These followed me home the other day ....
I understand Isophon G3037 sold as Noresco here in Canada with DHB 612-10 Horn tweeter & mids and P30/37A 12" woofer.
I usually try to poke around inside any large old speaker cabinets, etc. I find to see what they contain. Rarely have I found anything of significance. But am I misreading things here, or did I just stumble upon $800 to $1000 worth of speakers for $20?
I understand Isophon G3037 sold as Noresco here in Canada with DHB 612-10 Horn tweeter & mids and P30/37A 12" woofer.
I usually try to poke around inside any large old speaker cabinets, etc. I find to see what they contain. Rarely have I found anything of significance. But am I misreading things here, or did I just stumble upon $800 to $1000 worth of speakers for $20?
Yup - sure looks like the real deal to me! About that valuation, though: I'm greatly puzzled by evidence that these speakers seem to fetch a price in the range you've suggested! Several years ago, I picked up a similar pair (maybe a bit "newer" than yours going by the cabinet style*). Anyway, I gave them a listen using decent solid-state amplification from the era (no tube gear or "modern" amplifiers on hand here
), and was quite underwhelmed. If I recall, I did find one or two of the tweeters was out, and of course the crossover capacitors may well be past their prime, but to be honest, I haven't yet been motivated to delve into these. I'm curious as to your impression of the sound as they are, and your thoughts about what it might take to reveal the performance commensurate with their alleged appraisal. Or will you just try to flip them?
* I like the style of the cabinets you got! Mine are walnut veneer, black cloth with a quarter-round wood moulding + metallic trim frame, but without that "floating" top panel; just boxes sitting on a recessed base. The cabinets have triangular ducted vents at both bottom corners of the speaker baffle.
Cheers,
Wilf
), and was quite underwhelmed. If I recall, I did find one or two of the tweeters was out, and of course the crossover capacitors may well be past their prime, but to be honest, I haven't yet been motivated to delve into these. I'm curious as to your impression of the sound as they are, and your thoughts about what it might take to reveal the performance commensurate with their alleged appraisal. Or will you just try to flip them?* I like the style of the cabinets you got! Mine are walnut veneer, black cloth with a quarter-round wood moulding + metallic trim frame, but without that "floating" top panel; just boxes sitting on a recessed base. The cabinets have triangular ducted vents at both bottom corners of the speaker baffle.
Cheers,
Wilf
Hi Wilf
Well delving a bit deeper into it, it seems prices all over the map for these. I suspect even with the same 'guts' as the Isophon version, the Noresco name will influence pricing. A pair of the Isophon G3037 did sell on CAM for $1000 in Jan 17 (if you can assume the seller didn't accept a hugely lowball offer or edit his ad after the sale) and another pair sold Apr 17 for $175 and another pair Sep 17 for the same amount. One woofer and tweeter/mid array sold on CAM in June for $200. Couple eBay sales, mainly out of Europe. Pair of the woofers sold out of Germany in October for about $300. There's another $800 sale kicking about that I can't find right now.
The comment from the tech I use, who is very much into tube gear, was "Those are worth a ton of money".
I just did a very quick test on these. Quite possible with what I was hearing that not all the drivers are working in the mid/tweeter array.
To be honest I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them. I don't own tube equipment (other than a '73 Fender Champ guitar amp and the dead guts of the old Telefunken console stereo we have (it has Isophon drivers as well). I'm pretty sure my wife would not welcome these either. Just a wee bit too big to use in my office at work with a Pioneer SA-5200 / TX-6200 (10 wpc).
Well delving a bit deeper into it, it seems prices all over the map for these. I suspect even with the same 'guts' as the Isophon version, the Noresco name will influence pricing. A pair of the Isophon G3037 did sell on CAM for $1000 in Jan 17 (if you can assume the seller didn't accept a hugely lowball offer or edit his ad after the sale) and another pair sold Apr 17 for $175 and another pair Sep 17 for the same amount. One woofer and tweeter/mid array sold on CAM in June for $200. Couple eBay sales, mainly out of Europe. Pair of the woofers sold out of Germany in October for about $300. There's another $800 sale kicking about that I can't find right now.
The comment from the tech I use, who is very much into tube gear, was "Those are worth a ton of money".
I just did a very quick test on these. Quite possible with what I was hearing that not all the drivers are working in the mid/tweeter array.
To be honest I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them. I don't own tube equipment (other than a '73 Fender Champ guitar amp and the dead guts of the old Telefunken console stereo we have (it has Isophon drivers as well). I'm pretty sure my wife would not welcome these either. Just a wee bit too big to use in my office at work with a Pioneer SA-5200 / TX-6200 (10 wpc).
Usually these vintage loudspeakers are worth about what they sell for at thrift stores and for that kind of money these are superb products. The fact that some will gladly pay more is a different matter and not something I care for. My opinion based on actual experience with vintage crap is that these can be made to sound very decent but the price to pay for is to first acquire the know how to compensate for the driver and design deficiencies. I would keep these and build new enclosures with a better driver orientation.
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