Vintage Advent Review (Long) (RePosted)
Tour suggested it be here, so here it is.
This is with a Yamaha receiver. Results may vary from what others have found. The system consist of:
Yamaha HTR-5460 (Receiver)
Kenwood DVD Player (CD)
Home Depot Wire
Factory Cables
Looks: These speakers look simply amazing now that they are refinished. The maple sides, and the walnut front looks ella cool! The grills look pretty cool too, not to fond of the thin tack-board-like-material inside the grill. Kinda stupid looking, and who knows what that does to the sound....lol! Other than that, I give it a good 4 out of 5.
Sound:
Highs: The highs, might I say make the tri-lams look like michael jackson at a rock concert. They are way smoother, and I hear much much more. The only problem is, the tweeter needs a warm up period, to get the fluid inside of it flowing. After that it gets a very warm and smooth sound. It sounds awesome. I also run them flat, I dont toggle that back switch any at all. So I am running them flat, and have found them to fit my taste that way. Other than that, the highs are very supperior to Polk.
Mids: The vocals and instruments seem to come off very clear with these speakers. They don't miss a beat. The only problem is ampage.
Bass: WOW! This speaker hits HARD. I mean it is chest pounding. With a better amp, it would be louder, fuller, deeper, the works. It is simply amazing. I could easily believe this speaker hits a full 20hz.
Drums: This speakers does drums very well. The bass drum hits you straight in the chest, It makes you feel its power. Unlike most speakers these days, it can do that. The snare sounds alive, its not hidden, its there. It also comes out with a unreal clarity, which polks just cant seem to do. (My Polk's anyways). The drums are very lifelike with this speaker. Which I really like about them. My friend is a drummer, and a guitarist and I am use to hearing what they sound like and it does just that. They are awesome in this area.
Guitar: The guitar soars right through with this speaker. Each string is covers, from high E to low E. It plays it all. Acoustic sounds simply awesome. This is where I feel Polk RTxxxi line fails. Acoustic, it sounds faded and dead. They sound anything but real. With the advents the acoustic guitar rolled off smoothly, each string being hit, it did it with realism. In some points, you could actually hear the guitarist hit the string where he plucked it to hard. It was completely awesome. This speaker did this with the yamaha receiver, I am very curious to hear it on an Adcom.
Piano: This speaker does the piano very well. Very clear to finish it off. Each key rolls off, and it does it good. This is also where Polk's RTxxxi line seems to fail. Although they do it with a sense of realism, the Advents just do it better. You can feel the keys being hit, and they just soar through the room. However It would be better if the Yamaha had a soundstage........lol.
Bass(Guitar): This speaker is a stand alone full range. It can cover the full spectrum completely. 20hz-20khz. It keeps track of the bass guitar and laughs at it. It stays clear, its tight, and it does it right. It feels as if the bassist is there in your room playing it along. It was simply amazing. These speakers are simply amazing. I get impressed everytime I hear them. Especially after about 30 minutes of playing time when the tweeters are warmed up.
Vocals: This speaker does vocals very well. The female voice is smooth and lifelike. The tweeter stays amazingly smooth in this time. Even with the 2 inch tweet, it does it all. It never gets harsh, and it does it right. The male vocals are done very well also, its hard hitting, and it dosnt get chesty what so ever.
Build Quality: The build quality of these speakers are nothing I've ever seen before. The wood on it is a good 1 inch thick. Its solid wood, this speaker was made to last. The grill was also made to last, the clothe it uses is of the thick sort and is class a work. Well attached, and has lasted 30 years. The speaker was put together very well. What can I say. The cone on this speaker looked brand new. Very thick, high quality paper. It still was strong, the voice coil was smooth, and it moved with ease. The tweeter has lasted 30 years also, the only problem with the tweet (but dosnt effect the sound) was that my Dad use to drive them so hard that the tweeter hit the metal grill and the fluid came out of it time to time. Other than that, the tweeter was in perfect condition. Of course the surround has rotted away. It took me a good hour to just get rid of the old left over surround. The dude that glued it on was not playing around.
Soundstage: Yes, I am aware this is the receiver, and not the speakers. It did this to my Polk's also. With the Yamaha, the voices are slightly off center, yet the speaker is enclosed within the speaker itself. The sound is on the sides, no center, no behind. Just sides. Its annoying, and I know its not the speakers.
Overall: I like vintage speakers alot better than the newer ones. They were made to do it all, and this speaker does just that. It has very smooth highs, clear mids, and very deep bass. Its worth the 150-200 on EBay. You can get new surround at www.simplyspeakers.com. They are worth the investment; they are simply awesome speakers.
This is with a Yamaha receiver. Results may vary from what others have found. The system consist of:
Yamaha HTR-5460 (Receiver)
Kenwood DVD Player (CD)
Home Depot Wire
Factory Cables
Looks: These speakers look simply amazing now that they are refinished. The maple sides, and the walnut front looks ella cool! The grills look pretty cool too, not to fond of the thin tack-board-like-material inside the grill. Kinda stupid looking, and who knows what that does to the sound....lol! Other than that, I give it a good 4 out of 5.
Sound:
Highs: The highs, might I say make the tri-lams look like michael jackson at a rock concert. They are way smoother, and I hear much much more. The only problem is, the tweeter needs a warm up period, to get the fluid inside of it flowing. After that it gets a very warm and smooth sound. It sounds awesome. I also run them flat, I dont toggle that back switch any at all. So I am running them flat, and have found them to fit my taste that way. Other than that, the highs are very supperior to Polk.
