This is insane...the Quad ESL

[mullard88]

Hi Benanton,

That’s a nice cozy listening room. Do you have other tube traps aside from the two hanging on the doors. Your tube trap placement reminds me of Magnepan’s advise to put only one tube trap located on the back wall exactly between the Magnepan speakers in my listening room. Are those sound treatment near your ceiling? Also may I ask for more info on your custom Blue Circle amp that you use with your Quad speakers?

Thank you.

 

[awsmone]

Hi awsmone,

For a picture of the Stax F 81, may I refer you to Members’ Gallery, Mullard88’s Main Listening Room. Take a look at third picture in post #1; the pair of speakers on the left side with dirty white middle and wooden sides is a pair of Stax F 81.

Thanks
Like your listening room
I note yours are twin quads
Are those bespoke frames

I have noticed the tilt effects the sound a lot,
More tilt better bass to a point
Less tilt more treble and detail
There seems to be a sweet point, but it varies with your height and distance of course, think this explains Wilson’s obsession with this
As I have extra bass panels, I am thinking of adding these, and allow me to change the tilt, and drive the quads less hard to get bass

This thread is made me feel like I am less of a nut thinking I was going mad
My wife this morning commented on the song and quality of sound from the quads...

 

[Benanton]

Hi Benanton,

That’s a nice cozy listening room. Do you have other tube traps aside from the two hanging on the doors. Your tube trap placement reminds me of Magnepan’s advise to put only one tube trap located on the back wall exactly between the Magnepan speakers in my listening room. Are those sound treatment near your ceiling? Also may I ask for more info on your custom Blue Circle amp that you use with your Quad speakers?

Thank you.

Thank you! Those panels offer both diffusion and absorption. I have more at the first and second reflection points. They made a huge difference with box speakers, less so with the QUADs but they’re still a marked improvement. Those treatments towards the ceiling were to dampen the sound of the AC flowing through the ductwork, it did the trick!

The BC amp is based around the NSP. This will explain it more sufficiently than me: http://www.bluecircle.com/page137.html

 

[mullard88]

Thanks awsmone.

The stands are copied from the original HQD stand. However, instead of using wood like the original stand, we used aluminium.

When you swap in the Lamm amps, don’t forget to flip the impedance switch to the 16 ohm position.

Have a great musical journey with your Quads.

 

[mullard88]

Thank you Benanton.

 

[awsmone]

Thanks awsmone.

The stands are copied from the original HQD stand. However, instead of using wood like the original stand, we used aluminium.

When you swap in the Lamm amps, don’t forget to flip the impedance switch to the 16 ohm position.

Have a great musical journey with your Quads.

Thanks morricab

You know I got into Hifi in 1975 after hearing the full HQD system with crossover and 6 Levinson ml2 playing carmina burana

 

[microstrip]

Thanks morricab

You know I got into Hifi in 1975 after hearing the full HQD system with crossover and 6 Levinson ml2 playing carmina burana

In my early twenty's I helped a close neighbor to assemble and set an HQD system - these things had real bass in a very large room. Later, when the owner decided to give up on the system, I got the staked ESL57's from him.

Sometimes I question myself - would I be happy with the HQD system using top digital?

 

[bonzo75]

In my early twenty's I helped a close neighbor to assemble and set an HQD system - these things had real bass in a very large room. Later, when the owner decided to give up on the system, I got the staked ESL57's from him.

You have stacked ESLs? You mentioned that OTL worked on one of 57 and 63, correct? Which one was it?

 

[microstrip]

You have stacked ESLs? You mentioned that OTL worked on one of 57 and 63, correct? Which one was it?

Well, I am not any more in the middle twenty's, the time when I got the two pairs of ESL57 ... A few years later I got my first pair of ESL63, that IMHO is a much better overall speaker. I tried both of them with an exact German copy of the Futterman OTL-3 and an acquaintance had the ESL63 with a pair of the the genuine OTL-3's, and with Atma-sphere.

My ESL57's are still owned by an high-end collector who has a very large warehouse ...

 

[leyenda]

View attachment 43725Since buying restored 57s from Electrostatic Solutions a year ago I’ve somewhat compulsively looked for speakers that can better them but in my smallish room I haven’t been able to. Maybe it’s my less than perfect basement listening room that the QUADs happen to excel in, or my inability (maybe more my disinterest) to spend $15k+ on speakers, but I’m questioning how much better it can get (again, in my imperfect listening room). Partly it may be an unwillingness to except that a 60 year old design can be so advanced, but I’m pretty sure I’m done until something comes along and proves itself to be definitively better. Enjoy your new purchase!

Hi Benanton, have you listened to the Sanders? Somewhat different sound but back when I had the two alternating system, it was 90/10 split of time with 90 being with the Sanders. May not be your cup of tea but certainly worth a try.

 

[Benanton]

Hi Benanton, have you listened to the Sanders? Somewhat different sound but back when I had the two alternating system, it was 90/10 split of time with 90 being with the Sanders. May not be your cup of tea but certainly worth a try.

