FS: B&W DM1 Vintage Compact Monitor Speakers

[Geoff101]

I've got a pair of rare, vintage Bowers and Wilkins DM1 speakers for sale.

This pair is not fully working - one of the Coles 4001 super tweeters doesn't seem to have any output. These are regularly available on ebay and seem inexpensive.

Otherwise, they are complete and all other drive units are working and undamaged.
The cabinets are not bad but not great with numerous light scratches and a small chip on the veneer on the back edge of one. No serious damage though. They have the original grilles which again, are in pretty good condition given their age. The pictures probably make them look a little better than they do in the flesh.

They are sequential serial numbers so one would assume are an original pair.

I'm really not sure where to price these given their rarity and the duff tweeter. A decent pair sold for £175 on ebay recently.

Are these worth £100 collected as is to anyone? You will need to pick up from just outside Bicester (M40, J9) as I'm not trusting historic british hifi to couriers.

If anyone is interested in vintage B&W, I also have a surplus pair of DM3 (incomplete - no coles, poor condition). I'd be happy to do a deal on both.

Pictures:

http://www.g32.co.uk/images/DM1_1.JPG

http://www.g32.co.uk/images/DM1_2.JPG

http://www.g32.co.uk/images/DM1_3.JPG

http://www.g32.co.uk/images/DM1_4.JPG

[struth]

Love 'em Geoff. wish I could travel. Have just spent a fair amount of cash on cardboard etc so I can sell some of my speakers re post so it may be an idea for you to make your own boxes up that way they should survive.. alas I will have to add a few quid on the price to cover costs but especially me being in Scotland it is difficult to sell stuff otherwise. The Tannoys will be soon as Ive made ne speaks for myself that I'm taken with

GLWS, but it is maybe worth considering:)

[walpurgis]

Very nice, they look lovely. These made a huge name for themselves in the early seventies. They were the first true domestic compact monitor speaker, though many found use in recording studios for nearfield monitoring. An absolute classic.

[DSJR]

They went for HOW MUCH?????????? Gawd, it was only a couple of years ago that £75 was nearer the mark, as it was for DM4's and tatty DM2's...

HANG ON A MINUTE THOUGH!!! I know Alex_UK's pair of 'Sony labelled' DM1's and I absolutely adore the midrange and treble clarity his samples offer and want to try them here some time. There's a total lack of 'smear' in the sound and it's so tactile and 'real,' with no boom or thickening of tones lower down.

Negs? This lovely midrange and hf clarity comes at some loss of deeper bass, which dies a death below 100Hz I recall, both in measurement reviews of the time and listening to them a year or two ago. Perfect for their intended shelf or close to wall mounting though.

Good luck with the sale and PLEASE don't drive them hard, as the bass unit is tightly damped and power handling isn't very high. Lovely and rather superior endearing classics these :)

[Geoff101]

Now sold. Thanks.