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Mordaunt Short Pageant Loudspeaker - remarkably good!

beammeup

pfm Member
I'm toying around with a pair of these vintage speaker in the main listening room now - and for an old timer - these boxes are really musical!

I am using a Pioneer A-300R Precision (Tom Evans) to drive them in the lounge, with an Auralic Mini conducting the music.

The pictures are where I had them running in gently in the Kitchen corner beforehand.

Note those toggle switches on the back.

Anyone else had experience of the Pageant?





 
A very fine speaker. I had a pair Pageant 2 that I inherited from a lodger who left them behind. I had them as spares for years then tried to sell them. No takers on three attempts so I gave them to my wife's godson who is a teenage muso (good enough to be sitting on an offer to study Music at Oxford later this year).

He sanded and painted the cabinets white (Aargh!, but they are his now) and is thrilled with them in his bedroom.
 
A magazine favourite in the early '70s.
A friend of mine at university bought a pair along with an AR turntable (which came at the time as an attractive package with an ADC 10E Mk 4 cartridge- a tad optimistic surely) ?, and an amplifier I don't recall.
They didn't sound at all bad (and weren't those the bass units that Naim used - tweaked - in their original SBLs)?
A lot of these old speakers we now write off were actually very good but need more upmarket/modern amplification to show what they can do!
 
...
They didn't sound at all bad (and weren't those the bass units that Naim used - tweaked - in their original SBLs)?
A lot of these old speakers we now write off were actually very good but need more upmarket/modern amplification to show what they can do!

Yes, whilst doing some research I came across the fact that the main driver was perhaps used by Naim - not fully confirmed yet - but rumoured to be the case, which makes these speakers all the more interesting. Let's not ignore the treble units - they are dispersing some great soft, not edgy, but engaging treble as I type this paragraph.

The A-300R Precision is working them well as a modern(ish) amp. I'm occasionally (er more then I should do) playing at good room filling levels - they open up well and do not sound course or hard in any way shape or form. Imagine what these would sound like with better internal components!!

Anyone got any details on the toggle switches - I can't find an online manual anywhere?
 
A lot of these old speakers we now write off were actually very good but need more upmarket/modern amplification to show what they can do!

I think that's a good observation. In my experience some of those highly rated speakers from the olden days were rated for a reason. My only disappointment in this generalisation was the Ditton 15. I briefly owned a pair and years later a friend also had a pair and they were both 'underwhelming' to put it politely.
 
I've never heard the Ditton 15 but I understand that one of its claims to fame was the use of the HF1300 tweeter.

The HF1300 was apparently very highly regarded but didn't go up to the highest treble frequencies so the best of the "BBC" designs (Spendor BC1, Rogers Monitors etc) used an ITC4001 supertweeter to extend the response.
In those speakers the HF1300 was regarded as more of a midrange unit and as such it was, and is,a very good driver.

Last year I took a punt on a pair of B&W DM2a speakers (like I had 45 years ago on the end of a budget system that didn't do them justice) with the HF1300 & 4001 coupled wth B&Ws own version of the Bextrene cone bass driver used in the BBC designs, just for nostalgia/curiosity.
On the end of my current system they sound wonderful with the same midrange detail that my old 2 way SBLs just couldn't reveal.

My current Shahinian Obelisks are also 3 way speakers and, like the DM2s, they show up most 2 way speakers in lacking detail in the important mid range frequencies.
I regularly listen to the DM2s and the Obelisks with similar front ends/amplifiers and if I had to give up the Obelisks and rely on the DM2s (cost me £86) I wouldn't consider I'd been too deprived!
 
I have had 3 sets of the MS Pagent ser 2 over the years and they are excellent speakers
I was picking them up secondhand for £10 a pair at one stage
As others have said these are seriously good speakers if still in working condition

I also bought a pair of Ditton 25 and only had them a couple of weeks as I was very disappointed sold them no problem to someone in China

Alan
 
I used to listen to some MS Pageant MK2's in Erricks' of Bradford back in the good old 1970's and my Saturdays were very enjoyable listening to my favorite LP's through these and a pair of Kef Concord speakers, the MS Pageant's were very easy to listen to with surprising sense of scale and tone for the modest cabinet size. Last year I sold my minty pair as I really need to rationalise my gear but it was still very enjoyable to listen to them in a solid state system and a part of me thought that should I sell the main very expensive valve based system and just completely downsize with a lot of change left over?

