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Celef Pe1

I don't see many references to Celef speakers on the Internet. I did see a pair of Monitors ( like I owned in the '70s ) on eBay. No bids, though. It would appear relatively few were made, even though they were very well received. ProAc took over and became successful. Martyn .
 
I have a set of HiFi Yearbooks from 1968-1979 which covers much Classic HiFi, and a scruffy photocopied part-copy of the 1959 yearbook which has some interesting stuff.

S.

Any chance you could scan the article/info about the Studio Pro's? I am collecting as much as I can about these.
Many thanks.
Peter
 
Thanks for sharing this. There are some still around then! Interesting the serial numbers are in the 100's - I wonder how many were actually made?
I can tell you that the drivers are:-

Audax woofer on top, model HD 20 B 25 H (although used for midrange in this application)

Audax treble in the middle, model HD 12x9 D 25

Kef bass at the bottom, model B139, also known as the 'race track driver' ( don't know the SP number, though, you would need to look on the back of the driver).
Heavily modified Falcon crossover.

The damped port at the rear, if you look closely enough or have a look inside, is stuffed full of drinking straws!

They are not exactly pretty to look at, are big and bulky, weigh a ton (well, 30kgs actually), but sound much better than they look!
If you ever want to move yours on, please let me know.
Peter



Serge, where did you get the info from? I am looking for references to these rare speakers, any sources of information would be useful.
Thanks
Peter


Thanks for that Peter - that's really useful.
Maybe the numbers started with 100? I can't imagine that there were that many made. I've always wondered what the weird honeycomb effect in the ports came from but I would never have guessed drinking straws!
I'll certainly let you know if I ever want to part company with them.
John
 
Thanks for that Peter - that's really useful.
Maybe the numbers started with 100? I can't imagine that there were that many made. I've always wondered what the weird honeycomb effect in the ports came from but I would never have guessed drinking straws!
I'll certainly let you know if I ever want to part company with them.
John

You're welcome John.
Please be aware that all the drivers are obsolete now. If you ever needed replacements you would need to look for used ones. Also the company CELEF are now operating under the name PROAC, but they cannot offer support for the old Celef models.
Enjoy them!
 
You're welcome John.
Please be aware that all the drivers are obsolete now. If you ever needed replacements you would need to look for used ones. Also the company CELEF are now operating under the name PROAC, but they cannot offer support for the old Celef models.
Enjoy them!

yes - here's hoping that the drivers hold up. I don't think that they've ever been replaced. Cheers John
 
I don't see many references to Celef speakers on the Internet. I did see a pair of Monitors ( like I owned in the '70s ) on eBay. No bids, though. It would appear relatively few were made, even though they were very well received. ProAc took over and became successful. Martyn .

Celef and Proac are/were the same people.
 
Thanks for that Peter - that's really useful.
Maybe the numbers started with 100? I can't imagine that there were that many made. I've always wondered what the weird honeycomb effect in the ports came from but I would never have guessed drinking straws!
I'll certainly let you know if I ever want to part company with them.
John

If you were making a range of speakers, you wouldn't want to start the serial numbers at 001, would you ?

Straws were wedged into the cardboard tubes until you couldn't get anymore in and then the inside ends were cut off with a hot knife to make it neat and to weld them all together.
 
If you were making a range of speakers, you wouldn't want to start the serial numbers at 001, would you ?

Straws were wedged into the cardboard tubes until you couldn't get anymore in and then the inside ends were cut off with a hot knife to make it neat and to weld them all together.

Thanks Dave - now that's what I call technology!
 
To Martyn Miles,

Hi,
I still have my celef Pe1 data sheet specs,including the domestic 1 and the
celef monitor.My pe1s are still playing that sweet sound.I can scan the docs and email them to you If you like.

cheers,
fox10.
 
I have a pair of celef Mini profesionals. As a child my uncle had a hi fi which consisted of a Garrard 401 with an AT 12" arm. He had a trio amp which he later replaced with a NAD (forget model but it was 65W andf had meters) he also had a Akai 4000DS reel to reel and pioneer tuner with wooden sides and the Celefs. As a child I used to go round and listen in awe as we only had a radiogram. When my uncle died I inherited his hi fi. I only used some of it as by then I had the bug and had my own. I did use the celefs in my studio for a while though and the akai as I owned one myself for a while and had some old band tapes.

I reluctantly let the 401 go a few years ago. I still have the NAD somewhere although I only used it as a power amp as all the swiches and pots were knackered. The tuner is also in a cuboard somewhere. I did try it and it had a lovely warm sound but tended to drift. Probably all the smoke in the inards from the capstan full strength he used to smoke! Still have the akai just in case i need it again.

Anyway back to the Celefs. I had the tweeters change about 20 years ago as the originals were knackered. I think I got them from wimslow audio. They then started to make a funny noise from the bass unit(10 years ago) so they haven't been used since.
At the moment they are in the garage and I have no idea what condition they are in.

If anyone local would like them (or anyone willing to pick them up from Bradford) there yours for nothing. Let me know and I'll get them out and check they are not a total right off first.

