Hi there Tony and guys, long time no see... I enjoyed immensely my Quad II/303/ESL 57 system back in the days. I still think it's maybe the best classic, musical "no nonsense/affordable", stylish and good looking system around. Small children and curious kittens convinced then to part with them reluctantly but I kept the 303 for a long time, as a "swiss knife" amp, always surprised by its efficiency and musicality whan needed, then it visited a friend who wanted and needed it more than me and finally kept it but in my mind, its "must-have" qualities always remained as strong as they were back then.
So I recently acquired a 303/33/FM set, which i always fancied for its classic looks/design. Supposedly perfectly working
it actually needed serious service, provided by a great tech guy we are lucky to have around here, in the Beaujolais region. Except he wouldnt touch the faulty tuner. Im not sure i'll have it serviced but its a beautiful object to sit on top of the preamp.
Another pending acquisition is an ESL 63 pair of speakers. Lurking aound, I found out the 303 isnt a good match for them, neither are Quad IIs ( which were pending, too, closing my revival years). Better being safe than sorry, I've been reading how ESL fans are happy with 405-2, 606, 909 and up. Americans are more into superpower amps, from Bryston to Krell ML and up. French seem to be more versatile and adventurous about it. I'm gonna try several home faves, Westrex/McIntosh A116, Nuprime ST10, De Havilland Aries 845. They won't be here until next month so ill keep you posted. In the meantime, ESL63 talk is welcomed.