5 Best Vintage Speakers for Rock Music: A Guide to the Best

Any 80s or 90s kid who is into music is obviously a lover of Rock Music. The world right now is infused with an array of genres, dominated mainly by Techno and EDM music. But, the golden era was during the 80s, as that was the time that was the pinnacle of rock music. If you’re an early millennial or a Gen Z, then indeed you have a taste as your fathers and close elderly relatives were enthusiasts of rock music.

Listening to those classic rock music will surely remind me of those archaic sony boomboxes that now give a vintage essence. 

Buying Guide: What to know before getting vintage speakers for any Genre? 

Classic music lovers were not just into rock music. At that period, pop and jazz music were relevant as well. Still, essentially, a speaker who is suitable for rock music is better for all types of genres. So, here are some of the things you should do before buying a vintage speaker, new or used for rock or any other genre.

1. Make sure the looks of speakers have a vintage essence. Otherwise, it simply won’t suffice your needs, even if it sounds well. By vintage, you can get the idea that the aesthetic has to be those deep black colors or wooden aesthetics. 
2. Make sure that the cabinet is well built; this will be a concern who are buying second-hand speakers to get an authentic vintage feel. That there are not any sort of openings or dents; otherwise, the sound will come distorted and lackluster. 
3. Not going to bore you with features, but you need to test the mid-range and bass quality of the speakers as you are playing rock music. It is essential to have the perfect balance of mid-range and bass.
4. You might need to be a bit open to customization because if the speakers are all in all vintage by looks as well as technology, then you may need to replace some items. The crossover or the cones might be a bit old for current-generation music. So, you might need to make a few adjustments.
5. The size of the speakers indeed comes into play based on the room, and vintages speakers can be bookshelf or floor-standing speakers. Choose one which is based on your room size. 

Recommendations: Which vintage speakers to buy for rock music? 

Now that technology is evolving, I will try to recommend to you the best possible speakers that are suitable for rock and has a vintage look. I personally would not recommend you buy any all in all vintage speakers because the listening experience won’t be as pleasant as with the current speakers. But, in case if you decide to get one, then I suggest trying pawn shops or the second-hand market. 

1. Klipsch Heresy III (Vintage looking Bookshelf speaker)

Klipsch is undoubtedly a household name for speakers; just like JBL, they have speakers for almost every time, and of course, they have the hearts of classic rock music lovers. That is why the Heresy III is a good option if someone is looking for a complete vintage look.

The heresy has two vintage looks, the classic black, and the wooden walnut; this horn-loaded speaker is suitable for rock music due to its analog sounds. 

Features: 

1. It has a frequency response of 58 Hz to 20 kHz.
2. It has a sensitivity of 98 decibels. 
3. It has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. 
4. It has a power handling capacity of 400 watts peak. 
5. It has a maximum SPL of 118 decibels. 
6. It has a three-way design of a 12-inch woofer.

Drawbacks:

1. It might not be that good for other genres.
2. The build quality is not as strong as it looks. 

2. Polk Audio T50 (Floor-Standing Vintage Speaker) 

Now, of course, the musicians or audiophiles during that period used to have floor-standing speakers, so of course, I had to give you a floor-standing speaker option. 

The price point will surely add a lot of value because it sounds well, looks vintage, and is not that pricey. The T50 works wonders in a surround sound setup. 

Features:

1. It has 1-inch and 6.5-inch drivers.
2. It has a frequency response of 38 Hz. 
3. It has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
4. It has a sensitivity of 98 decibels. 
5. It has a power handling capacity of 150 watts peak.

Drawbacks:

1. You might be a bit disappointed if you are looking for too much detail.
2. Expensive alternatives may sound better. 

3. Kanto YU6 (A premium option for BookShelf lovers) 

This one is of my favorites, as its designs are for all types of users. Because it has variants of different types and as for specifications, you can use the Kanto YU6 on any type of device, even turntables, without any amplifier because it already has a built-in phono pre-amp installed. Not to mention, it has an array of input connectivity options. 

