Anyone on here have any idea what 551's are like and how they stack up against ditton 44 .
Thanks Chris
Thanks Chris
That's very true Colin. Sorry - I should have mentioned that.I agree - the A series are great. Pretty demanding though; they need a serious amp to get the best out of them.
The Chinese brought out a series of cheaper Celestion speakers which were firmly aimed at the mass market and cheap HT systems, and this really was the death knell for the brand. They were called the F Series I think, I shudder to think what F stood for but I have a couple of suggestions!I nearly pulled the trigger on a pair of A3's, at a dealer's who claimed they had been traded in by Johnny Rotten!Physical size was the main issue. But also are they not 8" drivers?
Also I am quite happy with my Marantz amp, which might struggle with those brutes.
I recall they were £650 or thereabouts, which was cheap. No love for poor old Celestion at the moment other than the 66 it seems.
Did the Chinese owners pull out of everything except guitar amp stuff eventually?
Lee
Having had 66s for some years (though mine are the series 2 with rear-facing radiator and deeper cabinet), I'd say your amp may have been having problems with them!The 66 has a lovely deep bass but is slightly ponderous to the degree where it sometimes sounds like the kick drum is out of time! The mids are also a bit honky but easy to get used to and after a while it is a very pleasant speaker. In summary I did not keep these, as the mids were not quite right and the bass was too much for nearfield for monitoring purposes. I have 2 mates with the 66 and they love them, but they are taken in by the extended bass to the degree of not caring so much about other considerations, I reckon.
Well, only last night I was listening to my old 66 speakers on a pre /power valve combo. Still struggled, but the power amp is quite small. And another mate is using a Mesa Baron.....slightly less ponderous here but still noticeable. Yet he had his straight on the carpet with no plinth or spikes. Both these pairs are the mk2.Having had 66s for some years (though mine are the series 2 with rear-facing radiator and deeper cabinet), I'd say your amp may have been having problems with them!When I drove mine with an ancient MF B200 I had the symptoms you describe.
However, upping the ante to a pair of Lumley LM120 monoblocks made them rock, and upping it somewhat more to a Bryston 14bsst (ie 600+W into 8 ohms) removed any hint of ponderousness!
I haven't found many other amp/speaker combos to beat them, though using the Brystons with Leema Xaviers is just as good in other ways...
Sounds great but I sold them! I also did not like the mids that much. How much is this amp worth?Rich, a friend of mine has had 66's for about 30 years. He has used them with all kinds of amps, but he swears the best results he's had, by far, have been with Crown DC300a. I've heard his system many times and can confirm it does sound good.I've got one you can have a loan of if it helps. They can be had for far less than any decent Hi-Fi badged gear.
One like mine with provenance circa £300Sounds great but I sold them! I also did not like the mids that much. How much is this amp worth?