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Quad ESL 57...."any love"

How long is long enough, i had them plugged in for around 6-7 hours yesterday, and for all the speaker's output improved, my impression was it was still lacking, but ill get them sorted I'm sure
Give them a couple of days, see if they come good. There's nothing spoiling, you might be lucky.
 
Could not agree more AudioAl. I have them in my study and I would love a second pair in our livingroom, although Quad 63s would be a better fit in there.
 
Do Quad still service the 57? I thought OTA the only option?

They sound divine, but their eccentricities around positioning, the vice like grip of the sweet spot, the difficulties in getting bass from a sitting position in standard configuration and the lack of heft for rock music led me to change back to conventional speakers.
 
I have to add that my Quad 57s are placed quite unconventionally up high on shelves and tied to the walls with wires enabling them to be leaning down towards my listening spot in front of my desk. Think "giant headphones". As for heft, the small room and the position up in the corners of my study adds to their bass. Still, I am thinking of adding Magnepan DWM woofers or a fast sub to get that extra something.
 
I’d love some, what’s everyone’s experience with regards placement?

What is the closest they can be placed to walls? (Behind them and to each side)

Thank you.
 
I’d love some, what’s everyone’s experience with regards placement?

What is the closest they can be placed to walls? (Behind them and to each side)

Thank you.

That's not quite the right question - obviously you can put them as close to the side and rear walls as you like, it's more about how this affects the sound ;)

I use my pair in two configurations, as I rotate the room 90 degrees between summer and winter (we sit across the room in winter so the fireplace is a focus, but look down the room in summer so we can get easy access to the garden). In the winter the speakers are down a length of wall with around 8 feet between them, and around 2 feet behind. One speaker is near a corner whilst the other isn't, and this is still excellent, but not as good as the down the room configuration where the speakers are 2 feet from side walls, and have around 15 feet behind them.

Other speakers in the 'across the room' configuration don't work totally convincingly either, so it's not the ESLs acting weird, it's a compromise configuration but still very enjoyable.
 
That's not quite the right question - obviously you can put them as close to the side and rear walls as you like, it's more about how this affects the sound ;)

I use my pair in two configurations, as I rotate the room 90 degrees between summer and winter (we sit across the room in winter so the fireplace is a focus, but look down the room in summer so we can get easy access to the garden). In the winter the speakers are down a length of wall with around 8 feet between them, and around 2 feet behind. One speaker is near a corner whilst the other isn't, and this is still excellent, but not as good as the down the room configuration where the speakers are 2 feet from side walls, and have around 15 feet behind them.

Other speakers in the 'across the room' configuration don't work totally convincingly either, so it's not the ESLs acting weird, it's a compromise configuration but still very enjoyable.

Thank you, yes, my question revolves around smallest distance to rear/side walls that would still achieve a good sound, which I know is very subjective, I suppose I was just hoping someone would come along and say, “I have mine very close to the rear wall and they still sound superb” :).

Sounds like you have space to spare.

All the best.
 
As you can see from the photos, there is a bit of space behind my Quad ESL 57s. When I sit right in front of the desk, I am in the sweetest spot you can be.

1tunI2Bl.jpg

J7OwSaVl.jpg
 
Apropos of nothing, I loved my ESLs. I would happily have kept them had I had a dedicated listening room. They were sublime. Mine were restored OTA, and in my time with them I also had the EHT units rebuilt. One day I may buy another pair of 'stats for a second system, if I ever find an excuse to have a second system......
 
Thank you, yes, my question revolves around smallest distance to rear/side walls that would still achieve a good sound, which I know is very subjective, I suppose I was just hoping someone would come along and say, “I have mine very close to the rear wall and they still sound superb” :).

Sounds like you have space to spare.

All the best.

How much space are you talking? I'm pretty sure someone on here has used them as nearfield monitors either side of their computer screen, which would suggest you can pretty much use them how you like!
 
Apropos of nothing, I loved my ESLs. I would happily have kept them had I had a dedicated listening room. They were sublime. Mine were restored OTA, and in my time with them I also had the EHT units rebuilt. One day I may buy another pair of 'stats for a second system, if I ever find an excuse to have a second system......

We seem to have followed similar paths, I have 63's but had OTA57's also on rupert stands. Loved them. I feel to get the best out of them you need a Class A valve amp. Sublime mid range, lack the ability to go to ear deafening levels but do accurate real bass and can be very room filling. 63's to my ears are cleaner and probably better all rounders.
 
As you can see from the photos, there is a bit of space behind my Quad ESL 57s. When I sit right in front of the desk, I am in the sweetest spot you can be.

1tunI2Bl.jpg

J7OwSaVl.jpg

Thank you, that is the proverbial speakers like headphones, brilliant!

I take it you are more than happy with how they sound?
 
How much space are you talking? I'm pretty sure someone on here has used them as nearfield monitors either side of their computer screen, which would suggest you can pretty much use them how you like!

In the short term a small (13 x 12’) living room, possibly a small back of house extension or looking to the future a small 10 x 10 bedroom.
 
Give them a couple of days, see if they come good. There's nothing spoiling, you might be lucky.

FWIW many years ago I rescued a pair of ESL57's that had been sitting in an unheated damp store at the old Armstrong building for years. It took about a week of sitting in a comfortable room at home before they recovered. They then worked nicely for years until I replaced them with ELS63's. Matter of luck and circumstances (which you may not know).
 
Thank you, that is the proverbial speakers like headphones, brilliant!

I take it you are more than happy with how they sound?

Yes, they sound very good indeed. The only unusual aspect of having them placed high is that the sound stage is placed at a 45 degree angle upwards in front of me when I sit at the desk. I think that angled / tilted the way they are just gives them enough space to breathe so they can wield their magic. Mine have OTA Bass panels fitted by the previous owner. I keep them powered on all the time.
 
Mine were about 5 ft from the wall behind them. And on that wall I hung a carpet from a curtain rail which held the carpet a few inches from the wall. I also lifted them a little on some blocks. However the optimum depends on your room.
 
@andvinylly for future reference I'm about 12 miles away from you. The Leak amp is more my line than the speakers though I have rebuilt HT units for ESL57's before and replaced all HT cables, plus rebuilt the crossovers etc etc. You would be better off going to the likes of OTA though as they will have "one's they prepared earlier" and/or newly manufactured one's rather than having to do the job as a "one off" and therefore will charge less than myself. I wouldn't touch the actual panels.

As others have said leave them in a warm dry place and plugged in and leave them for up to a week or two and see how they are then.
 
Just been doing a trawl through some posts from 2013,that praise OTA's service and pricing, but that the replacement panels are not to the same spec as originals,I don't want to change the character of the speakers, in any way, if possible.These speakers are for a second system so don't want to plunge too much cash in to them, for now, just to get them working ,but I appreciate they're getting in years

This is an interesting read:

http://www.quadesl.org/index.php/home/reviews/gang-of-five

seems there are differences in sound by various refurbishers... and as there are no original panels in good shape to have as reference, it's a bit of a lottery regarding keeping that 'original character'.
 


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