gofar99 Messages: 1939 Registered: May 2010 Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Hi, I don't think that such a generalization is valid. Many vintage speakers are well regarded and sought after. The number of new speakers that are excellent is somewhat limited as many now are designed for home theater and are not full range. One area of difference between vintage and new models is the power sensitivity. Vintage speakers tend to be much more efficient and will produce more sound per watt. I have several sets of both new and vintage (all high end ones) and prefer a set of the vintage ones for my main system. They are Altec Lansing "Magnificants". Huge for sure, but with a highly accurate and really nice sound. Very efficient and can be easily driven to absurd sound levels with modest tube amps. More modern ones I have need a lot more muscle to reach the some loudness. As is often true...it is your ears, budget, room size and spouse that will govern your choice.