Overall Quality Sound

Takes a little power to get em going

The New Large Advents are probably the best kept secret in
in the audio files. They are great speakers with a sound stage that is much larger and deeper than one would imagine
just looking at them. Their sound is clean, crisp and honest. They approach being bright but they are responsive to control adjustment. They are very "live" sounding and
they are very handle all music well. The bass on these speakers is a thing
of musical and visceral beauty. They go deeper with more
bass clarity and sharpness than most speakers twice their size. I just had mine
refoamed by Krank Electronics in Gilbert, Arizona. They did a
credible job. The cabinets on these speakers are gorgeous with
sweetly rounded edges at top and bottom that give the speaker a bit of uniqueness and character. I got rid of
a pair of Sansui SP-7500Xs and kept these because they are much truer to God's music and simply sound clean and often truly amazing.

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch, Sansui, Pioneer

Bass is "effortless" - seems to come from everywhere.

When listening to music, I forget about the speakers

The original Large Advent tweeter was prone to blow. Fortunately when I replaced them (1984?) Radio Shack (ouch!) sold a replacement tweeter that sounded absolutely identical and have had no more problems since.

The woofer surrounds.

Bought the Smaller Advents first (couldn't affort the Large) and soon after found a pair of used Walnut Large Advents. I've been listening via DynaQuad stereo (similar to Pro-Logic) for 25 years now, as I enjoy the ambience. (Even installed it in my car.)

I used to make the hi-fi store circuit looking for a better speaker setup. I listened to a lot of interesting speakers over the years, such as the Ohm F, Phase Linear Panels, etc. I finally stopped looking at speakers. I'm not saying the Advents sound better than any other speaker, but rather that the musical experience suits my soul. Perhaps has even formed my soul.

What keeps me with the Advents is their neutrality. They seem to disappear after awhile.

Isn't that the point?

Aside: My woofer surrounds began decomposing a few years ago and I have repaired them twice with plain clear silicone sealer, which holds up amazingly well.

I would really like to replace the surrounds this time. Does anyone have a favorite manufacturer? Better, is there anyplace that will do the job well?

Similar Products Used:

Smaller Advents (1977)

Very strong bass, clear (with grilles off)

insatiable power appetite

I aquired the Advent "smaller" loudspeaker from a neighbor of one of my good friends. The guy told me ,"they're blown, you can have them" so I took them home and had a look at them. The only thing I saw wrong with them was that they were missing the surrounds. So, I ordered the surround repair kit from Parts Express(1-800-338-0531). I completed the repair in a matter of an hour or so, but I had to let the glue set in for 24 hours. Afterwards, I could not believe the sound out of these speakers!!! Considering that they are 1975 loudspeakers reproducing the digital format of your choice is a testament to the designer Henry Kloss' ability to design a timeless loudspeaker. I noticed that the grills are made of a double layer of two different types of material which attenuates the tweeter's overall level considerably. After a little thought towards the subject, I figured that this was a cost-effective approach to leveling out the tweeters response peaks without changing the crossovers essential design and also adding several more dollars to the bottom line price. I love the way these speakers amaze my friends!!! They are stunned that speakers older than I am (23 on May 30th) sound so good!!! I have about $30 tied up in these speakers, so bang for the buck, these are the Best!!!!

Similar Products Used:

