Who are these collectors and where are they hiding?Originally Posted by Greedy
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
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 ...
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7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460
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
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!
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.
If you could look at this from another perspective, this might be a good time to get your Dad some JBL's.
David
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.
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.
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7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460
True, but I can understand the connection... high efficiency, horns tweeters... rock and roll...
Personally I'd be very curious to hear a pair with my adult ears. When I last heard them, I was a kid and had very different expectations from a sound system.
Widget
True that, so - move the thread to General Audio Discussions then ...
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7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460
Why not! I hadn't noticed.
Widget
Many years a go a friend of mine was putting together a system and "audiophile" that I was I suggested he get Dyanaco A-25 speakers; they met his price range, were audiophile approved and most importantly I was then using them.
Anyway my pal disregarded my advice and bought some small BICs that used a 8" woofer and a small square horn tweeter. And damn, they WERE better than the Dynas---better clarity, better bass, better dynamics---better speaker.
Ran across this today in an email link. Who knew? 10% off for three-days only with checkout code ADA10:
http://www.meijer.com/catalog/search...56&keyword=Bic
BIC America DV62SIB 6.5-Inch Bookshelf Speakers - Pair
The stunningly accurate DV62si bookshelf speakers have received numerous "best buy" ratings from a leading consumer buyer's guide magazine. Their long-throw 6-1/2" poly/graphite woofers deliver tight, accurate extended bass. Their patented "Venturi" vents (found on the rear of the DV62si) assist in extended low frequency performance. Custom-designed poly dome tweeters and unique front cabinet angles enable minimal distortion resulting in clear mid and high frequencies. BIC DV62si speakers are ideal for use with all surround and music formats. They can be used as mains speakers, a front or rear center, and as surrounds.
". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers
Well sure, if someone is doing business as Altec, why wouldn't someone else buy the name BIC, or Capeheart, or ... (pic favorite now extinct brand here ...)
Is it REALLy the same as the old classic British Industry Corporation (BIC)
from the BIC America website: (bolds and emphasis mine)
BIC, originally an abbreviation for British Industry Corporation, was established as an American corporation specializing in British products. We were among the earliest pioneers in the audio industry, distributing products including Garrard turntables, Luxman amplifiers and Wharfedale loudspeakers during the 1960's.
In 1973, BIC introduced its own brand of loudspeakers and the industry's first belt drive turntables. By the mid 1970's, BIC Venturi loudspeakers were among the top 5 best-selling brands. Eventually, the original corporation began diversifying outside of audio and shortly after the death of its founder, the company was sold.
It wasn't until BIC was again purchased in 1988, that the company has emerged as the clear choice for those seeking very high performance audio at affordable prices. BIC products were top-rated 4 times in 1999 alone in comparison with all of the top ten best selling loudspeaker brands! We encourage you to purchase your favorite testing publication (or check with your local library on past issues), to see for yourself how BIC products rank.
2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460
I worked for a BIC dealer as the bench tech back when BIC started their own lines of turntables and then shortly thereafter, speakers. Prior to this, IIRC, BIC was the US importer of Garrard products.
This was a marketing company in the US first and foremost. Here's the story:
- They spend gobs of $$ preparing for the release of their first turntable, the 960. There were big ads in all the popular audio magazines with the turntable under a sheet and all sorts of enticing verbiage promising that the world would open up upon release of BIC's new design.
- The dealership took delivery of a big pile of turntables but the rep showed up and insisted they not be put on the floor until "The Day" of release.
- Indeed, on the day of release, I witnessed something I had never seen before in a specialty audio store: A line of purchasers lined up out the door waiting to buy a BIC 960.
- Immediately, the TT's started coming back with all sorts of gremlins like poorly adjusted start/return mechanisms - if they had been adjusted at all!
- BIC paid me a flat rate of $4.00 per warranty item. They didn't have sufficient replacement parts when the flimsy aluminium mechanism parts started bending. The units started piling up awaiting parts and our stock of new ones went to those who had just stood in line to buy one.
- Weeks later, we got wind of the BIC speaker release from the BIC rep, a contract rep at that, who also sold clock radios to local drug stores.
- BIC mounted a similar marketing campaign for their speakers as they did for the turntables. They touted the Venturi effect as being the best thing since sliced bread for bass response. I started getting scared......
- The speakers hit the streets to great fanfare but we didn't get the line out the door for these.
- Used with the standard Pioneer, Marantz, Technics or Sansui receiver of the day, the speakers did passably against similar Bose, Advent, and Altec bookshelf speakers of the day. The good part was that the pizeo midrange drivers proved to be a bit more hardy and withstood the normal weekend frat partying that would have blown other tweeters.
- The grills tended to fall off the weak mounting tabs and would fold up and bottom of the speaker. We would find them this way in the morning when the store opened up. The cabinets tended to chip easily since the density of the cabinet board was a bit coarser than even the private label speakers. Of course, this made them lighter to ship.
- The drivers were ok, however, and they used the ubiquetous CTS phenolic driver in many models of the 1st generation.
- The speakers, as a line, did not do quite as well, sales-wise, in the store I worked in. The white woofer helped them associate with JBL, which was enough for some buyers.
- Due to all the quality problems, my store dropped BIC after the first generations stuff due to poor customer satisfaction and I lost track of how BIC responded to the quality issues in later generations.
Hope that helps with some perspective 'from the bench' at the time.
Cheers,
David
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