Power rating of late '70s large Advents?

[Guest TT100]

I just ordered a foam surround repair kit for my old Advents and in the last 25 years or so have forgotten their power rating. I bought them for my parents along with a 35 Watt per channel JVC receiver back around '78.

Now that I have them again I'd like to drive them with an old Pioneer SX series receiver but don't know the power rating of the pair.

Yes, I'm building the fantasy stereo system of my teens. Unfortunately, I don't have the room for an original pair of Bose 901s!

Thanks,

TT100

[dynaco_dan]

>I just ordered a foam surround repair kit for my old Advents

>and in the last 25 years or so have forgotten their power

>rating. I bought them for my parents along with a 35 Watt per

>channel JVC receiver back around '78.

>

>Now that I have them again I'd like to drive them with an old

>Pioneer SX series receiver but don't know the power rating of

>the pair.

>

>Yes, I'm building the fantasy stereo system of my teens.

>Unfortunately, I don't have the room for an original pair of

>Bose 901s!

>

>Thanks,

>TT100

Hi TT100

Which model of Advents do you have?

The original ones were not named or numbered but "The Advent Loudspeaker," 8 ohms, was their first.

There was "The Advent/1", 8 ohms, also.

"The Smaller Advent," 4 ohms, came along later.

Assuming that the original, "The Advent Loudspeaker," is the one, I believe 25 watts RMS was recommended @ 8 ohms per channel in normal use.

In normal use, we probably average milliwatt output to our speakers, except for peaks, which can easily exceed our amplifiers capabilities for a millisecond or two.

This would mean amplifier clipping.

If you have clipping at a lower volume level, you may not hear the distortion.

As you turn up the volume and clipping is taking place, you will hear the distortion more so now.

If you turn the volume even higher, you will probably have destroyed your speakers, so now you can turn down the volume, and go out and buy new speakers.

I'm am joking slightly, I hope you see what I was trying to tell you.

At reasonablly low to average sound levels, 15 watts per channel is probably more than adequate.

If you turn up your 35 watt receiver full volume and listen to rock music, you will certainly, very quickly, hurt your hearing and destroy your speakers.

Not a good idea.

For more oomph, perhaps 200 watts per channel.

Fuses were recommended for, "The Smaller Advents", 1 amp slow blow.

There hasn't been any printed Advent documentation, that I can find, that suggests fuse sizes, for "The Large Advents,".

I, myself, would suggest an open fuse holder, with 1 amp fast blow fuses, and have spares, until original Advent recommended fuse information becomes available.

Not very likely, as these speakers are over 25 years old, and to date, none of the members as yet, has mentioned a printed recommendation from Advent.

In the, "Double Advent", review only a 3 amp fuse was mentioned.

There was a mention, but, this was not the Advent Corporations recommended size, they didn't say what was the correct size and rating. Darn!

Check out the Advent library, for the multipage brochure of the Large and Small Advents, with a Double Advents test report, as well.

It's old news, but good news, I enjoy re-reading this ocasionally.

Good luck.

[Guest TT100]

Thanks again Vern,

Thanks for the primer! It's familiar territory as I've been a broadcast maintenance engineer with PBS/NPR/CBS for 25 years. My speakers are the large "The Advent", I suppose. One orange dome tweeter and a 10" driver in a metal frame. No masonite ring around the 10" driver. Walnut veneer, rounded front corners and the "Advent" logo offset to the lower left corner of the wheat grill cloth.

Back when they were new I was 20 and would put them on the deck and blast REO Speedwagon into the backyard and woods but not with volume on the JVC maxed. They survived that occasional abuse and for the intervening 27 years they've been used at very low volumes playing classical music in my parents house.

I'm surprised their rating is 25 watts. I'll be fusing them and looking for an old Pioneer SX-650. They'll be used in a small living room at low to moderate volume levels.

Thanks again!

TT100

[dynaco_dan]

>Thanks again Vern,

>

>Thanks for the primer! It's familiar territory as I've been a

>broadcast maintenance engineer with PBS/NPR/CBS for 25 years.

