AE vs Celestion?

[admin_exported]

Hello everybody

I am toying with the idea of getting some bigger, older speakers.

Has anyone heard Celestion DL8 mk 2?

What would be the difference in sound from my ae radiance 1s?

The celestions have an 8" driver, I always liked the easy bass and general sound of my mates JPW AP3s, so I'm looking for that old--school soulful sound.

Any thoughts?

Cheers Snow

 

[AEJim]

Well a lot depends on the room you'll have them in, older speakers (I'm thinking 70's-80's) tended to be larger, wider but shallow and many got away with being sealed box because of the higher internal volume. That configuration along with the larger drivers will always give an "easier" bass response, if fashion allowed it I'm sure most manufacturers would love the freedom of the big box size and large drivers!

The materials used tended to be a little more basic than today and even the glues and surrounds limited excursion in many cases so power handling was relatively low compared to today's designs, but the extra bass on offer and warmer balance generally compensated for that.

At a guess I'd presume you will lose some clarity and sparkle of the Radiance 1's but gain in scale of sound, if your room is very small this may not be beneficial - if you have a medium-large space to fill then the larger drivers will do so with more ease, meaning you won't have to play them as loud for a more fulsome sound.

This is all generalising of course, much will depend on model and I haven't heard the Celestions, but they used to make some very nice speakers. (I think they still make the driver in my Marshall guitar amp! 😉) What points did you like/dislike about your Radiance 1's for comparison? (and my own interest!)

 

[Anonymous]

Yes that,s right james, i used to have a cracking valve guitar amp that had 2 celestion speakers in it, was great for playing jazz, very warm and mellow, in the end i sold it and bought an AER accoustic amp, a lot quieter and easier to keep feedback away from the archtop. Nothing to do with hi fi but it all boils down to the music.

 

[AEJim]

johnnyjazz:Yes that,s right james, i used to have a cracking valve guitar amp that had 2 celestion speakers in it, was great for playing jazz, very warm and mellow, in the end i sold it and bought an AER accoustic amp, a lot quieter and easier to keep feedback away from the archtop. Nothing to do with hi fi but it all boils down to the music.

True, Hi-Fi still can't re-create the dynamic, powerful sound of that amp either - we tried in the office!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Jim

Thanks for your detailed response. I do really like my AEs...I guess you hit the nail on the head when you say 'a more fulsome sound'. When I turn the volume up to 9.30 the sound definately fills out abit, with a stronger bass presence, but it all sounds abit loud.

The other night I was listening to the latest Alborosie LP on a system way cheaper than mine (a thorens TD166, a 90s budget Yamaha amp, and the JPWs) and was blown away. The music floated across the room, the bass had power and impact and the whole feeling was less hi-fi maybe, but had more soul and felt like how it was meant to be heard. When I 'spin' the same tracks it sounds sooo different, tighter, more grown-up but ultimately alot less fun and enthralling.

This could all be down to the vinyl, maybe I like the analogue sound, or the Heineken consumed, but it seemed a shame that my system lacks the sound I crave. I listen to mainly bass heavy music so maybe I just need a bigger driver for that bigger 'easier' sound. (or a turntable!)

I would still heartily recommend the radiances though, for their smooth and musical sound, I prefer them to the Usher s-520s and Rega R3s I have previously owned. Sorry to ramble, but do you think they are to small for my room - 12' x12', 8' apart?