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Have Quad ESLs had their day?

Hi LazyHammer.

if you are considering purchasing the ESLs, with a view to using them with the Sony ( or for that matter other makes of transistor amplifiers), I would first check that they have been fitted with 'clamp-boards' to protect the treble panels from damage. Also does your Sony amp have 15 /16 ohm speaker connections ?
 
Lazyhammer,
Firstly welcome to the pond.
I am one of those unfortunate previous Quad owners that had to sell up after a house move and loss of a suitable listening room having grown up with my father's 57s and personally owned 63s and 2905s. I agree totally with Tony L, Quad ESLs are happy with any genre of musical choice, the real magic of the 57s is their glorious midrange clarity, but they can be a bit demanding to drive. One thing you may not have been made aware of is that they can be placed very close to a side wall with negligible effect on the sound, but because the sound emanates equally from front and back of the speaker they require room to breath from behind to avoid cancellation of certain frequencies from reflections off the back wall. My opinion for what it is worth is that without documented service history your dealer is asking a high price and I would want to audition with your amplifier before parting with your hard earned cash.
 
tonerei said:
Ah ok. Yes a difficult decision as it would be difficult to arrange repairs if required. I think that price is very high for something without any history. I bought a pair of 57's that had been completely redone by Onethingaudio. The treble panels were about 1yr old the bass panels were older. Seller had receipts. The EHT's had also been sorted. I paid £800. They came with Rupert stands :) I think you could do better for that money. There are plenty of opportunities if you can wait it out or maybe make a low offer on them and see what happens.
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There's a place in spain that specializes in repairing Quad speakers, but I don't want to deal with that for now.

All other Quad ESL 57 currently for sale in Spain are going from 1300 to 1800€, so the price I got from that store (1250€) is not bad at all. The only cheaper option is a pair at 1000€ which has never been serviced.

Buying a pair from Onethingaudio would be extremely expensive since I've to import it from the UK. Same with other pairs from Germany, I already asked for a quote and they told me it would cost 400€ for shipping. So buying them from any other place that isn't Spain would have a final cost upwards of 2000€ which is way more than what I plan to spend on speakers.

If I can do better for that money, what do you suggest?
 
LazyHammer said:
Hello everyone, I just registered in hopes to get some input.
I am a fan of Stax headphones, and recently discovered the Quad 57 which got my attention due to the fact that they're also estats. I managed to listen to them yesterday on a nearby store that has them for sale for 1250€. There's no info on them aside from the fact that the store promises they've been checked and well taken care of (but no idea about refurbishing etc). The serial number is around 40000 on both. They sound fine but I felt like the room wasn't doing them justice and I didn't like how the center image sounded near to the floor instead of in front of my eyes which is what I like. I can fix that by getting new stands made, I guess. Also they're crazy directional which is a bit of a problem because I need that perfect center image at all times but I can get used to it if I find the sweet spot and stay still.
I don't know if I should buy them or not. I just turned 25 and these would be my 2nd pair of "decent" speakers, my first one being the JBL 530 which I use on my computer desk as nearfield and I love how they sound, but I need something for the livingroom which would be the Quads if I buy them. The livingroom is 3m wide by 5 meters long. Untreated, sadly. I would also power them with a vintage Sony class A solid state amp that puts out 18 Watts.

The thing that makes me doubt if they're good for me or not is the fact that I never really listen to classical or orchestral music, I mainly listen to 70's and 80's music, which is lots of japanese fusion jazz and stuff like Dire Straits, Michael Jackson, Toto, and tons of 70's funk. I guess they would work because 70's music has lots of horns, saxophones and pianos, and I've been reading the Quads do well with that... But at the same time I'm not sure if they'll be the best option for me.

I don't plan on playing them really loud... and I will refrain from playing metal music on them since I've read it's not ideal.

What do you guys think? I'm really lost here because if I buy them and they don't play nice with my amp and I'm not happy with the placement, it's gonna be a tough sell in my area...

Thanks.
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LazyHammer said:
The bass is enough for me, from what I heard yesterday at the store. But maybe the tubes they were using helped with that, and my solid state amp might take some of it away.

Yes I can get speakers that hit harder which would be great for the music I listen to, but how much am I giving up in terms of imaging, resolution, clarity... that's the thing...
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I don't have any advice to give on the ESL 57 but I just wanted to welcome you to the forum. :) It's a relief to find someone else who shares similar tastes in music! :cool:
 
brecklandboy said:
Hi LazyHammer.

if you are considering purchasing the ESLs, and considering using them with the Sony ( or for that matter other makes of transistor amplifiers), I would first check that they have been fitted with 'clamp-boards' to protect the treble panels from damage.
Click to expand...

I read somewhere that the 57's with a serial number of 40000 already have a protection circuit in them, and I don't think 18wpc is enough power to make break them, right?
 
