Just won these on Ebay......

[Rare Bird]

I'll double check, dude, and do some measuring. A lot will depend on where my listening position is when I put them in the lounge. Outside it won't matter as much

Do you think open-frame types might be better?

Marco.

I always prefer open frames but i doubt it would make much different. Those Atacamas are amazingly sturdy quality built items

[Marco]

Atacamas now ordered - cheers for the recommendation, dude

Marco.

[Marco]

Well, the stands are installed now and the Celestions continue to AMAZE!

Jeezuz, now I can actually hear them properly I would accordingly revise my value estimate and, sonically, now put them quite easily in the £1200-1500 bracket....

In fact, they're so good, I'm thinking of taking them to Scalford Hall next year to demo as part of the AOS system!

I'm having so much fun at the moment listening to them inside and outside. Last night we had a barbecue and they were banging out Rammstein until 11pm - Del and were sat there with a huge grin on our chops, marvelling at how these little babies sound considering that they're not much younger we are (!) as waves of searing guitar riffs echoed out into the night sky.........

The only slightly sad thing is that one listen to these Dittons, on the end of a quality system, shows just what's wrong with the way the vast majority of sub £2k speakers these days are voiced......!

As an aside, I note that the earlier Ditton 15s went for £207.99:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Celestion-Ditt...07945975371153

....which clearly shows that there is a demand for these speakers. If you're looking for a pair of top-quality standmounts, and see a pair of 15XRs in good condition (and have an open-sounding, revealing system to make the most of their qualities), my advice is to snap 'em up tout-suite!

Marco.

[DSJR]

Marco, you're SO predictable... Hifi Dave and I were taking bets that you'd be raving about them 'cos you bought them so they have to be fantastic The need for expensive gear to drive them "properly" is a very lame excuse if you ask me

I'll stick with me memories of how horridly constricted and "nasal" they sounded by comparison with their mid seventies competition, let alone the far superior-voiced Ditton 22's, 33's and 44's, let alone DM4's and 2A's or KEF Chorales, which by then were in a class or two above.

Nah, if you want old-fashioned nasality, get some AR 7's or 5's or 6's. Now THEY'RE fun.....

[Marco]

LOL! Your memories are tainted then, matey, from using them with some cacky sounding crapola of the day!

It's got bugger all to do with me having bought them. Anyone with decent ears listening to them here would say the same thing. I'll remind you of that post when people hear them at Scalford Hall next year and rave about them

Look, daftee, how many times have I been right so far with vintage stuff you've dissed, only for you to try it again on my recommendation and find that your, erm, 'memories' were a teensy wee bit inaccurate!

Anyway, I'm off soon to listen to that "poo" sounding L-07D!!

Marco.

[DSJR]

Have it your own way, but I was there demming them at the time and the 15XR didn't last long.. At least there's a comparative review to show my memories aren't bad (and I haven't based my opinion on reading this either)

Amazing how much of the "crapola" gear you refer to is selling for stupid money nowadays because it's "desirable..."

[Marco]

Have it my own way? Of course - it's me who's listening to them sounding absolutely fantastic (considering their size), not you!

Based on what I'm hearing now, whatever results were achieved with the 15XRs 30 years ago, either in magazine reviews and/or in the shop you worked in, were almost certainly not down to flaws in their design, which is clearly very good indeed.

So you can waffle away to the contrary until you're heart's content, shweety! You do realise that the more you go on about this, the more I'll be rubbing it in with glee when you're proved wrong (yet again)!!

Marco.

P.S Barry also heard my SPU at the weekend and thus has somewhat questioned your judgement of it here

[DSJR]

You've bought a SPU?????

You can question my judgement all you like, but I still think you should get very friendly with people in the recording industry and try to visit a session or two to understand where I'm trying to come from on this. It doesn't mean you'll ditch your amps and speakers, but it may bring about a source re-appraisal perhaps..

That's my final word on the subject for now. All else is circular-arguments.

[Marco]

You've bought a SPU?????

Yes, dear boy - haven't you noticed? I swapped my 103SA for one

And it sounds so musically addictive, it's untrue!

You can question my judgement all you like, but I still think you should get very friendly with people in the recording industry and try to visit a session or two to understand where I'm trying to come from on this.

No doubt that would be intriguing... Perhaps you could introduce me to a few people?

It certainly wouldn't change my perspective on my system or the type of equipment I use, though.

I'm sure Anthony TD, who designed my valve amp as part of a pair for a studio for monitoring purposes (and who deals with people in studios all the time) would have a good handle though on where you're coming from

It doesn't mean you'll ditch your amps and speakers, but it may bring about a source re-appraisal perhaps..

Why should it, exactly? With some of the crap recordings made in studios these days, in most cases the sound produced is hardly a benchmark I'd aspire to!

Marco.

[Rare Bird]

I love most the 'Dittons' of this era. I have to admit i can't get on the the '25's... My favs are the '33' & '44'..

Dave:
I'm puzzled by the "nasal" remark!