You’ll agree with us that Cerwin Vega’s vintage speakers for home use consistent with your needs and taste are quite difficult to find.
Knowing this, our team extensively analyzed Cerwin Vega’s best sellers to determine where they stand as per quality.
In this post, you’ll find our top-list, detailed reviews, features, pros & cons of the speaker, and a buying guide.
Winner
If you’re looking for compact and loud speakers with stereo sound, they are the best choice. They have an elegant structure and quality build. The audio quality is also nice.
Runner Up
They can be a great choice if you need medium-volume home audio speakers. They have a compact design and take less space. They also have sharp highs and distortion-free audio.
Also Great
They have a beautiful and symmetrical design that enables them to produce a theatrical sound. They are loud and have moderate sound quality. They take a little more space than usual.
Now that we’ve gone through the best ones, let’s review them in detail.
Vintage Cerwin Vega Speakers - Top 3 Picks
Cerwin Vega’s home audio speakers are best known for their classic sound and cinema effect.
#1: Best Sound Quality Speakers - Cerwin-Vega XLS Tower Speakers Review
Cerwin Vega XLS tower speakers – as the name suggests – are tower speakers of 12 inches size. They have the loudest volume in the company’s tower series. They have a powerhandling that peaks at 300 watts. The model has an up to par sensitivity of 90.8 dB. They can handle any volume and frequencies.
They play a diverse range of frequencies and work great at all of them. The frequency response is active from 43 Hz – 20 kHz. The lows and mids are strong, and the highs are sharp. The audio system consists of a 6.5 inches subwoofer and a soft 1-inch tweeter.
The body is quite elegant in design. The outer cover has a black-ash color and is made of quality polymer. The audio channels have impregnated cones. You can use different high-powered amps. They can also be bi-amped.
The speaker has a clear audio with high bass. Both ends of frequencies are executed greatly. You can buy them in pairs for your LEDs, LCDs, or other systems. They’re really cool for you if you’re an old-schooler and love classical design and sound. The only downside we found is that they are overly expensive.
Features of Cerwin-Vega XLS
- Speaker Size: 12 inches
- Dimensions: 42 x 18 x 18 inches
- Weight: 55 pounds
- Sensitivity: 90.8 dB
- RMS Peak: 300 watts
- 6.5-inch subwoofer
- 1-inch tweeter
- Black-ash enclosure
- Great sound
- Deep bass
- Strong mids, lows, and highs
- Diverse frequency response
- Old-school
- Quality material
- Great for music
- Loud volume
- A little too expensive
- Heavyweight
If you’re an old-school lover, definitely, it is a great choice for you.
Best Sound Quality Speakers
The best sound quality speakers are Cerwin-Vega XLS Tower Speakers because of their diverse frequency response, clear audio, and deep bass.
#2: Best Durable Speakers - Cerwin-Vega SL-5M Bookshelf Speakers Review
Cerwin Vega SL-5M speakers are bookshelf size loudspeakers that come in pairs. They peak at 1125 watts and have a sensitivity of 85 dB. They’re not very efficient and loud but can be loud enough for your drawing room.
Sound-wise, they have a very wide frequency response ranging from 58 Hz to 26 kHz that makes them extremely warm for highs. The bass is also above the line. AAn 8-inch woofer makes the lows and mids remarkable.
The speakers have a very classical-looking elegant design. The twitter lies on the upper-side cover with a soft flap and a protective grille. The woofer down the deck has a foam flap with a red beauty ring encircling it. The material is of impressive quality.
The most applaudable thing is that they are very durable. Due to its classical design, the speaker is not water and moisture resistant and can take effect from them. Also, we don’t think that their sensitivity matches the cost.
Features of Cerwin-Vega SL-5M
- Dimensions: 7.2 x 6.1 x 10.9 inches
- Weight: 6.6 pounds
- Sensitivity: 85 dB
- Power-handling: 130 watts (peaks)
- 8-inch woofer
- 1-inch tweeter
- Frequency response: 58 Hz – 26 kHz
- Sharp highs
- Deep bass
- Classical-looking
- Elegant design
- Durable
- High-frequency response
- Can be damaged by moisture
- Not very efficient
Overall, if you’re looking for sharp highs and vintage design, this is your deal.
Best Durable Speakers
The best durable speakers are Cerwin Vega SL-5M because of their quality materials and components.
#3: Best Central Channel Speakers - Cerwin-Vega SL-45C Speakers Review
Cerwin Vega SL-45C is the central channel speaker in the SL series. It has a grille-protected tweeter right in the middle. On both sides of the tweeter are two 10-inch midrange woofers. The design is intended to create a theatrical effect at home by diversifying the audio in different directions.
Sound-wise, the speaker has a very warm response to highs. The bass is also sufficiently deep. The best part is the theatrical effect of sound produced because of its horizontal elongated structure. Some users experience little distortion in the audio.
The speaker peaks at 300 watts and has a sensitivity of 89 dB also falls above the par. You can be sure of its efficiency. The SL series has the second loudest volume in the Cerwin Vega collection, so volume is also more than enough.
As we mentioned earlier, the design of the speaker is impressively elegant and durable. If given proper care, it can last at least for a couple of decades. Compared to Cerwin Vega’s other speakers, the cost is quite reasonable. A possible downside is that they are quite heavy and can be difficult to carry.
