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Post by palace on Oct 8, 2024 10:09:42 GMT
ESL 57 in my view are still the best Quad have produced despite the very clear limitations they have . Stacked does remove some of the issues for using single units but sadly it also adds problems of its own . If you are both mechanically and technically gifted then I am sure there are things can be done with stands , crossover and other things to make them much better but the size limits stacked units to the larger room . Best sound from a pair of ESL 57 I ever heard was active version made by Tim De Paravacini of EAR . However even though he was a really clever and gifted maker these same speakers went on fire at the next show and burned the hotel room down . No surprise that all work on them after that was jettisoned . I agree about the 57's being the best electrostatic speaker, they are usually limited by the driving amplifier, when T V P fitted one of his output transformer less valve amps in the cage of the Quad 57 I remember an article in the late 1970's where a number of respected HiFi writers/designers shortened speaker cables & likewise shortened/lengthened phono leads using several mono block amplifiers & pre-amps and different speakers. The consensus of opinion was that the shorter the speaker cable the better whereas lengthening phono leads to compensate was the way to go. It was contended an audible improvement could be discerned for each foot removed from a speaker cable. I use a 3m pair of TNT Audio cross connected coaxial cable's known as UBYTE 2 with very low inductance. The choice of amplifier is vital for 57's, OTL amps can sound superb used with Quad 57's though OTL's can become unstable with the 57's capacitive load (burning smell) I spoke to TVP about them, he was asked by Len Gregory to build me a stereo decoder, he also modified my leak Troughline tuner when the decoder was fitted. There was a suggestion he might re visit the OTL/Quad 57 prior to being trapped in Japan by Covid, he died there of liver cancer in 2020. My Rogue Atlas Magnum amp as standard produced prodigious bass as does the ASR Emitter I Exclusive Blue with the battery-powered input stage option at many multiples dearer than the Atlas Magnum, my amp is no longer standard my friend Mark Manwaring-White fitted 4 Intertechnik Audyn Reference capacitors along with Mills 2% resistors maintaining the 0.8hz cut-off frequency. I have replaced the 12AX7 ECC83 valves with 5755 valves with adapters they are like 6SL7's on steroids though they do not work as well in my MC7R pre amp where I use 6SL7's & 6SN7's, the 12AU7 ECC82 driver valves for the KT120's I have replaced with 6SN7's their heaters powered from an external 6.3v Audio Detail LPSU via an adapter to protect the amp transformer from more heater current, this produces an even cleaner more realistic out put from the Atlas. The Bat-Pure super tweeters, highly modified MC7R pre-amp, Atlas Magnum power amp & UBYTE 2 speaker leads & Auva 100's & EQ's have resulted in a very deep, detailed though un-fatiguing sound, it has only taken 46 years to get here. Addendum:sanderssoundsystems.com/technical-white-papers/68-esl-speakers-white-papersanderssoundsystems.com/technical-white-papers/53-esl-amp-bias-white-papersanderssoundsystems.com/technical-white-papers/54-cables-white-paperwww.taket.jp/batpure/batpure.htmlstackaudio.co.uk/www.humblehomemadehifi.com/Cap.html look for Intertechnik Audyn Cap Reference www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/ubyte2e.html |
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Post by paulrbarker on Oct 9, 2024 10:00:56 GMT
Well, so far I have sat the back rest higher so that the panels are perpendicular. So far that seems improved though Im just finishing listening to Elkie Brooks Pearls Album, side two. Bass better midrange trebble more together and better focused. More like the instrument should sound which includes Elkie Books’instrument. Also on the next track Paint Youre pretty picture with a song. Elkies instrument is positioned closer to me. Focus is better. So far so good. Its true so far the ngle as found was wrong. Last track imaging is clearly better. The 57’s already sound better.
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Post by palace on Oct 9, 2024 13:18:10 GMT
Well, so far I have sat the back rest higher so that the panels are perpendicular. So far that seems improved though Im just finishing listening to Elkie Brooks Pearls Album, side two. Bass better midrange trebble more together and better focused. More like the instrument should sound which includes Elkie Books’instrument. Also on the next track Paint Youre pretty picture with a song. Elkies instrument is positioned closer to me. Focus is better. So far so good. Its true so far the ngle as found was wrong. Last track imaging is clearly better. The 57’s already sound better. paulbarker : I am glad that that simple step has worked well, if you can try an inexpensive super tweeter, as you may have read, I use a Taket BatPure it works particularly well with my Q57's then see how that goes. |
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Post by paulrbarker on Oct 9, 2024 18:24:46 GMT
Batpure ordere’d, what cap do you put in line with it?
