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Comment by PebblesHD | Hacker News Reader

I'm amazed at the quality of older speakers when it comes to value for money. I'm using a pair of Chadwick executive 12 cabinets in my living room and they're simply the best sounding speakers I've owned and they cost next to nothing. The only expense so far is cleaning and light refurb to remove rot.

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    > Chadwick executive 12

That term has no Google footprint

Raudio chadwick speakers returns some relevant results.

http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/40792-austr...

> The Executive Monitor from Chadwick Audio Furnishings(NSW) was the top model in the Chadwick range and used a modified Etone245(300mm) unit in a rear vented transmission line enclosure with the Audax 160mm mid/range,25mm dome and an aluminium cone super tweeter. I have no idea how it compared to the imports,in the early 80,s,but many Australian designed speakers outshone the competition in performance and value at the top end of the market;unfortunately there was a cheap product area that supplied bulk stores and these inferior items still surface from time to time.A bit like the white van stuff .

That sounds quite familiar. I got them from my parents many years ago, and they got them new in an audio store in Sydney. I have the original brochure and manual somewhere, I'll see if I can dig them out.

I have some JBL L100s wired to a PartsExpress-sourced Dayton sonic T amp (read: amazingly competent $30 plastic external hdd-sized box). Sounds amazing for all reasonable volume levels living in an apartment. The speakers are pretty big, but they can be found pretty cheap at garage sales, Craigslist, flea markets, goodwill, etc. Wire it up to an Airport Express and you have a pretty much unbeatable home AirPlay set-up for a few hundred bucks.

Good speakers up to 20 years old are often still good. It even seems like old capacitors in the crossovers doesn't really have much of an impact. Amplifiers have gotten more convenient, being lighter, cheaper, with better remote control and standby features, while the sound is still good. That has had the effect of making active speakers increasingly attractive.

Do you mean passive? Active speakers are full kits like KRK Rokits, passive speakers are the "old" speakers you're talking about.

I do mean active. I'm saying old, passive, speakers are very good, but active speakers are becoming more attractive for other reasons.

Another good value company is PSB, they are made right here in Canada.

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