Rare wonderful 10 inch Telefunken ELA L8 Golden Dew Alnico Magnet Speakers full range speakers from 1950s ideal for open baffle and well matched to tube amplifiers especially single ended ones. These have wonderful detailed, sweet, warm, rich sound that is superb at having presence especially for midrange and vocals. It is at times very eery to feel / hear this presence. Very few speakers historically evoke this sense of presence. It is one of the most non-fatiguing speakers I've ever heard. Arguably this is one of the closest German analogs to the Western Electric 755a speaker but with more body/meat on the bones since it has a larger diameter.
Condition
Operational and functional (they sound wonderful), though they would benefit from some cosmetic and structural restoration by an enthusiast or vintage audio specialist.
Cone Repair: One speaker has a repaired tear in the cone (visible in photos). While currently stable, a purist may wish to redo the repair using lightweight mulberry Kozo paper and archival adhesive for a seamless, flush finish.
Buckling: The other speaker cone exhibits some buckling. This likely resulted from a broken phenolic terminal pulling the internal wiring taut (if playing it as is, it is best to use care to not pull the speaker terminals out so that they're taut against the cone. i.e. it's best to give it some looseness). This is a common issue with vintage speakers and can be corrected by someone experienced in cone restoration.
Terminal on one speaker: I recommend replacing the broken phenolic terminal with a new one to secure the speaker cables properly.
Both speakers currently function and sound amazing, but addressing these issues will bring them back to optimal optical and functional condition. Please note that the issues may effect the balance and sound of the speakers, thus I recommend a proper restoration to bring them back closer to their original sound. However, one can still get amazing sound from them as is.
GOLDEN DEW Alnico Magnet (the German analog to the Western Electric 755A)
Telefunken used various magnets for the ELA L8. The Golden DEW version appears to be one of the rarer versions. It is possible that this is a custom batch made by DEW per Telefunken's specifications as it appears to be unique for the L8. The shape, shorter, wider, rounded is more reminiscent of the magnet found on the Western Electric 755A.
The geometry of a magnet "pot" (the return circuit for the magnetic field) significantly impacts the speaker's performance. Magnetic Efficiency: The wider diameter allows for a larger pole piece and a more robust magnetic return path. This often results in a more uniform magnetic field across the voice coil gap, which reduces distortion during high excursion. Inductance & Tone: The "pancake" style pot typically has different inductive properties than the tall, narrow versions. Users often describe the gold-pot L8s as having a "sweeter" or more "liquid" midrange compared to the punchier, more aggressive sound of the later tin-colored versions. Heat Dissipation: The increased surface area of the wider pot helps pull heat away from the voice coil more effectively, which can slightly improve power handling and prevent "power compression" during long listening sessions. In these "wide" versions, the magnet is often shorter but has a larger diameter than the slugs found in the taller pots. The Return Circuit: The "pot" itself is made of high-permeability soft iron. In the gold-finished units, this iron is often thicker. The gold color is a protective cadmium or zinc plating (with a yellow chromate passivate) designed to prevent corrosion of the iron. Solid Construction: Unlike modern "cup" magnets where a tiny neodymium disc is glued inside, these vintage Telefunkens used the pot as an integral part of the magnetic circuit. The air gap is precision-machined; if you were to open it, you'd find a very dense, heavy assembly. This results in a warm, detailed, transparent, very present, sweet "organic" mids much like what you find on a Western Electric 755A which shares a similar magnet shape (wider, shorter, pancake like). However, some consider it as having more meat than the 755A do to being a larger driver. In short, this is a wonderful non fatiguing speaker that one can listen to for hours on end and is ideal for acoustic, folk, vocal jazz, and jazz music.
AUDIO/VIDEO SAMPLE
The following video demonstrates the sound quality of these speakers listed. Of course it will never be as good as hearing them in person, but it gives you a rough idea. Various excerpts of songs are played. The amplifier is a Timester TMS T200 Mark II EL84 single ended tube amplifier (puts out about 3 to 4 watts which seems to be plenty for these speakers) using vintage tubes from 50s. Recorded using a Huawei P20 Lite.
https://youtu.be/FLmF1RATv8E
NOTE: Shipping from Berlin, Germany.
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As I am not a professional seller and sometimes I travel for work, there maybe up to a week delay before shipping. Otherwise when not traveling, I strive to ship within 3 business days. If you do not have positive feedback please contact me before buying (however, I do reserve the right not to sell to buyers who do not have sufficiently positive feedback). If you want to know more certainly about the time estimate for shipping, you can contact me in advance depending upon when you would like to receive it.