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Have Quad ESLs had their day?

fran said:
That would make for a very interesting visit alright - you were lucky to be able to enjoy that.

I'm not as convinced as some might be about the original jig mystique - I think once you get the right tension on the right material you are good to go. That doesn't mean that it doesn't deserve its place in the audio hall of fame of course!!
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As you cannot buy the original material or glue, "The Jig" is only doing an approximation anyway
 
This link may be of interest to ESL57 'anoraks' searching for an equivalent to the original nylon solution used for doping the mylar panels. It also suggests that the correct gauge of diaphragm material may also be available albeit after some searching. This is, I appreciate an old article but it does give some cause for optimism for restorers of these speakers, who like to keep things original.

http://www.f2s61092.f2s.com/html/coating.html
 
I feel I have to ask this..... I will hopefully be trying licron crystal as a coating. There are mixed reports out there on the web on it. The other solution that seems to get positive enough results is Staticide 6300. The problem with that is that the cost - around 200e for a bit of a litre, and thats before you add in customs etc etc. This is probably enough to cost 500 panels!

Anyone got a line on Staticide 6300?
 
Sorry, but I can't advise you re the suitability of this substance. Personally, I would go with the Elvamide option, asuming that it remains available to purchase.

I would not recommend graphite solution however as the service engineer at Quad once told me that it has a tendency to 'shed' over time. . Also, the surface resistivity is different to the original nylon solution.
 
yeah - that's the big attraction of Licron crystal - the surface resistivity matches the original, its permanent, and isn't affected by humidity (although it is UV sensitive). However I have a sneaking suspicion that Staticide is what ER audio includes in their kits - and that certainly has worked very well here so far.

Once I get a jig made up for spraying a panel, I'll run an experiment
 
Good luck with the Licron, Fran.

I'm sure ESL57 fans on the forum will be eager to hear more of your experience with this 'new' doping material.
 
Hey everyone, I'm finally getting the Quad 57 today. Since there is no info on serial number or anything at all (just a standard photo of the front) and the seller doesn't really know anything at all about them aside from his word on the fact that he heard them and they sound OK to him, what should I check when I get them? How can I know if they've been tampered with/repaired/restored?

Should I just plug them in and if it sounds OK to me then I just let it go? I'm unsure on how to proceed... As I said earlier in the post I heard a different pair on a store, but that was with a tube amp in a treated room, it will certainly sound different than mine....


Thanks.
 
Making sure that the speakers have been switched off for a minimum of 12 hours, first, check to see if they have been fitted with protective 'clamp boards'. Then power the speakers up and leave for 24 hours without playing any music through them. Check for any untoward noises coming from the panels during this 'warm-up'

Al being well at this stage, play some music through them at low volume initially . Aside from obvious sound problems manifesting themselves, check that the speakers are 'sensitive' and respond smartly to a further increase in volume. Check also that both speakers seem 'matched' in terms of output. If the speakers seem unresponsive and sound dull / lethargic / woolly, then you may have problems with low panel voltage (possibly faulty E.H.T. blocks) . If the speakers do seem lifeless , don't be tempted to 'wind up the wick' to compensate for the low output level as you could easily arc the treble panels, especially if using a solid-state amplifier !

Hopefully, all will go well. Caution is very much the watchword here. The speakers should sound 'fast', vivid , with a 'clean' detailed, almost incisive presentation. The mid-range openness and clarity should be immediately obvious if you have got a good pair.
 
I’ve had my Quads in two different rooms and great as they sound, I prefer the Studio grade Tannoy’s that I use in their place. Perhaps in the future, I will move them to a spare room that’s not being used for much.
 
John said:
I’ve had my Quads in two different rooms and great as they sound, I prefer the Studio grade Tannoy’s that I use in their place. Perhaps in the future, I will move them to a spare room that’s not being used for much.
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What version of Tannoy have you got John?
 
brecklandboy said:
Making sure that the speakers have been switched off for a minimum of 12 hours, first, check to see if they have been fitted with protective 'clamp boards'. Then power the speakers up and leave for 24 hours without playing any music through them. Check for any untoward noises coming from the panels during this 'warm-up'

Al being well at this stage, play some music through them at low volume initially . Aside from obvious sound problems manifesting themselves, check that the speakers are 'sensitive' and respond smartly to a further increase in volume. Check also that both speakers seem 'matched' in terms of output. If the speakers seem unresponsive and sound dull / lethargic / woolly, then you may have problems with low panel voltage (possibly faulty E.H.T. blocks) . If the speakers do seem lifeless , don't be tempted to 'wind up the wick' to compensate for the low output level as you could easily arc the treble panels, especially if using a solid-state amplifier !

Hopefully, all will go well. Caution is very much the watchword here. The speakers should sound 'fast', vivid , with a 'clean' detailed, almost incisive presentation. The mid-range openness and clarity should be immediately obvious if you have got a good pair.
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Sounds good, thanks! I was wondering if there was any way to tell internally tho, I was thinking of opening them up and look for clues that could indicate they've been restored. Or maybe don't mess with them unless something sounds wrong...
 
