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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
tbg
5,263 posts
 
The Quad ELSs were really the first audiophile speaker I heard, but those guys sitting on the floor did not really impress me much. They had no dynamics or bass. Many years later when I bought the Quads, I bought two pair and did a frame to hold the bottom one upside down. This was better and having already owned Infinity ServoStatic and KLH 9s, I could appreciate the benefits and liabilities of electrostats. I sold them and continued my quest for a great speaker.

About two years ago the German made Quad 57s appeared at CES. I don't know whether they are still made now. At any rate, I dragged an audiophile friend in to hear them. He was utterly amazed and asked why I had never told him about these. I quietly told him to listen to the dynamics. He said "Oh!"

Considering when they were made, I guess they are impressive.
nkj
130 posts
 
I'll chime in here. I have a couple of pairs of ESL 57s and a pair of USA monitors. The 63 does not even come close to the transparency of the 57. The 63 is easier to place for a forgiving centre image, plays louder and deeper so might be a more suited for modern musical fare.

Even at the age of 8 or so my son identified that the 57's sounded "more clear"... The frustrating thing about the ESLs are they sound small and don't play particularly loud. The bass is very good contrary to popular belief ,particularly, if the panels have been refurbished by Wayne Piquet.

It's difficult to give up what the ESLs do .. I've been looking for several years and can't narrow down a replacement without sacrificing what the quad's do well.

Nkj
kentaja
25 posts
 
You don't have a one night stand. What you have is probably the finest production loudspeaker ever conceived. Perfect? No. But it has been an amazing speaker for 50 years and few others have truely improved on the beauty of the ESL. Once you hear the siren call!

Limitation in bass output and dynamic capabilities is largely a function of set-up, power amps, etc. The speakers will do honest bass down to about mid 40s with spenty of slam! If a clean 95-100dB output is not enough, then yes, get something else.

Hard to beat for the sheer ability to get lost in the music!

Get your speaker repaired. It is well worth the effort.
tarsando
578 posts
 
The most amazing speakers? Magico. And the most amazing thing about them? The price.
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
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