Mids: The vocals and instruments seem to come off very clear with these speakers. They don't miss a beat. The only problem is ampage.
Bass: WOW! This speaker hits HARD. I mean it is chest pounding. With a better amp, it would be louder, fuller, deeper, the works. It is simply amazing. I could easily believe this speaker hits a full 20hz.
Drums: This speakers does drums very well. The bass drum hits you straight in the chest, It makes you feel its power. Unlike most speakers these days, it can do that. The snare sounds alive, its not hidden, its there. It also comes out with a unreal clarity, which polks just cant seem to do. (My Polk's anyways). The drums are very lifelike with this speaker. Which I really like about them. My friend is a drummer, and a guitarist and I am use to hearing what they sound like and it does just that. They are awesome in this area.
Guitar: The guitar soars right through with this speaker. Each string is covers, from high E to low E. It plays it all. Acoustic sounds simply awesome. This is where I feel Polk RTxxxi line fails. Acoustic, it sounds faded and dead. They sound anything but real. With the advents the acoustic guitar rolled off smoothly, each string being hit, it did it with realism. In some points, you could actually hear the guitarist hit the string where he plucked it to hard. It was completely awesome. This speaker did this with the yamaha receiver, I am very curious to hear it on an Adcom.
Piano: This speaker does the piano very well. Very clear to finish it off. Each key rolls off, and it does it good. This is also where Polk's RTxxxi line seems to fail. Although they do it with a sense of realism, the Advents just do it better. You can feel the keys being hit, and they just soar through the room. However It would be better if the Yamaha had a soundstage........lol.
Bass(Guitar): This speaker is a stand alone full range. It can cover the full spectrum completely. 20hz-20khz. It keeps track of the bass guitar and laughs at it. It stays clear, its tight, and it does it right. It feels as if the bassist is there in your room playing it along. It was simply amazing. These speakers are simply amazing. I get impressed everytime I hear them. Especially after about 30 minutes of playing time when the tweeters are warmed up.
Vocals: This speaker does vocals very well. The female voice is smooth and lifelike. The tweeter stays amazingly smooth in this time. Even with the 2 inch tweet, it does it all. It never gets harsh, and it does it right. The male vocals are done very well also, its hard hitting, and it dosnt get chesty what so ever.
Build Quality: The build quality of these speakers are nothing I've ever seen before. The wood on it is a good 1 inch thick. Its solid wood, this speaker was made to last. The grill was also made to last, the clothe it uses is of the thick sort and is class a work. Well attached, and has lasted 30 years. The speaker was put together very well. What can I say. The cone on this speaker looked brand new. Very thick, high quality paper. It still was strong, the voice coil was smooth, and it moved with ease. The tweeter has lasted 30 years also, the only problem with the tweet (but dosnt effect the sound) was that my Dad use to drive them so hard that the tweeter hit the metal grill and the fluid came out of it time to time. Other than that, the tweeter was in perfect condition. Of course the surround has rotted away. It took me a good hour to just get rid of the old left over surround. The dude that glued it on was not playing around.
Soundstage: Yes, I am aware this is the receiver, and not the speakers. It did this to my Polk's also. With the Yamaha, the voices are slightly off center, yet the speaker is enclosed within the speaker itself. The sound is on the sides, no center, no behind. Just sides. Its annoying, and I know its not the speakers.
Overall: I like vintage speakers alot better than the newer ones. They were made to do it all, and this speaker does just that. It has very smooth highs, clear mids, and very deep bass. Its worth the 150-200 on EBay. You can get new surround at www.simplyspeakers.com. They are worth the investment; they are simply awesome speakers.
- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
Post edited by VR3 on
Comments
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Good review Sid.
I have the New Advent Large from circa 1978-1979. It is basically an improved version of your speakers. My woofs have been replaced with refoamed units.
The Advent has an excellent octave-to-octave balance, effortless and open midrange, energetic highs, and that classic tight and quick acoustic suspension bass. They don't go to 20 Hz though. Mine are flat to 31 Hz and then -5 dB at 29 Hz.
They are absolutely wonderful and nonfatiguing speaks and just loads of fun on pop and rock - they just sound "right" and encourage sing-along every time.
Downfalls? They image poorly compared to newer speaks. The soundstage is smeared and lacks depth. No comparison to my 800's in this respect.
Enjoy them - they are milestone speakers that set big standards back in the 70's.
Doc"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
Ed Mullen (emullen@svsound.com)
Director - Technology and Customer Service
SVS -
Thank ya Doc. I found it pretty hard to believe they hit 20-20. My Dad told me they did, however thank you for filling in my curiousity. lol! They are fine speakers, my Dad says they are made for Tube amps, only being able to carry what....50 watts? Oh well, their nice speaks, worth th 150 or so on EBay.- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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Mine are rated for 100-150 watt amps. I'm driving them with a cheapy 105 wpc Sherwood stereo receiver. Sounds great. I wouldn't ever sell a set of working Advent Large speakers - they are classics and sound better than many new speakers.
Doc"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
Ed Mullen (emullen@svsound.com)
Director - Technology and Customer Service
SVS -
I agree, my Dad's speakers seem to need new tweeter. Imagine (He bought them at 15, used them for 15 years. They spent about another 10-13 in a public video store, then 1-2 in a garage. lol! Who knows how they originaly sounded. And I agree, if you own a pair, keep them. Their worth the purchase.- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