As, I think I mentioned earlier, the clamps boards are (nearly) always fitted behind the left hand bass panel when viewed from the rear of the speaker. They are usually obscured by the wadding material originally fitted at the factory. If you remove a few screws and carefully prise the perforated metal backing sheet away from speaker by a couple of inches, you should quickly and easily be able to tell, by peeling back the wadding slightly, if you have the protection boards fitted.

Incidentally, if the speakers have been serviced by Quad in the past, it was customary for the Service Dept. to place a sticker noting this on top of the E.H.T. block in close proximity to the mains plug entry.

Personally, at this stage, I would not do any more investigative work as the wiring connections for the panels are often quite 'flaky' after the passage of 50 odd years.

Good luck !
 
Have a good look around the 57s @LazyHammer - look at the wood screws that hold the side cheeks into either side of the speakers. If they are a bit chewed up then the speakers have been opened a closed a few times. Have a look in at the back with a flashlight around the power plug (it will probably a round bulgin plug so make sure you get the cable with them) and the speaker inputs - if they look suspiciously clean inside then they probably have been opened. Also, opening the grilles etc is not really something you can do on the spot as there are like 50 screws each side. If there is a dent in the grille, most times this can be rolled out with a rolling pin from behind, but if there is a sharp ding, or the grille is crushed its hard to fix that. Most people stretch some speaker cloth over them for aesthetics.

Best thing to do is ask the seller to have them powered up for a day before you go listen. Bring your amp, or use his as suits. Before you power up the amp, with the speakers powered on, check that they are silent - you shouldn't have any hiss or noise from them. Check side-middle-side of each so you are listening at the centre of each panel. Then when you play something they should have the same volume both sides, so maybe a mono track that you know and check to see if its off to one side etc. Make sure when you are doing this that they are equally spaced from you, aimed at the back of your head, because the sweet spot is tiny. As mentioned above, they should have lots of detail, great soundstage, immediacy in spades, and not be dull.

After that, its a leap of faith! They are old now, so at some stage you will end up doing the EHT block at least. Sometimes with these, you are as much dependent on your judgement of the owner as anything else - get an impression of whether they "minded" them, or didn't give a sh*t and blasted whatever through them. A genteel light classical listener with a nervous wife who detests loud music is the dream here.
 
fran said:
Have a good look around the 57s @LazyHammer - look at the wood screws that hold the side cheeks into either side of the speakers. If they are a bit chewed up then the speakers have been opened a closed a few times. Have a look in at the back with a flashlight around the power plug (it will probably a round bulgin plug so make sure you get the cable with them) and the speaker inputs - if they look suspiciously clean inside then they probably have been opened. Also, opening the grilles etc is not really something you can do on the spot as there are like 50 screws each side. If there is a dent in the grille, most times this can be rolled out with a rolling pin from behind, but if there is a sharp ding, or the grille is crushed its hard to fix that. Most people stretch some speaker cloth over them for aesthetics.

Best thing to do is ask the seller to have them powered up for a day before you go listen. Bring your amp, or use his as suits. Before you power up the amp, with the speakers powered on, check that they are silent - you shouldn't have any hiss or noise from them. Check side-middle-side of each so you are listening at the centre of each panel. Then when you play something they should have the same volume both sides, so maybe a mono track that you know and check to see if its off to one side etc. Make sure when you are doing this that they are equally spaced from you, aimed at the back of your head, because the sweet spot is tiny. As mentioned above, they should have lots of detail, great soundstage, immediacy in spades, and not be dull.

After that, its a leap of faith! They are old now, so at some stage you will end up doing the EHT block at least. Sometimes with these, you are as much dependent on your judgement of the owner as anything else - get an impression of whether they "minded" them, or didn't give a sh*t and blasted whatever through them. A genteel light classical listener with a nervous wife who detests loud music is the dream here.
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Awesome info! Unfortunately I bought this pair blindly though, they'll arrive monday (lazy delivery guys didn't bring em when they were supposed to) and that's when I'll do the checkup and stuff... No refunds or returns really. So hopefully I've got a decent pair...
I've read about the cloth to cover the grilles which is something I'm interested in, however I've also read (from the official Quad one thing audio page) that this cloth reduces treble performance... I'm not sure I want a reduced treble performance on a pair of speakers that doesn't really perform all that well there! So that's unfortunate...


I'll let you guys know how they are when they arrive, probably some pics too if I'm concerned about something.

Cheers.
 
On a scale of lucky to disaster @LazyHammer :

You power them up, you can listen right away, but leave them for a day before making any judgement. After a day they sound great, lots of detail etc = lucky
You power them up, no noises etc, but after a day they sound a bit dull - most likely you will eventually have to do the EHT blocks = to be expected at some stage, but you can use away at them = moderately OK
You power them up and there are squealing/put-put-put or hissy noises that haven't gone away after a short while = then not so good, you likely need at least a panel done = bit of a disaster but recoverable with time, patience and DIY or money.
 
Almost certainly EHT units will benefit from a rebuild - simple job if you’ve got early units potted in wax. As per Fran - I’d listen straight away, but then also pop them open for an inspection and clean…well clean and then inspection, if they’ve never been opened before dust covers will be filthy and impossible to see through. I used a Hoover with small brush very carefully, then baby wipes to finish off.
 
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