Second hand speakers.

J

jwdhelaman

Enthusiast
I started into audio back in 1979 when I built a Dynaco SCA80Q integrated amplifier. After I put it together, it didn't work. Luckily, I have friends that work on electronic equipment. After he checked it out, it turned out that a couple of parts had been put in backward, which he fixed for me... no charge. It was my first entry into surround sound and it worked for many years. I had a friend of mine that was a chemistry professor for a university. He had drawn up plans to build some speakers. It measured 36"H, 24"W, and 20"D. I can't remember the names of the tweeter and midrange, but they were great. My bass speaker was a 12" Altec Lansing raw speaker. My brother in law is a cabinet maker and he cut up a 4'x8' birch veneer plywood for the cabinets. I had a Speakerlab crossover, which I don't know if they are available anymore. It was vented and I used house insulation inside the cabinet. I took it to my friends laboratory and he tested it. That was in 1980 and it sounded great. The bass could catch the lowest pedal of an organ and if you weren't careful, would bust your eardrums. I loved to hear it with the opening of 2001, A Space Odyssey. Sad to say, I don't have room for it, so I gave it to my son. He had wanted it ever since I built it.
I bought a couple of JBL L-110 in 1980 and I had it refurb a couple of years ago. I use them for my surround L/R. I got a great deal on a couple of Klipsch Forte II speakers. There was a company that would sell items from an insurance fire sale. I got those speakers for $100. They were and are in great condition. My center speaker is an old Yamaha speaker and it really does it's job. I got a JBL 250E for $50 from the same company and it also does a great job. I bought 4 Polk In Wall speakers for my "Presence Front and Rear Channels (Like ATMOS, only sounds better. I just bought 2 Klipsch desktop speakers for my Rear Surround channels. I haven't used them yet because my theater is a mess from some of the other junk I have.
I have the Optoma UHD60 Projector. It isn't the top of the line of projectors, but the movies look great. I have a Yamaha Aventage RX-A3070 AV Receiver connected to my Yamaha Aventage RX-A3010 AV Receiver. The 3070 plays all the channels except the Front and Rear Presence Speakers which is connected to the in wall speakers. All in all, I really like my budget theater. Any good ideas you might have, I would love to hear them.
 
Paul DS

Paul DS

Full Audioholic
I started into audio back in 1979 when I built a Dynaco SCA80Q integrated amplifier. After I put it together, it didn't work. Luckily, I have friends that work on electronic equipment. After he checked it out, it turned out that a couple of parts had been put in backward, which he fixed for me... no charge. It was my first entry into surround sound and it worked for many years. I had a friend of mine that was a chemistry professor for a university. He had drawn up plans to build some speakers. It measured 36"H, 24"W, and 20"D. I can't remember the names of the tweeter and midrange, but they were great. My bass speaker was a 12" Altec Lansing raw speaker. My brother in law is a cabinet maker and he cut up a 4'x8' birch veneer plywood for the cabinets. I had a Speakerlab crossover, which I don't know if they are available anymore. It was vented and I used house insulation inside the cabinet. I took it to my friends laboratory and he tested it. That was in 1980 and it sounded great. The bass could catch the lowest pedal of an organ and if you weren't careful, would bust your eardrums. I loved to hear it with the opening of 2001, A Space Odyssey. Sad to say, I don't have room for it, so I gave it to my son. He had wanted it ever since I built it.
I bought a couple of JBL L-110 in 1980 and I had it refurb a couple of years ago. I use them for my surround L/R. I got a great deal on a couple of Klipsch Forte II speakers. There was a company that would sell items from an insurance fire sale. I got those speakers for $100. They were and are in great condition. My center speaker is an old Yamaha speaker and it really does it's job. I got a JBL 250E for $50 from the same company and it also does a great job. I bought 4 Polk In Wall speakers for my "Presence Front and Rear Channels (Like ATMOS, only sounds better. I just bought 2 Klipsch desktop speakers for my Rear Surround channels. I haven't used them yet because my theater is a mess from some of the other junk I have.
I have the Optoma UHD60 Projector. It isn't the top of the line of projectors, but the movies look great. I have a Yamaha Aventage RX-A3070 AV Receiver connected to my Yamaha Aventage RX-A3010 AV Receiver. The 3070 plays all the channels except the Front and Rear Presence Speakers which is connected to the in wall speakers. All in all, I really like my budget theater. Any good ideas you might have, I would love to hear them.
I'm surprised your bass cabinet didn't rattle/vibrate. As a general rule it is best not to construct speaker cabinets out of wood. High density particle board is far better.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
I'm surprised your bass cabinet didn't rattle/vibrate. As a general rule it is best not to construct speaker cabinets out of wood. High density particle board is far better.
You can build excellent speaker cabinets with plywood, particularly baltic birch. Lighter, stronger, less toxic sawdust to deal with....why I use it :) Usually you would use medium density fibreboard, too (MDF).
 
