Featured SPEAKERS THE SHOP WILL BE CLOSED FROM 8/16 UNTIL 9/1

ADS a/d/s L500

(mid 70's) $425

Hard to find in such excellent cosmetic and operating condition, this pair of the highly regarded ADS L500 was manufactured by ADS (Analog and Digital Systems) in Wilmington Massachusetts USA. They use the well renowned Braun drivers which were manufactured in Germany. These speakers, when driven by a quality amp capable of handling 4 ohms, sound excellent in a "typical" listening area.
They also have satisfying bass considering the size of their walnut veneer cabinets.

The all original Braun 8" mid-bass drivers *(with Stifflite cones), tweeters and crossovers are in perfect operating condition. There is literally no dust on the tweeters. As is probably known to many, the Braun tweeters were factory coated with a sticky material to help damp the resonances.

The ADS L500 speakers were originally designed by the world-famous Dieter Rams, the industrial designer who designed many of the Braun products of the same era. The New York Museum of Modern Art is loaded with Dieter Rams' and ADS' works.

*NOTE: Stifflite is a relatively thick material formed of air-filled, randomly-oriented pulp fiber in a unique "sandwich" construction. Because of this unique design, Revox, Braun, Visonik and ADS firmly believed it had the closest thing to the ideal woofer cone.

The ADS L500 was developed right along with their more expensive studio speakers for the best possible reason: they wanted to create a coherent line of loudspeakers where every model, regardless of price, would have to reproduce musical sound with an optimum of clarity and a total absence of coloration.

When their engineers finally were able to meet these criteria, they called this remarkably open quality the 'Invisible Sound' of ADS. Since theirs introduction they have become one of the standards of excellence for many professionals and dedicated audiophiles.

The L500 shares with all other ADS systems the 'Invisible Sound' and the technical refinements that make that faithful response to the input signal possible. For instance, they installed only one type of soft-dome tweeter, a masterpiece in sophisticated audio design. Also, all ADS speakers utilize similar small-diameter woofers and the same computer-grade materials for the crossover networks. The craftsmanship and materials that went into every cabinet are of uniform, high quality. These dedicated design parameters enabled ADS to become one of the premier loudspeaker companies. Even today, there are clubs, podcasts and groups of ADS owners worldwide that continue to marvel and appreciate that unique "ADS sound".

Specs;
Frequency Response: 25Hz to 25kHz
Power Handling: 30W
Crossover Frequency: 1500Hz
Impedance: 4Ω
Sensitivity: 87dB
Dimensions: 20"H x 11.25"W x 10"D
Weight: 26 lbs each

About a/d/s ADS/Braun...
ADS (Analog & Digital Systems) was the American importer's company label. Braun was the original German company which built the raw drivers and to some extent had a small, popular line of (fairly conventional) Braun speakers, tape decks and amplifiers for sale in Europe. The most common link to the ADS/Braun line was a Dr. Gunther who wished to import the products and traveled around to dealers trying to stir interest in the late '70's when Germany was not yet on the US audiophile map beyond Dual (from the Black Forest area) and a by then less well known Blaupunkt. (Studer and Revox were both Swiss companies distributed originally through German lines.)

Eventually, enough dealers signed on to a commitment and Gunther established ADS as the "manufacturer" of the speakers in the US. This was fair at the time as many companies were using drivers sourced from various manufacturers around the world and subsequently designing and building their own systems with either off the shelf drivers or custom modified drivers from a larger company. The original Boston Acoustics line came down in lineage from the KHL/Advent company but sourced their midrange and tweeter from Vifa and Seas while the woofers were manufactured in house but due to time restrictions on the company launch the A200's original woofer's ceramic magnet was charged at the AR factory in Cambridge, Mass. A largely similar story exists around EPI and the original Genesis line from Cambridge where nepotism in speaker design was commonplace amongst the numerous MIT students who had worked with Vilchur or Kloss or one of their students/business associates.

