[Phil A]

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.

That sucks.  Good luck.  My sinus' are too low too.  I had it lifted on one side for a dental implant about 4 years back and had a polyp on the other side that wouldn't allow it to be lifted so it had to come out.  Hopefully that will allow an implant in several months.

[jaylevine]

Well, not to hijack the thread's orignal intent, but sinuses are notoriously challenging for doctors.

Even though I've had three operations in an attempt to get my chronic sinusitus under control (which led to 6 or 7 serious infections a year), turns out the most effective treatment in my case was to quite smoking (15 years ago), get serious about rinsing my sinuses every night with a atomizer and start taking allergy shots (10 years ago). Combined effect was to reduce infections to only once or twice a year.......

Anyhow, good luck--

[steve f]

Just a bump. Have any of you guys had the opportunity to audition the Essence ESLs?

steve

[Phil A]

Just a bump. Have any of you guys had the opportunity to audition the Essence ESLs?

steve

I sent a couple of guys an email about arranging a visit.  I'll follow up on it in a few weeks

[steve f]

Thanks Phil. I know that when I've asked Essence a couple of questions, I occasionally had to send a second email. Bob is a busy guy and probably needs a reminder once in a while. I know I do. I suspect that they will enjoy having an experienced audiophile post his impressions.

Steve

[Phil A]

I have not communicated with Essence. The couple of guys I communicated with live closer to their location. If I don't hear back from them in a few weeks, I'll try making my own arrangements.

[Crossoverless]

WOW!  Steven R. Rochlin , Editor of Enjoy The Music has some of these Essence speakers and Essence class D amps in his system now....they must be really GOOD!!

[DSkip]

WOW!  Steven R. Rochlin , Editor of Enjoy The Music has some of these Essence speakers and Essence class D amps in his system now....they must be really GOOD!!

I've had the Essence amp for a few months and owned the HDACC for a year or two.  My comments are this: the HDACC is a great DAC for the money.  If you need any more information, lets talk via PM.


I'd still be curious to hear the speakers though.

[DSkip]

I was browsing around and saw the Class D Audio SDS series amplifiers.  It looks like the Essence is a rebadged version of the SDS.  Rear panels are absolutely identical.

[Crossoverless]

I've had the Essence amp for a few months and owned the HDACC for a year or two.  My comments are this: the HDACC is a great DAC for the money.  If you need any more information, lets talk via PM.


I'd still be curious to hear the speakers though.

 Maybe Steven will do a review on these Essence speakers soon...

 I also found out that the Essence model 1900's won't be coming out until.. 2016, next summer. I found out about this on their facebook page.

[Crossoverless]

I've had the Essence amp for a few months and owned the HDACC for a year or two.  My comments are this: the HDACC is a great DAC for the money.  If you need any more information, lets talk via PM.


I'd still be curious to hear the speakers though.

Some one else that owns this Essence gear says they sound like really good Tube gear  on their facebook page below >>>

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Essence/161639017357514 

[steve f]

I bought the HDAC. It's very good. Only two quibbles with it. The remote is the size of a car remote. I mean it's small. The other is that my cable box and the HDAC must operate on a similar frequency. The cable box channel selector often raises or lowers the volume of the HDAC?Annoying but not a fatal flaw.

It doesn't sound like most tube units though. It's better than that.

I'm still trying to learn more about the speakers. My three big questions:

Is Essence using the Finial inverted ESL method instead of conventional practice?

Is Essence using a single or dual winding transformer design?

Is there insulation between diaphragms and Stators?

I'd appreciate any answers from those in the know.

steve

[Crossoverless]

I bought the HDAC. It's very good. Only two quibbles with it. The remote is the size of a car remote. I mean it's small. The other is that my cable box and the HDAC must operate on a similar frequency. The cable box channel selector often raises or lowers the volume of the HDAC?Annoying but not a fatal flaw.

It doesn't sound like most tube units though. It's better than that.

I'm still trying to learn more about the speakers. My three big questions:

Is Essence using the Finial inverted ESL method instead of conventional practice?

Is Essence using a single or dual winding transformer design?

Is there insulation between diaphragms and Stators?

I'd appreciate any answers from those in the know.

steve

 Hi Steve

 I asked those questions on Essence's facebook page and this is what Bob told me there.

 No, we do not use the Final invented method, however we invented a new approach to generating the electrostatic field using "printed electronics" , with high defintion ink-jet printing layering coats of conductive inks on the inside surface of the world's first acrylic stators.

 The transformer is single winding.

 There is no insulation between the stators and diaphragm but the spacers are cleverly tapered to increase the excursion, extending the bass output down to below 50 Hz.

[steve f]

Crossoverless.

Thanks for the answers.

I had asked Bob a couple of them in an email. He said he would get back to me. I'm surprised that the stators have no protection against arcing. Other than that it seems to be a clever design. Printing the conductive material increases consistency. Im told that good old fine graphite is still the most effective, but getting it right all over a diaphragm has to be a tough one.

Steve

[Jazzman53]

If the spacers are tapered to vary the d/s (stator to diaphram spacing), then the printed stator conductors would have to be electrically segmented to limit the bass to only the areas having the greater d/s.  If there is only a single transformer, then the segmentation is probably done via a series resistor network, like was done in the Quad 63 ESL.  It would be interesting to find out how Essence implements the segmentation.       

[Crossoverless]

 Someone did testing on the Essence Model 1600, all the measurements can be found here >>> "Click on picture to enlarge"

http://www.princeton.edu/3D3A/Directivity/Essence%20Electrostatic%20Model%201600/index_H.html

And Here too >>>

http://www.princeton.edu/3D3A/Directivity/Essence%20Electrostatic%20Model%201600/index_DI.html

[Crossoverless]

Home Theater Shack is going to be doing a review on the Essence Model 1200 sometime in August of this year , right here in this thread below  >>>
http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/speaker-subwoofer-reviews/

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/home-theater-audio-video-news/121793-essence-eliminates-dealers-cut-prices-its-electrostatic-speakers-model-1200-model-1600-a.html

[steve f]

Should be interesting.

[Crossoverless]

Here's the Rankings of the Best Measurements of the Frontal Horizontal Directivity of the other Top High End speakers >>>

http://www.princeton.edu/3D3A/Directivity.html

[johzel]

FWIW, Walter of Underwoodhifi had a pair in his own house for some amount of time I do believe.  Now that Essence is internet direct and he's no longer selling them I don't know how much of an opinion he might offer.  But Walter has always been straight with me and I know he could (would??) offer you a review (pros and cons) via a phone call.