Conference hips::uk_audioo

    You need a huge room.  Quad ELS, unless they've changed a lot recently,
    hate being even vaguely close to a wall.  That is to say they sound
    awful.  I once heard some in a fairly large demo room and they were
    a good six feet from anything else and they disn't sound too bad
    -- mind you they were then only about siz feet apart.
    
    At that time as well, the imaging was fantastic provided your head
    was within a foot or so of the `correct' listening position and
    lousy anywhere else; I think the situation has improved since then.
    
    Oh the room -- I think about 50'x50' is a good size to get these
    speakers at their best and then they really do sound nice!
    
    								jch

       First let me say that I haven't used any Quad equipment in quite
       a while: many years back I owned a pair of Quad ELS speakers and
       a 33/303 pre-amp/amp combination. The speakers in fact lack bass,
       and are quite tightly matched to the characteristics of the power
       amp/pre-amp combo.

       When I replaced my 33/303 by a 44/404 I added a sub bass system
       (a Revox) and I liked it... Then I got rid of the Quad ELS and
       replaced them with IMF Monitors.

       Yes they did need a big room, though I'm not sure that it need be
       50x50 (actually it isn't a good idea to have a room square - the
       length and breadth should be coprime to each other to minimise
       resonances). The Quads do need to be a way from the wall, largely
       because they are true electrostatics and hence radiate backwards
       as strongly as forwards.

       /. Ian .\

       (PS: non of the above need apply to anything Quad have made in
       the last 5 years... but I doubt they have changed their design
       philosophy radically)

    Are Quad ELS speakers similar to the Quad ESL 63's currently being
    sold?  The ESL 63's are lacking in the reproduction of the lowest
    octave and in producing high volumes, but they are an extrremely
    clean sounding speaker otherwise.
    

    I went to the Tweeter to give it a try few weeks ago.  I found out
    ESL lack of lowest octave which made me keep asking myself "Where is the
    base?"  The salesman told me ESL can be paired with a subwoofer.  
    But I didn't give it a try. The mid and high are really good from ESL,
    they are clean and precise.  Not a bad speaker. It's sad ESL need
    a subwoofer which cost another $800 up.  I figure out it cost more
    than $4000 to have the ESL complete in the US.
    How much it cost in the UK? What kind of subwoofer is good with ESL?  
    

    re .4....
    Ahah! Yet another dealer that can't demonstrate Quad speakers properly!
    True, the bottom octaves are weak, but they are with all planar
    speakers, unless they're the size of a house-end. Using a sub-woofer
    could overcome this, but an ESL/sub-woofer combo stateside would
    probably beaten on price, and equalled in performance, by such as
    Apogee or Magnepan - on this side the situation is reversed.
    
    Of course you can always stack ESLs in arrays, which helps the bass.
    all you'd need is an old aircraft hangar for the stereo..... ;-)
    
    Dave

    re .5
    
    To my memory of Magnepan(planar), it's low end are much lower and stronger
    than ESL and I don't feel the need of sub-woofer with it.  Same to the 
    Martin-Logan CLS (electrostatic).
    The Apogee Caliper(ribbon) has good base and deep soundstage, it
    is very different from ESL in reproducing the sound.
    Without sub-woofer, ESL is an excellent tools for mid and high end
    and for small scale of music, i.e., Jazz, Sonatas......
    I have heard that to find a right sub-woofer for ESL is a very
    difficult task.  
    TAS gave very high rating to ESL. It seem to me this speaker is
    going to last forever. 

    About ESL's.I own a pair which were built in the 60's.  I've had
    to replace almost every panel in the speaker, as well as updating
    the crossover.
    
    Tweaks: I removed the bronze metal grilles and replaced them with
    a sheer brown fabric.  Per Ross Walker's instructions in TAS, I
    retained the rear fabric and grille (otherwise the sytem resonance
    moves up in frequency).  I've ordered a pair of Arcici stands per
    Santa Claus.  Needless to say they sound more real with this mod.
    
    Amps:  I've tried many amps over the years.  The late QUAD 405-2
    is a good amp, Levinson ml-2s, Classe DR3 (?), Quicksilver Monos,
    CJ MV50, Bryston 2B, Marantz 9's/8b's, LUX 3045s, and ARC d-76a
    are all good.  Do not use an amp that puts out more than 25-28 volts
    or you'll start to fry the panels.  I'm convinced this starts to
    happen with age anyway.  Oh yes, I want to try the VTL 30s (a triode
    design) - has anyone used these?
    
    Subwoofers:  The best woofer I have tried is the JANIS W-1/Interphase
    1a system.  The ENTECs are outrageously priced, the Velodynes not
    as good, and I haven't tried any others except the Hartley 24" or
    whatever it is which was a joke.
    
    The effect that the subwoofer has is to make the speakers disapear
    further.  The effect is most notable with female voices; nasality
    and strain is removed as the ESL's no longer have to handle low
    frequencies.  The rest of my system comprises a LINN LP-12, and
    Ittok, FMS blue interconnect, ortofon xc-3, and a good quality preamp
    and low-powered amp.
    
    I really would own a pair of speakers without the JANIS.  It adds
    so much enjoyment.
    
    Merry xmas,
    
    Bill