At ADS, Gunther hired a designer (some say it was Michael Kelly) to build finished speakers around the Braun drivers. Another company built cabinets here in the US to ADS' specifications. Kelly managed some fairly industrious and unique designs for ADS which drew significant attention to the ADS line. As the ADS line grew in stature and sales, Braun took notice and thought they could do just as well or better under their own name by trading on the popularity, reputation and success of the ADS line. The problems started with the issue of Braun having to import entire speaker systems which meant fairly heavy cabinets were being shipped across the sea incurring added expense not seen in the ADS line who had only been shipping raw drivers. ADS and Braun existed for a time as distinct lines with only passing similarities yet in discrete dealerships which led to many conflicts of interest and many awkward questions for everyone concerned. Braun's answer to this pricing issue was to cut off ADS's access to many of their most successful drivers. Suddenly ADS was in danger of being put out of business without a product line along with not having any backup drivers for repairs. Promises to dealers were being broken on a daily schedule as both revenues and resources dried up. Many of Kelly's designs were difficult to drive and required high power yet the Braun drivers were not meant for high power handling. This led to numerous repairs being done by dealers. Day by day, many dealer's repair facilities were stacking full of broken ADS speakers waiting for parts that never came.

There was a short compromise where ADS/Braun speakers existed as one line but Braun soon found themselves under commitment to repair existing ADS/Kelly designed speakers while not having the benefit of using all of Kelly's designs - many of which Braun disapproved of due to their reliability issues and their not being "perfect" examples of Braun design skills (which were not of the type desired by the average US audiophile of the day).

New dealers had been established for the ADS/Braun line separate from the original ADS and Braun dealerships, many original ADS dealers were left out in the cold without any factory backup and new Braun dealers were expected to use their own resources to fulfill ADS's commitments to parts and service. Court battles quickly and seemingly endlessly ensued. Eventually ADS was subsumed and then ceased to exist as a distinct company. Braun speakers went on in the US for a few years without most of the innovation of the ADS/Kelly designs and eventually faded ingloriously from the US market. Memories from customers ranging from fond to highly upset and generally hard feelings from dealers who stuck it out too long or hoped to make a quick buck off someone else's efforts were all that were left...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

OHM C2

('77-'81) $500

These are hard-to-find in such exceptional condition...

Beautiful and yielding excellent sound, this pair of OHM C2 was obtained from the original owner who used them sparingly until the foam surrounds gave out, then stashed them away in climate-controlled storage.

We professionally installed fresh new foam surrounds with a projected 20-30 year lifespan. Also, they have been sanded and refinished to bring out the natural beauty of the gorgeous real walnut veneer cabinets. The original factory black grill cloth & frames and the unique OHM badges are all pristine and intact. The original factory owner's manual and documentation are also included.

Produced between 1975 until 1981 and sold for $700/pair, the C2 is a 3-way, large bookshelf speaker with a 10” woofers, low tweeters and dome super tweeters plus a circular bass port on the front panel. There are slider controls on the back for the tweeter level. The cabinet is finished on four sides in beautiful walnut veneer. They were originally introduced to the US market in 1977 and had been sold for 5 years until 1982. Considering the original retail price of $695, the C2 was clearly positioned in the high-end market. At its time, it was Ohm´s most successful and most widely known bookshelf speaker.

Essential specs:
Amplifiers Recommended: 15 - 120 watts
Impedance: (typical)6 ohms
Frequency Response: 37 - 20,000 Hz (+/-3dB)
Sensitivity: 88 dB
Dimensions: 25"H x 10.5"D x 14"W

Copy & paste this link to OHM's website describing potential upgrades and/or trade-in value towards a new OHM model:
https://ohmspeaker.com/legacy-products/c2/?srsltid=AfmBOook4tJUubDfkZWSShaNc6qR2BWWEY3hjOMDrauplW5JEdSf0z7L