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Post by palace on Oct 9, 2024 20:33:56 GMT
Batpure ordere’d, what cap do you put in line with it? I sent an email to Taket in Japan asking that very question his reply below (transposed from another from article I wrote in December 2013), no cap required no output below 15khz. Please keep us up dated on your progress don't forget the Quad 57's reverse phase so terminals swapped on either tweeters or Quad 57's photo below. "Hello John san It is not problem if the bass signal has been input to Batpure. Batpure has a character of capacitor and cut under 15kHz. Please only attention not to input the voltage over 150Vp-p on Batpure. Please ask any other question without reservation. Best Regards, Takei" Below is a photo of my left OTA Quad 57 the left hand small box is part of my TNT Audio UBYT speaker lead the larger box is a OTA Widget (adjusts minor frequency anomalies/stabilises solid state amps) I rewired it with 7 strips of Nordost Gold speaker lead stripped of it's PTFE sheathing covered in shrink wrap at the bottom that feed Quad 57 inputs as are the speaker lead ends. I use Nordost Gold Flatline speaker cable to the BatPure super tweeter as you can see the OTA Quad 57 is reverse polarity, I put tape on to clarify, the upper leads to the BatPure are normal polarity. I don't know what polarity the dust is.   |
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Post by paulrbarker on Oct 10, 2024 5:26:03 GMT
Ok, thank you? Just had notification arrival from Japan in December. Patience.
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Post by palace on Oct 11, 2024 15:22:57 GMT
Today my son john came over to listen to the system for the first time since I put Stack AUVA 100's under my OTA Quad 57's Rupert stands & Auva EQ's under the electronics. Using YouTube John selected a series of bass heavy albums one of which was the Gorillas album Demon Days the track All Alone in particular gave the Quad 57's a work out.
Demon Days : Gorillaz HQ Quality YouTube, Recorded March - November 2004, Studio 13 London, Released 11th May 2005, On Parlophone UK Virgin USA. Production Damon Albarn + others Recording/Mixing Brian, Burton Jason Cox, James Dring, Steve Sedgwick. Mastering Howie Weinberg.
I had never heard this album, each track of the album was unlike any of the others the plethora of artists on the album drummers alone Danger Mouse, James Dring & jason Cox, singers from Roots Manuva, Neneh Cherry to De La Soul as well as Lead Damon Albarn (late of Blur). To my delight this is a musical enjoyable album that I can recommend.
John who is used to a pair of fast very 12" pressed paper cone subwoofers as well as a pair of TDL floor standing speakers with upgraded crossovers & braced by my friend Mark Manwaring-White.
After playing a few hours worth of music of Johns choice, I asked him what he thought of the system after all my elimination of vibration he said "The Auva 100's with the Auva EQ's work better than the Auva 50's or 70's in this room in your system, this depth of bass & layering can only be bettered with a proper system" I said "hurtful" he said "you know what I mean big subwoofers, big speakers but the mid range & treble here is as good as it gets the bass is really quite deep & very tuneful, your mods to the super tweeters with the hanging wedges seem to work too, your Quads or more properly the system really has never sounded so good...
I think the TKD volume control on the MC7R pre amp has allowed a little more ambiance on recordings & there is less sibilance. Worth the cost & 360 mile round trip to Malvern.
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bencat
Rank: Quartet
Posts: 353
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Quad ESL
Oct 30, 2024 15:57:49 GMT
via mobile
Post by bencat on Oct 30, 2024 15:57:49 GMT
I am taking my Quad ESL57 speakers for their last service with me owning them and they are going to Andrew at AQuadThing Audio . As far as I know in the crossover there are only resistors no capacitors and of course Andrew will test and replace any resistors out of spec . As this will be the last service for me is there any value in replacing all the resistors with tight specified metal film ones ? If so what make would you advise .
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Post by MartinT on Oct 30, 2024 16:31:58 GMT
I don't know enough about Quads but I would always recommend Mills resistors for stability and good sound quality.
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Post by palace on Oct 30, 2024 17:07:15 GMT
I don't know enough about Quads but I would always recommend Mills resistors for stability and good sound quality. I do not know what resistors are in my OTA Quad 57's however when Mark Manwaring-White replaced the overheated output capacitors in mr Rogue Atlas Magnum power amp, after I noticed them when renewing the 4 x KT120 power valves, Marks suggestion was to replace all four with 4 Audyn Reference capacitors of suitable value he also changed the appropriate resistors using Mills 5% resistors to maintain the 0.8hz cutoff frequency. The result was a big sound upgrade partially due to the Mills resistor they were/are Mark'a go to resistor. |
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