I'm in the market for some speakers, looking at the Cerwin Vega SL-12. Does anyone have an opinion on them? I'd like to know how the sound compares to similar vintage speakers and if they have flat frequency response. Maybe there's a better speaker around $350? Many thanks
Depends on what you're looking for. Back in the day CV's were known for getting LOUD. But they're not particularly transparent. If you want flat frequency response in a vintage bookshelf, look for Boston Acoustics, Advent, etc.
Speakers are one of those thing s you should never buy on specs or recommendations alone. You need to HEAR them and decide if you like their sound.
Last edited by rcarlberg; 07-21-2017 at 01:05 PM.
My brother had a pair of CVs from college into his early twenties. Louder than hell but I wouldn't characterize them as very flat. Maybe they've changed their philosophy since then but back in the day CVs were lumped in with JBL and Altec Lansing, efficient speakers that could play hard rock really loud. Every other dorm room had a pair.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
Thanks rcarlberg. What about woofer size on modern speakers? How much smaller can you go below 12" before you lose bass frequencies?
Trust your ears. I've been SHOCKED as how good many smaller speakers sound today, even in the low bass which I wouldn't have thought possible. I dunno, active electronics or something.
I wouldn't be stuck on 12" woofers anymore, that's for sure. Go shopping with an open mind.
Thanks rcarlberg and Jerjo. I've read a lot of good things about ELAC's, might try them.
Size isn't everything. A smaller woofer with a longer throw can sound just as deep as a larger woofer with a shorter throw.Originally Posted by CarvinAbuser
"Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama
Or, several of them. So they can move enough air.
Amazing sound from Elac's as well as the PSB Imagine XB. You'll love the bass response from a relatively small speaker, 5 or 6 inch woofer!
We are the grandchildren of apes, not angels
But only we are gifted with the eyes to see
On days without FEAR, when our heads are clear
That angels, we could be
(Marillion 2016)
In my book Cerwin Vega never made a HiFi speaker.
Loud as hell, boomy bass, no soundstage, not transparent - but your neighbour will know you have them.
Or, random people driving by.
On the NEXT street over.
Not to be a speaker snob or anything, but take it from someone who used to repair speakers for a living. Cerwin Vegas are pretty trashy/déclassé. They were the sort of speakers bought by people who wanted to play their music loud and didn’t care about anything else. They were the Beats Audio of their day.
Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883...
Polk Audio is another speaker from back in the day that did wonders with 5" and 6.5" drivers. I still have a pair SDA-CRS from '88 (the amazing 1.25" soft dome tweeter, two 6.5" drivers and a rear-firing 10" passive radiator in a cabinet the size of a medium-sized microwave).
^^ The design of the cabinet is perhaps more important than the woofer itself. If a top of the line driver is installed in a POS cabinet, it's going to sound like s***.
"Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"--Dalai Lama
I owned a pair of big ol' Cerwin-Vega speakers back in the day and loved them because the bulk of my listening was loud rock based music - Zappa, Mahavishnu, Brand X, Grateful Dead, BOC, Uriah Heep, Kiss, Queen, Yes, Allan Holdsworth, Jaco Pastorius, etc. I absolutely loved them. I paired them with a nice Denon amp and they could handle whatever I threw at them (again, mostly loud rock based music). I kept them until about '90-91 when I upgraded to a pair of DCM Time Windows. The C-V's were sold to a co-worker, I still have the Time Windows in my secondary system and have upgraded to a pair of B&W 803 Nautilus in my primary system.
If you get a pair you'll likely be pleased with them.
I used to sell a ton of them back in the day. When buying a good stereo was an in thing. Now it's all headphones. [emoji22]
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Look at B&W if you can swing them. The CM line are amazing - maybe used?
My problem with modern speakers, or at least the ones I've heard, is that everything sounds exaggerated on them. I'm trying to find something that sounds like my old speakers from 30 years ago, true to the source material.
Thirty years ago were you testing with CDs? Maybe you should compare speakers using vinyl. The starkness of CD may not be to your liking.
That said, some speakers are "smoother" than others. Look for speakers with multiple midranges and multiple tweeters. That "smeared sound" (for lack of a better description) approximates vinyl imprecision.
If you have good ears and a good bank account, I will recommend this brand. https://www.wilsonaudio.com/
I have never in my life heard anything that good (or expensive).
Interesting-looking speaker. I wish the ad writer knew the difference between "plum" and "plumb" though.
They are not pretty, and you cant place plants on them, but who cares except wifes?
.
WAF is always a concern.
As to plants, ivy or morning glory might be a possibility.
An you might be able to hear the difference between the two
My engineering buddy has a pair of the Watt/Puppy....they are indeed incredible.
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