BIC Venturi Formula 6

[mshaffer]

Hi can anybody tell me anything about these speakers? I snapped them up for $50 on craigslist.

Thanks

[speakerdave]

When sighted walk swiftly away. These speakers were marketed to people who had somehow figured out that they were not supposed to buy Magnavox consoles.

David

[boputnam]

Dood!! Great call!

[Greedy]

When sighted walk swiftly away. These speakers were marketed to people who had somehow figured out that they were not supposed to buy Magnavox consoles.

David

Walk away? These are worth $400 in crappy shape. $2000 if perfect. Seems like the market may disagree with you.
Greedy
The BIC Venturi Formula Six and Formula Seven are rare collector's items if they are complete and all original. The exception being the foam grill covers, which all disentigrated many years ago. If you have a complete original set, it's worth finding a woodworker and having custom fronts made for them. Even if they have pushed in cones on the UPPER range speakers (quite common, and does not effect the value much) or are generally even not in great shape. Woofer damage of any type will have a very serious effect on the value of the speakers. Keep in mind that unless you come across an extremely rare original replacement, placing reproduction upgrades in your boxes will devalue the speakers overall. A set with all original speakers - pushed in cones and all - is worth 2-3 time what a set loaded full of brand new reproduction components.
The prices and applications quoted above are essentially correct. The Formula Six and Seven indeed were most popular in the club scene due to their high SPL output, clarity, and relative efficiency, As to the original question, the Formula Six originally sold for 580.00 on the common market. Complete, all original sets go anywhere from 400.00 to 2000.00. 400.00 being complete and working, but in poor condition; 2000.00 being pristine new and unused with all original materials - minus the original covers.ome research.

[Mr. Widget]

The BIC Venturi Formula Six and Formula Seven are rare collector's items if they are complete and all original.

Who are these collectors and where are they hiding?

I guess there are people collecting almost anything, and while I did like the BIC speakers in the college dorm rock and roll sense, it seems a little odd for them to be so coveted by more than a few with warm memories of their youth.


Widget

[hjames]

This is a Dawn of the Dead thread - these things keep bobbing up like Algae blooms in the summertime.
As near as I can tell, BIC Venturi speakers have NOTHING to do with the Lansing Product marketplace - so this thread should be MOVED...

This isn't likely to be a place to find huge swells of potential BIC buyers - nice or not,
probably a lot more interest on AudioKarma, AudioGon, maybe sell them on ebay,
but somewhere else more sympathetic ...

[speakernut]

This is a Dawn of the Dead thread - these things keep bobbing up like Algae blooms in the summertime.
As near as I can tell, BIC Venturi speakers have NOTHING to do with the Lansing Product marketplace - so this thread should be MOVED...

This isn't likely to be a place to find huge swells of potential BIC buyers - nice or not,
probably a lot more interest on AudioKarma, AudioGon, maybe sell them on ebay,
but somewhere else more sympathetic ...

Hi I am an audio enthusiast that love bose speakers and also altec apeakers
I have been exposed to almost every kind of speaker there is; and I really honestly couldnt believe the sound of this BIC speakers (formula 2 patent 3892288 BIC Venturi
they can be put in an automatic setting with a switch in front of the speakers, and I was pleasanly surprised of the sound quality.... As I say I was getting ready to use the cabinets for something else and to put the woofers in an old bose enclosure when a dj friend told me to first LISTEN to them and I am glad that I obey him.....now they are the favourite sound for me.....perhaps the ones you listen to had the electronics (capacitors etc) not in perfect order or maybe you dint put them in automatic mode. ...again, no offense ,dont take it personal ...I was gun-ho for altec until I listen to this beauties. also I was using a 50 watts car radio that i rigged in my apartment.
thanks for reading!!!!!

[hjames]

Hi I am an audio enthusiast that love bose speakers and also altec apeakers
I have been exposed to almost every kind of speaker there is; and I really honestly couldnt believe the sound of this BIC speakers (formula 2 patent 3892288 BIC Venturi
they can be put in an automatic setting with a switch in front of the speakers, and I was pleasanly surprised of the sound quality.... As I say I was getting ready to use the cabinets for something else and to put the woofers in an old bose enclosure when a dj friend told me to first LISTEN to them and I am glad that I obey him.....now they are the favourite sound for me.....perhaps the ones you listen to had the electronics (capacitors etc) not in perfect order or maybe you dint put them in automatic mode. ...again, no offense ,dont take it personal ...I was gun-ho for altec until I listen to this beauties. also I was using a 50 watts car radio that i rigged in my apartment.
thanks for reading!!!!!

