Offered for sale is this pair of Snell E III speakers. These are a bit of a modern classic—though as they were released in 1991, they may count as vintage hi-fi now. Im not the original owner, but Ive owned these since 2011 or so. I used them as my living room hi-fi speaker, and took care of them during that time. They came to me with some nicks, bruises, and general wear, which they obviously still have (I tried to show this in the photos), but overall Id say theyre a nice looking speaker in good vintage condition. They are also missing one of the Snell badges at the bottom of the grill cloth. There are a lot of devotees of this speaker out there, and lots of great reviews of these speakers from the years after their release. In fact there is a company called Audio Note which made an exponentially more expensive speaker based on this design. Components are original. I believe the woofers were re-foamed before they came to me, and theyre still in really good shape. If youd ever like to replace components at some point down the road, new matched components are available to order from Atomic Hi-Fi in Palm Spring CA. The replacement components would be based on the markings on the original components, which were selected to match within narrow specs of tolerance. Theyre on the efficient side—they dont seem to need tons of power to drive them. A 30-50 watt vintage receiver might even be all you need. An interesting aspect of the design on these speakers is the second set of rear-firing tweeters, which use a kind of inverse curve to just reproduce just the very top frequencies—this can help to create a spaciousness in the room, counteracting the inherent directionality of high-frequencies. The speakers have the 4 threaded metal inserts on the underside of the bases in case youd like to spike them (I dont have any spikes but you could source some, as its a common thread size). These are wonderful-sounding speakers, but after a dozen or so years of enjoyment, I felt my ears needed a change, so Im trying some Magnepans. Let me know if youve got any questions. Snell E/III Specs: Specifications Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Driver complement: one 8 cone woofer, one 1 treated textile-dome tweeter, one 0.75 soft-dome, rear-firing tweeter. Crossover frequency: 2.7kHz, 24dB/octave slope. Frequency response: 39Hz–20kHz, ±1.75dB anechoic (response specified on-axis or up to 15° off the horizontal axis). Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Sensitivity: 91dB at 1W (2.83V) at 1m, anechoic (sensitivity higher in a normal environment). Power requirements: suitable for use with amplifiers rated from 20Wpc to 100Wpc. Dimensions: 13 W by 35 H by 11 D. Shipping weight: 50 lbs each. Finishes available: matched-grain, hand-sanded and -oiled pairs in oak, dark oak, walnut, or black veneers, or black-finished veneer. Price: $990/pair (1991); no longer available (2008). Optional stands: $120/pair, available in black veneer. Manufacturer: Snell Acoustics, Haverhill, MA (1991); Snell Acoustics, 300 Jubilee Drive, PO Box 3717, Peabody, MA Review from Stereophile (1991) The Snell Type E/III is a find, a real value: high-end sound for under $1200, stands included. Their bass response alone competes with more than one loudspeaker that has been nominated for Class A ratings in our Recommended Components feature. Some, but not all, of the strengths of this speaker can be heard with inexpensive electronics. The Type Es high efficiency means that it can be included in many budget systems, where more money can be spent on the loudspeaker and less on power amplification. If low-powered, substandard amplifiers like the ca-1970 Lafayette Criterion can make the Type E/IIIs play, then powerful, high-end, solid-state amplifiers really make them sing. The ease of setup and upper-bass warmth, coupled with a clear midrange and smooth, if unobtrusive highs make the Snell Type E/IIIs one of my favorite loudspeakers. Review from Hi-Fi Classic: If we had to describe the sound of the E/III in one word, it would be neutral. Rarely have we heard a speaker with as little tonal coloration as this one. All the frequencies in our test recordings, from the fairly low bass (below 40 Hz) up beyond the limits of human hearing, were present in believable proportions, without any obvious emphasis or deficiency in any particular portion of the audible spectrum. The most obvious illustration of this neutral quality is the way the E/III reproduced the sound of male voices. The upper-bass heaviness typical of the vast majority of speakers we have heard was totally absent from the sound of the Snell E/III. That particular coloration is perhaps the most common flaw we have encountered in otherwise good speakers, and it was refreshing to find an affordable speaker, with excellent credentials, measurements, and overall sound, that was tree of it. All in all, the Snell E/III is a truly outstanding performer. And as a bonus, it looks as good as it sounds.