There are some wonderful classic audio items that make me question the amount one has to spend to achieve any real considerable improvements and that at great expense, I do not really believe that the latest is always the greatest and there are many good sounding bargains out there like these fine MS Pageant MK 2 as well as the later MK3 versions which I also sold last year to stop myself becoming a mini audio museum even though some of these classic designs are aesthetically very pleasing in an understated way.
 
A friend of mine at university bought a pair along with an AR turntable (which came at the time as an attractive package with an ADC 10E Mk 4 cartridge- a tad optimistic surely) ?

Depends if the AR turntable was an XA. The arm on the AR XA is one of those seriously underrated pieces of kit that people tend to dismiss these days.

iirc AR's own literature for the turntable had a recommended tracking weight for the ADC 10E.
 
... Last year I sold my minty pair as I really need to rationalise my gear but it was still very enjoyable to listen to them in a solid state system and a part of me thought that should I sell the main very expensive valve based system and just completely downsize with a lot of change left over?

There are some wonderful classic audio items that make me question the amount one has to spend to achieve any real considerable improvements and that at great expense, I do not really believe that the latest is always the greatest and there are many good sounding bargains out there like these fine MS Pageant MK 2 as well as the later MK3 versions which I also sold last year to stop myself becoming a mini audio museum even though some of these classic designs are aesthetically very pleasing in an understated way.

I would also question the need to spend a lot of money on very expensive new gear when vintage loudspeakers can sound excellent like this. I would like to be reassured though, there is someone out there who could just double check the components in the x-overs etc are still working within spec. Or even at least have the x-overs upgraded with better components (if necessary). I would probably leave the tone cut-off switches on the back, I think that's quite a good quirky clever idea.

Hey - why doesn't someone startup an audio museum? Imagine that! I don't think there is a single example of this in the whole of the UK!
 
Hey - why doesn't someone startup an audio museum? Imagine that! I don't think there is a single example of this in the whole of the UK!

I think I got close to having an audio museum when I lived in London, the Nakamichi's, Voyd turntables, Linn's and some exotic gear that sat in their boxes inside an outer box etc and that was before the kids were born. I was fortunate to have friends with a much larger Georgian house where my photographic studio and digital editing suite was so I had the luxury of doing all that I wanted and bought lots of good Tandberg top of the range equipment as well as Nagra machines and even the Nagra rep visited me several times so it was a great time to collect because the Euro and the USD was weaker than the pound so better deals to be had but then it all changed.

I had to make space for the kids bedrooms and I could not see which extra boxes contained what in 2 full rooms so ended up cutting little mouse holes in the outer boxes to see what they contained, they had been labelled ont he top but there were so many boxes piled up and no where to put them so I sold off so much in several large sales and that paid for the kids stuff for a long while. In my lounge/entrance I had built bespoke timber wall shelves in Georgian style and the supports, all stained to look antique so around 1500 or so albums were kept higher up.

Just before selling off most of my equipment I was contacted by a chap through Loot as he wanted to buy my Nakamichi 682ZX cassette decks and ZX9 models etc so he bought one and being impressed with their condition, wanted to buy most of my collection so I had to book a black cab full of these to North London to personally deliver them to his house. What surprised me was that he actually a real tape museum much more extensive than mine and the floors were reinforced with bespoke racks built floor to ceiling and he was such a gentleman too to deal with. So all I can say is that I came close to having a mini audio museum but there are collectors out there who are dedicated than I am and I dread to think of the insurance cover on so much audio gear and I know mine was very high indeed. Perhaps if we had cheap premesis and every member contributed a single piece of equipment they did not use etc I think it could be logical to start an audio museum but it will be organising and running costs that will require considerable planning, negotiations and there will be disagreements that are all part of human nature.
 
Depends if the AR turntable was an XA. The arm on the AR XA is one of those seriously underrated pieces of kit that people tend to dismiss these days.

iirc AR's own literature for the turntable had a recommended tracking weight for the ADC 10E.

The XA is a seriously underrated turntable. Mine sounds superb with a Denon DL110.
I sometimes wonder why I bought an LP12...
 
