Advent Baby (1992–)
Compact bookshelf speaker system with acoustic suspension design and Ferrofluid-cooled tweeter
Overview
The Advent Baby, also known as the Baby Advent or Baby Advent II, is a two-way compact bookshelf speaker system produced starting in 1992 under the Advent brand, then owned by International Jensen. It features a sealed acoustic suspension cabinet with a 6.5-inch long-throw woofer and a 1-3/4-inch cone tweeter. Designed for stereo use, the system was sold in pairs and priced at $198 per pair when new. The speaker can be installed vertically or horizontally and includes a black cloth snap-on grille with rounded sides.
Specifications
| Model Name | Baby Advent (also referred to as Advent Baby, Advent Baby II, Baby Advent II's) |
| Dimensions | 16 inches high, 11 inches wide, 6-3/16 inches deep |
| Weight | 13 pounds |
| Woofer | 6.5" long-throw paper pulp cone, acoustic-suspension design, long voice coil, highly compliant suspension, "deep" magnet |
| Tweeter | 1-3/4-inch cone tweeter with Ferrofluid-filled magnetic gap |
| Enclosure Type | Sealed acoustic suspension cabinet |
| Crossover Frequency | 2,500 Hz |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz – 21kHz (+/- 3dB) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal |
| Sensitivity | 89 dB |
| Power Handling | 50 watts RMS, 150 watts peak |
| Input Connections | Insulated spring-loaded input connections on rear |
Design
The cabinet is constructed from black-finished fiberboard and capped at the top and bottom with walnut-colored solid hardwood panels featuring rounded edges, also described as solid pecan wood decorative panels. The woofer includes dust caps that allow air movement from the piston/cylinder area to escape, and the original crossover includes a coil glued to the terminal housing, a square ceramic resistor, and a capacitor. The tweeter is padded down with a 2-ohm resistor on the original crossover. Driver integration is described as "nearly seamless due to the tweeter's low-end capabilities."
Context
The Advent Baby was released during a period when the Advent brand was owned by International Jensen, which also owned AR and NHT. It followed earlier Advent models like the Advent Loudspeaker and Smaller Advent Loudspeaker, and its larger counterpart was the Advent Graduate. The speaker emerged long after the original Advent Corporation, founded by Henry Kloss in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1967, ceased operations in 1981. Contemporary competitors included Klipsch, Altec Lansing, and Dynaco.
Market
Common issues include deteriorated foam surrounds on the 6.5-inch woofers, commonly referred to as "foam rot." Repair kits are available, such as the "Advent Baby, Baby II, Baby III Speaker Foam Surround Repair Kit - 2A65-024" priced at $25.95 USD, which includes foam surrounds, adhesive, brush, and instructions. Refoaming services have cost users around $80. Market values have varied: a pair sold for $99 (Holt Hill Audio), $40 on Craigslist (2009), $80 estimated value (circa 2012), and one pair was found at a thrift store for $11.99 in 2018.
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