I need a new pair of REAL speakers...

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TNGTony

TNGTony

Unashamed Bengal Fan
Original poster
Sep 7, 2003
10,041
803
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Well CRAP!

Buy a pair of speakers... use the snot out of them for 30 years and they go and break on you!!!! DAMN!

About 30 years ago... I spent a great big FORTUNE (I was making $2.10 an hour at my seasonal job) on a pair of Boston Accoustic A150 speakers. They sounded awsome with my Sansui receiver, then Pioneer SX60 (I still have it and it works) and more recently my Yamaha DD receiver.

However over the last few weeks I have been hearing a "rattling" sound on the deep bass. At first I though the artwork that I put up on the wall was vibrating against the wall. But when I finally decided to find out exactly where that noise was coming from, I realized that it was the baffle around the main bass driver on one of the speakers that gave up the ghost. The speaker is no longer sealed and the driver which is still in good condition is flopping with the air that it being sucked in and pushed out of the box.

Double Crap! Boston Accoustics no longer makes that driver. I had considered buying two replacement drivers for the A150. But I guess after three decades the company has moved on to different designs.

So, the question for all you audiophiles out there... I am looking for a GOOD pair of floor speakers with a frequency response comperable to the A150 which had a flat response from about 50hz-20kHz and a sharp drop-off on both sides. I know I can no longer hear above 15kHz but that's irrelevant!

I used to sell electronics and home theater, but I have been out of that for over 10 years. What is good that won't break me? $700 is my ABSOLUTE, dtop-dead, no way a nickel more, limit. I would like to keep it under $500 for the pair if possible.

I am looking for suggestions. I am considering Boston Accoustics again seriously looking at the HR450.

What else is out there that might be as good but cheaper...

(Please, no Bose... I know some people like their sound... I don't. To me they are hollow and lack mid range. The bass is always fuzzy and undefined, and the mid bass booms out of proportion)

See ya
Tony <---wishes he could afford "real" speakers. :)

PS: I don't buy speakers for the way they look. I get them for their sound. THEN I look at them.
 
If you're looking for affordable, why not replace/repair the surrounds? Failing that, replace the woofers? Or, just buy a good kit and assemble yourself? :D

This is my new favorite website: Parts-Express.com - Speaker Building, Speaker Kit, Cabinet, Crossover, Grill Cloth, Replacement Woofer, Tweeter, Subwoofer

These (while not floor-standing) are on special: Parts Express:Aluminum/Silk DAYTON MTM Kit Pair Cherry



Or.... if you want more audiophile-grade stuff, this is where my A/V roomie buys his nice nice gear on the cheap(er): AudiogoN ForSale : Speakers
Some of the stuff there will blow your mind.
 
Hi Tony,

If you still like the sound of those speakers, you should look into some of the repair kits that are readily available. They will contain new rubber foam for the baffle and are glued into place. I would probably do both of them at the same time, but a lot of people have gotten many more years out of old speakers this way. Probably your cheapest option.
 
Thanks for the suggestion Skibum, but I am all thumbs. And the though of me buying something like speakers without hearing them first AND buying used speakers is totally out of the question for me. I am that old school. This is something that I need to go to a showroom and listen to or at the very least have a no questions asked return policy with no charge return shipping.

jayn_j , dfergie,

I tried to look for repair kits or replacement drivers and could not find anything remotely close to what I was looking for. Could you point me in the right direction?

See ya
Tony
 
WOW! Thanks guys! I'll try refoaming the speakers and see how that goes. If in a few days you don't hear from me, call 911... I glued myself to the wall. :)
 
ROFL! WHAT DID YOU SAY???? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE FREAKING LOUD SPEAKERS!!!!

Those old enough to be around when "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd first came out will remember that short moment of panic that washed over you when got to a certain point in the album...

You had just fliped the albun to the B side and were listening to "Have a Cigar" as loud as your stereo would go! The song was really going and you were so into it! Some of you may have been in a slightly altered state.

Then WHHOOOOIIIIIISSHHHH!!!!

NO BASS!

All Nothing but high end tweeter!

OH Mother F.... I just blew up my speakers! You got up in a panic just as "Wish You Were Here" came on. By the time you reached your speakers in a total panic, the guitar accompanying the "guitar on the radio" comes in at full dynamic range! A feeling of relief and an unnatural peace flooded you as you leaned back on your bean-bag chair and listened to the rest of the album!

See ya
Tony
 
TNGTony said:
ROFL! WHAT DID YOU SAY???? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE FREAKING LOUD SPEAKERS!!!!

Those old enough to be around when "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd first came out will remember that short moment of panic that washed over you when got to a certain point in the album...

You had just fliped the albun to the B side and were listening to "Have a Cigar" as loud as your stereo would go! The song was really going and you were so into it! Some of you may have been in a slightly altered state.

Then WHHOOOOIIIIIISSHHHH!!!!

NO BASS!

All Nothing but high end tweeter!

OH Mother F.... I just blew up my speakers! You got up in a panic just as "Wish You Were Here" came on. By the time you reached your speakers in a total panic, the guitar accompanying the "guitar on the radio" comes in at full dynamic range! A feeling of relief and an unnatural peace flooded you as you leaned back on your bean-bag chair and listened to the rest of the album!

See ya
Tony
Click to expand...

Yes, I remember that exact occurence very fondly, I thought man I paid a whole months worth of pay for those speakers!
 
Oh yes, including the 'altered conciousness' part. That's the piece that made me really feel I had just blown a month's pay.

Skibum came up with some good references. Here are a couple more:
Speaker Parts Voice Coils Speaker Repair Kits - MWA Speaker Parts, Inc.
SpeakeRepair.com - quality speaker repair re-edge kits
Speaker Repair Foam Edge Kits
DECWARE / High Fidelity Engineering Co.

There are also a lot of places out there that will do the job for you, including some of those listed above.
 
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