I think my friend's turntable was indeed the XA, it had a plastic headshell and when the shop assistant fitted the ADC cartridge as part of the service he tightened the fastening screws enough to shear off the bosses holding the threaded inserts for the screws. I think that put me off a bit!

Some years later I bought an identical AR XA for £10 (I must have had a nostalgic streak even then, which continues - I've just bought an Entre cartridge like one I had 40 years ago) and it looked lovely with the edge of the platter polished up but the arm bearings were loose in the vertical plane and sticking in the horizontal and the plastic headshell was losing the teeth from the shell/arm locking collar so it's fair to say I didn't hear it at its best!
 
ive had 3 pairs of pageants,great speakers,i have one pair left as back ups,dog rough but ive recapped them and removed the wadding and steel lined the inside of the cabinets,much improved i think,also if you like the pageants you should hear the top of the range at the time signifers,rare as rocking hose turds and they are ditton 66 killers!

SDC10750.jpg
 
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I think my friend's turntable was indeed the XA, it had a plastic headshell and when the shop assistant fitted the ADC cartridge as part of the service he tightened the fastening screws enough to shear off the bosses holding the threaded inserts for the screws. I think that put me off a bit!

Some years later I bought an identical AR XA for £10 (I must have had a nostalgic streak even then, which continues - I've just bought an Entre cartridge like one I had 40 years ago) and it looked lovely with the edge of the platter polished up but the arm bearings were loose in the vertical plane and sticking in the horizontal and the plastic headshell was losing the teeth from the shell/arm locking collar so it's fair to say I didn't hear it at its best!

I bought my XA for £25.00. It had been in a loft for many years...
A new belt and mat were purchased for about £25/£30.
The headshell was in good condition, as was the lid.
I serviced the XA using an American Audio photocopy given by a friend.
Very comprehensive and detailed.
Initially I used a MM cartridge ( NAD ) then someone told me the arm worked with MC cartridges, so the
DL110 was bought.
The ‘110 worked well in a Mission 774 arm on my LP12 and equally well in the AR arm.
Well set up, the XA is a very good turntable indeed.
Incidentally, I owned an Entre MC for about 35 years. Expert Stylus Co. fitted a fair few styli over
the years.
I now use a Denon 103 in the Linn turntable.
 
ive had 3 pairs of pageants,great speakers,i have one pair left as back ups,dog rough but ive recapped them and removed the wadding and steel lined the inside of the cabinets,much improved i think,also if you like the pageants you should hear the top of the range at the time signifers,rare as rocking hose turds and they are ditton 66 killers!

SDC10750.jpg

Heard them years ago. Very, very impressed at the time.
 
Incidentally, I owned an Entre MC for about 35 years. Expert Stylus Co. fitted a fair few styli over
the years.
I now use a Denon 103 in the Linn turntable.

I know Martyn, it was partly reading your comments about the Entre that decided me to buy mine recently, plus the memories of the first one I owned which had a stereo soundstage presentation that I have never heard bettered (although my ESCO re-tipped ART1 comes close!).

I know you had several re-tips on your Entre by ESCO. Do you recall whether they fitted elliptical or Paratrace profile Sylii and if (as I suspect) both over the years?
The Entre I bought recently appears, as far as I can see under my old microscope with my even older eyes, to have a relatively unworn line contact stylus.

I've also got 2 DL103s, one in my second system, which I hope to send to ESCO once I've had my fair share of wear from it (I'm from Yorkshire!) and another in waiting as a spare whilst one of the others goes away for re-tipping.
I gather that, whilst having been a big fan of the Entre, you have kicked it into touch since getting an ESCO sapphire cantilever/Paratrace stylus 103 so I look forward to going down that route myself in future.
 
I think ESCO fitted elliptical styli in the early years and Paratrace later on, but I don’t have the paperwork
any more.
The Entre was sold on to a very happy owner. I still don’t know why I sold it.
Must have been going through a ‘funny moment.’
The ‘103 was given to me by a friend and had a broken cantilever.
Expert fitted an aluminium cantilever and the Paratrace stylus.
The total cost was about the cost of a new Denon.
I was really taken with the soundstage of the ‘110, even better than the Entre.
 
For those that may be interested - here is the backplate / label for the MS Pageant series 2, which gives clear indication of what each of the switches do. Basically there only seems to be MID and or TOP adjustments - nothing for the BASS.

 


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