Sealed cabinet bookshelf speakers from the 1990s.
Mine are the "Si" incarnation with aluminium tweeters. Agree with you, they project a wonderful 3D image and are certainly among the most holographic speakers I have heard, little on the dark side though.
Need a bit of a push with sensitivity of only 83 dB. I have to bring the volume on my M-CR603 up to some 50-60% to bring them into life, but that's not a problem for the Marantz.
Had mine in black ash but I stripped the ungodly (damaged) paint last year to reveal the lovely wood veneer underneath. Smoothed the surface with grade 400 sand paper, applied some Danish Oil et voila! (I hope I'm not hijacking the thread with this diy stuff 
)
Totally agree.
Mine are the originals and very heavy for all the size of them and look like this (same finish): http://www.listeninn.com/product/407001-11282/Loudspeaker/Celestion-SL6
With the right amp and certain music, they do a disappearing act.
Mine are the "Si" incarnation with aluminium tweeters. Agree with you, they project a wonderful 3D image and are certainly among the most holographic speakers I have heard, little on the dark side though.
Need a bit of a push with sensitivity of only 83 dB. I have to bring the volume on my M-CR603 up to some 50-60% to bring them into life, but that's not a problem for the Marantz.
Had mine in black ash but I stripped the ungodly (damaged) paint last year to reveal the lovely wood veneer underneath. Smoothed the surface with grade 400 sand paper, applied some Danish Oil et voila! (I hope I'm not hijacking the thread with this diy stuff )
Totally agree.
Mine are the originals and very heavy for all the size of them and look like this (same finish): http://www.listeninn.com/product/407001-11282/Loudspeaker/Celestion-SL6
With the right amp and certain music, they do a disappearing act.
Nice!
These are mine:
Thanks for all the help.
Certainly a few more than I had remembered.
However, if I stick strictly to affordable/budget*, bookshelf speakers, with sealed cabinets, from the 1990s, it seems the list still isn't very long. (I could easily fill a large van with all those I remember from the late 1970s and 1980s.)
I might renew my search for a pair of 'minty' condition JPW Sonatas. (No hurry, I can wait until a really good pair comes up on ebay.)
This is not for my main living room system, but for a small (all second-hand) system to go with our iMac in the spare-room. Slightly 'experimental' admittedly. I also want to re-acquaint myself with the 'character' of small(ish), sealed cabinet, two-way speakers.
*Affordable/budget when brand-new.
Thanks for all the help.
Certainly a few more than I had remembered.
However, if I stick strictly to affordable/budget*, bookshelf speakers, with sealed cabinets, from the 1990s, it seems the list still isn't very long. (I could easily fill a large van with all those I remember from the late 1970s and 1980s.)
I might renew my search for a pair of 'minty' condition JPW Sonatas. (No hurry, I can wait until a really good pair comes up on ebay.)
This is not for my main living room system, but for a small (all second-hand) system to go with our iMac in the spare-room. Slightly 'experimental' admittedly. I also want to re-acquaint myself with the 'character' of small(ish), sealed cabinet, two-way speakers.
*Affordable/budget when brand-new.
small(ish) sealed cabinet speakers here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/B-W-DM600-Speakers-Excellent-condition-/190780...
(usual caveat of not knowing anything about the seller)
Thanks WR.
This 1991 review of the JPW Sonatas is encouraging...
http://www.makeasound.net/1/post/2012/10/jpw-sonata-a-review-from-what-hifi-may-1991.html
...now if I can just find a pair in the same condition as the one pictured. (Real wood veneered boxes courtesy of the cabinet making workshops of HM Prison Dartmoor!)
KEF K range (i.e K120) and C range were sealed box.
Don't exactly pop up for sale often, though...
My first speakers were Mordaunt Short MS15, which are very similar to the JPWs. What I really wanted was the MS100s, which as far as I can tell are identical to the JPWs. The only difference between the MS15s and the MS100s/JPW Sonatas was a greater cabinet depth and real wood veneers of the latter two.
I still had the Mordaunt Shorts in the loft until my last house move a couple of years ago, when they went to the tip in a hasty bout of decluttering.
From memory (a friend had them) the JPWs sounded pretty good, but being small and a sealed box, needed a good amount of welly to get much volume out of them.
Thanks
Not interested in loud. (Smallish 3.5m x 3.5 spare room with desk, iMac, book cabinet and armchair.)
The JPWS are 87dB @8 Ohms and are rated as 70wpc. Listening distance would never exceed about 2m.
I don't think the kind of amp/receiver I have in mind will be troubled (or run to clipping) at low - moderate volumes.
Found a Black Ash pair Chebby. Lap of the gods if the seller has neglected to update if sold or no. Will post a link if you are interested.
I think I've seen them. Bury St Edmunds (collect in person) ?
Thanks for looking.
I am very patient. It might take weeks, or longer, but I will hold out for a (not black) wood veneer pair unless a really mint black pair emerge.
Well, I have a totally mint pair of boxed MS20i Pearl Editions (from 1998 ) under my stairs so I know it can happen
They are in Manchester. Anyways dont blame you for hanging out for what you really want.
Good luck with your search.
JPW Sonatas purchased.
In excellent, un-marked, condition, with original box.
Picking them up on Friday.
Picked up the Sonatas 10 days ago. Cabinets in superb condition plus original box and packaging for only £18.
Got them home and fired them up. One speaker sounded dull. Ear to tweeter. Nowt coming out. Hmm.
Decided not to cause fuss with vendor. Honest mistake from old boy who probably hadn't even realised his speakers were only firing on 3 cylinders.
He hadn't listed his speakers properly (he didn't even know they were Sonatas until he got the box out for me whereas I knew from his photos on ebay) so I got speakers worth at least £35 - £40 for £18. So we are even.
Bid successfully today on two 'new in box'/never used Audax TW010F1 tweeters for a total of £16.50 including P&P. Circular faceplates but that's no problem. Faceplates are interchangable with my JPW's rectangular (F3) ones because all TW010 tweeters fit into their respective faceplates with a twist/bayonet mount
I will report back when I have fitted brand new tweeters. (I know I only needed one but I thought two brand new ones would be better.)
Total cost so far £34.50. Not bad.
Ho hum. Good job this is a long term/gradual putting together of a second system in another room. So I can be patient.
I'm not sure but was the Rogers LS35A a sealed box design?