First High End Car Speaker? (ADS 300i)

[swshawaii]

Seems the new year is starting with a nostalgic touch. Bill Barber started with, "cleaned out my tool chests today".

Many considered the ADS 300i Speaker System the first "audiophile" car speaker, released in the late Seventies at $250 per pair MSRP.

Serial numbers are 03/04. The 320i component separates followed a few years later. (Separate crossover)

Amazing transparency and detail, for a speaker this size. 5 1/4" woofer, 1" soft dome tweeter, butyl rubber surround. (Original woofers)

Used to drive these with the original Fosgate "Punch" Amp @ 50 x 2 RMS. (Years before Rockford)

Am looking for any possible way to mount these in the front doors. Problem is the "plate" configuration which measures 6" x 8".

Last thing I want to do is put them in boxes under the rear seats. Any ideas? Thanks.



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[swshawaii]

The "big brother" of the 300i in my room. About the same vintage. 60 pound speaker, only 25 1/2" high. (Braun/ADS 810A)



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[Jim Johnson]

The 300i resembles the mini high-end recording studio monitors from that period. Nice speaker!

 

[Jim parnell]

you could make a "spacer" out of a cheapo plastic cutting board from walmart, based on the size of the mounting plate of the speaker, suggest a 1/4" cutting board, and use some raamatt/insert brand here type sound deader between the speaker plate and cutting board. may have to cut some of the inner door panel as needed as well as I don't know what the inside panel looks like. Put some sound deadener directly behind the speaker on the metal door skin as well to help with the bass & mid bass responses as well. check out diymobileaudio.com and the build/install logs for some guidance and suggestions. Some knowledgable audio folks there.

 

[swshawaii]

Thanks Jim(s). Very shallow depth on the woofers. I'll check out the site. Have a great year!

 

[Bill Barber]

Never much into car Audio, back in the late sixtys early seventys, people started dumping all there old vac tube Equip on the market, under the mistaken thought that solid state was better.

Nothing sounds sweeter than a high end tube system.IMO.

I sold tons of Mac and marantz amps ( almost all to japanese buyers)

fav amp of all time was my VTL 750 watt ichiban, no need to use the heater in the winter, just play some music, that thing was a beast, really miss that good old american made audio equip

 

[swshawaii]

Bill- As you know, tube gear can still be had, for a price. Many U.S. and Asian audio companies specialize in high end valve powered equipment.

Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, Krell, Mark Levinson, to name a few American makers. Agree regarding the sonics, nothing like the warmth and presence of them.

Amazing how good 5% distortion can sound. (THD) Specs are meaningless, in terms of distortion, IMO. And yes, cooling fans are a big help, especially during the Summer.

Matched replacement tubes are another issue. All are either Russian or China manufacture, and very expensive. Hasn't been an American tube producer in decades.

Musicians still prefer the warmth and sustain, only tubes can offer. (Marshall, etc.)

Had an original McIntosh MC275 power amp traded in recently. (Mac reissued them a few years ago for $4K). Nice widowed lady had no use for it. Original MSRP in '65 was around $600. Sold it via Audigon to a Japanese buyer for over $5K.



P.S- VTL Amps very sweet. Brought one home to audition. What preamp and other associated equipment were you using with it ?

 

[Bill Barber]

RCA was the last american tube maker, bought hundreds of 6550s when production stopped.

Would spend hrs putting matched sets in order with my tube testor.

Vintage tubes still bring major bux on ebay, British mullards, Tungsol, JAN 6550as.Cokebottles.

guitar amp guys go nuts over that stuff.And pay whatever they have to ,to get them.

 

[Gavin Allan]

Learned something today. I was always taught that 6x9 Jensen Triaxials pushed by a Pyramid equalizer/amp from the Pioneer SuperTuner were the original bitchin' sound system!

 

[swshawaii]

Gavin, there ya go "thinking" again. "High End" Car-Fi did not exist in the early Seventies, IMO.

Have to admit I owned an under dash Pioneer KP-500 Supertuner.

Also had a discrete four channel quad 8 track, prior to that. (CD-4)

No more than 20 Eight Track cartridges available, in that format.

Sounded really groovy, considering our state of minds, at the time.