Smooth response, soundstage, bass extension

definition not up to today's standards

When I bought these in 1988 as an upgrade to accommodate CD program source, they were a Stereophile Class C component. They are tower systems, weighing about 60 lbs. each. Although I've since heard speakers with better definition,(B&W Nautilus 803) the Stereophile review mentioned treble definition and detail as a positive feature. They came in mirrored pairs with the Vifa 1 inch nylon dome tweeter mounted at the upper outside corner of each cabinet face. This arrangement seems to help the sound stage presentation, another strong point of this speaker. It appears that Vifa no longer makes a nylon polyamide dome tweeter, perhaps because of resonances that muddle the sound. The world seems to be divided into two camps today, metal dome and soft cloth dome tweeter fans, for whom there is never enough detail, or too much. At the time I bought the 410's, however, the combination of soundstage and detail was a welcome improvement compared to the Infinity 1001A's I had before.

The woofer is a 10 inch of Spectrum's own design crossing over to the tweeter in the 2-3KHz range. Playing a 25Hz test tone from a CD, it can rattle the glass in the side door of my house. If I still considered myself an audio enthusiast as I did in 1988, I probably would have upgraded to newer speakers with tighter bass and more treble detail by now. (A 1991 reader survey by Stereophile showed that average time spent listening to music per week/month had decreased while amount spent per system had increased. This is just a sign of the times where everyone is overbooked in life with less time for leisure hobbies.) With less time for listening to music, 410's are still satisfying to a "Casual Listener" like myself who doesn't get into the details that make for a real audiophile speaker these days.

Similar Products Used:

Infinity 1001A, Optimus PRO LX8

With the right amplification, set-up and front end, one could spend a great deal more for loudspeakers that provide this much bass, detail and depth. I recently considered "upgrading" to the new Maggie's, but found their exxagerated treble and slightly forward lower portion of the midrange irritating, especially on recordings of classical guitar.

I have the Spectrums set well far away from the rear walls (over 3 feet), and equally as far from the side walls. Using a Musical Fidelity A300 and Marantz 67se CD, AR ES-1 Turntable, I have a very musical system for what is relatively little money (just under $5k - I put a lot into the AR turntable (MMT arm/Grado Sig cartridge).

Large floor standing speaker. MUST be away from the walls, need 100 watts per ch at least to really open up. Do NOT pair with a "bright" amplifier. At the time, the tweeter was considered very forward, but I don't find it that way at all.

Several musician friends are blown away at the bass response with the A300 MF amp ("It feels like they're in the room" was one comment during listening to Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball CD.

Similar Products Used:

This is the only "ported" speaker I have used in years.