colin_p

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Picked the 'lowboy' set up for $140.00 CAD. Speakers are some how still in mint shape (built approx in 1971, and still going strong). (which shows the quality of the materials/product used). Nice and heavy - approx. 50lbs each. WIKIPEDIA has a page for these (check the links at the bottom - one of them is a pdf that shows the brands used for the drivers).

Really blown away by the sound.

It took a little moving around but I found after tilting them up to proper ear level (while sitting) the treble really improved. I also removed the grills (which seemed to help as well). I'm going to build some shelfs for them in the near future to lift them to the right level.

For the price I paid they're incredible.

If these pop up on craigslist definately check them out.

Elsinore660

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $318.00 from Stereo Discounters,T

Summary:
Bought new in 1973 - after a lot of research. These are great speakers!!! Even if the highs are less than perfect, my high-frequency sensori-neural hearing loss means my ears roll-off at 8k and 10k. But, I CAN hear the windows rattle and FEEL the bass. With my hearing problems, lesser systems sounded muddy, but the Rectilinear III's are crisp, clear and understandable - VERY satisfying!! I still have all the paperwork. "Below 500 and above 3000 Hz, the crossover network of the Rectilinear III rolls of the response of the midrange driver at the rate of 6 dB per octave... Two 2 1/2-inch (tweeters) cover the range from 3000 Hz up. The slightly larger tweeters contribute more to the response above 11,000 Hz. Thus there exists a virtual acoustic crossover at 11,000 Hz, even though all four drivers are connected in series-parallel."

Strengths:
Bass. Power-handling. Clarity. Great-looking as "furniture" (my wife likes them, an incredible rarity!!).

Weaknesses:
None, as far as I am concerned,except possibly replacement parts. I lost one of the emblems, which is probably imposible to replace now!

Similar Products Used:
None.

Price Paid:  $350.00 from Sound Warehouse

Summary:
I've had the Rectilinear 111s since 1973, having purchased a pair for $350 on clearance at the old Sound Warehouse in Brooklyn. I love these old guys and still use them in a secondary system. As other reviewers have said, the 111s can deliver quite remarkable bass; on symphonic CDs played through an old Lexicon CP-3 and Carver TFM-15CB, the richness and depth of sound is inspiring, but their highs, soundstage and air can't really compare with today's best speakers in the $2000 range. On well-recorded, 24 bit, jazz CDs, for example, even the bass can occasionally get muddy and sloppy, but that could be an effect of my heavily carpeted room. A few years ago, I purchased Maggie 2.7s for my main system and there is simply no equivalence in the overall coherence or clarity of sound. My high value and overall ratings reflect 30 years of wonderful listening for $350! If you're looking for vintage speakers, a still outstanding "symphonic music" speaker, or for some cheap deep bass minus a sub-woofer for a video system, grab 'em.

Strengths:
Strength and depth of bass

Weaknesses:
a bit grainy in the high-end; vague and indefinite soundstage

Similar Products Used:
Bose 701s; Magnepan 2.7

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Gift

Summary:
These are among the best of the speakers from the late 60's and early 70's. By today's standards they get congested at only moderate sound pressure levels and are a bit beamy, but for quiet music, listened to on-axis they're pretty darned good if still a bit grainy in the high midrange and above. Great low bass extension! It wouldn't be hard to better this (other than the very low bass) with a modern speaker system that retails for around $1800 per pair. Try the Revel M-20 for example.

Strengths:
See the summary.

Weaknesses:
See the summary.

Similar Products Used:
Dynaco A-25, AR-3a

Price Paid:  $400.00 from stereo discounters

Summary:
Rectilinear 111a,Rectilinear 12,Speakers.I used to a pair of each .the Rectilinear 111a was a 4way floor standing system. Its power handling was rated at 100 watts but had a rear mounted fuse 2.5 amp fast blo. The Rectilinear 12 was a 3way bookshelf system. It could handle about 40 - 50 watts. It utilized the same midrange and tweeter. Small amps could drive it to window rattling levels of clean sound.

Strengths:
Both speakers enjoyed the same sound heritage. Clean,neutral,uncoloured. The technical service dept. they had at Bruckner Boulevard was great! The tweeters were only cone drivers. As were the rest. May have been Philips drivers.I used these speakers for over 10 years,in a psuedo 4channel system as well.

Weaknesses:
Most people didnt believe they could be as good as they were because they had cone tweeters.

Similar Products Used:
Was used with a Marantz 2300 receiver,Dual turntable,M400Carver amp,Hafler preamp.