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New member Username: Mctwist03Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-09 | These have been sitting in my basement forever. Stats: Model 520 liquid cooled 5-200 watts freq response 43Hz to 25Khz 8ohms Impedence high Frequency Control Mid frequency Control 5 1/2" Mid range 12" woofer 2-200 WATTS Are they any good? Our Sansui reciever went down years ago, and they've basically not been used since. Worth getting a new receiver over? Or should I just garage sale them? |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 13454 Registered: May-04 | . Sell them. As a rule, decent speakers don't include in their name words such as "Acoustic", "Linear", "Monitor", "Research", "Theater" or "Master". There are exceptions to this rule, such as Acoustic Research and Boston Acoustics or Monitor Audio. But the more the name wants you to think these are really good speakers, you can probably bet they're not. After about a decade's age on a specific speaker, speaker technology has typically progressed to the point where vintage speakers become less competitive with new designs. Lots of exceptions there too but probably not in the case of your ALS (isn't that a disease?) 520's. . |
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New member Username: Mctwist03Post Number: 2 Registered: Mar-09 | Huh, I thought these were genuine, but I'm not sure where they were purchased from, so they might be white van speakers after all. These are some images, they look pretty legit, I guess: http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a119/ogaw/bb54_12.jpg http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a119/ogaw/b84a_12-1.jpg |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 13458 Registered: May-04 | . Kind of interesting the frequency graph on the speakers doesn't have any demarcations for actual frequency! Good marketing! I would expect these speakers were house brand items for some chain of audio shops. Built to (cheap) book cost and not for sound quality. The position of the midrange to tweeter isn't promising and big vents back then meant big thump - which is what sold house brand speakers to the nimwits who bought thump. I'd pull into a parking lot and find some young kid who looks like he might have a hundred bucks on him. Tell him your grandmother had these and she needs to sell them to pay for her pacemaker surgery. "They're worth a lot but she just needs the money real bad so she wants me to sell them to someone who would appreciate them as much as she has for the last twenty years." Look real sad and after he hands you the cash - floor it! Oh, yeah, be sure you've rubbed some mud on your license plate. . |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 11958 Registered: Dec-04 | Brad, a speaker with a 12" bass driver that goes to only 43Hz and that old is worthy of the pawn shop, of try JV's idea above. Your ethics and motives will prevail. |
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New member Username: Mctwist03Post Number: 3 Registered: Mar-09 | Aha. I found a little back story. Turns out these were purchased knowing full well that they were knock-offs. They complimented the 3 other sets of actual speakers that we had. They were just for backing basically, so they didn't need to sound good. Now, if only I knew where the other 6 speakers went... The ones that were actually worth something... |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 11961 Registered: Dec-04 | If you find my original hair in your quest, Brad, send it home, will ya? Good luck bud. |
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New member Username: Mctwist03Post Number: 4 Registered: Mar-09 | Haha, I'll make sure to if I ever do, pretty sure postage is pretty cheap for hair. Thanks for the info, guys. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 3226 Registered: May-05 | They're definitely White Van speakers. My old man bought a pair of the same speakers, his were called Acoustic Design, and they were carpet covered instead. I've told the story before - The boxes they came in said Becker. The Real Becker made OEM stereos for Mercedes (since bought out by Harman). My father being a foreign car mechanic thought they were the same company. He doesn't know anything about home audio. I had them for a while. Tortured them with Fraternity patries were they got soaked with beer, spiked punch, and puke. They also doubled as an ashtray. For some stupid reason, people loved putting out cigarettes and other smoked things on them. They were used as a seat several times by unsuspecting drunken clowns. They kept going strong through it all. They were given to my brother in law (after being washed with a spot-bot and soaked with Febreeze), and he uses them on his back porch. Still going strong. Aside from being loud, they're awful speakers. The dials are actually connected inside, but have zero effect. The cabinets are made from plywood. There's no crossover, which means every driver is running full range. I have a special place in my heart for them. They withstood serious physical and electrical abuse. On top of all this, my father has no idea that he got scammed with them. He asked me about them a few months ago. I told him the only reason why I don't still have them is that they don't blend in with the decor. I blamed buying smaller and better looking speakers on my wife. He smiled and told me to get used to it. But none of that changes the fact that they suck. |
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Gold Member Username: StryvnWisconsin Post Number: 1054 Registered: Dec-06 | lol..great story, Stu. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 11974 Registered: Dec-04 | Stuie, you made me laugh out loud for real. Thank you for that. |
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New member Username: Mctwist03Post Number: 5 Registered: Mar-09 | Hilarious. Yeah, I guess my Dad bought them knowing full well what they were. He's been an audio buff since he was a kid, so I was a little concerned, but I guess he knows what he's talking about after all. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 3227 Registered: May-05 | It puts a smile on my face every time I go over to my brother in law's house and see and hear them. They've been through hell and back. Several times. I don't know what's better - the hell they went through, or my father thinking they're good speakers. He only used them twice; both times at parties. Now that I think about it, my step-mother hated the way they looked and asked my father to get rid of them. That's how I got them. Telling him that's why I got rid of them may have struck a nerve. My brother in law keeps them in an enclosed porch, which is open during the summer. His wife hates them, but doesn't mind so much because they're outside. And yes, they still suck. |
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Silver Member Username: James_the_godLancaster, Lancashire England Post Number: 735 Registered: Jan-05 | What about 'Acoustic Energy' Jan. I sure hope they're another exception to the rule!! |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 13470 Registered: May-04 | . Yes, they would be as would a few other lines I didn't mention. However, I see words like "Acoustic Revelation", "Sonic Master" or something meant to lead you toward certain associations of terms and I immediately think "all natural" - I flushed something "all natural" not too long ago. . |
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Silver Member Username: James_the_godLancaster, Lancashire England Post Number: 737 Registered: Jan-05 | Sonic Master is cheesy sounding never mind not legit. |
