I have in the last 6 years been a prolific collector, user, repairer and seller of audio equipment. I have had lots of vintage speakers as well as lots of 90's and 00 high end.
My motto is - If I can lift it by myself, I dont want it. Anyway, some random examples - altec VOTT 1203's, EV sp12b's, HPM100's, B&W 802's etc.
Of late, I am basically not motivated by speaker cabinets that are made of particle board. That basically covers everything made after maybe 1980, and 80" of pre 80's. Altec VOTT's are plywood, but are painted grey, my EV's are a kit made at home, I have a few more altec and ev's that are home made ply wood too.
I plan on selling/trading/gutting/parting any non wood/plywood speaker I got in the next few years. Including the 802 I got now as well as the PCS8+FCM8 B&W combo - what I consider to be the best speakers in the location I have had them in. I plan on making a wood face, plywood body speaker, 801 woofer, 2 dynaudio soft domes for mid and tweeter.
I am used to having a carpenter come over to my house in india to make anything we needed. Table, bed, chairs - unless of course we inherited it. I just have to be my own carpenter now.
BTW 801/802 cabinets are made of the worst material you can find. Not MDF they're particle board. They disintegrate if you rub your fingers on the non veneered side. The drivers are phenomenal, the XO is more complicated than I like, the covers are awesome, even better if you replace the stock cloth with stretchy spandex, but the cabinets are awful.
Cool.
Srinath.