>My speakers are the large "The Advent", I suppose. One orange

>dome tweeter and a 10" driver in a metal frame. No masonite

>ring around the 10" driver. Walnut veneer, rounded front

>corners and the "Advent" logo offset to the lower left corner

>of the wheat grill cloth.

>

>Back when they were new I was 20 and would put them on the

>deck and blast REO Speedwagon into the backyard and woods but

>not with volume on the JVC maxed. They survived that

>occasional abuse and for the intervening 27 years they've been

>used at very low volumes playing classical music in my parents

>house.

>

>I'm surprised their rating is 25 watts. I'll be fusing them

>and looking for an old Pioneer SX-650. They'll be used in a

>small living room at low to moderate volume levels.

>

>Thanks again!

>

>TT100

[Guest SpruceMoose]

your speakers are the walnut version of the vinyl-clad utility cabinets that i have had since new in '77. they were rated at 15 watts MINIMUM, no upper limit in home use on typical musical program material. i started mine out on 75 watts each, ran that way for years. for a short time i was using a carver cube at 205 per channel. the cube blew up. lucky i was close and shut the system down when the oscillation started. no damage. to the advents, anyway. then i went to 100 each. then i doubled them up, so they are getting 50 each. never fused. never a problem axcept for a foam job at 15 years.

as always, YMMV!

sm.

[dynaco_dan]

Hi there

Just thought I would mention something I have observed a lot of personaly and on ebay.

The Advent tweeter screens are pushed up against the tweeters.

If they are touching the tweeter, use a pair of needle-nose pliers pulling gently on the screen until there is clearance.

The tweeter barely moves in and out but if they are touching it may affect the highs.

[Guest tristanjohn]

If I didn't have the memory of a mosquito I could probably help out here. But I do have the meory of a mosquito, so I'll do what I can anyway, but be so advised that I have the memory of a mosquito.

In the first (I think there was a second) review of the large Advents in The Absolute Sound (I guess we're talking 1975 or thereabouts) there was discussion of throwing a fuse on the line to keep the tweeters from burning alive, but I can't recall the rating. I think that rating was 30, but remember what I said about my memory.

In any event, that review was of the first generation Advents, and I believe some changes were made to those tweeters--besides the protective metal grill that was installed. For sure I've never had a problem with my Advent tweeters, and a few other people I've known along the way never had a problem with power, either. I think any reasonable amount of power will not affect those speakers. It might be an excellent idea, though, that if you want extraordinary sound out of your Advents then try to find another pair and stack them. Much safer all the way around, and better sound if you can believe it.

[dynaco_dan]

>If I didn't have the memory of a mosquito I could probably

>help out here. But I do have the meory of a mosquito, so I'll

>do what I can anyway, but be so advised that I have the memory

>of a mosquito.

>

>In the first (I think there was a second) review of the large

>Advents in The Absolute Sound (I guess we're talking

>1975 or thereabouts) there was discussion of throwing a fuse

>on the line to keep the tweeters from burning alive, but I

>can't recall the rating. I think that rating was 30,

>but remember what I said about my memory.

>

>In any event, that review was of the first generation Advents,

>and I believe some changes were made to those

>tweeters--besides the protective metal grill that was

>installed. For sure I've never had a problem with my Advent

>tweeters, and a few other people I've known along the way

>never had a problem with power, either. I think any reasonable

>amount of power will not affect those speakers. It might be an

>excellent idea, though, that if you want extraordinary sound

>out of your Advents then try to find another pair and stack

>them. Much safer all the way around, and better sound if you

>can believe it.

>

Hi John:

A mosquito, Heh?

You still have more than me.

Thank you for your input.

A nice new member Mike, has provided Mark, with an information sheet from Advent, regarding the recommended Buss FNM 8/10 amp slow blow fuse, for the Large Advent, which is the same as the AR-2AX and other speakers.

In the library is a Advent brochure, which contains, a Double Dyna demo, they used 3 amp fuses, and it also mentioned the available grill meshes.

After Mark receives it, and other new information, when he finds some free time he'll post it to the Advent site.

Mark does a great job of looking after this wonderful site.

