I need to control myself--new speakers big enough?

ABTOMAT

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Ever find yourself doing something fun but a little crazy at the same time? Well, I sure did it today. Ended up trucking home two pairs of vintage McIntosh speakers a guy was selling cheap. I have no room, not much money, and Christmas is coming up but I fell for it again.

I'm always getting myself into trouble with this kind of thing. Usually works out for the best though.

And before anyone does really rip me for being nuts, I paid about a 1/5 of what they're worth if I chose to sell them. So it's not total insanity. Close, though--the lower ones weigh 140 pounds each.

bigmac.jpg
 

raggie33

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that reminds me one time i when i was a kid found a guy at flea market selling speakers and he was paking em up to leave and he sold em all to me for like 25 bucks even had some bose speakers in there and other good onesbut i dont listen to home stereo no more
 

Kiessling

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This is a PA systetm, right? Not a sound system for you living room. Right? :eek:oo:

My Zeck 2x12'' bass cabinet is about the same size as those.
Are those 12''?

bernie
 

VWTim

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Wow, you weren't kidding about the big part. It's ok, I catch myself in too good for the timing deals all the time. But at least if you cover your butt $ wise you'll be fine.
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

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If you can do it, it ain't bragging!

Those look KILLER! I KNOW I don't have near enough power for such things!

And like Raggie, I have a pretty decent Sony Reciever and RCA Speakers stored out in the garage. I listen to most music and watch DVDs on this 'puter.

Of course it ain't the same, but it sure is convienient!
 

ABTOMAT

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This is not a PA system, these are pure mid '70s high-end home listening speakers. Originally cost about $2200 for all four, or around what a small car cost back then.

The woofers are 12", the cone midranges are 8". There are also orange dome midranges and small cone tweeters you can see in the photos.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them. My "listening room" is actually half of my bedroom (weird house design forces that location) and putting these in there would get a little silly looking. Also don't have an amp powerful enough (needs about 150-200+ honest watts per channel) for good listening. At the moment I'm using a pair of Polk Monitor RTA-11t's with a 40W Rotel amp.
 

geepondy

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I'm from old school but I still prefer the sound of massive speakers with separate components as opposed to the subwoofer/tweeter satellite setup. It just feels more live and real to me. I wish I could hear those babies.
 

raggie33

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geepondy said:
I'm from old school but I still prefer the sound of massive speakers with separate components as opposed to the subwoofer/tweeter satellite setup. It just feels more live and real to me. I wish I could hear those babies.
stick ya head out the window and have him turn em up
 

ABTOMAT

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I think the woofers were re-foamed by a 3rd party at some point in the past. They're in excellent condition, but the roll could be a bit undersized. McIntosh used non-standard surrounds.

I paid $215 (I'll be eating cat food for Christmas thanks to that) for all four, down from $250. The cabinets are in OK shape (except where a clueless friend of the seller started to paint it with white bedliner) for the most part. Only real problem is that three of the tweeters and two of the midranges are bad. It'll be tough finding something decent to replace them with.

Big speakers still are the way to go. Sales of mini component speaker systems are driven by either asthetics (wife acceptance factor), or available room, or bogus marketing from shysters like Bose. Technology being equal a larger speaker will always sound better. These are a little outdated but still should rock pretty hard.
 

IsaacHayes

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yeah I've never been impressed with the tiny satellite speakers. And the subwoofers usually don't play deep, nothing much past 60hz... I like clear not tinny highs, strong midrange, decent midbass and killer low bass. Those tiny satellite speakers just don't cut it for me.
 

bfg9000

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$2200 1975 US Dollars is equivalent to $8240 in 2006 Dollars.

I have long believed that it is the quality of the speakers that most affects the way an audio system sounds, and since they are the only part you are likely to still have in 20 years, it is worth putting most of your audio budget into them.

I can barely tell the difference between most decent amps, and the absolute cheapest CD transports with the fewest "features" (DSP, etc) always seem to test the best, yet a lot of audiophiles will swear they can hear the difference between power cords and speaker wire that y'know, need breaking in
rolleye11.gif


There's no beating big speakers! I want five giant electrostatic speakers for surround use...
 

IsaacHayes

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yeah wire is wire unless you're using some terrible stuff thats unshielded. I agree most amps you cant hear a difference, but the cdplayer/etc can have an effect with it's equilizer or whatever it has built in. Big speakers are niiiice. Even if you don't crank it.
 

WNG

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McIntosh....nuff said. Eat Ramen noodles for a month.

Besides flashlights, speakers run a close second for me, then computers.
I still have a set of Acoustic Research floor standers from 1982. Still sound better than most of what's out there.
I have all sorts of drivers, tweeters, and types of speakers all over the place.
The sat/sub stuff is what I call 'apartment' or bitchy wife speakers. When one must compromise on volume, and dimensions.
These days, it's car audio I'm most focused on as it's the last place I can crank it up without too many complaints. And I spend as much time in a car as I do in my home.
:(

We're quite a bunch of OCD poster children! LOL!
 

Concept

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I spent a load on one of my earlier cars sound system's and have either sold or am still using the equipment. I bought a 240 volt powered sub amp and built an enclosure so I could use one of the sub's in my home audio. The sub is a Rockford Fosgate RFP12 and this sucker just keep's going and going.
 

spock

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love big speakers. years ago i went to someones house to listen to some "strange" speakers. the tweeters ionized a gas to create their sound. there was a high pressure tank in the bottom of the speakers. had to be refilled every month or two. the woofer and midrange were normal speakers. the sound from the tweeters was so clean that it appeared to be in your brain. did i say that right? can't remember the name of them.
 

analogguy

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The speaker was called the Hill Plasmatronic Speaker. Saw them at a CES show years ago. Abtomat--you should trade those tiny speakers for some Klipsch corner horns. Big and very efficient. 40 watts would be overkill.
 
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