Essence pricing

steve f · « **Reply #20 on:** 25 May 2015, 04:22 am »

Phil & studiotech,

I hope you guys get a chance to evaluate Essence ESL. I have had a few email exchanges with Bob Rappoport. He has been quite open and helpful in his recommendations. I asked about the differences between the two different models. The speakers have identical frequency response. The 1600 is 1 DB more efficient. The primary advantage of the 1600 is that it fits bigger rooms better. If you listen to speakers both standing and sitting then the 1600 is for you. They can be wall mounted, both models.

I'm not certain if the speakers are an inverted design. I think they are a conventional ESL. The stators are printed with a conductive ink type material on their insides. I think the diaphragm has a similar treatment. There are no sprayed surfaces so the conductive coatings can be very precisely applied. I asked a couple of questions about the transformer windings and stator spacing, and Bob will get back to me on them. There is no question that this approach is revolutionary. Bob says that the design is quite robust. He plays them pretty hard. There is a three year warranty.

The only negatives as far as I can tell are that there is no trial period. To keep costs low if you buy it, you own it. Replacement for broken at delivery only. I also would like to consider wall hanging the speakers, and wonder if they need much space behind them. If they can play well hanging on a bracket, the 1200 would be damn near perfect for me. I could save a couple of hundred bucks, and the seated or standing listening problem would be solved. Add servo subwoofers, and wow..

steve

Hank · « **Reply #21 on:** 26 May 2015, 05:56 pm »

Jazzman 53 wrote:

Quote

BTW, what woofers did you have in mind for those OB servo subs?

H or W frame OB servo subs. Rythmik Audio (Brian) moved here to Austin a few years ago. Check out his site:
http://www.rythmikaudio.com/products.html He sells the servo amps, servo drivers and completed sealed and ported units and he sells the GR Research servo driver designed for OB applications.
GR Research (Danny) sells Brian's servo amps and GR's servo drivers:
http://gr-research.com/sw-12-08fr.aspx

steve f · « **Reply #22 on:** 20 Jun 2015, 10:00 am »

Have any of our Florida friends arranged for a listen to the Essence brand? Just curious.

steve

Phil A · « **Reply #23 on:** 20 Jun 2015, 03:30 pm »

Quote from: steve f on 20 Jun 2015, 10:00 am

Have any of our Florida friends arranged for a listen to the Essence brand? Just curious.

steve

I have not as yet. I met up with a couple of guys from the Sun Coast Audio Society (Tampa area - I'm in the Space Coast Audio Society - basically central East Coast and towards Orlando) and one indicated he would arrange a field trip. That was a couple of weeks back. I'll be following up and probably sometime one way or another over the next couple of months try to make my way over there.

SteveFord · « **Reply #24 on:** 20 Jun 2015, 10:01 pm »

If you borrow a fast motorcycle with a radar detector you could probably get there in around 2 1/2 hours which will include a gas, smoke and quick cup of coffee break.
Watch out for deer and cars driven by texting kids with lots of facial piercings!

Phil A · « **Reply #25 on:** 21 Jun 2015, 03:53 am »

Quote from: SteveFord on 20 Jun 2015, 10:01 pm

If you borrow a fast motorcycle with a radar detector you could probably get there in around 2 1/2 hours which will include a gas, smoke and quick cup of coffee break.
Watch out for deer and cars driven by texting kids with lots of facial piercings!

It's not too bad. I went to the one guy's house who bought Vapor Speakers and that was probably a drop further. I'll skip the motorcycle and the smoke but the coffee break is OK. I'm old and retired now. So if I need to stay over I get those AARP rates.

KLH007 · « **Reply #26 on:** 21 Jun 2015, 05:20 pm »

Phil, What did you think about the Vapor speakers? I heard the Joule Blacks at 2014 RMAF and ranked the room in top 3 I heard.

Phil A · « **Reply #27 on:** 21 Jun 2015, 05:52 pm »

Quote from: 007KLH on 21 Jun 2015, 05:20 pm

Phil, What did you think about the Vapor speakers? I heard the Joule Blacks at 2014 RMAF and ranked the room in top 3 I heard.

I loved them. Really great speakers with an outstanding fit and finish. The pic I took my iPhone below does not even do them justice.

SteveFord · « **Reply #28 on:** 21 Jun 2015, 09:44 pm »

Anyone near Salem, Virginia? Uptown Audio has a pair (currently on eBay) for $995 although I don't know if that has a reserve on it or not. NO returns, no warranty so you'd really want to hear them in person. The seller says they're making funny swishing noises that you can only hear when the music isn't playing so I don't know what's up with that. They might be props from the movie Poltergeist?
We all know that didn't end well but YMMV.

