[J Harris]

Call me crazy, but I've got a pair of completely refurbed Quad ESL-57s en route from the legendary Wayne Piquet in Florida. He told me 100 SS watts might be up to it. (Up to 50 ohms in the bass panels - ouch!)

I have a suspicion that it's going to work.

Patrick

[G Georgopoulos]

Call me crazy, but I've got a pair of completely refurbed Quad ESL-57s en route from the legendary Wayne Piquet in Florida. He told me 100 SS watts might be up to it. (Up to 50 ohms in the bass panels - ouch!)

I have a suspicion that it's going to work.

Patrick

I dont see any reason why not, hope they work out awesomely
cheers

[AKSA]

Patrick,

The AKSAs are very load tolerant.  This is because phase lead caps are used to counteract the radical phase shift introduced by capacitive loads.  I have a customer in NZ (hi Alan!) who uses a 55N+ on his brand new ESL988s and swears by the combination.  I have to admit this surprised me because I'd not expected it, and nor had I had the chance to test it.  But Alan is an electronics technician, skilled at recording, and knows exactly what he's doing.

The problem with all ES speakers, however, is the robustness of the mylar diaphragm.  You must not overdrive them.  With 100W, this is possible, so take care not to push 'em too hard......

Could you please let us know what you think of the sound, Patrick?

Cheers,

Hugh

[AKSA]

Patrick,

How goes the AKSA with Quads?

Like the sound?

Cheers,

Hugh

[J Harris]

The Quads arrive tomorrow, most likely!

Patrick

[J Harris]

Or, as it turns out, "sometime next week." 

The Quads were shipped to my office, and I have absolutely no way of getting them to my home, even though it's only 2 miles away.

Patrick

[AKSA]

Hi Patrick,

I'm sorry to hear this;  do you have couriers who specialise in furniture pieces?

You have a concierge at your apartment entrance to accept the goods?

It's an irony that in a city so well serviced and sophisticated as New York these simple logistics become so infuriatingly difficult......

Good luck!

Cheers,

Hugh

[J Harris]

You said it! It's the major downside to living here - no space. No space for anything - for vehicles, dollies, loading/unloading spaces in front of buildings, Quad-sized boxes and Quad-stand-sized boxes... even alleys. There are no backs of buildings in Manhattan that are accessible; it was built without alleys, so all deliveries, of whatever size, must be made from the front, from inevitably traffic-clogged streets (filled with eager cops handing out violations).

I'm going to see if the trucking company can do it for a nominal fee. Otherwise I'll definitely be on craigslist for a "man with van".

It makes you wonder what it would be like if the city actually had to be completely evacuated for some reason... hmm... let's see... 2 tunnels, 2 major bridges directly to the mainland, a dozen tiny bridges to the Bronx (mainland), and then just 2 tunnels and 5+ bridges to other islands in the city (some of which then connect on to the mainland). But I digress...

I do have a doorman to accept the goods though!

Patrick

[J Harris]

Okay, to make a long story short, the 100 N+ had NO trouble driving the Quads to earthshattering levels. In my room. That might be part of the trouble though. My room is too small for Quads, no matter where I put them. I really should have figured that out before I ordered them

Anyway, I think I have at least 2 locals interested in them - if they can move them!

Patrick

[AKSA]

Hi Patrick,

Thanks for your post - this is just as I had hoped!!  I'm jubilant, an AKSA drives ES speakers with ease to high volume!!  This is great, as I'd not expected this kind of stability - a tribute to the phase lead cap I use in the design.

There are a significant number of Quads out there, with the 57 best suited to tubes, so no special attempt to keep capacitance low.  This gives them another option, I'm very pleased about this!!

Thanks for doing the test, showing the faith, etc.  Much appreciated!!

Cheers,

Hugh

[J Harris]

I've changed my mind. I'm keeping the Quads.

Patrick

[AKSA]

Patrick,

At low volume, even with a small room you can still experience the utterly unique Electrostatic sound.  The imaging performance is critical of placement - move your head a few inches either way and you've lost it - but the sound is ethereal.  I think of it as harps played in heaven from a nearby cloud;  distant, yet close, pure, and somehow very accurate and 'twee'. 

The ES won't die.  They are a cult speaker, particularly the ESL63, and will always have a place.  They are not a visceral speaker, like a powerful dynamic cone speaker, but they do some music unbelievably well - particularly string quartets and gentle jazz.

Good decision.  They will not lose value, either!

Cheers,

Hugh

[J Harris]

And here's a picture!

http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=7101

[creilly333]

And here's mine .... http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=7191

Wayne did a great job with mine a couple years ago.  How do you like his work ?

Colin

[Frihed91]

They don't look like 57s any more.  But for power, you certainly don't need 100W.  I have seen them attached to valve amps in thr 30 W range and sound very good.

Anyway, these are truely gems - the 57s and it's nce to know people are keeping them and appreciating how timesless they are.

[Frihed91]

Here's a website I came across that shows the appropriate amplificationshttp://www.quadesl.org/Amplifiers/AmpList/amplist.html

As you see, this is not a power hog and some SS amps are not right for it.

[J Harris]

No doubt Frihed, but I'm not really sure what point you're trying to make. The power rating of an amplifier, whether tube or SS, is merely one way of measuring what it does.

The Quad presents a famously difficult (reactive) load that many amps, whether tube or SS, of whatever wattage, cannot handle - they go into oscillation. The AKSA can handle it with no problem.

Colin, I agree that Wayne did a fantastic job on the refurbishment. I'm not so crazy about the stands aesthetically (I get Frihed's comment here), but it does make an enormous difference to get them up off the floor. I do wonder how they would sound on their original three legs.

Patrick

[creilly333]

Patrick,

I am not so keen on the stands either.  I used to have them on the original feet and with the original side caps when I bought them ( I still have them ) but as you say it really helps to get them up off of the floor.  I had Wayne fit the original grille also, so they look pretty much like the originals, but on stands.  I drive mine with an 80 watt Naim NAP250-2 amp and it does the job admirably.  It is one of the recommended amps.

Colin