Quad ESL Question

steve f · « **Reply #20 on:** 3 Jun 2015, 03:31 am »

The problem is everything looks good. The panels, the circuit boards, etc. show no physical signs of failure. I haven't started a tear down yet. It will be about three weeks before I can start.

Steve

JohnCZ · « **Reply #21 on:** 3 Jun 2015, 06:31 pm »

Steve,
Electrostatic Solutions has a carrier that they use just for Quad and related products. Give Clark a call and he can set you up.
John

steve f · « **Reply #22 on:** 4 Jun 2015, 03:18 am »

Thank you John.

SteveFord · « **Reply #23 on:** 5 Jun 2015, 12:17 am »

I could be mistaken but sometimes things just seem to pick you.
I've got a set of real early MMGs and they've been rebuilt a time or two and one of them will be going back to Magnepan for a rebuild as the wires look to be coming unhinged (kind of like the owner in regards to these things).
Financially, it makes no sense whatsoever to hold onto them but they're MY speakers.
I've had later MMGs but I sold them and kept the original guys.
It's funny, I didn't really care for the MMGs when I first got them and my first thought was to box them back up and return them to get my money back and get something else but now they'll never be for sale.
This may be the case with you and your Quads.
You may not be especially thrilled with them and biting the bullet and getting them fixed up might suck but once you do, ten years from now you'll still have them and will come to think of them as MY speakers. Other speakers may come and go but those will remain.
They may not be the latest or the greatest but that really doesn't matter if they suit you just fine.

steve f · « **Reply #24 on:** 5 Jun 2015, 04:56 am »

Hi Steve,

You may be right.

The Quads were a gift. Even a maximum repair would be below the resale value of the speaker. Sound wise they are better then about 95% of what's out there. Quad does a beautiful job of voicing their ESLs. im just afraid thar if I repair one, the other will fail shortly. Call me neurotic.

I bought a pair of early MMGs. They were eventually gifted to my sister in law. She loves them.

Steve

louie3 · « **Reply #25 on:** 5 Jun 2015, 12:15 pm »

"if I repair one, the other will fail shortly. Call me neurotic." Naw, man, not neurotic but enlightened.

I replaced the noisy panel in my 63s...pretty easy. It was, however, the top panel, destroyed one dustcover, but it was probably time for a new one anyway And then....and then....I fired them up and guess what?

Same noise, from the same place. Opened the corners of the dust cover, turned the de-humidifier down a notch, let it run all night, and this morning...wait for it....the noise is almost gone...still pops a little once in a while, but you can only hear it with your ear right at the speaker...so I guess that's an improvement.

Now, just to prove the line between neurosis and psychosis is very fine, indeed, I am talking with a guy about buying his pair of ESL 57s that "need a little work on the bass panels"

steve f · « **Reply #26 on:** 5 Jun 2015, 01:56 pm »

Psychotic would be looking for two pair of 57s adding super tweeters, then large transmission line bass speakers. A modern take on the old HDQ speakers.

The only thing, in my mind at least, holding me back from repairing the 989s is the possibility that the factory direct Essence ESL might be a more reliable equivalent for equal money. I know how good the 989 is. The Essence is the best speaker nobody has ever heard. They are based on the old Final ESLs but with a few slick design updates. Hopefully a member or two knows both speakers.

Steve

louie3 · « **Reply #27 on:** 5 Jun 2015, 02:19 pm »

Steve,

Yes, the Essence are interesting, and yes, there have been developments in manufacturing, especially in depositing the conductive coating on stators, that simply were not available to Quad (although this is now available).

I have yet to find anyone on any of the planar boards who has actually heard the Essence, so by all means get a set and tell us all about it.

I have a pair of Kingsound Queens...the electrostatic portion of which is built using the latest coating techniques, etc, etc, and runs with a 12 volt power supply.

When I began to hear the noise from one of my Quads, I put the Queens back into the system, and I should point out I had thought the Queens were pretty good when I was running them. After some eight months listening to the Quads, frankly, the Queens sucked.

Obviously they did not suck, but the difference between the Queens and the Quads was really drammatic.

I suspect that the Quads are so satisfying because they were designed for music lovers, not high end hifi folks. I am afraid the Essence (s) will be more of the same...I am afraid that if you live with the Quads for a while, you won't be happy with anything else. In fact, I would posit that anyone who doubts that this is true has not lived with the Quads. I went for years without Quads after having a pair for some time and I spent most of that time looking for that Quad sound.