none, this is the only pair of 25 year old speakers I own

I have owned both the original" Large Advent" and the "Classic New Advent" speakers.I bought the Large Advents in 1977, sold them and my entire system a year later...(fell on hard times).I loved the sound that these speakers could produce,they were amazing,and at 276 dollars a pair there was not alot of speakers that could compare unless you wanted to spend in upwards of 10X the cost of the Advents!I auditioned some of the highend speakers in those days..Ohm Walsh,Ess 1amtb,Jbl's but the Advents took front stage each time.These were the ultimate speakers of the 70s and early 80s! I bought a pair of Classic New Advents on New Years Eve 1980 ($336),they were a part of a new system that included A Phase Linear Dual 500 Amp,Phase Linear preamp,Bang + Olufsen Beogram Tx turntable.The music that this system produced was second to none.The Advents can take a large amount of clean power and the Phase Linear has 500 a channel,and believe me I have pushed these cabinets.The surrounds on the woofers started to give out around 93 and had them replaced.Besides adding a new preamp,cd player,the Classic New Advents have been hard to find a replacement.But after 19 years I have bought new pair of speakers ( Klipsch KLF 30s ) to retire the Advents to a system for my kids to use in basement rec room.This did not come easy because the Advents still to this day sound excellent.Yes many new speakers surpass the Advents, but for a speaker designed in the 70s they still kick butt in the 20th century.Listen to a pair before you pass judgement!!!

Accuracy and bass.

Size, paper cone.

In the process of looking up other reviews I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this section, in which the Original Advents (circa 1970s) are discussed. I bought two pair of these, used, over twenty years ago. It’s hard to believe now, but I paid only about $375 for all four. Like many long time owners I had to replace (two of)the rotted woofers, but unlike most people I replaced the entire driver assemblies with original replacements from Advent. One of the tweeters also blew, but that was during a lightning storm.

Over the past thirty years I’ve listened to many "audiophile" speakers, and to be truthful I rarely listen to the Advents any longer because I have no room for them in my living area. Long ago I very reluctantly set up two of them in my finished basement. Now, every so often I turn them on for a treat. The other pair is wrapped in plastic, waiting.

Every month or so I manage to find myself in an "audiophile" emporium where I always curiously audition big (and I mean big) ticket speakers. But I always come away surprised and puzzled because, though there are other speakers with "more" treble, and some even with "more" bass, and wider dispersion, when listening to these other speakers I cannot forget that I’m listening to these speakers. The Original Advents pull you into the music almost immediately with their transparent sound and unbelievably effective and visceral, but musical, bass. After a minute or two you forget about anything but the music. I’ve never felt that way about any other speaker.

The powered subwoofers I’ve heard do a good job shaking the walls and make me squirm (sometimes rattling my teeth), but they sound artificial and decidedly not musical – at least to me. And I just can’t fathom why anyone with the room for these Advents would add a subwoofer. It’s just not necessary for a normal home. There is one caveat: these speakers are notoriously inefficient so I wouldn’t consider anything less than 100 watts per channel. Even more would be better. The sweet spot, also, is rather narrow. Pointing the speakers is important.

If you can find a pair of these on the used market, buy them. They seem to go for under $200 most of the time, but depending upon condition of course, and on an absolute basis, I think they’re worth more. If you have the room, that is. I wish I did.

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Nothing as good.

Very natural sound, ridiculously inexpensive.

I purchased a pair of original large Advent Utilities in the mid-70's along with a Marantz 2245. Shortly after the "New Advents" with the improved tweeters were released I sold my originals and bought a pair New Advents which I still have today. I have had a number of different power amps, turnatables, cartridges, cassette decks and CD players over th past 25 years but have not found it necessary to change speakers. I have always enjoyed the natural sound of the Advents. The bass is rich and deep but not boomy provided they are positioned correctly. The highs are crisp and well defined without being harsh again depending upon positioning. I have them located about 12 feet apart and about a foot from the wall. I have also experimented with stands and found I like them best flat on the floor in a dead room. Recently I acquired 2 very clean McIntosh MC 30 tube amps at a very reasonalbe price and was prepared to have to upgrade to a more efficient set of speakers. To my pleasant surprise the Advents have never sounded better. What is truly amazing is that I have less than $500 invested in the MC 30's and the Advents. Although I listen to a variety of music I am most impressed with how this set up sounds when listening to any of the great B-3 players- Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Joey DeFrancesco, etc. The natural breathy sound of the B-3's wood and tubes are outstanding. Vintage Fender tube guitar amps also come alive. I am most impressed by the tone of guitarists such as Ronnie Earl, Anson Funderburg, Danny Gatton, Roy Buchanan, Jimmy Vaughn, etc. There are many very expensive speakers I would like to have if I could afford it, but I have come to believe that happiness is not getting what you want - but rather it is wanting what you have.