About Ohm...
Ohm was founded in 1972 specifically to develop and market speakers based on *Lincoln Walsh’s patented design. The first model, the Ohm A, is still considered one of the all-time best speakers ever produced. In 1981, John Strohbeen (Ohm’s president) patented a design that addressed three issues with the original speaker
~Now the stereo imaging could be heard from most listening positions,
~They can now be used near walls and
~Normal amplifiers could drive the design while high power would not destroy them.
Ohm went factory-direct in 1999 and redefined the speaker line-up from the traditional good-better-best (as the price went up) to the-best-we-can-make for small, medium and large rooms. Still in business today, Ohm's reputation is regarded as exceptional across the world. The entire Ohm line, and, in fact, the company itself, owe their existence to the Walsh driver developed by the late Lincoln Walsh (1903–1971). This driver, in principle, can operate over the entire audio bandwidth from 20Hz to 20kHz and is capable of producing a coherent cylindrical soundfield around the driver cone. It is a dynamic moving-coil design but with strikingly unconventional and original packaging. Sound is radiated from the surface of an inverted cone that visually resembles an upside-down woofer or a very large ice-cream cone. The face of the cone radiates into an enclosure and generates what is equivalent to a backwave from an ordinary driver.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Canton Karat 40 (black iron stands included)

Canton Karat 40

Canton Karat 40 (left photo: perforated bass port)

Canton Karat 40

Canton Karat 40 (proprietary felt material, front baffles)

(Germany, '88-'90) $750
(includes black iron stands)

Achtung baby!
This pair of extremely rare Canton Karat 40 speakers was obtained locally from the original owner who purchased them in West Germany during his military service in the late 80's. Fortunately for us, he took excellent care of them.
The Karat 40 is a 3-way, bass reflex design and was second to Canton's top of the Karat line when released. The Karat series is well known for its purposefully long life construction. Even after some 35+ years, they rarely suffer from sonic loss or cabinet issues.
The Canton Karat Series speakers are incredibly hard to find in North America. Especially when in such splendid condition as this pair is!!
As shown in the photos, a pair of heavy duty black iron stands are included.

NOTE:  The Canton Karat Series was first introduced in Europe around 1987. About a year later Canton managed to secure a small but dedicated group of specific "boutique" HiFi dealers in America. Canton's presence in the USA was destined to be a direct (but friendly) competition with their siblings, the American brand known as ADS (a/d/s). Due to their much smaller dealer network, logistics causing sparse available inventory, Canton speakers were hard to find and more expensive than the competition. See the "About Canton" section below for the back story.

In splendid cosmetic condition and sonically perfect, each bass-reflex enclosure is a hefty 28 lbs. The entire front of the baffle is covered in a luxurious black felt dampening material. This unique dampening design helps to curb unwanted tweeter diffraction. The woofers and midrange drivers have long lasting butyl rubber surrounds. The exterior of the enclosure is made of a unique satin ebony agate compound that's tough enough and thick enough to be resistant to scratches yet easy to polish.  The perforated metal grills are pristine and similar in design to ADS a/d/s speakers. Banana connections are standard.

The solid interior bracing is indicative of Canton's superior technical design characteristics of the Karat models.  The enclosures were made for some of the best high quality bass performance ever heard in anything close to their size.

Canton had a unique idea when it came to bass port design. Instead of the usual "porthole" often seen in other speakers, the Karat 40's port is, instead, a series of miniature perforations sequestered within a calculated 2" circular area on the middle-top-right hand side beneath the felt. Although the tiny perforations are hard to see they are a very effective way to have a satisfying (yet tight) bottom end.

Although it's almost too subjective to discuss, in our humble opinion, these Canton Karat 40 speakers are best described as having very detailed presentation and accuracy; never over-the-top in lows, mids and highs. One discussion on the "Audiokarma" website features the "shootout" between the Karat 40 vs the Yamaha NS-1000M.

Rated at 4 ohms with a ceiling of about 130 watts each, it's suggested to drive these with a high quality power source that's not afraid of 4 ohms.
Suffice to say the Canton Karat 40 has very high quality drivers:
~8.5" (stifflite) woofer (butyl rubber surround)
~5" (stifflite) midrange (butyl rubber surround)
~1" proprietary titanium tweeter

The Canton Karat models can sometimes fetch high prices and there are plenty of reasons why. The Karat 40s (along with most of the Karat models) are very rarely seen for sale in North America.

