owned a pair and had the ESS 500 watt amp. Talk about a revolutionary sound in the late ’70’s.

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@cycle2, You bet. We are all products of the environment we grew up in as they say. :) I worked at ESS in the early 80s on the assembly lines. Like you, I had the same AMT Monitors and AMT 1B speakers as you had. They were one of the speakers to have at the time, including those ESS 500 amps. Super cool, glad to hear it. Later i discovered more improvements with really good SS and TUBE amps! All the sudden the AMTs really started to sound wonderful. A re-discovery!

For three decades, I felt the big AMTs with 12" woofers and passives were slightly off, with a commonly discussed "hole" in the midrange yet to be mastered. Then came the i.e. AMT3 Rock Monitors (with midrange) came out, even closer to what was needed compared to what you and I had before. Hence my DEC-AMT28s I finally designed and built. They blow away any prior ESS factory unit I had before.

I’ve had some discussion with Nelson about my speakers. His teams also had some updated versions of his own speakers too, super cool to see what came out later by others, over the years. While I did my updated version, so did Pass Labs later on. Check these babies out, Pass Labs Rushmore. Modern day AMT3s, and better. Big $.

 

 

Image 01 - Pass Labs SR-1 Reference Speakers $25,000 MSRP

Speaking of Pass. I’ve heard these. I just wish I could hear a Rushmore. I heard some of his horns about 25 or 30 years ago. Huge speakers I’ll see if I can hunt up a pic or two.

Image 51 - Pass Labs SR-1 Reference Speakers $25,000 MSRP

Nelson Pass, I’ve heard these speakers and 2 or 3 slightly different versions.

Single concentric drivers every time. I love horns.

Now if mozartfan would pay just a little attention he might see something interesting for a dual purpose single chassis driver and a well designed horn. 7 watts with a 101 sensitivity is incredibly loud..

If you looked up through the throat they weren't matched very well at the flange connections. We matching the ports on ours. That top "U" had highland sheep wool. The best sounding was rough coat the last 18" or so of the outlet. I ran mine with MC240 Macs. Just about 30 watts to much. I wish I would have had a MC225 at the time. That would have been the ticket.. :-)

Not according to Mr Pass though. :-) 

He was designing Threshold at the time I think.. It was a while back.. Sure supported his products through the years. See him just popup in a Pass talk group..

Regards

These are my RMx Elixirs after sound coat was added a few years back we were seeing if it made any difference with a HDF cabinet.. There is a rear fire section now and one of the neo 8 is in the rear position and a AC 8" ribbon is put in its place in the front. Dual Mono Pole.

There is a 1.5 BB Isolation plate with pods and a Stainless wrap along with a 30lb polished stainless cap. Almost 500lbs just for the monitors. I don't use the bass section. I'm thinking of pulling the drivers, blanking the openings and adding 50lbs of activated charcoal per cabinet. They are one of a kind now for sure. There were only 16 pairs ever made and under 6 in the US. 9 total left.. 2 sets of 3 are part of the 9 sets. James B. Trunural processor with Ampzilla amps.. 

FUN speakers. I'm not kidding 10-500 watts.. 92 sensitivity. I know they have seen 1000 watts. Never an issue. Mine are 13 years old.. They will last another 50 years.