The Sounds Of Sunday

[Zed Simon]

Two weeks ago I visited a street fair in New Jersey. It's quite a neat atmosphere, and they really do have it on the street...each Sunday. In the thick of the street fair madness is a thrift store. You know it's going to be a good day at the thrift when they've got a pair of Infinity speakers playing outside the store. You know it's going to be even better when you spot a monster pair of KEF speakers in the window! Knowing I'd blow a nice big wad I should have held on to, I stepped in, and wouldn't you know, there were not one but TWO Pioneer SX-838 receivers from the mid '70s. Gorgeous things...wood cabinets, silver faces, and dials lit up in blue. Foolishly, I asked what the price would be for one of them. The answer was $35. One of the receivers turned out to be driving the Infinites outside. The other one came home with me. And to keep it company, a pair of Design Acoustics SP-6 speakers. Wood cabinets deeper than they are tall or wide, and very promising. Plus they were actually $10 less thean the Infinities (one of which had some serious scratches onthe top).

I got things all together, and was I ever surprised. I now have a $100 thrift store system that can blow away anything you'd get new for the price at Circuit City. And the best part: I can sell the $10 system I was using before! Or if not, there's some space in the dining room....

[Troy McClure]

Zed,
I had Kef 104''s. Great speaker a bit too neutral for me. I always loved Infinitys in the late 70''s and early 80''s.  I have AR''s and Carver Amazings right now.

[Zed Simon]

I think the KEFs at the store were 105/4s. Huge with the separate housings for mid and tweeter drivers. The manager of the store told me he originally bought them for himself. He confessed that the woofers were blown by the former owner, but if the right person came along to fix them, he''d have a great pair of speakers for $200 (plus the cost of repairs).

I sure do love the DAs, though. Great match for the 838.

[Troy McClure]

I paid  $150 for my 104.2s they had blown tweeters which were replaced at no cost by KEF.  I  had them refinshed professionally for  $250. These were $2000 + speakers.