J

jwdhelaman

Enthusiast
I really enjoy reading information concerning AV products. I am very lucky. When my wife's mother died, she inherited her mother's property, especially a home way out in the country. To get to our "new" home, you have to drive a mile down a dirt road. The property includes a 3 bedroom home with the living room, dining room and a kitchen and a smaller kitchen. It also included a building in the back of 3 acre property. It is a 2 room building with heating and A/C. A third of the building is where the well and pump are and an area to work in. the other room is 17.5' by 15'. I have built a theater in the building. I have a 4K UHD HDR projector and a pull down screen. The sound is 7.2.4 which accommodates all sound systems. The only problem is, I don't have a lot of time to watch movies, of which I have about 50 4K movies, 100 Blu-ray movies, and about 200 DVDs. My system includes a Yamaha Aventage RX-V3070 AV Receiver with a Yamaha Aventage RX-A3010 AV Receiver to drive my surround system. I have a Samsung M8500 4K Player, a Sony X700 4K Player, and my heartbeat..the Panasonic 820 which is a great system, but sometimes I use the others for certain programs. I have Dish Satellite which I will use to watch the Super Bowl. The screen is 6'H x @9'W. It's going to be a hoot!
 
C

CoryW

Audioholic
I started into audio back in 1979 when I built a Dynaco SCA80Q integrated amplifier. After I put it together, it didn't work. Luckily, I have friends that work on electronic equipment. After he checked it out, it turned out that a couple of parts had been put in backward, which he fixed for me... no charge. It was my first entry into surround sound and it worked for many years. I had a friend of mine that was a chemistry professor for a university. He had drawn up plans to build some speakers. It measured 36"H, 24"W, and 20"D. I can't remember the names of the tweeter and midrange, but they were great. My bass speaker was a 12" Altec Lansing raw speaker. My brother in law is a cabinet maker and he cut up a 4'x8' birch veneer plywood for the cabinets. I had a Speakerlab crossover, which I don't know if they are available anymore. It was vented and I used house insulation inside the cabinet. I took it to my friends laboratory and he tested it. That was in 1980 and it sounded great. The bass could catch the lowest pedal of an organ and if you weren't careful, would bust your eardrums. I loved to hear it with the opening of 2001, A Space Odyssey. Sad to say, I don't have room for it, so I gave it to my son. He had wanted it ever since I built it.
I bought a couple of JBL L-110 in 1980 and I had it refurb a couple of years ago. I use them for my surround L/R. I got a great deal on a couple of Klipsch Forte II speakers. There was a company that would sell items from an insurance fire sale. I got those speakers for $100. They were and are in great condition. My center speaker is an old Yamaha speaker and it really does it's job. I got a JBL 250E for $50 from the same company and it also does a great job. I bought 4 Polk In Wall speakers for my "Presence Front and Rear Channels (Like ATMOS, only sounds better. I just bought 2 Klipsch desktop speakers for my Rear Surround channels. I haven't used them yet because my theater is a mess from some of the other junk I have.
I have the Optoma UHD60 Projector. It isn't the top of the line of projectors, but the movies look great. I have a Yamaha Aventage RX-A3070 AV Receiver connected to my Yamaha Aventage RX-A3010 AV Receiver. The 3070 plays all the channels except the Front and Rear Presence Speakers which is connected to the in wall speakers. All in all, I really like my budget theater. Any good ideas you might have, I would love to hear them.
I’m a network engineer by trade. The back went south that put me flat on my back for 8 years. I lost everything but my hearing. My last hobby was audio. I started with a pair of JBL L20t and a 60 watt Hafler back in ’83. In the last six years, I started to hunt seriously every day on a killer local app in Utah, KSL classifieds. With tremendous patience, ive been able to steadily acquire some of the finest speakers ever made, as well as amazing flag ship equipment with a few years aged. I could never Have been able to buy this stuff on disability, nor could I flood my working spouse with large bills. None of my equipment is state of the art, but they were in their day. I’ve managed to leave open mouths when folks want a listen. i have a simple 5.1 based system with older tech, but I will stack it up against any system under $20k. I’ve also managed to outfit both my kids, and one brother with very high quality 5.1 systems using really high quality gear, but a bit older. I’ve played with building my own speakers, screwing around with this and that. Audio equipment is like good wine, they all have a different taste, but it’s all fun, and is somewhat cheap for me. I still get such enjoyment from my old JBL L46, it’s wonderful