Ward said:
Lazyhammer,
Firstly welcome to the pond.
I am one of those unfortunate previous Quad owners that had to sell up after a house move and loss of a suitable listening room having grown up with my father's 57s and personally owned 63s and 2905s. I agree totally with Tony L, Quad ESLs are happy with any genre of musical choice, the real magic of the 57s is their glorious midrange clarity, but they can be a bit demanding to drive. One thing you may not have been made aware of is that they can be placed very close to a side wall with negligible effect on the sound, but because the sound emanates equally from front and back of the speaker they require room to breath from behind to avoid cancellation of certain frequencies from reflections off the back wall. My opinion for what it is worth is that without documented service history your dealer is asking a high price and I would want to audition with your amplifier before parting with your hard earned cash.
Click to expand...

If I managed to bring my amp to the store to hook it up for a try, what would I have to look for in terms of sound to make sure its playing alright? Lack of bass maybe?
 
LazyHammer said:
If I managed to bring my amp to the store to hook it up for a try, what would I have to look for in terms of sound to make sure its playing alright? Lack of bass maybe?
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Lack of exploding is the big one! I bet that is a really lovely amp, I’ve a lot of respect for Sony of that era, I’d just try to research if it is known to be ok with Quads if at all possible.
 
ToTo Man said:
I don't have any advice to give on the ESL 57 but I just wanted to welcome you to the forum. :) It's a relief to find someone else who shares similar tastes in music! :cool:
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Thank you! My taste in music has been shifting over time, nowadays I tend to only listen to music that had really good production and dynamic range, so that leaves me with 70's and 80's stuff. It really was the peak of music in terms of quality...
 
You could be right re the 40,000 serial number. but I can't confirm , I'm afraid. AFTER MAKING SURE THAT THE SPEAKERS HAVE BEEN SWITCHED-OFF FOR A MINIMUM IF 12 HOURS TO DISCHARGE THE PANELS , remove the rear grille and peel back the the wadding behind the lower half of the left side bass panel (if viewed from the rear of the speaker. The protection circuit board will be clearly visible and easy to identify.
 
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@LazyHammer Ok yes from what you say prices in Spain seem to be on the higher side. The stands suggested above are ideal if you decide to take the plunge.
I would be listening to see if they sound dull or muted. Worse case scenario you will have panel rebuilds at some point and you can price that with the repairer in Spain before you take the leap. Brexit has certainly closed the door. I got a pair of 63,s recently from the UK but was just luck to get them back without import taxes. I went and collected them.
 
tonerei said:
@LazyHammer Ok yes from what you say prices in Spain seem to be on the higher side. The stands suggested above are ideal if you decide to take the plunge.
I would be listening to see if they sound dull or muted. Worse case scenario you will have panel rebuilds at some point and you can price that with the repairer in Spain before you take the leap. Brexit has certainly closed the door. I got a pair of 63,s recently from the UK but was just luck to get them back without import taxes. I went and collected them.
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I did not hear them dull or muted in any way, in fact I was surprised because I was expecting a warm-ish sound with noticeably rolled off treble but what I heard was an extremely focused sound that was crystal clear and sharp. In fact here's two videos I recorded while I was there... one playing "The sky is crying" and the other one is the mid section of a famous song by the good old Al Stewart:

https://streamable.com/h39290

https://streamable.com/oka02p

I know a video is not ideal but maybe it's worth checking out. Those would be the ones I'd be taking home if I took the plunge.
 
LazyHammer said:
I did not hear them dull or muted in any way, in fact I was surprised because I was expecting a warm-ish sound with noticeably rolled off treble but what I heard was an extremely focused sound that was crystal clear and sharp. In fact here's two videos I recorded while I was there... one playing "The sky is crying" and the other one is the mid section of a famous song by the good old Al Stewart:

https://streamable.com/h39290

https://streamable.com/oka02p

I know a video is not ideal but maybe it's worth checking out. Those would be the ones I'd be taking home if I took the plunge.
Click to expand...

I heard a pair that where definitely down on output. One speaker louder than the other. They also did not go very loud and sounded dull and flat. Heard others that even though they are well worn can sound excellent but compared to a redone pair will not be at the races. That pair although from a video recording sound really nice. If you are satisfied the price is good for Spain I think you know yourself what to do :D. The stands really make a difference so the bargain hunter in me would suggest trying to knock a bit more off the shop ones if possible and buy the ruperts with some of the savings. Just for full disclosure I had to travel to collect the 57's I bought so the price when landed in Ireland with exchange rates was €1400 so if this pair are as good as they sound and you have access to a company that can redo the panels in the longer term if needed it is hard to go wrong at that price level. A classic speaker still relevant today for reasonable money certainly worth buying and think of the kudo's you will gain as a 25yr buying into one of the most celebrated speakers of all time at such a young age!

One caveat imho you need a really good amp to get the best out of them as they are hard to drive. What amp where they using in the shop? ( I used a Jadis DA50S with mine)
 
They sound fine through my phone :D
Mine also sound like that on my phone, albeit more trebly.
 
