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Which Snell Type A do I have? A-I or A-Original?

Any Snell afficianados out there? I have owned many pairs of Type As over the years and now have a superb pair. The tweeter, if memory serves, is different than I remember from my first set of Type As, though I am pretty certain they are original. I have read that there may be two early versions, the Type A-I and the Type A-Original. Is this true, and if so what is the difference? My pair is serial  numbers 243/244. Separately fused tweeter/mid/woofer. Ugh this won't allow me to add a picture! Well the round plate surrounding the tweeter is white, and a dispersion bar across it diagonally. There are no felt pads near the tweeters but they may have been removed by previous owner. It does have the insulation pads hanging inside the speaker grilled.

How can I tell which model I have, assuming there really is such thing as a "Type A-Original"?

Thanks for any thoughts!
montaldo
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
Here's an interesting story about the Type A's: Back about 1979 Bill Conrad and Lew Johnson visited Audiocom in Old Greenwich, CT. They were trying to get Bill and Del (the owners) to carry their tube products. The main demo speakers were the Type A's, of course. When Bill C. and Lew saw this, they reacted badly, saying that "those are awful speakers"!!!   Bill and Del (the owners) were offended by this but they allowed Bill C. and Lew to demonstrate their tube gear with some Bowers & Wilkins instead. And graciously agreed to carry the CJ line. I was told this by Bill (the co-owner) afterwards!
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
Before the first pair of Type A's arrived at Audiocom in 1977, Del (co-owner) told me "We're getting a new pair of speakers in soon! They're called Snell's and they are the BEST speakers I have ever heard! And they're $1390 a pair!" That was a lot for '77! And three years later when the original pair was to be replaced with an upgraded pair, Bill (co-owner) offered me the first demo pair for $750! I stupidly passed up his generous offer!
montaldo OP
181 posts
 
That is a great story. The funny irony is maybe 5 years ago I ran my type A speakers with a Conrad Johnson MV-60 amp And premier ten preamp. The sound was amazing. I was a huge fan of cj, but not these days since they moved more toward "neutrality"... ;)

It is funny they didn't like the Snell's. Go figure.
montaldo OP
181 posts
 
And I just remembered my very first pair of type As was bought used in 1994 from a Chicago dealer for exactly $750 and it happens that I ran them with a Conrad Johnson mv-52!
stevizzy
108 posts
 
A friend had the original Type A back in 1978 or ‘79. Shortly after I heard them I bought my pair. They looked identical except my pair had 2 rear cutouts for the woofer. His earlier pair was sealed behind the woofer cabinet. 
Also, his pair had felt or something similar attached to the inside of the grill cloth directly in front of the tweeter. 
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