Features: 

1. It has a frequency response of 50 Hz to 20 kHz 
2. It has a power handling capacity of 200 watts peak.
3. It has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.
4. It has a sensitivity of around 88 decibels. 
5. It has a 1-inch silk dome tweeter and a 5.25-inch kevlar dome. 

Drawbacks: 

1. The bass might not feel enough.
2. There have been reviews where the Bluetooth is not good enough.

4. Edifier R1280T (A cheap fan favorite)

This one is known by all, whether you are looking for something vintage or looking for a pair of bookshelf speakers at an affordable range that is premium in quality. The R1280T is known and used by many. Its clear bass and EQ make it suitable for all types of music genres. 

Features: 

1. It has a frequency response of 75 Hz to 18 Hz. 
2. It has a sensitivity of 85 decibels. 
3. It has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. 
4. It has a power handling capacity of 42 watts (RMS)
5. It has a 13mm silk dome tweeter. 

Drawbacks: 

1. The overall sound quality might not suit some audiophiles and rock music lovers. 
2. The sound will not feel enough if you put it outside of a small room. 

5. Sony SSCS5 (For the Sony Lovers)

The brand, which requires no introductions, from the age-old boomboxes, and walkmans to consoles, even sony, never stopped surprising us. After an array of options, It felt like the SSCS5 is a suitable candidate in terms of vintage look and features. You’ll see others suggesting this as well, so getting this will never leave you disappointed. 

Features: 

1. It has a frequency response of  53 Hz. 
2. It has a sensitivity of 87 decibels.
3. It has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms. 
4. It has a power handling capacity of 100 watts peak. 
5. It has a 4-inch Foamed-Mica Cellular Reinforced Woofer and a 1-inch Polyester Main Tweeter. 

Drawbacks: 

1. Some people are left dissatisfied with the bass and mid-range. 
2. The all-black design may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Comparison between all the recommendations 

Here are the differences in the features of all the 5 speakers I have mentioned just now. All at a glance. 

Speakers	Frequency Response	Sensitivity	Nominal Impedance	Power Handling Capacity	Woofer and Tweeter
Klipsch Heresy III	58 Hz to 20 kHz.	98 Decibels	8 Ohms	400 Watts peak	12-inch woofer
Polk Audio T50	38 Hz	98 Decibels	8 Ohms	150 Watts peak	1-inch and 6.5-inch drivers
Kanto YU6	50 Hz to 20 kHz	88 Decibels	6 Ohms	200 Watt peak	1-inch silk dome tweeter and a 5.25-inch kevlar dome.
Edifier R1280T	75 Hz to 18 Hz	88 Decibels	4 Ohms	42 Watts RMS	13mm silk dome tweeter.
Sony SSCS5	53 Hz	87 Decibels	6 Ohms	10 Watts peak	4-inch Foamed-Mica Cellular Reinforced Woofer and a 1-inch Polyester Main Tweeter.

FAQs(Frequently Asked Questions) 

Are vintage speakers good enough to be compared with current-gen speakers?

No, they are not. The key is to get current-gen speakers that look like vintage speakers. You’ll notice the differences when comparing the bass frequencies, power handling capacity, and of course, when it comes to connecting with the amps and receivers. Vintage speakers are known to have more unfiltered sound, which is more relatable to rock music. In contrast, the current speakers are filtered and adjusted to create the best possible sound for all genres. 

Is there any I can use my vintage speakers for my home theater setup? 

You might not be able to have a good home theater experience, but you’ll be able to run your home theater setup as long as the devices are suitable for the speakers. 

Wrap Up! 

Thank you for your valuable time; I hope I have given you enough choices to find the best possible vintage-look speaker to suffice your rock music appetite. I tried to look for the best possible speakers instead of speakers. Looking for value will give you a better experience than just getting a unique speaker. Just be aware of the device you’d be using those speakers to because some of them may not be adaptive to specific devices, like a turntable. For record players, you can use the Kanto and Edifier bookshelf speakers.