FWIW Al Stewart’s Year Of The Cat is a very toppy record. I’ve got a UK 1st press and it sounds great, but it really is tipped up in the top end. Very deliberately I assume, but I’d not use it to assess whether a pair of speakers was bright or dull.
 
tonerei said:
I heard a pair that where definitely down on output. One speaker louder than the other. They also did not go very loud and sounded dull and flat. Heard others that even though they are well worn can sound excellent but compared to a redone pair will not be at the races. That pair although from a video recording sound really nice. If you are satisfied the price is good for Spain I think you know yourself what to do :D. The stands really make a difference so the bargain hunter in me would suggest trying to knock a bit more off the shop ones if possible and buy the ruperts with some of the savings. Just for full disclosure I had to travel to collect the 57's I bought so the price when landed in Ireland with exchange rates was €1400 so if this pair are as good as they sound and you have access to a company that can redo the panels in the longer term if needed it is hard to go wrong at that price level. A classic speaker still relevant today for reasonable money certainly worth buying and think of the kudo's you will gain as a 25yr buying into one of the most celebrated speakers of all time at such a young age!

One caveat imho you need a really good amp to get the best out of them as they are hard to drive. What amp where they using in the shop? ( I used a Jadis DA50S with mine)
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This is the amp I'm going to be using: http://www.thevintageknob.org/sony-TA-N86B.html
It will be switched into A mode which gives 18wpc. It's been worked on so no service is needed. I don't know how well it will work with the quads, but it is a very nice amp and it makes my stax sound like a dream.

In the shop they were using a $2100 push-pull valve amp with KT88 tubes I think. I had never heard a tube amp before so I don't know what exactly they were doing with the sound...

Also yes, I think it's not a bad idea to get these speakers now that I can, even if I end up not liking them or they don't work well in my room, at least I will have the experience... that's how I want to see it at least.
 
Tony L said:
FWIW Al Stewart’s Year Of The Cat is a very toppy record. I’ve got a UK 1st press and it sounds great, but it really is tipped up in the top end. Very deliberately I assume, but I’d not use it to assess whether a pair of speakers was bright or dull.
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That is true. But I also included another video which sounds different, it was warm and nice.

Once again I wasn't blown away by what I heard but I'm sure it was because they were too close together, at least for my liking...
 
Hi Lazyhammer - welcome to the world of quads. Take your amp to the shop, connect it up and slowly bring up the volume on music you know well. Check:

Lots of detail
smooth extended high end
clean sound, no distortion at the high end (unlike cone speakers, the low impedance part on 57s is the high end)
Check there are no sharp cracks or distortion on bass notes, do bring something with low bass to check this out
With the amp off/not connected, 57s turned on, listen carefully to each panel across the front - they should be silent with no hiss or squealing
after a while, check your amp - that its not hotter than normal etc on the heatsinks - listen for an hour or so at least.

If all those tests are passed, then you are probably good to go. Bear in mind that 57s have a sweet spot the size of your head - move it left or right and you won't get the full stereo image. They are glorious though, and I don't think your musical tastes are incompatible with them. If you are someone who is up for a bit of DIY, the 63s are a little easier to drive and place in the room, and are a bit easier to fix yourself.

@Dowser - glad to hear those quads are still rocking away with the big valves. That's a lovely setup for sure - getting them up off the floor is a great boost alright. If you're ever back this way give us a shout.
 
fran said:
Hi Lazyhammer - welcome to the world of quads. Take your amp to the shop, connect it up and slowly bring up the volume on music you know well. Check:

Lots of detail
smooth extended high end
clean sound, no distortion at the high end (unlike cone speakers, the low impedance part on 57s is the high end)
Check there are no sharp cracks or distortion on bass notes, do bring something with low bass to check this out
With the amp off/not connected, 57s turned on, listen carefully to each panel across the front - they should be silent with no hiss or squealing
after a while, check your amp - that its not hotter than normal etc on the heatsinks - listen for an hour or so at least.

If all those tests are passed, then you are probably good to go. Bear in mind that 57s have a sweet spot the size of your head - move it left or right and you won't get the full stereo image. They are glorious though, and I don't think your musical tastes are incompatible with them. If you are someone who is up for a bit of DIY, the 63s are a little easier to drive and place in the room, and are a bit easier to fix yourself.
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That seems like a good idea, thanks! It makes sense to give it a "stress test" before taking them home, using my own amp... I'll try and see if I can do it this next saturday, and if they're alright I'll bring em home :)

That said, it's going to be difficult to assess if my amp is getting hotter than usual, since it always gets extremely hot when you use it in class A mode, to the point where you can't even touch it! It's normal though, just a matter of not leaving it running for more than two consecutive hours or so... But I will definitely bring a couple of bass heavy tracks to see if something happens!
 
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