ESS speakers "Translinear" Transstatic

A friend of mine just purchased a pair of TransStatics for $50.00! They are the most amazing speakers I have ever heard. Whatever you play through them sounds as though you are hearing it for the first time. He uses monoblock tube amps with his (KT-88s). The clarity is amazing. I wish I could find a pair. I know If I am lucky enough to find some I will be paying a little more than $50.00 for them!

I check in on this thread a few a times a year. I am always interested in the old ESS stuff. I am poor so I cannot partake of the spate of vintage ESS auctions this past year, there were some gems like a mint pair of restored Transtatics.
Shipping fee is the killer nowadays. I disagree with comments about the Transtatics being outclassed by todays's speakers. Unless one spends well over $10,000 these used Transtatic and Translinear speakers are a real barging even with the cost of restoration. They are "music lovers" speakers not "home theatre" boomers. I recently had the pleasure of spending an afternoon listening to a friend's restored Transtatic I's playing Beethoven quartets to big film scores to classic Pink Floyd and it is an excellent speaker. ESS really knew how to optimize a transmissionline labyrinth for good phase response and flat bass. This type of manufacture is gone now because of shipping costs. T-lines today are just 'faked' and are really no different than long ported rectangular boxes with a whole lot of stuffing inside to damp the bass and choke-off the real bass output. The RtR psnels have a nice smooth yet highly dynamic sound just as I remembered it from the early 70's. My friend did replace the KEF B110 midrange with a modern unit from Seas. He made a slight adjustment to the stuffing in the 'tunnel' out the back and also re-built part of the x-over and the supply to the electrostatics. I told him if he ever wanted to sell them I'd find a way to buy them...but I know he love's em as much as I do and these really were a "speaker for a lifetime" from those golden days in the early seventies, if only I had known that then. I have a nice system which I mentioned in another post on this thread here, but those ESS...get 'em if you can find 'em!

My husband owns two pair of ESS AMT 1 A speakers. Most of the grills are in bad shape and I wanted to buy some new ones for his birthday. Can anyone help me with a contact for this company?

Hi my name is Art Galvan, if you are interested in old ESS stuff you are going to love this. I found the original AMT prototype built by Dr. Heil it was sold to me by the west coast sales rep for ESS who happened to be in Palo Alto, CA. the same day Dr. Heil was showing his new AMT driver to the owner of the store where he was looking for factory reps to carry the ESS line. Dr. Heil met the Salesman from ESS and the rest is history. The original AMT is now in the R&D Lab at Moore Industries where I work. drop me an e-mail if you would like to see it. agalvan@miinet.com

My name is George. I bought a pair of ESS bookshelf speakers in 1979 while a sophmore in college. I think they were the model PS-8. I thought they sounded great except the AMTs failed. ESS sent me replacements. As I remember it, ESS was not very friendly about it.
What is it about old audio gear from the 70's that makes you so nostalgic? Was it that the equipment was better, or that the times were better, or both?