Specs:
Production Years: 1987-1990
Produced in: Germany
Color: Walnut
Cabinet Measurements: 12.2"W x 22.8"H x 12.2"D
Weight: 37 lbs each
Technical Data:
Woofer: 10" stifflite paper cone
Midrange: 5" stifflite paper cone
Tweeter: 1" Titanium Dome.
Load Carrying Ability: 90/130 W (RMS-/Peak)
Sensitivity: 92.6 dB
Frequency Range: 24 Hz - 30 kHz
Crossover Points: 450/4000 Hz
Impedance: 4 Ohm
MSRP: $1500/pr

About Canton...
In 1972, with the goal of producing the best speakers in their class, Canton was formed. ‘Canton’ is a combination of the Latin word "cantare" (to sing) and the German word "ton" (musical tone). They started in a vacant small town school building and house in Niederlauken Germany.Starting with 35 employees assembling speaker enclosures in January of 1973, Canton began its legacy of high quality audio reproduction in the tradition of what they called “pure music”.

Canton speakers combine innovative technologies, the highest quality materials, and a remarkably wide range of models and designs to provide a musical experience "second to none".

Canton is often compared to ADS, Braun and Visonik. Although those companies are well known, Heco (Hennel-Company), was a company founded much earlier in 1949 in Schmitten, Germany. They were the first to devise early small high quality studio monitors typical of the later models from Canton et al. The vintage Canton Karat speakers are quite often considered "better" than Braun by pure "audiophiles". Obviously that's a subjective argument. However, in terms of value, there can be no doubt that Canton Karat speakers are generally expensive and more on the rare side at this point."Karat" is loosely defined as a variation when used to describe the values of gold.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

KEF C40

('85-'88) $400 (stands included)

In very good cosmetic condition, completely original and operating perfectly, this pair of KEF C40 was an iconic British design from the mid 80's. They are generous in both volume and drive units.

Bass is plentiful and extended, and the design is balanced to operate clear of room boundaries (on a specific type of stands).Designed as a 2.5 way system, the twin 8" mid-bass drivers (featuring "no maintenance required" polypropylene cones) handle the lowest frequencies. They augment and extend bass output, substantially improving power handling capacity, and assisting bass damping.

To handle the high frequencies, the KEF C40 used their excellent T33 tweeters. These were actually made by the highly respected French speaker company Audax and were designed specifically to KEF's specs.

These were top of the line in the KEF C Series that was built from '85 to '88. KEF described this C40 design as a "2 & 1/2 way" speaker, in which the bottom mounted driver acts as a subwoofer to handle the very lowest frequencies. The versatile C40 can be used either as a compact floor-standing speaker (or it can be placed on the included low stands as shown in the photos.) It is built to effortlessly handle 100 watts and it has all of the exceptionally accurate, warm and musical reproduction that built KEF's reputation in the '80's.

Here's another excellent description of the C40:
The C40 (a successor to the KEF Carina) added a second B200 unit operating at low frequencies only. These two 3-ohm B200s have a free-air resonance of 40Hz. The two together, connected in series to give 6 ohms and shunted by capacitors of 10μ and 100μF respectively, produce a resonant frequency of 85Hz in this quite large box. KEF have reverted to third order loading here, with a 450μF capacitor in series and this has resulted in a nice clean bass end of apparently limitless power. A low floor-stand is suggested, but operation on the floor itself is not out of the question and was indeed preferred on some program material. The cabinet coloration is now low down and comparatively innocuous; the sibilance is still present but less obvious and, if the loudspeakers are being used on the floor, one is automatically off-axis vertically. Driven by a pair of 100-watt amplifiers, these C40s with their true sensitivity of 91dB at 8 ohms, are capable of very loud sounds indeed and they remain clear and undistorted right to the amplifier limit. This is a level at which I feel inclined to leave the room but, as KEF succinctly put it, "it will be particularly appealing to the cost-conscious rock listener.
The system can go exceedingly loud, can handle plenty of power, and, with a generous bass delivery, is particularly suited to good ol' rock n' roll...the so-called "West Coast' sound.