I like Formula 1 more than Formula 2 - but what the hey ... still got to deal with Bernie Ecclestone!
Back to speakers ...
I was just give an old Bose Acoustimass system on Friday.
Checked it out on Sat - Bass & Treble pots seemed dirty so I opened the main SUB cabinet
and sprayed them out good, hooked up my iPod and ... it was party time for sure!
Played me some George Thorogood & the Destroyers - BIG fun, like it wuz the 80s all over again!!

Gonna give it to my inlaws (they bought a Bose radio last year) - they like that stuff ...
they're big Dave Matthews Band fans ...

[speakerdave]

. . . . Seems like the market may disagree with you . . . .

Not the first time.

Perhaps my original objections were a bit overstated, but not by much. See stereo salesman Judge Reinhold in "Ruthless People."

If what you say is true, there must be something about them that some people want. The high prices of current offerings may be a factor. I've looked on line and see no evidence of your claims, although there does seem to be a low-level BIC Venturi hum on ebay, but that is not a selective market. I read in a number of on-line audio forums, and somehow I've missed all the enthusiastic BIC Venturi threads. I'm probably narrow-minded, but, anyway, whoever wants them is welcome to them.

David

[sonofagun]

I haven't had an order (or inquiry) for replacement foam grilles for these in many years.

Hmmm, wonder what a set with new grilles would be worth to a collector!

[swagger93]

When sighted walk swiftly away. These speakers were marketed to people who had somehow figured out that they were not supposed to buy Magnavox consoles.

David

I love keeping old threads alive.

My dad purchased a pair of these new in 1975 or '76, and I was doing a search about them because I'm considering having them reconed and finished as a surprise for his 58th birthday next year. I didn't sign up to flame; I was more astonished to see such harsh criticism of these. This forum looks awesome btw, and I could see spending lots of time not doing homework if I get involved.

I always thought these were relatively nice sounding speakers, particularly for higher-fidelity vinyl jazz recordings. I don't know if I've liked the Miles Ahead version of "Blues for Pablo" on any set of speakers better barring modern JBL studio monitors. They definitely sound better in some respects than some ridiculously huge Altecs my uncle owns from the same period. I thought highly enough of them to snap up a pair of BIC V630s (circ. 1995) that popped up on ebay for $70 from a local audiophile/UW law student graduate so I'd have a pair of decent sounding speakers at college.

I had no clue the market value ranged up to $2k for excellent examples, which I'll admit seems utterly absurd. They're decent considering their age and significant usage, but you'd have to possess some incredibly strong emotional reason unrelated to sound quality to be the kind of individual who helps establish market values like that.

That said, however, I bet my knowledge of audio equipment is miniscule compared with speakerdave and other senior members of this forum, so I better just talking. Just figured I'd contribute $.005 or so.

[speakerdave]

. . . .My dad purchased a pair of these new in 1975 or '76, and I was doing a search about them because I'm considering having them reconed and finished as a surprise for his 58th birthday next year . . . .

If you could look at this from another perspective, this might be a good time to get your Dad some JBL's.

David

[rjsilva]

If you could look at this from another perspective, this might be a good time to get your Dad some JBL's.

It seems like this thread is kept alive by two opposing sides: those who like the Formula 6's but don't have anything more to offer than that, and those who don't like them but also don't seem to have any real experience with them.

For those who don't like them - has anyone performed critical listening tests or evaluations of the components and design of all three Formula 6 versions? My guess is that no one has performed the thorough assessment they would require of their favourite speaker in order to take a criticism seriously.

I'm not intending to be harsh, but this is the top hit for a google search on the Formula 6's and those who choose to express their opinion on this forum have a responsibility to express their opinion humbly, i.e. "does my experience/knowledge with these specific speakers back up the weight of my assessment?".

I loved their sound, they are particularly natural with closely-mic'd acoustic instruments and classical is usually great. I recently had to sell them and am still lamenting their loss.

[hjames]

I'm not intending to be harsh, but this is the top hit for a google search on the Formula 6's and those who choose to express their opinion on this forum have a responsibility to express their opinion humbly,
.

No, they don't - this is a LANSING forum, and there is no obligation to maintain a fondness for some off-brand that is no longer in business.

No flames meant, no anger from me - just a statement that James B Lansing and the company named after him did not design, build, or market that brand

If you feel a need, perhaps you should start a BIC Heritage site to be a better supportive site for that brand - but this forum was not meant to be that site ...

again, no flames or argument meant.

[indyaudio]

Picked up a pair in need from original owner. I finished them up today and listened for first time - slapped them in one of my systems - they sound better than half of the high end speakers I've ever owned and currently own.

Anyone bashing these hasn't a clue or perhaps is mixing up the 4 way version or maybe the piezo version that I cannot speak for. I realize BIC had a bad reputation, but this was their TOTL and it's a very respectable sounding speaker. Popped in my test track Donald Fagen and wow!

I own several JBL pairs - 100, 4312, L65 Jubal and Sovereign S8s. These BICs absolutely sound sweet.