If anyone would be willing to swing by and give a listen and post a review it would be great.

Phil A · « **Reply #29 on:** 22 Jun 2015, 12:02 am »

Here's the link - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Essence-Electrostatic-Speakers-model-1200-Black-Silver-Martin-Logan-sound-/261932874345?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cfc6a7a69

louie3 · « **Reply #30 on:** 23 Jun 2015, 01:44 pm »

"These have some noise at low level from the electrostatic elements when plugged into the wall."

That does not sound good. I know nothing about the technology of this particular electrostat, but the only acceptable noise is no noise.

Humidity? Who knows?

Love to hear them, but I would have to make up a helatious story to be able to drive to Salem, Va.

steve f · « **Reply #31 on:** 24 Jun 2015, 09:05 pm »

Aw c'mon guys. Somebody's got to give those Essence speakers a listen. I can't. I have to save to repair the Quad 989s. I'm on the left side of the country too.

SteveFord · « **Reply #32 on:** 24 Jun 2015, 10:26 pm »

310 miles from me so nope.
They're down by Roanoke, VA which is Blue Ridge Parkway country.
I have to save my vacation time for sinus surgery (what fun)!

Phil A · « **Reply #33 on:** 25 Jun 2015, 12:00 am »

Quote from: SteveFord on 24 Jun 2015, 10:26 pm

I have to save my vacation time for sinus surgery (what fun)!

Yes - that's fun - had sinus surgery in October

Phil A · « **Reply #34 on:** 25 Jun 2015, 12:02 am »

Quote from: SteveFord on 24 Jun 2015, 10:26 pm

310 miles from me so nope.
They're down by Roanoke, VA which is Blue Ridge Parkway country.

I'll touch base with the guys in the Tampa area after July 4 to see if they want to take a ride to Essence. If not maybe I'll take a day and head over. It's probably around a bit more than 2.5 hrs. one way for me.

louie3 · « **Reply #35 on:** 25 Jun 2015, 12:44 pm »

FWIW: I asked the guy who is selling the Essences on Ebay about the noise and the relative humidity in his shop.

The noise comes and goes, and the humidity could be the problem.

to wit: Does the noise the speakers are making continue if the speakers are left on for a couple of days?

Is the humidity in your store higher than 50 percent?

Answer: Yes, the noise comes and goes. Humidity is higher than 50% much of the time.

I could very well be that there is nothing wrong here.

Phil A · « **Reply #36 on:** 25 Jun 2015, 12:58 pm »

I guess it depends on the design of the panels - http://www.martinlogan.com/learn/faq-electrostatic.php

"I have been advised that electrostatics do not fare well in the long term in the humidity of our tropical climate. Is this true?
We should tell you that MartinLogan indeed has a very substantial number of customers in tropical regions of the world. Our speakers have been serving them nicely for many years. This concern may have come from our earlier design of speakers, which were charged continuously.

Since 1993, all of our speakers have been designed so that they only charge the panel while music is being played. This improvement has made a tremendous difference in the consistent performance of our product. There may be a little more maintenance involved in humid regions when not in an air-conditioned environment. Simply enough, the concern is to keep the electrostatic panels dust free. Humidity will combine with any dust on the panel to make it slightly conductive. This will result in a slight pathway for the charge to leave the membrane of the speaker. The solution is simple. They only require occasional vacuuming with a strong vacuum hose."

Phil A · « **Reply #37 on:** 25 Jun 2015, 01:03 pm »

Hopefully I'll get to visit Essence sometime in the near future (assuming they are able to handle visitors in FL) and if I remember I'll ask.

jaylevine · « **Reply #38 on:** 25 Jun 2015, 10:15 pm »

Quote from: Phil A on 25 Jun 2015, 12:00 am

Yes - that's fun - had sinus surgery in October

Actually I am going down there next week (Roanoke). I live in Richmond but my elderly in-laws live between Roanoke and Salem. If they are open I'll pop in and report.

I've also had three sinus operations over the course of my 58 years...small world I guess.

Jay

SteveFord · « **Reply #39 on:** 25 Jun 2015, 11:20 pm »

Great, please do.
This will be my second sinus surgery in 20 years. These infections just get harder to shake the older I get unless I can heal myself between now and July 20th. It took out a tooth and the oral surgeon dug away either into or too close to the sinus and now there's a tunnel which won't close up. Curses sez me.