Basic specs:
Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms
Rated maximum power: 100 watts
Frequency response: 68Hz to 20kHz +/-3dB (-6dB at 58Hz)
Sensitivity: 91dB
Maximum output: 111dB peak under typical listening conditions
Weight: 22 lbs each
Dimensions: 25.5"H x 10"D x 9.75"W

About KEF...
It all began in 1961, as it so often does, with one man who was somewhat detail-obsessed. And in the world of hi-fi (or indeed, anything grounded in innovation, technology and perfection), that man, was Raymond Cooke, a former technical director for Wharfedale speakers (England). In the beginning, their tendency to sell raw drivers to their competitors – rather than keep them for themselves – solidified them as true leaders in this field. They went on to produce the K1 Series but with the 1962 introduction of the now world famous B139 bass driver, the Celeste was born. It proved to be a best seller but it wasn’t until the 1970s that their real breakthrough occurred. After a series of very successful commercial loudspeaker designs, 1975 saw a development which placed KEF on the hifi map. Indefinitely.

Thanks to the first implementation of computers in the design and measurement of their loudspeakers, this lead to the world famous

KRF Reference designs emerging for the first time, from the 101 all the way through to the 105.2. The first of many lines of References, each dominating its market.
Everything about what KEF has produced since day one has screamed of quality, of innovation and of style… three very memorable qualities. And when you have a company history (not to mention product range) as long and as illustrious as KEF’s, there are some seriously impressive things to remember.

About KEF...
It all began in 1961, as it so often does, with one man who was somewhat detail-obsessed. And in the world of hi-fi (or indeed, anything grounded in innovation, technology and perfection), that man was Raymond Cooke, a former technical director for Wharfedale speakers (England). In the beginning, their tendency to sell raw drivers to their competitors – rather than keep them for themselves – solidified them as true leaders in this field. They went on to produce the K1 Series but with the 1962 introduction of the now world famous B139 bass driver, the Celeste was born. It proved to be a best seller but it wasn’t until the 1970s that their real breakthrough occurred. After a series of very successful commercial loudspeaker designs, 1975 saw a development which placed KEF on the hifi map. Indefinitely.

Thanks to the first implementation of computers in the design and measurement of their loudspeakers, this lead to the world famous

KRF Reference designs emerged for the first time, from the 101 all the way through to the 105.2. The first of many lines of References, each dominating its market.
Everything about what KEF has produced since day one has screamed of quality, of innovation and of style… three very memorable qualities. And when you have a company history (not to mention product range) as long and as illustrious as KEF’s, there are some seriously impressive things to remember.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

JBL 4408

near-field studio monitors ('87-'03) $650

In very good cosmetic condition, this pair of JBL 4408 studio monitors are a high quality 2-way system. They feature beautiful real timber (walnut) veneer enclosures and classic acoustically transparent speaker grills. These are 100% original.

The woofers have been refoamed and the tweeters' damping foam has been replaced. Each of the enclosures have unobtrusive corner solid brass protectors. The original grills are also in great shape and have the original JBL badges. Speaker stands shown in any of the photos are not included.

With a continuous production run of 16 years, the 4408 (and 4408A) were some of the longest continuously produced models in JBL history. The 4408 vs 4408A: the original 4408 featured a genuine walnut enclosure, 8" felted cone woofer (116H2) & titanium tweeter (035Ti), oval shaped bass port and front L-pad. The 4408A used a vinyl laminate coating, same woofer, slightly different HF driver (052Ti), round bass port and did not have an L-pad.
NOTE: titanium dome tweeters are a technology pioneered by JBL

The 4408 is described as "near field monitors" for a reason; Technically speaking, the 4408 was primarily intended for direct-field monitoring in close-in broadcast applications, where the close driver spacing creates a
coherent sound source.

However, for the rest of us, when the 4408 is in a "typical" listening room other than a HiFi recording engineer's studio, one would assume an approximate 10' x 10' (or slightly larger) critical listening area. In this environment, the 4408 are in their glory. Assuming the speakers are off the floor, (either hanging in brackets or sitting on some type of isolators) all it takes is a few tweaks on the L-pad and the listener can "tune" the soundstage to within their own particular hearing-comfort zone.

