30 year old speakers are tough for two reasons. First speakers are mechanical devices that can wear out over time. In particular many of the materials used in cones and surrounds in that era were plagued by a tendency to dry out and crack as they aged. Secondly, 30 years ago represents the really early days of "high end" and there was not much available in the way of audiophile speakers. Jon Dahlquist had just introduced the DQ-10 and the Magneplanar had just come on the scene (under the Audio Research banner) However, if you were to just fast forward the clock about 7 - 8 years to the late 80s, we are looking at a whole different world. In addition to updated designs from Magnapan, we are also starting to see great new designs from companies like Thiel, Martin-Logan, Apogee, Vandersteen and a whole host of others. These were all pretty groundbreaking designs and while they may not keep pace with today's state of the art speakers, they certainly sound no worse than they did back then (and with some of the newer electronics that have come around since then, in many cases they can now sound even better.) And by the time the 80s came around, advances in material science were such that speakers did not break down over time as much as they previously did. And compared to the prices we must now pay for high end speakers, some of the models of that era are a downright steal. For example, both Thiel 3.5s and Maggie MG IIas can be found on the used market in excellent condition (both functionally and cosmetically) for under $1000. Now; while neither of these speakers can compare sonically to the current flagship models from their respective companies, both can still produce a credible high end sound and can be in your house for a price that is not much more than you would pay in sales tax on the purchase of what is now that company's top of the line speaker. In terms of pure sound per dollar (or franc) you still can't beat some of these golden oldies. And while many of us have grown past these speakers, they do represent a great value for someone new to the hobby or someone who is on a tight audio budget
Tom