Celestion SL-600 (1982)
The Celestion SL-600 holds a genuine place in loudspeaker history: it was the world's first production speaker to use a metal cone, and it effectively kicked off the era of the high-end mini-monitor. Launched at the June 1982 Chicago CES at around £600, it was Celestion's range-topping statement — a small, stand-mounted, two-way reflex design built around a 10 cm Aerolam aluminum cone mid/bass driver and a 19 mm metal dome tweeter. The Aerolam cone was a sandwich of two aluminum skins bonded to a structural foam core, and both drivers were mounted in precision die-cast frames, set flush into a rigid, internally damped and braced cabinet finished in black ash. Claimed response was 70 Hz to 20 kHz ±3 dB, with sensitivity barely above 82 dB/W/m and a 6 ohm nominal impedance. Each cabinet measured 14.2 × 9.1 × 11 inches and weighed just 19 lb.
The SL-600 was nearly twice the price of its near-twin, the SL6, which shared the same drivers and crossover. Audio (February 1985, p.80) reviewed the SL-600 and called it an excellent loudspeaker in many ways, while wrestling with the value question — small at 15 × 8 × 10 inches, $1,380 a pair, and requiring a heavy, rigid stand of the proper height (Celestion sold matching stands for an additional $35). HiFi-Stereo (September 1984, p.46) noted that the SL600 was a top performer with smooth response and high-power capability. The little speaker stunned listeners at the time with its clarity, imaging, and surprising bass weight for its size. Later owners still remember it fondly for transparency and imaging.
The SL-600 was joined almost immediately by the larger SL6. When Celestion stopped exporting to the US, the SL-600 was renamed SL600SI for that market, with a re-worked crossover and silver-plated internal wiring. Known issues to watch for today: the ferrofluid in the tweeter dries out and needs replacing, and the bass driver's foam surround can rot — check both before buying. Replacement drivers are essentially unobtainable now, though the original bass unit can be re-coned. The SL-600 was also fussy about placement, needing to sit well away from walls to give its best bass.
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