No I haven't, but I'd love to. How would you describe their differences/similarities?

 

[awsmone]

A sample of a stacked Quad system

 

[Kcin]

I just purchased a reconditioned reconstructed pair of Quad ESL

These are on higher stands and have a protection circuit

By chance my Weston push pull kt120 monoblocks drive them superbly

I have never heard a speaker that got the timbre dynamics so correct without any fiddling !
View attachment 43687

Contrary to what many people believe Quads do love power- push pull power that is controlled. Tubes work out well because of the wild swings of the impedance curve.

I have a soft spot for them and have run them - totally restored- I'm on my 3rd pair- with Futterman H3, Marantz Model 2 the SE Wyetech 211 and the McIntosh 225 is very nice as well. It is true about the Bedini 25/25 but that amp needs a lot of restoration because it runs like a hot plate.

If you can live with their limitations they are sublime. Here I show running with the 211's and the Futterman...


View attachment 43743

 

[awsmone]

Contrary to what many people believe Quads do love power- push pull power that is controlled. Tubes work out well because of the wild swings of the impedance curve.

I have a soft spot for them and have run them - totally restored- I'm on my 3rd pair- with Futterman H3, Marantz Model 2 the SE Wyetech 211 and the McIntosh 225 is very nice as well. It is true about the Bedini 25/25 but that amp needs a lot of restoration because it runs like a hot plate.

If you can live with their limitations they are sublime. Here I show running with the 211's and the Futterman...


View attachment 43743

I would be interested in your experience with the OTL futtermans

I agree I was surprised how loud and how good they sound with the WESTONS with the KT120

What is your opinion of removing the screens

I won’t be doing it currently as I have a toddler, but later

My first pair were said to be rostored but were rubbish, this pair are totally different

My wife said what a good looking speaker they are this morning

 

[leyenda]

No I haven't, but I'd love to. How would you describe their differences/similarities?

I would say the Sanders is a modern version with better dynamics, clarity, extensions etc. Overall it is a better performing speaker but it does not have that ESL57 magical sound that many are seduced by. The panel crosses-over to the woofer at I think 172Hz @ 48db slope, and sometimes I think I can hear it, and that in my opinion is the only potential downside (if one hears it). Still, you can switch to 24db slope but then the crossover point needs to be higher. The instance where I found the ESL57 to be unbeatable is when listening in mono. Somehow in mono, the ESL57 flaw is less evident and it's just beautiful sound.

 

[Benanton]

I would say the Sanders is a modern version with better dynamics, clarity, extensions etc. Overall it is a better performing speaker but it does not have that ESL57 magical sound that many are seduced by. The panel crosses-over to the woofer at I think 172Hz @ 48db slope, and sometimes I think I can hear it, and that in my opinion is the only potential downside (if one hears it). Still, you can switch to 24db slope but then the crossover point needs to be higher. The instance where I found the ESL57 to be unbeatable is when listening in mono. Somehow in mono, the ESL57 flaw is less evident and it's just beautiful sound.

Thank you!

 

[Kcin]

I would be interested in your experience with the OTL futtermans

I agree I was surprised how loud and how good they sound with the WESTONS with the KT120

What is your opinion of removing the screens

I won’t be doing it currently as I have a toddler, but later

My first pair were said to be rostored but were rubbish, this pair are totally different

My wife said what a good looking speaker they are this morning

Well you must certainly have married very well, congratulations.

The Futterman is an open window to the world clear and coherent. All other amps sound somewhat muddy- really. It is a touch grainy, but has been very reliable. Very nice.

 

[awsmone]

Well you must certainly have married very well, congratulations.

The Futterman is an open window to the world clear and coherent. All other amps sound somewhat muddy- really. It is a touch grainy, but has been very reliable. Very nice.

i have atmasphere and they sound like that

yes my wife is a keeper

 

[gian60]

I had different quad in my life and i loves them
I was shocked in 1982 to listen in Paris the whole system with 6 ML2

In Italy a shop audio antiquary.it

sell a pair of 24" Hartley at 1.950 euro
Are new never used with his box

 

[awsmone]

Insanity continues

I got my Goldmund amplifiers back from repair,....blown resistor from shorting output

Anyway

I hauled them into the bedroom to try with the Quads, I had previously had good success with the CLXs

I wasn’t prepared for the “effect"......oh my such detail, and air, and harmonics, and stage depth... very beautiful but what of the midbass and warmth

I have been using the Meitner Dac with a cheap USB to spdif, and a Mac mini

Time try try something better

Remember this is just a little bedroom system

I pulled out my mutec USB and rubidium clock

Shock shock, the bass was so big I had to dial it back with some clock cable changes...

The roles were completely reversed now, and bass was as replete as the treble, and the midrange was as gorgeous as ever oh wow

My wife complained how loud the system played now

Aquamarine from blow up dug deep, and so much impact !

Who ever said Goldmund’s were harsh or trebly

It seems a wonderful match ......