Do speakers wear-and-tear? What to look for when buying vintage

[urlwolf]

I have the chance of getting a pair of Canton Quito 530 very cheap (45-60 eur). Google for 'canton quinto' to get specs (too new to the forum to post links).

Of course, these are boxes from the 80's. I have allocated about 400 eur for boxes, so I could buy new. But I still think these are an incredible deal. And I could invest the savings in some other equipment. Unless, of course, there's something wrong with them.

What should I look for when buying second-hand speakers, and particularly vintage?

It seems that speakers that sounded good in the 80's should sound good now (technology doesn't revolutionize the market for speakers as often as say CD -> vynil etc). Is that correct? Or is it the case that any modern entry-level speakers would run circles around old glories?

Thanks

 

[Joe Schmoe]

Many speakers in the '80s were made with foam around the woofers instead of butyl rubber. This foam tended to dry-rot after a decade or two, so check the condition of it. (If it is rotted, replacing it might still be worth the investment. You can get re-foaming supplies on ebay.)