Thanks both, these don't seem to suffer the sort of problems you describe Chartz so I do appear to have lucked out.
It's an interesting story really, neither my mate or I know too much about their life story, just their origin. Rich chap in the electronics trade who we can only guess was meticulous judging by mate doing some work for him, retires, spends increasing time overseas, clears UK house to sell it, wanted my mate to take them away otherwise he was disposing of them! He will have had the access and means to any number of speakers but these were his personal pair from new (I have the original 1977 receipt). My mate asked me if he took them and we got them to mine could I check them out to sell and we split the proceeds. Hence halving what we assumed to be £800 in this condition as a consumer price rather than retailer.
I spent Christmas googling all I could see about MK1 and MK2, these appear to be MK1 going by the drivers and non--veneered panel behind the grilles. I couldn't see that this reddish tone was a standard finish and my mate surmises that the owner will have finished them himself at some point, expects he will have checked out drivers and csossovers across the years. We can only guess though. I did remove the screws to the bass driver in the pic hoping to take a look at the crossover but it didn't move easily (perhaps simply due to weight) and I didn't want to scratch anything forcing it out.
I am tempted to take them to somewhere like Harcross Audio in Devon at some point to get them checked over, I've just been listening and enjoying without over-driving as Tony mentioned earlier. As I approach retirement years I guess similar to other fishies I'm just settling into a good sound without chasing the dragon, caring less about upgrades and changes and the system being enjoyable, relatively simple to look after and nothing stupidly heavy or draining the national grid. I've had a lot of fun with turntables, cartridges, phono stages, valves and all sorts across 40 years. I had low expectations when these were dropped off at mine, mushiness, soft bass, veiled detail, I just expected to be underwhelmed really. Probably the best way to receive something and they have just been used for 2 or 3 weeks with vinyl, FM radio, streaming and TV and more than stood up to whatever is asked of them and I have been amazed at their clarity. So a bargain I guess.
