newandold Posted September 8, 2016 Report Share Posted September 8, 2016 If anyone is interested there are a dent free pair of Allison Ones on EBay. Thats very rare these days to see the midrange and tweeters unblemished. The woofers look to be totally untouched and that's great but too old to run in my opinion without rebuilding, meaning both the spiders and surrounds should be replaced. Curious what happened to the brass badges missing from the grills. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newandold Posted October 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 http://m.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Pristine-Allison-One-Vintage-Speakers-/152273015685?hash=item23742dd385%3Ag%3A5UgAAOSwgmJX0aZt&_trkparms=pageci%3A96c63f91-94a8-11e6-b692-74dbd1a0f1af%7Cparentrq%3Ad456eb281570a786ca6f6d05fffe06db%7Ciid%3A2 Nearly two months later (and 700 cheaper) those ones are still on EBay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlsplace Posted October 17, 2016 Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 Nice, when it rains, it pours as there is a NIB pair of AR-5's on the auction site for the same price also. That would be a tough choice for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newandold Posted October 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 25 minutes ago, owlsplace said: Nice, when it rains, it pours as there is a NIB pair of AR-5's on the auction site for the same price also. That would be a tough choice for me Well a few things... tighter imaging would belong to the 5, so preference there should make it easy, unless collectors hobby is the goal. Those ones will need all new foam ( not one) woofer as the seller claims. Personally I would not do that without also replacing the (brittle) no doubt spider ?! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlsplace Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 22 hours ago, newandold said: Well a few things... tighter imaging would belong to the 5, so preference there should make it easy, unless collectors hobby is the goal. Those ones will need all new foam ( not one) woofer as the seller claims. Personally I would not do that without also replacing the (brittle) no doubt spider ?! Bill Replacing spiders is a task usually beyond the average speaker jock. Just sourcing replacement spiders would be a challenge. Tell me more about your rebuild ... Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newandold Posted October 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 Absolutely...... I have 8 woofers in my system, all of which have had the spiders replaced (professionally done). The last four this summer, plus my two 8 inch Allison backup woofers, and the 10 inch drivers done in 2012 for the main speakers. All of that work was done by Bill Legall of Miller Sound, out in PA. I started a thread a while back on the Eight Inch woofers, complete with photos here under Allison, in case you missed that. What gets missed by some is that even if the spider is solidly intact, they become weak with age and allow excessive excursion of the woofers when the music or movies really get pumping. After 30 years of average service, I believe (at least with the Allison's) the spider replacement should be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlsplace Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 Bill gets rave reviews for a reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newandold Posted October 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 38 minutes ago, owlsplace said: Bill gets rave reviews for a reason. You bet....His "trademark" is not only to repair but improve. in the case of the woofers, the baskets had material added to reduce resonance. Additionally, the woofers that went out in pairs were tested to match. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidDru Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 So what does Bill charge for refurbishing the woofers? (as I listen to mine now) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newandold Posted October 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 14 hours ago, DavidDru said: So what does Bill charge for refurbishing the woofers? (as I listen to mine now) http://www.millersound.net/index.html For pricing..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidDru Posted October 20, 2016 Report Share Posted October 20, 2016 thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newandold Posted November 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 Two and a half months later, this pair of A1's sit on Ebay, still. Ten years ago, they would have been long gone. No where the interest compared to Acoustic Research (what a lively bunch here!) It's been that way ever since I started following these speakers on the Internet. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidDru Posted November 11, 2016 Report Share Posted November 11, 2016 Way too expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newandold Posted November 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2016 Way too expensive? I disagree and I'll explain why..... The ad is terrible as is the presentation of that pair. The first picture shows the covers hanging off, just looking rather unflattering to say the least. Yet when you get into it (and especially if you have been keeping an eye out as long as I have (many, many years), the value becomes clear. Those are second generation A1's with an improved crossover network and the newer cabinet connections for the midrange and tweeters that are now connected internally, without the older brass pins. Those are more problematic and fragile, and these are superior in that regard. ....And the most important thing of all are those unblemished tweeters and midrange units (all of them it appears). Allison drivers NEVER EVER show up any longer in that condition. Now of course, the woofers will need work, but that is simply normal for that vintage. My IC 20's also needed that fix and they are newer, perhaps as much as a decade, give or take. With a relative small amount of work, those units could be as nice as Tom Tysons, and his are the finest pair of A1's I have ever seen. If those units were done already with the woofers serviced as necessary, I would pay 15 to 1700.00 for them without hesitation. So really, it's about who's in the market. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidDru Posted November 15, 2016 Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 Hey Bill! Good details and information there on some of the differentiating details on the Ones. I will have to look at mine to see where they fall in that regard. In terms of the price my response was driven by the fact they have been listed as long as they have been, but of course location has some impact. The Ones seem they would be a very difficult speaker to ship. Plus I was fortunate I guess and got mine for $400 with everything working. AT some point I will run through them with new caps and check all the drivers. I am also reading on occasion about the woofers being serviced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newandold Posted November 15, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2016 "In terms of the price my response was driven by the fact they have been listed as long as they have been, but of course location has some impact." Hi David, There are a number of reasons I think those are still out there, but the main one is the ad. itself is just awful. No real description and just a one liner about getting a repair kit for one woofer, which is absolutely absurd for the serious user/collector. By the way, I agree more than disagree with you on the price....I would not call it way too