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faulty ESL 57 just won

I

ian r

401's Nakman
Hi brothers

well I just won a pair of 57's as per

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....859442&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_1054

I rebuilt a pair the treble panels on one of these 20 years ago before the internet took off - cant remember where I got my spares from - probably Quad itself

I had a bit of a google but didnt come up with the definitive site for spares or even a how to guide - does anyone have a pointer to one.

Anyone care to hazard a a guess at what needed

"This auction is for one pair of Quad ESL57 Loudspeakers. They are in unmodified original UK form (which means they need a 240 volts supply) with QUAD packing boxes which on their own cost over £100. Cosmetic condition is fair to good with no dents or dings in the metal panels and good wooden end cheeks, but they need a good clean. ELECTRICALLY THEY NEED A SERVICE. They both give sound but this is quiet and muffled. If you are looking for a pair of 57s to plug in and enjoy these are NOT for you. We are therefore selling these as spares or repair. Repair should only be attempted by a specialist as these items generate potentially lethal voltages."
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
See my thread on ESLs - first step should be new EHT units (easy to DIY), while you are fitting them you can inspect the panels for arc damage. If panels are damaged you can buy new ones from a number of sources - I plan to DIY rebuild mine.

Richard
 
There is a German company that does refurbishing and can supply parts.

They are Quad Musikwiedergabe.
 
A strip and thorough clean should come first.
The ESL sucks in all sorts or dust and grime over the years - so thats at least 25 years of crud that will be nestling inside the speaker.
Prepare yourself for the worst - dead insects and the like!

Dust and dirt around the high voltage parts can itself present a problem as thick dust will conduct at several kv.

Once thoroughly cleaned, given them another try. You can play them carefully without the covers but allow a few hours for them to discharge afterwards.
If the panels look ok after cleaning, order a replacement EHT board from One Thing Audio as Richard mentions.

Then asses the situation and see how they sound.
 
It looks like IEC mains sockets round the back rather than Bulgins, so they must be a very late pair, which is probably a bonus I guess.

Tony.
 
Looking inside vintage speakers is often interesting.
An enormous and very crispy dead spider greeted me recently on opening a pair of Heybrooks.

If the 57s are a late pair, a good clean might sort them.
 
Oh yahoo and a pair of boxes to add to my collection! I got these because i cant find the Tannoys of my affordable dreams at least I know I love these speakers.

Thats great news Robert and Tony. Piglets dad I had found them but assumed I wouldnt be able to afford their Wondrous germanic services and thought anything beyond my ken can be done locally if I but knew. Quad servicing at 6-700£ ish is my reference point re cost effectiveness but I guess the protective clamps will be sensible if stripped down. Will later ones incoporate any final factory mods?

Thnaks Dowser - wilco
 
There is also Shackmann in Germany. Reputedly very good and not quite as pricey as Quad DE, IIRC. He's also working on some dipole subs for use with 57s.

He fixes B&W DM70s as well.

quad_reromanus_workshop1-9.jpg


HD.
 
Yes the quadesl.org site is THE BIZNIS for all things esl and Im grateful for the pointer. I have printed out the 125 page refurb/rebuild guide.

The Speakers AND their original shipping boxes arrive by courier tomorrow inshallah. I will certainly hope for a safe journey for them .
 
OK thats the courier phoning for directions; I can stop reading about them and start sussing out tonite unless 'the others' choose otherwise.

Clearly the rebuilds nowadays are deeper as its 20 years on and diodes etc have dribbled and I am not sure yet how I diagnose factor a from factor b when it comes to refurbs - however I look forward very much to 'seeing'.

I wonder if I can rent out my new Quad shipping boxes to other Quad shippers!

As a way of paying for the refurb costs its not much of a business plan but maybe helpful to some.

Not long now
 
Oh - it sure aint the bass panels these er little darlings are nearly deafening me. Dirty dusty o so bad Im coughing but clearly blowing out the panel dust with the NAP110 at 12 o'clock. Very beaming but damm loud

They have only been on for 30 mins max and i dont suppose they have been on for a a year or two. I think I can hear some of that lucidness creeping in. A fella called stonehouse from SW7 sold them onto secondhand hifi who I got them for, it looks like (reading from the boxes - he he) that Brother Stonehouse got them from the Listening Room in London's Old Brompton Rd who may have got it from Unilet as thats who the boxes were first used by Quad to ship to.

Serial nos: 12780 & 51286 but the visuals electronics and casings and housings are all look identical thru the cages (so far) as are the cables and sockets - the voltages selectors are clearly late model plastic and styling.

Is this discrepancy in nos significant ...... As mr Stcokhouse's phone number is on the old addresses I'l give him a bell later and see how he's keeping!

Jeepers they are loud - nearly sore compared to the fill in tannoy 611's which I do work hard -
 
Well I assume these are faulty as advertised but only by my ears wandering in to the sound stage can I notice a muffly sound but I think its on both channels - so that impression might change as they warm up. The mid range seems A OK and the cymbals are certainly present one channel is so far slightly duller than the other but an inexperienced ear might not notice . As they say quads go on showing amazing characteristics even when knackered!
See my stack of quad boxes
StackedQuads.jpg
 
Given that music rather than fire comes out and that you also have the packing boxes I suspect you've comfortably won on that deal!

Tony.

PS Let's have a look at the speakers then!
 
Yes Tony there is no smoke from them and I think they come from a smoke free home to ... as you say things look good sonically but the grills are distinctly greasoid in look- sort of dull bronze which the photos turn greyish.

It occurs to me the boxes might indicate a service by quad ,,as they have identical late issue plastic fittings in spite of the non contguous serial nos,

im too excited to phone the chappie who might be the original owner tonite. He bought some bang upto date Quads when he traded these in ...... I hope he is still around to check with.

I see when zooming in on the 2nd photo that the mylar on the treble looks well tight and minus rips in the mylar.

Soundstage is deeper now - more mellow and the test of speakers sounding better in the room next door has been passed with flying colours. I'd say I either havent found the sweet spot or there isnt one due to some imbalance which I havent identified yet.

Quad2.jpg


Quad1.jpg
 
Anyone know a site which tells the year of production for the serial nos?

They are very quiet when no music is playing and I think the factor I couldnt identify is that one bass panel is suspect -

tomorrow I'll get into them with the air and vacuum etc
 
On the floor with the speakers, laptop too, ears in line sweet spot seems to be emerging after some 5 hours of switching on. Its been a while since I heard that esl imagery and the absence of boxiness leaves all those hanging notes so much clearer.

Ye olde NAP110 is a tad too granular - must chase up the monobloks grrr. Im beginning to think there is very little wrong with these speakers - as there is bags of low level subtlty - Surely as Robert says a treble panel replacement is bound to be relevant - but having dissolved between esl's in earlier years when using my old Radford 15 id prefer not to modernise the sound and will hope for NOS for any replacements. I gather the german firm occassionally allow this and there was a US maker who made his name do exact recreations of the panels including liquid nylon etc
 
Oh well 2.oam I guess I have to stop listening to these new friends - I guess the bas panel output is a tad down at least on one speaker - but tis hard to be definite as some double bass or drum leaps from the suspect tpanel

So much fun <Deo Gratias>
 
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