Very old speakers... Question

[BobH]

I have a pair of Bose 501 speakers that I bought for $150 each in 1972! Yes, I am not a young guy any more. Because they are the old "direct reflecting" design I haven't used them in twenty years because I didn't have a room that could accommodate them. Now I do!

So, I am wondering if speaker performance degrades over time. They sound pretty good to me but I wonder if that are as good as they could be.

What do you guys think?

Thanks,

Bob

 

[markw]

After that period of time, I would be surprised if the woofer surrounds aren't rotted. You might want to check 'em out and get 'em refoamed if needed.

 

[sholling]

After that period of time, I would be surprised if the woofer surrounds aren't rotted. You might want to check 'em out and get 'em refoamed if needed.

+1 the woofer surrounds are probably rotted. You can get them refoamed (or DIY for less than $30) but it's a bit of work.

 

[LAB3]

Some of the older Bose had the speaker grill cloth stapled on. Do a search here, a member posted pic's on how he repaired his Bose. If they were stored in a climate controlled room maybe they will be ok. I would also worry about the cross over networks, as old "Caps" in them degrade over time.

 

[elhombre]

Bose 501's

Good Lord, I bought my 501s in 1996 and I thought they were old! They still give good service, though they have been joined by a pair of Monitor Audio RX6's.