The time I’ve spent immersed in beautiful music has kept the .44 out of my mouth...truthfull. If there had been no rich folk throwing their old $5k receivers out for $150, it would just suck.
 
J

jwdhelaman

Enthusiast
I haven't heard anyone speak of Hafler for many years. Are you still using it. It's been a while, but was it Hafler that started Dynaco? Hafler equipment was considered some of the best equipment. I still have a lot of equipment from my past. I have a TEAC X-700R reel to reel tape recorder, a TEAC C-3XR cassette recorder, both with dbx sound processing. I also have a dbx processor that when a turntable plays a dbx encoded record, it sounded better than the CD. I have a lot of equipment from back then. If I tried to sell any of it, I would have to just about give it away. I have a Yamaha turntable that plays great music, when I get a chance to play it. We also have 8 dogs and 1 cat. The cat is mine and so are 4 of the dogs. I don't know if we're allowed to say it, but I live in North Carolina and things are hard to find in a store. You have to buy it through Amazon or Monoprice. Most places, especially Best Buy, hire people that don't know much about the equipment. Of course, at 72, I don't know much about it either. I just know what I like. Thanks for sharing.
 
J

jwdhelaman

Enthusiast
I'm surprised your bass cabinet didn't rattle/vibrate. As a general rule it is best not to construct speaker cabinets out of wood. High density particle board is far better.
I'm not sure what type of wood people make speaker cabinets out of today, but in 1980, when I built my cabinets, I had been told by a chemical engineer and college professor to use birch veneer, because with the specification I was given, cabinets made of birch veneer, if proper insulation was used and installed, would sound great. I know many people have their preference of sound, but, until I was able to get my Klipsch Forte II, was the best sounding speakers I had heard. But we need to remember, not everyone has the same quality of hearing or preference of sound. My brother in law was a professional cabinet maker, and he built the cabinets and they were tight. All seams on the inside were caulked. The mid-range speaker had it's own cabinet and its own vent. I loved them, but they were too large for my room.. The building they were in would rock when they were turned on. They were in a separate building and she could hear everything. I miss them already.
 
Paul DS

Paul DS

Full Audioholic
The thing is a cabinet made out of wood veneer is not a cabinet made out of wood. As far as I know, veneers are placed on high density particle board. The speaker looks like it is made out of wood, but it isn't.
 