I have previously posted about the Crown Audio web site, definitely worth a visit for sure, and their recommendation of fusing each individual driver.

Slow blow for the woofers, fast blow for the uppers.

Unfortunately, the slow blow Buss FNM series in the lower desired amperage ratings are scarce and really expensive, around $5.00 U$ each.

We really can't expect a single fuse to fully protect the woofer and tweeter, as the woofer draws far more power than the tweeter.

As we all know, the Classic speakers did not have these fuse holders, but at least AR and Advent made them available to their customers. AR at their cost.

For your information only, not a recommendation, Heathkit used a 3 amp fast blow fuse with their AS-103 model AR-3A equiv kit.

I mention this only as a reference, and only because that was then, 25 plus years ago.

Today, we would probably reduce it down to maybe even 2 amp rating.

[Guest tristanjohn]

>>If I didn't have the memory of a mosquito I could probably

>>help out here. But I do have the meory of a mosquito, so

>I'll

>>do what I can anyway, but be so advised that I have the

>memory

>>of a mosquito.

>>

>>In the first (I think there was a second) review of the

>large

>>Advents in The Absolute Sound (I guess we're talking

>>1975 or thereabouts) there was discussion of throwing a fuse

>>on the line to keep the tweeters from burning alive, but I

>>can't recall the rating. I think that rating was 30,

>>but remember what I said about my memory.

>>

>>In any event, that review was of the first generation

>Advents,

>>and I believe some changes were made to those

>>tweeters--besides the protective metal grill that was

>>installed. For sure I've never had a problem with my Advent

>>tweeters, and a few other people I've known along the way

>>never had a problem with power, either. I think any

>reasonable

>>amount of power will not affect those speakers. It might be

>an

>>excellent idea, though, that if you want extraordinary sound

>>out of your Advents then try to find another pair and stack

>>them. Much safer all the way around, and better sound if you

>>can believe it.

>>

>

>

>Hi John:

>

>A mosquito, Heh?

>

>You still have more than me.

>

>Thank you for your input.

>

>A nice new member Mike, has provided Mark, with an information

>sheet from Advent, regarding the recommended Buss FNM 8/10 amp

>slow blow fuse, for the Large Advent, which is the same as the

>AR-2AX and other speakers.

>

>In the library is a Advent brochure, which contains, a Double

>Dyna demo, they used 3 amp fuses, and it also mentioned the

>available grill meshes.

>

>After Mark receives it, and other new information, when he

>finds some free time he'll post it to the Advent site.

>

>Mark does a great job of looking after this wonderful site.

>

>I have previously posted about the Crown Audio web site,

>definitely worth a visit for sure, and their recommendation of

>fusing each individual driver.

>

>Slow blow for the woofers, fast blow for the uppers.

>

>Unfortunately, the slow blow Buss FNM series in the lower

>desired amperage ratings are scarce and really expensive,

>around $5.00 U$ each.

>

>We really can't expect a single fuse to fully protect the

>woofer and tweeter, as the woofer draws far more power than

>the tweeter.

>

>As we all know, the Classic speakers did not have these fuse

>holders, but at least AR and Advent made them available to

>their customers. AR at their cost.

>

>For your information only, not a recommendation, Heathkit used

>a 3 amp fast blow fuse with their AS-103 model AR-3A equiv

>kit.

>

>I mention this only as a reference, and only because that was

>then, 25 plus years ago.

>

>Today, we would probably reduce it down to maybe even 2 amp

>rating.

Yes, that would be more like it--a 3-amp fuse, not a 30-amp fuse!

Typo? Mosquito memory? Hmmm.

I notice this site carries in its archives the AS review by Harry Pearson (boy, has time flown by) and this writer did, indeed, use AGC-3 fuses after blowing those tweeters. It made my mind race back reading that old review (which I have stashed away somewhere, in one of those small cheap gray tin file cabinets if I recall, but I don't know), where Advent's reply confirmed the wisdom of such an arrangement.

Well, it's been fun to visit this site. Call it a blast from the past. Maybe I'll come back one day . . . if I can remember where it's at.