ESS speakers "Translinear" Transstatic

That's not bad at all although it's the shipping that'll get you. You do know they weigh over a 100 pounds each? First thing where they are will determine the possible overall condition. The weather can destroy a good speaker not to mention what it can do to the cabinet it's housed in. I own a pair that I bought and am in the process of re-storing myself. In fact my B139 replacements for the original 6171 or low end drivers arrived today. So next I'll work on finding the other replacements. If you decide to buy these know this the older the unit the chances are they will be difficult to restore to original specs that is unless you have a bottomless checkbook. Good luck and happy listening. I also own a pair of ESS AMT1A since 1977. ZGRK

That's not bad at all although it's the shipping that'll get you. You do know they weigh over a 100 pounds each? First thing where they are will determine the possible overall condition. The weather can destroy a good speaker not to mention what it can do to the cabinet it's housed in. I own a pair that I bought and am in the process of re-storing myself. In fact my B139 replacements for the original 6171 or low end drivers arrived today. So next I'll work on finding the other replacements. If you decide to buy these know this the older the unit the chances are they will be difficult to restore to original specs that is unless you have a bottomless checkbook. Good luck and happy listening. I also own a pair of ESS AMT1A since 1977. ZGRK

I owned a pair of these speakers back in the early 70s. I found them to be far superior to the early ESS AMT-1. I would avoid the Transtatics as there are probably no replacement parts; especially the RTR drivers. By todays standards, they are nothing special.

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!