Even though they are rated at an "easy-to-drive" 8 ohms and 89dB sensitivity, the 4408 (in our humble opinion) will really come alive when driven by high quality amplifier power. Generally speaking, because the loudness of a speaker does not always equate to sonic perfection, the pure build quality of the amp allows the speaker to also perform better at lower volumes.The 4408 is right up there with the best of the 80's & 90's JBL monitor designs. Of course the limitations of a 2-way speaker design vs 3-way leaves room for a lot of chatter about what's best for each listener's needs or budget.

The bottom line?
Let YOUR ears decide; that's all that matters...

SPECS:
Frequency Response: 50Hz to 20kHz /
Power: 100 watts /
Crossover: 2500Hz /
Impedance: 8 ohms /
Sensitivity: 89dB /
Bass: 8" felted cone
Tweeter: 0.25" pure titanium dome /
Finish: real walnut /
Dimensions: 17.2"H x 12"D x 11.5"W /
Weight: 26 lbs each

About JBL...
In 1927, one of the original pro-audio companies, Western Electric, pioneered cinema sound with 'The Jazz Singer'. In the Wall Street crash of 1929, Western Electric was split up. From the ashes, came Westrex (who are today still involved in the movie/video side of the business) and Altec, short for 'All technicians', because the new company's bosses and founders were the technical people from Western Electric. Most notable of these was James Buoloh Lansing, and when he became president, Altec took on his surname, thus Altec-Lansing. Like Western Electric, Altec-Lansing's main business was in cinema sound, but along with RCA, this is where high-power, large-scale sound reinforcement was pioneered, horn speakers being their forte.

In 1940, Lansing sold his shares and later set up his own, competing company, with an emphasis on speakers. Unfortunately, Lansing committed suicide and his partner was killed in a plane crash in the late 40s, but the company he founded - James B. Lansing Inc. - or 'JBL' as it's better known, has gone from strength to strength.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Paradigm 9se Mk3

('93-'96)  $400

In excellent cosmetic condition, 100% original and fully tested, this pair of Paradigm 9SE MK3 speakers come with the original boxes and packing materials. The "SE" stands for "Special Edition". Real mahogany veneer on top adds a touch of class to the black ashwood enclosures.

Back story:
The common problem faced by 2-way speaker systems is the compromise of sacrificing high efficiency for deep bass. The 9se MkIII solves this problem. Its twin 8" bass/midrange driver configuration simultaneously provides high sensitivity, deep power full bass, high power handling and a dramatic reduction in distortion, especially at high sound pressure levels.
Paradigm could not accept the "high-efficiency for deep bass" sacrifice in the design of a larger 2-way model. The 9se MkIII is the culmination of this attitude, ... a high-performance 2-way design capable of out-performing systems costing several times as much.

Specs:
3-driver, 2-way bass reflex, quasi-3rd order resistive port.
Crossover: 3rd order electro/acoustic at 2,0 kHz
Tweeter: 1" treated textile dome with aluminum former, ferro-fluid cooled and damped.
Mid bass: two 8" drivers with diecast chassis, polypropylene cone and Apical formers.
Low frequency:  32 Hz
Frequency response:  ±2 dB from 45 Hz - 20 kHz
Sensitivity: 93 dB
Recommended amp:  15 - 200 watts
Nominal impedance:  6 ohms / 4 ohms
Dimensions: 37"H x 10.5"W x 14.75"W
Weight: 50 lbs each

About Paradigm...
In 1982, Jerry VanderMarel, a seasoned veteran of consumer electronics and loudspeaker sales, teamed with Scott Bagby, a loudspeaker designer with a long history of innovative ideas. Together, they went back to the drawing board and developed a radical new speaker. To find the sweet spot, they tapped university audio researchers and detailed scientific findings from the audio studies conducted by the National Research Council of Canada. The point was to achieve a level of performance that would erase the speaker itself from the equation. Pure, lifelike audio, uninhibited by coloration, unrestrained in its ability to translate power into sound. And to do it at a price that would allow anyone to experience this magic. The Paradigm Models 7 & 9 were unveiled at the Toronto Audio Show that year. Immediately, a dozen dealers signed on to carry the line. (Many of these loyal charter dealers remain proud Paradigm dealers even today!)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++