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DIY Celestion Ditton 2 Bookshelf Loudspeakers These speakers are built with precision, featuring original Celestion drivers carefully selected and assembled. I purchased them locally a few years ago from a gentleman who was an audio engineer at SBS television and had built them for studio use. Housed in vintage Wharfedale Denton cabinets with genuine timber veneer finish, these monitors exude classic British charm. With their roots in English craftsmanship, they evoke the legendary BBC speakers in both appearance and sound signature. Having served in a professional studio for mastering
Is A$600 fair for a Ditton 2, or are you paying top-end money for a lesser-known slot in the range? With only broad comparable Ditton pricing to go on, that feels on the firm side of fair rather than a bargain: a smaller Ditton model like the 15 is listed around A$369.95, while the larger Ditton 25 is up at A$799.95, so A$600 lands in the middle of the family’s used market rather than at the sweet spot.
The appeal here is classic Celestion character: these vintage Dittons are valued for a musical, easygoing presentation rather than hyper-etched detail, and well-kept originals can be very satisfying for vinyl and relaxed listening. If the cabinets are clean, drivers are original, and the crossovers have not been molested, this could be a worthwhile buy; if the seller can’t verify condition, try to hear them first and check for woofer surrounds, tweeter output, and any cabinet or veneer damage.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Celestion traces its origins to 1924 in Hampton Wick, on the outskirts of London, where Cyril French and his brothers founded the Electrical Manufacturing and Plating Company. Tasked with refining Eric Mackintosh's early cone loudspeaker invention—a bamboo-reinforced "free-vibrating edge" design—they patented it that year and named their breakthrough product the Celestion. By 1928, the firm had incorporated as Celestion Ltd., adopting the motto "The Very Soul of Music" amid rapid expansion into radiogram speakers and cabinets, before acquisitions by British Rola in 1946 and later Truvox reshaped its trajectory.
The brand specializes in loudspeakers, with a legacy rooted in innovative drivers for radios, hi-fi systems, and professional audio. Iconic models like the G12 series, first developed in 1936 and toughened into the 1959 T530 Alnico Blue—the world's inaugural guitar amp speaker—cemented its prowess. Today, Celestion produces pro audio loudspeakers, guitar cabinets, and replacement drivers, emphasizing precision engineering for sound reinforcement and instrument amplification, all manufactured under ISO standards within the Gold Peak group.
Celestion commands a revered position as a vintage-inspired leader in the guitar and pro audio markets, prized by musicians and engineers for its punchy, articulate tone that defined rock legends from the 1960s onward. Neither purely high-end boutique nor mid-tier commodity, it blends heritage craftsmanship with reliable performance, appealing to discerning hi-fi buyers and tone chasers who value century-tested innovation over fleeting trends.
See all Celestion listings on RADAR.
