Consolette stereos: 1958-74...

[vacerator]

My Bose Acoustimas AM-5 series I or II from 1990 are very efficient. A neighbor found a pair of both Bose 610 and 910 teak veneer on facebook marketplace in excellent shape and they are from 1990. They sound great, and don't need a lot to push them either. Probably the last of the very good Bose.

 

[phillymatt53]

We got a pair of the original Advents and a pair of Bose 901s at the Host Farm in Lancaster waaay back when. I couldn't really tell a difference in performance, to me they sounded very similar, but the Boses were less efficient and were best when carefully positioned in the room. I had a pair of 601 series II's for years, Bose had a trade-up program because the tweeters would fail and they couldn't get replacements, so I used that to upgrade to the last version. Currently have a pair of wonderful Monitor Audio 2-ways in the living room, and a pair of Clements in the family room. Those sound incredible, in spite of the fact that the surround adhesive has let go of the cones, and I'm not motivated enough to reglue them... You gotta be careful with vintage speakers, the foam tends to rot if they're let sit unused for too long. I think they need used regularly to redistribute the plasticizers, but that's just my theory...

It doesn't matter if the speakers are used or not.
The foam will deteriorate regardless.
better to go with the butyl surrounds.

 

[vacerator]

I refoamed my klh with kits from Simply speakers. I got the sealant too. Good for another 25 years at least.

 

[wayupnorth]

I have a pair of huge 1988 Bose Interaudio SA-1000 that reproduce every note perfectly and can crank. I did refoam the woofers several years ago. I also have a pair of 1972 KLH Model 6 speakers in my rec room. Both will rattle the neighbors windows. Refoaming is easy and the kits are available from Simply Speakers.

 

[phillymatt53]

I have a pair of huge 1988 Bose Interaudio SA-1000 that reproduce every note perfectly and can crank. I did refoam the woofers several years ago. I also have a pair of 1972 KLH Model 6 speakers in my rec room. Both will rattle the neighbors windows. Refoaming is easy and the kits are available from Simply Speakers.

Some of those KLH speakers had "treated cloth" surrounds which over time dried out and allowed air though them and caused the air-suspension woofers to bottom out.
Advent had some models that had the same issue.
So did Marantz.

The "coating" needed to be re-done to seal the surrounds again.
I used Permatex Windshield sealer which sealed them back up, and stayed very pliable.
It improved the bass substantially.