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Is Quad ESL57 most amazing speaker of all time?

Just had to try one of these as i had heard so much about it. Enjoyed a lot of old Quad stuff so thought must be good. Recently in my room passed the following speakers, Spendor BC1 spendor SP1, Harbeth 30 and 40's. Reynaud offrandes, audio physic avanti, Audio note ANE spx, Avantagrde duo's(modified subwoofers), tANNOY GOLD DUAL CONCENTRICS, ETC ETC ETC.

Within minutes i heard more from a recording than i ever had with any other speaker I have knowm. The realism and detail due to the fast transients are absolutely astonishing. Ok will not go loud bass a little monochrome, but how could you live without that midrange?? It is that good. I was using jadis JPL pre and a good old cheap Quad 606. I didnot even have the chance to drag out the megabucks Audio Note signature 300b mono's before I blew the treble on one unit. Apparently very common. Only the Audio Note speaker approaches the Quad for sound quality although the audio note gets the emotional aspects spot on, the Quad as good as it is in communicating the emotion is just so scarily intimately accurate. Accurate to the point that it is unrealistic. By that I mean that you are so intimate with the musician or vocalist its as if you got up on the stage and sat beside them to hear details you never would if you were in the audience.

Is there any body else out there who can see where i am coming from??? Or is this just a one night stand??
audiojoy4
audiojoy4 OP
98 posts
 
Thanks all for the enthusiastic agreement of my observations. A recent review in Hifi World stated that a rebuilt quad 57 was closer in dynamics and bass slam to his Yamaha NS (dont know if you are all familiar with this speaker in the USA, it does have a cult following)than he has ever known a Quad 57 to be. It was rebuilt by 'one thing audio' in the UK.

I believe that the older passive components and possibly the transformers may be the culprits. I will get these modified first then report back.

By the way in my room 15x13 feet I am not recognising any deficiency in the treble if anything it is crystal clear, extends as high as i would want itand very dynamic sounding (macro). If it is a lack of 'air' that people critisize the speaker for then i for one now truely believe that it may be exagerated on all other speakers. Reverb is captured beautifully more so than any other speaker i have ever heard and that is part and parcel of the aura of the stage is it not?

Luke
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Tbg...You sold your KLH 9s? What a mistake!!!
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Eldartford, two pair. I often go to extremes.
shadorne's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
shadorne
7,477 posts
 
You are in heaven! I hope the honeymoon lasts. I have not seen the recent HI-FI World article but wondered what you thought of the Gordon Holt article I linked to above?

Also do you not agree with Newbee that this speaker forces you to recognize/concentrate on what they do so very well partly from the absence of competition from dynamics, bass and treble? "Idiot Savant" is perhaps derogatory but an apt term nonethless for a speaker that does only one thing really well.

Just curious or perhaps this thread will remain best as a eulogy to the great Quad ESL 57, rather than any meaningful discussion.
lacee
811 posts
 
Try stacking a pair.Everything you like plus more "air" being moved so you feel as if there is more bass.
A hard speaker to forget once the honeymoon is over and you look for a speaker with other virtues and move on.
One of the systems I should have kept(paired with AtmaSphere MP3 and S30).I think everyone should have a pair at least once.My advice,when they start to loose the wow factor, don't sell them, just put them away,you'll regret the loss.
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