What were your first "audiophile" speakers and when?

Steve Bruzonsky

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May 15, 2010
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What were your first "audiophile" speakers and when?


Mine were the Infinity 2000 II, purchased in 1974 from LaBelle’s, Minneaolis for $700.

http://www.davidsaudio.com/Infinity_2000II.pdf

They had a really neat Walsh inverted dome tweeter. They could play loud. I used audiophile speaker cable then, too, "Monster Cable", a thick guage speaker cable. Back then didn't cost much.

They got me through law school 1975 – 1978.

Sold them finally 1991 and went “down” to Spica TC-60s (five) with
two Vandersteen 2Wq subwoofers.

In 19996 started home theater journey with new dedicated theater room, Aerial speakers, etc.
 

vinylphilemag

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Apr 30, 2010
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Interesting question! Mine were undoubtedly the Spendor SP 1. I can't recall exactly when I got them, it must've been about 25 years ago. When they were stolent I (eventually) replaced them with the latest version, the SP 1/2E, which I replaced only about 18 months ago with my MartinLogan Spires.
 

Ron Party

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Apr 30, 2010
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Steve, since you phrased the question with quotation marks, I gotta ask: what do you mean by the term "audiophile" speakers?
 

Old Listener

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Jul 18, 2010
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It depends on your criteria for "audiophile" speakers.

~1968 ~1970 ~1988 ~1997-8
AR-4X --> KLH model 5 --> Thiel CS2 --> Waveform Mach 17

By my standards, they were all good sounding speakers for their time and my money.

Bill
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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Dahlquist DQ10s mirror imaged at that point.
 

Kal Rubinson

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May 4, 2010
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NYC
www.stereophile.com
In 19996 started home theater journey with new dedicated theater room, Aerial speakers, etc.
When was that?

I built speakers from the beginning but I would say that my first "audiophile" set was a pair of home-built Altec A7-500s in about 1964.

Kal
 

Phelonious Ponk

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Jun 30, 2010
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It would be a pair of Altec Lansing Valencias in about 1970 or so.

P
 

jazdoc

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Aug 7, 2010
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Walnut Shihanian Obelisks purchased May 24, 1988 from Golden Stereo. Still own 'em, use 'em (in my office system) and love 'em. One of the great bargains in high end audio.
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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Walnut Shihanian Obelisks purchased May 24, 1988 from Golden Stereo. Still own 'em, use 'em (in my office system) and love 'em. One of the great bargains in high end audio.

Dick Shananian is one of the good guys in the industry and an encylopedia of knowlege about the history of audio. Had wanted to interview him several years ago but never worked out.
 

jadis

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Apr 28, 2010
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Infinity RS-3B. Bought brand new and had to 'indent order' them without auditioning, in 1986. That was the 'tough' audio situation then in the P.I. We read about gears in mags, and then we order them 5,000 miles away.
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
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Celestion Ditton 66's in the late 70's/early 80's, can't quite remember.

John
 

audioguy

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Apr 20, 2010
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Near Atlanta, GA but not too near!
Klipsch Cornwalls in 1974; Fuseliers; Apogee Duettas which I owned for about 6 weeks before I heard the Divas; Apogee Divas; B&W 801 (yuck); Theil (don't remember the model number); Wilson Watt Puppies; Dunlavy SC-VI's; then V's; then VI's again; then IV's; now Seaton Catalysts. Also somewhere in there I owned some Tympani IV - D's and Dahlquists DQ-10's!!

I'm sure I left out a few!!
 

rblnr

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May 3, 2010
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Early 80s: Phase Research Little Ds. Ribbon tweeter/mid, time-phased, transmission/'compression' line large bookshelf. Great speakers. Designed by Phil Clements who later founded Clements Audio. I believe he's responsible too for the H-Pas bass loading scheme Atlantic Tech. speakers are using now which sounds like an evolution of his compression-line loading system.
 

wineslob

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Aug 5, 2010
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I always made my own speakers until a pair of Apogee Duetta II's showed up on Fleabay (2005) cheap. I'm still "in love" with them........
 

DaveyF

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Jul 31, 2010
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Magnepan MG 1 improved were my first a'phile speakers. I bought them new from Audio Dimensions in 1980. Speaking of a Co. that went out of biz, this reminds me of what's apparently happening today with Sound By Singer in NY.
Audio Dimensions were pretty amazing for their time, BUT like today and SBS they didn't seem to be able to adapt to the current economic conditions that they faced at the time. The public couldn't see paying the prices back then for speakers like the Hill Plasmatronic, that they were pushing at, if my memory serves me ..$20K!( which in 80's prices was akin to two arms and legs)!! Personally, I think the same mistakes that were made by the hi-end industry in those days are being repeated again today, resulting in store closures etc.
 
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marty

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Apr 20, 2010
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Grew up in a home with my dad's pride and joy, a Fisher 500T receiver and a pair of JBL100's. Headed off to college in 1969 with a pair of Dynaco A25s and an AR integrated amp that I paid for by working my ass off as a cabana boy at the Atlantic Beach Hotel on Long Island ("Yes Mrs. Lobell, I'll make sure the coffee is hot and the Danish is brown". Oy, was she a pain in the butt). Upgraded to the original Advents in 1971 and played Elton John's "Take me to the Pilot" on them until my ears bled. But the real "eureka" moment came when I heard the Magneplanar 1-U loudspeaker at Paul Heath Audio in Rochester NY in 1972. I managed to talk Paul into a part time job and worked for equipment only. By 1973 I had bought the Tympani Maggie 1U speakers, an ARC SP-3 pre-amp and a pair of D79 amps all on accommodation. Thought I died and went to audio heaven. Wonderful music. Wonderful drugs. Wonderful memories, even though as the saying goes, if you remember the 70's, you weren't there!
 

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