Features of Cerwin-Vega SL-45C
- Dimensions: 30 x 27.5 x 6.5 inches
- Weight: 20 pounds
- Frequency response: 55 Hz – 26 kHz
- Sensitivity: 89 dB
- 1-inch tweeter
- 4 10-inch subwoofers
- Impedance: 8 ohms
- Theatrical sound
- Diversified frequency response
- Strong highs
- Deep bass
- Reasonable price
- Loud volume
- Somewhat distortion in the audio
- Heavyweight
Overall, they are a great choice at a reasonable price for a theatrical sound system.
Best Central Channel Speakers
The best central channel speakers are Cerwin Vega SL-45C because of their apt horizontal structure and diversified audio response.
Buyers’ Guide
Before buying a speaker system for your living room or other purposes, you need to keep some things in mind. Otherwise, you may end up with something that you would regret buying. Here, we have compiled all of the necessary details and features that you would need to make a great deal.
Why Cerwin Vega?
Cerwin Vega’s brand was a sensation for speaker enthusiasts in the 1980s and 1990s. With time, due to some management changes, the company went into an economic crisis and declared bankruptcy in 2003. The company’s different sections were bought by different companies.
If you’re an old-schooler and a vintage sound systems enthusiast, Cerwin Vega can be a great choice for you. Although the quality has gone down somewhat compared to the previous standards, it still has the charm of olden times.
What are Vintage Speakers?
Vintage speakers refer to the speaker designs that were used in the latter part of the 20th century. These speakers are considered to be highly collectible. Old-schoolers enjoy them for their vintage music sound and classic-style.
Features to Look for
You should always look for the following no matter what kind of 3-way speakers you’re buying:
Frequency Response
Frequency response is the range of frequencies to which a speaker can respond. The larger this range is the better it is. At a minimum, you should look for 100 Hz – 18000 kHz. Below that won’t give satisfying results.
Bass
The Bass of a speaker matters a lot. It refers to the quality of sound at lower frequencies. Music genres like blues, jazz, and hip-hop have heavy bass. You can check if the bass is good or not by examining the lower frequency range limit. The lower it is the better.
Power-handling
Power-handling refers to the amount of electrical energy a speaker can handle. It directly affects the volume and sound quality of a speaker. Depending upon the volume you’re looking for, you should always try to have maximum power.
Build Quality
The materials used in the speaker determine how durable the speaker is going to be. Try to buy quality and firm body and internal structure materials. You can check buyers’ reviews to determine the build’s quality.
Setup Design
Home audio systems come in a variety of designs and it can be difficult to choose amongst them. Let’s have a detailed look at their types.
Floor Speakers
Floor speakers (often referred to as floorstanding speakers) are a type of home audio theatrical 3-way speakers that have a long vertical structure. Generally, they have two or more midrange woofers and a tweeter right in the mid. They are built to provide complete stereo output. People, usually, buy them in pairs. They give a great stereo sound.
Bookshelf Speakers
Bookshelf speakers are medium-size and medium-volume speakers that come in a compact design. As the name suggests, they are designed to fit on a shelf. They also fit in cabinets. They usually come in pairs. They perform well if you intend to use them in a small room.
Central Channel Speakers
Central channel speakers have a horizontal and symmetrical design. They are considered the best choice if you want to have a theatrical effect in your home. Generally, they have loud and clear audio.
Subwoofers
Subwoofers are midrange speakers that are used as add-on for other speakers. They offer extra-bass and volume to the sound system. If you have a large room, they can be a great choice to enhance the audio.
Summing It All
You should try to get a speaker most suited to your needs at the best price possible. One essential thing to consider is the space you’ve for the speaker.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are central channel speakers?
Central channel speakers have a horizontal and symmetrical design. The tweeter is in the middle of the speaker. A couple or more midrange speaker-channels are on each side of it. They provide a theatrical effect to the sound. They work best in large rooms.
Are Cerwin Vega speakers affordable?
Not really! Cerwin Vega speakers are popular for their high sound quality, loud volumes, and ingenious designs. They have quality material and internal wiring systems. Such quality things cost a lot. For these reasons, these speakers cost from 200$ to 700$. Still, they are worth it because they last longer.
How’s the sound quality of Cerwin Vega speakers?
In general, Cerwin Vega speakers have great sound quality. They have a wide frequency response that gives them a deep bass. They have strong mids and lows, and the highs are sharp. Most of the models don’t have any distortion in the sound.
Do Cerwin Vega speakers have Bluetooth?
No, but you can use it. Cerwin Vega speakers are old-style home audio systems. They don’t have modern features. You can connect Bluetooth to them by using adapters.
Are Cerwin Vega speakers durable?
Yes! Cerwin Vega uses quality material in their build. Also, they are designed to resist damage. If you take proper care of them, they can last for more than a couple of decades.
Final Thoughts
After analyzing all Cerwin Vega home audio systems, we are pretty sure that Cerwin-Vega XLS Tower Speakers are the best for most practical purposes. They deliver great stereo sound, have deep bass, and sharp highs. Moreover, due to their vertical structure, they take very little space as compared to other speaker types.