expensive, but the reality is ALL 4 woofers must come out and be refoamed, and if it were me, the spiders would also be replaced. Everything else on the woofs should be just fine. So in their present shape, a few hundred could come off the price tag. The problem with the spider is the age will allow excessive excursion of the driver as the spider looses compliance, even though they may be totally intact. If you tell it like it is with a highly detailed description of the item and price it accordingly, it will go. I've been an Ebayer for years and in fact sold my own pair of Allison Ones there also. Location....wow! they are in New Jersey. I wish My "new" Allisons were that close. I did a 9 hour turnaround with a rental truck to pick up those beasts (Mass). The IC20 in it's original carton is the size of a small refridgerator. To get them home as perfect as they were, I wanted those original shipping cartons which meant getting that rental truck. "The Ones seem they would be a very difficult speaker to ship" A deal breaker for me with Allison Prisms. I pick them up.......or leave them. "Plus I was fortunate I guess and got mine for $400 with everything working" That sounds like a VERY good deal. Mine sold for 700.00 and that included an extra perfect Allison woofer and an extra tweeter if I remember correctly, it's been a few years now. "AT some point I will run through them with new caps" Get ready for a nightmare with that one. VERY difficult to work on those (like the AR) glued and stapled and even worse that a conventional box design. I've never known anyone who has replaced those already high quality Caps in the Allison's and could say afterwards that there was a difference in the sound, even if the cap. measured some drift. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidDru Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 Thanks Bill for the great responses. I went to Seattle from Boise to get mine. 7 hours one way. I was able to conduct some other business so it wasn't a one minded affair. The good thing is that the seller and I have become good friends and continue to share emails and texts on our various exploits in this arena as well as others. When I originally go them I mapped out what it would take to recap them and it did look a bit daunting. They sounded great as they were so I dropped the idea for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayrosc Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 I'll probably regret this posting, but I've got a pair of Allison Two's that I realistically will never get around to restoring. I've got a pair of Fours that I did earlier this year and love them. Tired of waiting around for the two tweeters needed for the Two's. Also have not re foamed the four woofers. I know first hand that Allison parts are scarce, so if anyone wants my set of two's and is ready to drive to near Woodstock NY to get them I'll let them go. Am I allowed to mention $ on here? I know they frown on it over on AK, but I'm thinking $200 for the pair. I can photograph them if anyone is interested. Grills are good, veneer on one has a chip in the corner, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayrosc Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 On 11/16/2016 at 4:51 PM, jayrosc said: I'll probably regret this posting, but I've got a pair of Allison Two's that I realistically will never get around to restoring. I've got a pair of Fours that I did earlier this year and love them. Tired of waiting around for the two tweeters needed for the Two's. Also have not re foamed the four woofers. I know first hand that Allison parts are scarce, so if anyone wants my set of two's and is ready to drive to near Woodstock NY to get them I'll let them go. Am I allowed to mention $ on here? I know they frown on it over on AK, but I'm thinking $200 for the pair. I can photograph them if anyone is interested. Grills are good, veneer on one has a chip in the corner, etc. What a difference a couple months makes! A couple weeks ago I just decided to do the foam surrounds on these. Once done I started messing with the tweeters (after I found one on the bay for lots of $) and it turns out that they only needed a spray of deoxit on the brass posts to come to life. I now a fully functioning pair of Allsion Two's! Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidDru Posted February 1, 2017 Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 Nice, congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newandold Posted February 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 That's great! Your original Two has double the amount of connections for the midrange and tweeters with those pins that were eliminated in the newer design. its very important, especially with the tweeters, to clean the pins with the wires removed. Rotating the top of the pin with the wire in place can damage the tweeter lead ends. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayrosc Posted February 3, 2017 Report Share Posted February 3, 2017 On 2/1/2017 at 9:25 AM, newandold said: That's great! Your original Two has double the amount of connections for the midrange and tweeters with those pins that were eliminated in the newer design. its very important, especially with the tweeters, to clean the pins with the wires removed. Rotating the top of the pin with the wire in place can damage the tweeter lead ends. Bill Yeah Bill, these are the old types, so I was very careful getting those wires out of the posts. I barely even moved them so as not to create a kink anywhere. On another note, amazing how similar the Two's sound to the Fours I have. They just work better in a larger room. Woofers go pretty deep for their size and they produce bass just the way I like it. Deep, tight and buttery. They make kick drums sound real too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newandold Posted February 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2017 Those A2 drivers are in beautiful original condition! A joy to see given some of the junk that shows up on EBay with all the dust caps mashed in. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayrosc Posted February 4, 2017 Report Share Posted February 4, 2017 22 hours ago, newandold said: Those A2 drivers are in beautiful original condition! A joy to see given some of the junk that shows up on EBay with all the dust caps mashed in. Bill The drivers in my A4's look just as good. Now that I'm using these regularly I wonder about power. I'm using a Marantz 2235B with 35WPC. I wonder if this is a bit light for these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newandold Posted February 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2017 48 minutes ago, jayrosc said: The drivers in my A4's look just as good. Now that I'm using these regularly I wonder about power. I'm using a Marantz 2235B with 35WPC. I wonder if this is a bit light for these. It's enough, unless you like to play things consistently on the louder side, then 80/100 WPC (used with discretion) could be better. Straining an amp. to its limits could fry a tweeter down the road. I'm sure you've seen that it doesn't take much power to get nice volume out of those A4's. You could also improve the output of those by adjusting the placement. If that's your layout (pictured). The speakers are hampered being so far back on that table, with the reflections against it and also, the receiver partially blocking the inside tweeters and all rather close together. I understand there is not always a choice, but perhaps you could try stands against the wall, with a farther spread.........it would make a world of difference. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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