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Taking the plunge; getting Quad ESL 57 loudspeakers soon!

I liked mine raised up a fair bit, (I used a couple of coffee tables), and as far away from walls as reasonably possible. Very directional so make sure you get in the hotspot. Angle them in, listen as far away as they are apart, and not too far away. Magic on the right music.
 
Not much, other than to enjoy. Also, don't panic if they have any issues with them - they're easily repairable. I miss mine. Sold them to another PFMer who sold them on again. Wouldn't it be strange if you were buying that pair (in which case you can relax - mine were a very sorted pair :) )
 
Thanks very much for the replies! It sounds as though I might be replacing the Tannoys with these!

Some friends have suggested subwoofers to augment the bass. This wouldn't work as my Audio Innovations Series 500 does not support them.


Really looking forward to picking them up! :D
 
Fantastic speakers, I had them from new 1974 to 1988 in a big room. They sounded great with FM radio 3/4 and a good vinyl source, They showed up problems with an early CD source though, too transparent. Raise them off the floor and the bass is just great. Enjoy.
 
Try them with a Quad 303 or 405, or a Leak Stereo 20 if you can (or Quad IIs of course). Near side walls is OK, but they like space behind them (they sound almost as good from behind as they do in front, so they work great half way along a long room). If I had the right room they're the only speakers I would take over my Tannoys.
 
Any hints and tips? I've not had these before! :)

I don't have a pair but be warned: what many people say is that it's hard to find the spot where you actually can hear what all the fuss is about. If I were you I'd be prepared to either compromise or to experiment with different listening positions and then adjust the furniture.

The other thing I would do if I were buying them is to try them in mono, with just one speaker. That's what they were built for and you never know, it may be a real revelation.
 
“The other thing I would do if I were buying them is to try them in mono, with just one speaker. That's what they were built for and you never know, it may be a real revelation.”

We got irritated by their placement requirements; they took over quite a large room. Before selling, we just had one going for a couple of months. Both of us didn’t miss the stereo effect given it was so much more pleasure to listen to now we could pin the tail on the donkey and it didn’t matter where we put it…
 
Bought a pair of decent ones locally some 7 years ago just to try. My main speakers were gigantic ProAc Response Fours. A bigger contrast would be difficult to imagine. I liked them, but they didn't (couldn't ?) give me the room-filling scale I was used to. Four weeks later I bought 2905s; wow! All the transparency and delicacy of the 57s but massive scale (and more bass). Still have them, powered by 100 valved mono's
 
Bought a pair of decent ones locally some 7 years ago just to try. My main speakers were gigantic ProAc Response Fours. A bigger contrast would be difficult to imagine. I liked them, but they didn't (couldn't ?) give me the room-filling scale I was used to. Four weeks later I bought 2905s; wow! All the transparency and delicacy of the 57s but massive scale (and more bass). Still have them, powered by 100 valved mono's

I wonder why the 2905s have better bass. I mean, what’s going on, have there been compromisses to achieve it? Do they have better bass than the 63?

I’d always kind of assumed there were limits to bass response from electrostatic panels.
 
Let them charge (plugged in) for 48 hours before playing them. I know, people say 24 hours but I think 48 is best.

They are very inefficient until they're fully charged and playing them with any volume before they're charged can cause problems in the panels.
 
Not much, other than to enjoy. Also, don't panic if they have any issues with them - they're easily repairable. I miss mine. Sold them to another PFMer who sold them on again. Wouldn't it be strange if you were buying that pair (in which case you can relax - mine were a very sorted pair :) )
They were superb, only the fact that I felt the family deserved our large dining room back led me to pass them on. @chiily took them off me and I don't think he could have found a better pair

They are best firing down a well damped large room with bags of space behind them. They do bass and volume, but positioning them and you for the sweet spot can be a challenge. Nothing reproduces acoustic music or vocals like them, but they can get a bit thin and congested with busy rock music.

A well sorted pair won't need to charge up for very long.

63's drop a little of the magic in favour of a bigger listening field and more a effortless approach to rock music.
 
Let them charge (plugged in) for 48 hours before playing them. I know, people say 24 hours but I think 48 is best.

They are very inefficient until they're fully charged and playing them with any volume before they're charged can cause problems in the panels.

These might be silly questions; I'll ask anyway; why do they need to be charged first and must they be plugged in at all times even when not in use?

These are a totally new type of loudspeaker!
 
Any hints and tips? I've not had these before! :)

Gosh you are a brave boy :D Ordering beluga caviar and wondering if you need any help.
Congrats. I hope they are a sorted pair. Enjoy the magical vocal mid range an sheer pleasure of the lovely soundstage. Check the prices of ordinary speakers and slap yourself on the face to remind you that you have got the bargain of the century. Yes there are limitations like most speakers but all the plus's of owning one of the best speaker designs ever for a basic pair of B&W's is daylight robbery.
 
These might be silly questions; I'll ask anyway; why do they need to be charged first and must they be plugged in at all times even when not in use?

These are a totally new type of loudspeaker!

They use a tiny amount of electricity to keep charged so best to leave the panels energized rather than have all the on/off cycles and warm up time.
Get them up on rupert stands if you have the funds. Sorry haven't read the whole thread but you need a done pair. i.e. OTA job and you will be able to enjoy them without fear unless you are a total full max volume freak.
 
Mine sit on Rupert stands and have the Townshend Maximum supertweeters on top. Sounded great to me with a Quad 303, even better with Quad valves.

Best upgrade for me was, somewhat bizarrely, a new boiler and programmable thermostat: mine can take a while to charge in winter, and I’m wary of leaving elderly electronics powered up when not at home. (They’re switched on whenever I’m in the house though.)
 
I wonder why the 2905s have better bass. I mean, what’s going on, have there been compromisses to achieve it? Do they have better bass than the 63?

I’d always kind of assumed there were limits to bass response from electrostatic panels.
The membrane, the bit that moves back and forth, only has limited excursion and to compensate requires a larger surface area than a conventional cone speaker. The 2905s are a fair bit larger than the 57s which means they can give more extended bass and at a higher volume. Of course they aren’t strictly comparable as the panels are of a different design but the principle still applies.
 
They are lovely, I used mine with a Naim Nait 1, they do not like or need a lot of power. Turn them off when out and overnight.
 
Try them raised a little. Expect the sweetspot to be narrow. You will know the moment you leave the the sweet spot. If your listening positions change, mark the spots on the floor that give you good listening conditions. My next upgrade will be an SVS subwoofer or a self-made ripole sub.
 


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