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Quad ESL 57's

Sounds amazing - I've always wanted to hear stacked Quad 57s, one pair is superb, so two should be awsome. How did you feel the 57 bettered the 63? I've never done the A B, but have always liked the 57s a hell of a lot whenever I've heard them.

Tony.
 
It's hard to describe. I"ve had the ESL63s from new since 1990, originally in a Quad CD66/34/FM4/606 system and felt no need to change the speakers when I upgraded to my Naim source and power system in 1999. They are wonderful speakers. But........

I had heard the ESL57s years ago as a schoolboy, when my father and I went to a music society. Terrible music, but the speakers sounded wonderful.

Once I could afford to buy Quad speakers, the earlier ones were no longer made, so I got the ESL63s. But I carried on remembering........

And now, with eBay, you can pick up a reasonable pair of ESL57s, for £400 plus/minus£50. I took the plunge and loved what I heard but guessed that, with a pair of speakers 20 years old, I couldn't be hearing what they might have sounded like new. At which point, being very silly, I bought a second pair and arranged to send both pairs to Quad Musikwiedergabe in Germany. They tell me that the treble panels of one pair were completely burnt out, that the treble panels of the other pair were down and that all four pairs of bass panels varied and were much too soft, compared to bass panels as new.

So................... I swallowed hard and gave instructions for a complete rebuild.

I have little idea what to expect. Both pairs, played individually, sounded pretty good to me before!

I may be selling off some Naim gear in the not too distant future to finance this leap into the dark!

G
 
just found this very old thread, thought I'd add in my experiences: I used 57s with a Naim NAP250 and Leak Stereo20 - both were nice but the Naim finally won for greater detail and better image focus. They work superbly with the Linn Sizmik subwoofer, and can work well in a small room as well. Currently mine are in storage as my new cottage is actually too small, but when the listening room is opened out, they'll be back as boxes and cones just don't do the same job. Servicing in the uk can be done by One Thing Audio in Coventry, who also do some nice stands that look good and are the right height. I may look at Supertweeters as my HF hearing isn't brilliant and the slighly soft 57 treble could maybe do with jsut a bit more sparkle.
 
I have no experience with 57's but want to some day. I tried an amp recently that totally suprized me, the Croft Intergrated, it was absolutely fantastic. Reason I mention this here is that one of the characteristics of the amp was a total lack of hiss or noise from the speakers, the quietest I have ever come accross (and I am in a house with crappy mains).
If one of the joys of 57's is lushious surround sound listening at lower levels then this amp might be a match in heaven. It does use a couple of tubes in the pre, other then that I don't know much as to the technical jargon for the rest of the design, but when open I was suprised at how little was in the box (good sign I think).
I know it is a small likelyhood, but if anyone has 57's and could try this combo please report!
Adam
 
An interesting option would be to use a dipole subwoofer with the ESL57; somthing like the Linkwitz design. I haven't been convinced by the times I have heard a monopole (conventional) subwoofer with Quads, but something which interacts with the room in the same way might work nicely, and just fill in the bottom couple of octaves.

Just a thought.
 
Mine are run from a pair of WAD 300B monoblocs(with a few upgrades internally),and an SVS sub to take over the lower octaves so the Quads and 300Bs arent worked too hard...adding a sub makes a huge difference to how well the ESLs work,and also the maximum SPL before either amps or speakers reach their limits.
 
Hello

The Quad 306 works well with the 57s and 63 and is relatively cheap £100-£200. I've just upgraded to a Quad 99, the 306s are much clearer than the 303 and the 99 is even better. I think the 57s are actually more robust than the 63s. The 57s have that magical mid range, but the 63s are a better allrounder. I thought Julian Vekner was a 57s fan and that Naims were designed to work with ESLs??

Richard
 
Found this old thread and it’s interesting to get a more clear history of my use with the speakers. Nice to see JTC now enjoying a pair some years after his posting on this thread.

These speakers do such a wonderful job with jazz vocals, blessed to have them back in action!
 