C

Chronicleag

Audiophyte
I think it's amazing how you've crafted your setup over the years, from building your own amplifier to scoring fantastic deals on speakers. The dedication to finding quality equipment at affordable prices is truly commendable. Your home theater setup sounds impressive, especially with the Optoma projector and Yamaha receivers. As for ideas, maybe consider organizing your theater space for optimal sound and visual experience. And if you're ever looking for more audio gear, flea markets in Sacramento might have some hidden gems worth exploring. Check out sacfleamarkets.com for upcoming events and deals.
 
Last edited:
Kingnoob

Kingnoob

Audioholic Samurai
I’m a network engineer by trade. The back went south that put me flat on my back for 8 years. I lost everything but my hearing. My last hobby was audio. I started with a pair of JBL L20t and a 60 watt Hafler back in ’83. In the last six years, I started to hunt seriously every day on a killer local app in Utah, KSL classifieds. With tremendous patience, ive been able to steadily acquire some of the finest speakers ever made, as well as amazing flag ship equipment with a few years aged. I could never Have been able to buy this stuff on disability, nor could I flood my working spouse with large bills. None of my equipment is state of the art, but they were in their day. I’ve managed to leave open mouths when folks want a listen. i have a simple 5.1 based system with older tech, but I will stack it up against any system under $20k. I’ve also managed to outfit both my kids, and one brother with very high quality 5.1 systems using really high quality gear, but a bit older. I’ve played with building my own speakers, screwing around with this and that. Audio equipment is like good wine, they all have a different taste, but it’s all fun, and is somewhat cheap for me. I still get such enjoyment from my old JBL L46, it’s wonderful

The time I’ve spent immersed in beautiful music has kept the .44 out of my mouth...truthfull. If there had been no rich folk throwing their old $5k receivers out for $150, it would just suck.
How on earth are you finding such good deals here your lucky to get stuff that works good last used avr I got broke . I could look for eternity ℹ would never find a deal like the ones you find .
I started into audio back in 1979 when I built a Dynaco SCA80Q integrated amplifier. After I put it together, it didn't work. Luckily, I have friends that work on electronic equipment. After he checked it out, it turned out that a couple of parts had been put in backward, which he fixed for me... no charge. It was my first entry into surround sound and it worked for many years. I had a friend of mine that was a chemistry professor for a university. He had drawn up plans to build some speakers. It measured 36"H, 24"W, and 20"D. I can't remember the names of the tweeter and midrange, but they were great. My bass speaker was a 12" Altec Lansing raw speaker. My brother in law is a cabinet maker and he cut up a 4'x8' birch veneer plywood for the cabinets. I had a Speakerlab crossover, which I don't know if they are available anymore. It was vented and I used house insulation inside the cabinet. I took it to my friends laboratory and he tested it. That was in 1980 and it sounded great. The bass could catch the lowest pedal of an organ and if you weren't careful, would bust your eardrums. I loved to hear it with the opening of 2001, A Space Odyssey. Sad to say, I don't have room for it, so I gave it to my son. He had wanted it ever since I built it.
I bought a couple of JBL L-110 in 1980 and I had it refurb a couple of years ago. I use them for my surround L/R. I got a great deal on a couple of Klipsch Forte II speakers. There was a company that would sell items from an insurance fire sale. I got those speakers for $100. They were and are in great condition. My center speaker is an old Yamaha speaker and it really does it's job. I got a JBL 250E for $50 from the same company and it also does a great job. I bought 4 Polk In Wall speakers for my "Presence Front and Rear Channels (Like ATMOS, only sounds better. I just bought 2 Klipsch desktop speakers for my Rear Surround channels. I haven't used them yet because my theater is a mess from some of the other junk I have.
I have the Optoma UHD60 Projector. It isn't the top of the line of projectors, but the movies look great. I have a Yamaha Aventage RX-A3070 AV Receiver connected to my Yamaha Aventage RX-A3010 AV Receiver. The 3070 plays all the channels except the Front and Rear Presence Speakers which is connected to the in wall speakers. All in all, I really like my budget theater. Any good ideas you might have, I would love to hear them.
Woah you built an amp with some help that’s amazing! :cool: Today klipsch forte iv cost 5k you got them 1/50 the price .
 

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