Fix the damn 989s, man, hell, I will loan you my Queens to use while your 989s are in Kansas City if you will pay the shipping cost back and forth.

steve f · « **Reply #28 on:** 6 Jun 2015, 01:27 pm »

I've decided to go with the Quad repairs. I had the working Quad on the left channel, and a volume matched single driver speaker on the right. After about an hour, I took the good Quad out of the system and put in the other single driver speaker. I was surprised that the sound field absolutely collapsed. No comparison.
"Fix the damn989s" is good advice.

Steve

louie3 · « **Reply #29 on:** 6 Jun 2015, 01:58 pm »

Good man.

There is a section in downtown KC that is pretty cool, shopping, music and dining.

One more word of advice....if you take the speakers to Kent, don't listen to his Soundlabs,

steve f · « **Reply #30 on:** 5 Jul 2015, 07:59 pm »

I changed the 220 mu cap in the bad Quad. The speaker improved but it still has to go to KC. I've been traveling too much to set up the repairs. Pretty soon though. That's my update.

louie3 · « **Reply #31 on:** 6 Jul 2015, 01:10 pm »

C'mon man, share the secret

You said you changed the input cap, to a new one? a bigger one? what? No fair teasing!!!!

steve f · « **Reply #32 on:** 6 Jul 2015, 03:06 pm »

No big secret. It's just a non polarized electrolytic cap. The original was rated for 50 volts, and the replacement is a 100 volt rating. Wasn't intentional, just available, and the same can size. You would have a bit of difficulty putting in a boutique cap. There isn't a lot of room, and the board through holes are the smallest I've ever seen. Drilling would be necessary.

There is one more electrolytic cap, a radial type, on the board. I left it alone, but should have changed it while I had the board out. I wanted to see if it was a cap issue, and which one if any.

The beating noise diminished substantially after the cap change. It doesn't mean a whole lot, because the problem still exists. I'm going to change the other cap out, before I send it to KC. So far all I know is that the speaker needed a cap, and that it still has a problem.

steve

louie3 · « **Reply #33 on:** 7 Jul 2015, 01:17 pm »

To more or less quote Kent McCollum, the Quads are wonderful, but when the devil gets inside them they can be tough to straighten out....and this is from a man who rebuilds them for a living.

Does the 988 have the all in one board (mother board) or are they separate like the 63?

Not sure what the input cap would have to do with a panel making a noise, but it does sound like you MIGHT have an electronics problem of some sort.

Maybe you could try leaving the speakers powered up for a couple of weeks...apparently they can get hinkey sitting around for extended periods. The guys in England say leave them on all the time. Kent disagrees for understandable reasons.

But...my rebuilt panel was making a popping noise, Kent suggested leaving the speakers on for a couple of weeks before sending the panel back and after a couple of weeks the popping noise is certainly better, and is almost gone completely.

You do know to let the speaker sit powered off overnight before you stick your hand in there, right?

steve f · « **Reply #34 on:** 7 Jul 2015, 04:20 pm »

Great, now I need an exorcist?

I'm going to replace the second cap, then leave the speakers on for a week. I will be very careful about avoiding high voltages.

That is as far as I want to take the speaker myself. It goes to KC after that.

steve

Edit: the 989s appear to be mostly 63s with extra bass panels. Separate boards, and all.

steve f · « **Reply #35 on:** 7 Jul 2015, 04:35 pm »

deleted double post.

louie3 · « **Reply #36 on:** 7 Jul 2015, 10:13 pm »

Kent McCollum: AKA: The Quad Exorcist.

steve f · « **Reply #37 on:** 14 Jul 2015, 05:17 pm »

The devil has finished with one Quad, and has started messing up the other. Groan. I just knew it. I'll have to send or deliver both to KC. And I still have a bunch of other speaker projects to finish. I know, it's all about priorities and dollars..

Steve

louie3 · « **Reply #38 on:** 15 Jul 2015, 11:23 am »

I'd say just leave em turned on for a good while. The little fellers apparently don't like sitting. Or bite the bullet.

Does this mean the one with the noise has healed itself?

And now the other one is twitchy?

Plug em in, turn em on and leave them...this might work and it is somewhat cheaper than a trip to KC.

steve f · « **Reply #39 on:** 15 Jul 2015, 12:19 pm »

One Quad is failed. The other is starting to exhibit some popping noise. The 989s are about 12 years old. Although the previous owner took good care of them, the poor adhesives used in the day have taken their toll. I will have to bite the bullet. We will box them up and plan a road trip to KC. Hey, I love good BBQ.

Steve