Avid 103 (circa 1973–1976)
The series was sold as "high fidelity speaker systems," with an emphasis on accurate sound and interchangeable decorator grilles. Avid pushed the user-changeable grille in its early marketing. The three models ran from $79.50 to $139.50 at launch, and the 103 sat at the top of that range.
Past the ad copy, the published record on the 103 is thin. A test report in HiFI-Stereo (April 1974, p.40) looked at tone bursts at 100, 1,000, and 7,000 Hz. It reported excellent rise-time characteristics with negligible ringing at burst completion, which is a good sign for transient response. A later Audio (March 1976, p.67) commentary said "few people would expect more in a loudspeaker," though that is a listening impression and not a full lab review. No firm specifications appear to have survived in the period literature. That covers driver complement, enclosure type, crossover points, frequency response and sensitivity. The exact production run and final price aren't documented either.
The 103 remains an obscure entry in Avid's early catalog.
Known facts at a glance:
- Part of Avid Series 100 (alongside Model 100 and Model 102)
- Introduced circa late 1973; still in period ads through 1975–76
- User-changeable decorator grilles
- Series price range: $79.50 to $139.50 (103 at upper end)
- Tested favorably for transient response and low ringing (HiFI-Stereo, April 1974)
- Described as exceeding expectations for its class (Audio, March 1976)
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