Yeah, wow, I'd forgotten I'd even considered 57s before. I knew I liked the 63s when I heard them - way back - and in the interim I've been all over the place, speaker-wise. I could - perhaps - have saved many thousands of pounds if I'd followed up on the 57s idea back in 2004. The wife dismissed them - but now that she has had the ATC100 active tower memories, her frame of reference has been suitably adjusted and I managed to sneak the ESLs in on the somewhat naughty premise of being a possible investment (in the Nait 2 styley). I sure don't have them giving their all - yet - but I'm confident that they will truly sing once I hook them up to the proper system and sort out positioning etc. She's still not entirely sold on the idea, but at least they are in my possession now. I won't sell my active Adam speakers - they're great speakers and I'd probably be hard pressed to find comparable actives for what I would sell them for - but they can easily live for a while in the attic :)
 
my one thing pair have been used less than 4 hours or so in 6 years after return from the 'fettling' firm.

they sound nothing like they used to and i wish it had never happened...

my ancillaries were blamed by the firm... same ones as prior to fettling...when they were sublime until passing teen messed one up.
 
my one thing pair have been used less than 4 hours or so in 6 years after return from the 'fettling' firm.

they sound nothing like they used to and i wish it had never happened...

my ancillaries were blamed by the firm... same ones as prior to fettling...when they were sublime until passing teen messed one up.

What was nature of the work done by One Thing Audio?
 
I contacted the Quad Service Dept. two months ago and was informed by Rob Flain that they still service the ESL57. They quoted a fixed one-off labour charge of £75 plus VAT per speaker ( i.e no hourly rate ) plus parts, which in the case of new panels could be around £200 a pop. The EHT blocks are approx. £80 a pair I believe that they use the German re-manufactured panels produced on the original Quad jigs albeit to a slightly different specification . Useful for me as I live 50 miles from Huntingdon.
 
I contacted the Quad Service Dept. two months ago and was informed by Rob Flain that they still service the ESL57. They quoted a fixed one-off labour charge of £75 plus VAT per speaker ( i.e no hourly rate ) plus parts, which in the case of new panels could be around £200 a pop. The EHT blocks are approx. £80 a pair I believe that they use the German re-manufactured panels produced on the original Quad jigs albeit to a slightly different specification . Useful for me as I live 50 miles from Huntingdon.


Handy to know
 
ESLs are still serviced at Huntingdon. Mine was done in 2016. When I said so here apparently nobody believed me!

As with all things one either sticks with the original maker for service or uses one of the many non-original repairers. That is a question of paying your money and making your choice.

ATB from George
 
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I currently have two pairs of Quad loudspeakers ... quality rebuilt 57s (by Quads Unlimited) and an similarly high quality rebuilt 63s (Electrostatic Solutions). These are highly reputed USA refurbish shops. I am giving myself quite a long time to listen to each for extended periods. I've been doing it with different amps ... and now have a truly superb KT88 amp built by Don Sachs (BC, Canada) which is my current standard.

I have had the 57s for almost five years ... during that time I used either an Avondale 260 or a Citation II as my primary amp. I also have used a Nait II for perhaps 200 hours. Back in the early 80s I had a pair of stock 57s for a couple of years that I drove with a Marantz 8B.

I have had the 63s for about six months ... during that time I have mostly used Quad IIs or the Don Sachs KT88 amps. I have also used a Nait II for perhaps 50 hours.

They are both extraordinary speakers ... in very different ways.

In a smaller room, with Quad IIs or a Nait II or my current Don Sachs amp ... I choose the 57s. I have them in great stands 14 inches off the floor. In the 'right' small room, I can also be very happy with them on their three short legs. The Quads Unlimited rebuild sounds 'just like' the original Quad 57s I owned from 1980-1982 ... but on steriods. They have dramatic small / mid scale dynamics, surprising authority, fabulous musicality, and a mid-range that is uncanny in its ability to sound both real and present. They sing heavenly at even very low volumes. They are not 'full-range' but they satisfy. That said, ultimately bass response is limited. They have a small sweet spot. I have never heard another speaker that can so completely captivate my attention.

In a big room, with a powerful amp (Quad IIs or Nait II need not apply), I choose the 63s. I have them on short (5 inch) stands. The Electrostatic Solutions rebuilt 63s are to my ear quite a different beast than the 57s. They have far greater authority and ease in 'activating' my room ... 25' x 18' with high ceilings. Imaging is extraordinary ... the sweet spot much larger than the 57s. Bass is just superb ... until it can't go any lower. Without a lot of power, they lack dynamics (I figure the crossover) but with power, dynamics come alive. They do not sing heavenly at low volumes, merely excellent. And even at higher volumes they lack the last degree of incisiveness that the 57s deliver. But their musicality and overall presentation is wonderful indeed, and they allow for a greater variety of music and scale. They do not captivate my attention as often as the 57s can, but they are truly satisfying on many different kinds of music and recordings.

When I read commentary from Quad loudspeaker users, my intuition is that for every three music lovers that choose the 63s, there in one music lover that chooses the 57s.

They are correct.

WTS
 
sigh - ONE DAY i'll have ESL 57s - only ever heard them once .. and that was in about 1980 - i've been thinking of them ever since!
 


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