Advent Large Advent Loudspeaker (1970–1981)
Surviving documentation on the Large Advent is thin for a speaker with its reputation. Here is what the record shows. Advent Corporation made it in 1970 as an update to the original 1968 Advent Loudspeaker. The VTA archive describes it as an improved version with a 12-inch woofer, an enhanced crossover, and a larger cabinet. It had deeper bass and higher output capability than its predecessor, and it kept the affordable price point that made Advent famous.
Every source agrees on how it relates to the original. The details and the naming are murkier. "Large Advent," "New Large Advent," "NLA," and "Original Large Advent" all appear across period listings and enthusiast forums, and nobody agrees on which label goes with which production run. One forum listing describes a pair with 10-inch woofers and 2½-inch tweeters. That contradicts the 12-inch woofer cited elsewhere, and the available material can't settle it, so the woofer size is best treated as unconfirmed. A separate listing does confirm a tweeter control on the rear of the cabinet, noted on at least one pair offered for sale.
There are also cabinet variations. A "Bullnose Walnut" version described as "the original Large Advents" appears in listings, as does an "A4 version" with bullnose walnut cabinets, alongside the plainer "utility" finish. One seller of a pair in Agawam, Massachusetts asked $175. Another listing, for a pair needing refoam and refinish work, confirms the common failure modes collectors will recognize. A separate craigslist ad offers a professionally refoamed "Original Large Advent woofer," noting it was also used in "some Dahlquist" models without naming which ones.
One forum post calls the model "one of the best sounding speakers ever made," and The Music Room lists an "Excellent Working Pair." Still, no formal technical specifications have surfaced in the research. There is no frequency response, impedance, sensitivity, dimensions, or crossover frequency. There is no original price and no measured review data. One forum user speculated that the low end reaches 34 Hz, with a claim that it could produce 20 Hz at relatively low distortion. That is an unverified forum recollection, not a spec sheet.
Known Specs
- Manufacturer: Advent Corporation
- Type: Loudspeaker (successor to the 1968 Advent Loudspeaker)
- Introduced: 1970
- Woofer: 12-inch (per VTA archive) — though one forum listing claims 10-inch; unresolved
- Crossover: "Enhanced" vs. original, with rear tweeter level control
- Cabinet: Larger than original; available in Bullnose Walnut and utility finishes
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