Excellent Bass----Smooth Sounding

Too close to the floor, had to be put on approximately foot high stands

I purchased these great speakers back in the seventies when they were first introduced. At that time the store I purchased them in had a deal where you could trade up for a better pair of speakers and get the full value from the speakers that were bought. I had a pair of Fisher speakers that had huge 15 inch woofers that sounded terrible. I went back to the store I purchased them in to trade up, well I heard the New Large Advents and they blew me away ,but they were cheaper then the Fishers. The store Manager let me trade the Fishers for the Advents--even up.I enjoyed those Advents for many years and finally I gave them to my Son who up to this day still has them. In my opinion the New Large Advents were good old Henry Kloss's best designed speaker.

Solid, flat sound response, excellent sound

Extreme high-end rolloff

These speakers are great. They were produced in the early 70's, though this website doesn't allow for a year choice before 1995. I picked them up (with stands) at a swapmeet for $40 in beat-up condition. Excellent sound, worth every dollar I paid, and would be worth it at twice the price... :) They're less bright than my EPI 120c's, but have better sound definition than my Polk Monitor 12's. If you find a pair at a used gear store, give them a serious listen. If you find them for $40 at a yard sale, snap 'em up, get the foam repaired (not very expensive to do) and give 'em a try. You could save some serious money compared to what you might spend on new speakers.

Similar Products Used:

EPI Model 120c speakers, Polk Monitor 12 speakers

Amazingly clear sound for a small, bookshelf speaker.

Haven't found any.

I picked up a pair of Advent 3's for $40 Canadian at a second-hand store. Luckily they didn't have a clue what they were selling, and had the Advents hitched up to a home theatre system in-store. Made sure they were putting out a clear sound and scarfed them up so fast the manager had to start wondering what he'd done wrong with the pricing as he disconnected them from the demo system.

I didn't know what to expect, just that Advent was one of the classics out of MASS during the 70s and 80s. Once they were connected to my system it became obvious that these speakers are amazing, the clarity and non-colored transparency of the sound they put out belie their size, making them sound like speakers three times the size, especially the incredibly clear and well imaged bass, where you can hear the bottom and top end of each note.

If you find a pair of these cheap in any kind of decent condition, grab them before someone else does!

As to the question of re-doing foam surround on the woofers; I did this with a pair of AR-18s I picked up used, and while there may be some subtle change in sound, I didn't know the difference because I bought them "not-working". I will say that the speakers sound pretty good now, and the low-cost option of re-foaming is worth it, particularly if the density of the replacement foam is anywhere near the original.

The speakers were in really good shape, the foam surrounds don't need replacing and I encourage anybody who comes upon a pair of Advents to not hesitate in picking them up.

Similar Products Used:

Cambridge Soundworks
Epicure

I have had a pair of large Advents, (Walnut cabinet) for the past twenty-five. Over this time, the foam surrounds disintegrated and I haven't paid them much attention, figuring that they were goners. However, I recently discovered that the foam can be replaced. I completed this job this weekend along with refinishing the cabinets.

I can't tell you how excited I was to hear them today for the first time in many years. Even though this speaker's design is more than thirty years old, in my mind, it is still a tough act to beat. The lows are solid, the mid-range clear and the highs crisp. I have heard others say that replacing the foam alters the integrity of the speaker, but I don't share that view. These speakers sound great!!!

What makes this especially satisfying is that I remember paying only $220 for the pair while I was in school. Needless to say, I have more than gotten my money's worth and I plan on continuing to do so into the future. In today's market it's hard to find a product that comes close to the performance of large Advent's without paying so much that you have to mortgage your house.

These speakers are outstanding and you should buy up any that you find, regardless of their condition, (unless the drivers are beyond repair). They're easy to rehabilitate and are more than worth the effort.