What memories :)
 
This is a test msg to Celef Pe1 thread because my 1st attempt as a direct reply to a previous posting vanished into the ether !
 
If you were making a range of speakers, you wouldn't want to start the serial numbers at 001, would you ?

Straws were wedged into the cardboard tubes until you couldn't get anymore in and then the inside ends were cut off with a hot knife to make it neat and to weld them all together.

Actually, some might use 001 onwards.
I did.
I have made 4 x pairs of speakers under MGM Audio name.
All the same model.

The first prototype pair, now with a friend,
are Serial Numbers MGM 001 & MGM 002.

This first ( prototype) pair are then rather special.
My friend likes the idea.

Since then, production:
Three pairs:
MGM 01 & MGM 02. UK Customer
MGM 03 & MGM 04. South Korean Customer.
MGM 05 & MGM 06. Spanish Customer
 
I have a pair of Celef Studio Professionals - SPT/113 and SPT/114. I bought them from a friend about 20 years ago. I am more music addict than hi fi specialist and they have a beautiful warm and detailed sound and tend to really come into their own with the jazz and classical bits of my collection. The only downside is that they've never been that popular as furniture with some of the women in my life......

Here are some pics - I'd love to know a bit more about them.

http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p484/jeank3/P1000485.jpg

http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p484/jeank3/P1000484.jpg
Hi there Jean K and other Celef Pe1 thread followers,
I've only recently found/joined this web site and the Celef Pe1 thread especially to share my experiences with these speakers.

Firstly, I must say “You are NOT alone” I have a pair of “matched” Celef Studio Professional speakers … Ser Nos. SPT/141 and SPT/142.

They were bought from new in autumn 1976 from Radlett Audio in Hertfordshire [UK]. Stewart Tyler personally delivered and set up the speakers. If my memory serves me correctly after some 40 odd years, he said he went to considerable effort to ensure that the drivers in both speakers of a given pair were matched as closely as possible for performance characteristics.

I didn't buy them on a whim, but as a result of pretty exhaustive listening tests conducted at several retailers. The main competition was from Spendor BC-1 and a pair of Tannoy and JBL speakers of which I cannot remember the names, were also assessed.

My musical tastes varied from Rock'n'Roll thro' R'n'B; Country; Heavy Rock to Classical. So, finding a pair of speakers as a “best fit” to those genres took some time. The JBL's were fine for the Heavy Rock but far too “bright” for the rest of my musical tastes and were declined. The Tannoys were a better bet, but for me didn't seem to make my music “involving” enough.

So, final major listening tests were between the Spendor BC-1's and the Celef Studio Professional's. Both about £400 per pair in 1976.

I took the same selection of Vinyl LP's …. including Rock'n'Roll … Everly Brothers, Buddy holly and Elvis etc ... Full Orchestral works plus Piano and Violin Concertos ... Joan Baez and Janet Baker for female voices. Also listened to the Spoken human voice.

There was little to choose between them, but the Celef's with the large flat faced 8'' x 10'' Kef Bass drivers definitely put out a smoother more powerful and natural bass. While in a showroom trying to encourage a pair of Spendor's to output a bit more bass one of the speaker pairs gave up and died ! The Song was Boredom by The Lovin' Spoonful. So, the Celef's came out top for me.

The Celef's have been in pretty much daily use since 1976 outputting FM Radio, CD's and most importantly Vinyl Records both 45's and LP's.

After a few years one of the 8'' Diameter Mid Range AUDEX units packed up. By then Radlett Audio had moved to nearby St. Albans and although Stewart Tyler had left for pastures new an unused Driver was found in their stock room :) Onward another few years and the other 8'' Mid Range AUDEX unit started to make very unmusical “Tizzy” noises. This time no replacement could be found. However, as in those days I used to run at pretty high sound levels for Rock'n'Roll, I thought perhaps the driver cone surround may have become fatigued. So, I turned the driver upside down through 180 degrees. Problem solved and both speakers have been running faultlessly ever since :)
I could never part with my Celef Speakers and I love their, to me, “very natural relaxed sound” and effortless Bass that does not sound as Boomy as does, at times, my Home Cinema Surround Sound Woofer.

Hope the above is of some interest to you all. I'm pretty sure somewhere I have a Hi-Fi News or perhaps Hi-Fi Sound magazine with them reviewed. IF I find a review I'll try to post it on online.

Roland J
 
Celef PE1's were my second pair of speakers in 1978/9 - Monitor Audio MA5 were the first. I loved my PE1's. I had to leave them with a relative
to store for a while. Unfortunately he moved them into a leaking shed which rotted the cabinets and then one of the units failed and I could not find
a replacement. I did the remaining working units and crossovers on Ebay but no one wanted them, so I thru them away. Sad, so, so sad.
 
Hello Roland J
I lost my bookmark for this forum and have just tracked it down again via a very circuitous route. So a sincere (but 2 years late) thank you for the information on the PE1s. Mine are still sounding smooth as anything - mostly on a diet of vinyl, a bit of HD digital and some FM radio.

Devinder - what a sad way for your PE1s to make an exit!
 


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