Electrostat - M-L; Quad or Soundlab - reliable

I am a soundlab m2 owner and have not had any reliability issues at all; my bias adjustment is checked on a regular basis and unplugged when not in use.

I have two sources of information re: Soundlab reliability.
1. Two of my friends have Soudlabs - M1 and M2. One had to ship his back for repair( the M1). They are now for sale.
2. Check the ads on Audiogon. A high proportion say; For sale, just back from the factory with .......
I strongly suspect that few pay to have their heavy expensive Soundlabs shipped back and THEN sell them, unless there was a problem. On the other hand, I have become a suspicious person (by starting out as a trusting one) .

I can attest to the reliability of the Innersounds. The stats are practically bulletproof. No arcing, no issues with dust or humidity. Yes, Innersound has closed it's doors, but Roger Sanders is in Colorado, and very willing to help you out, if a problem arises. The Innersound Kaya's have dynamics that will completely blow away any of the other speakers that you are considering.
There is a pair currently for sale on Audiogon, that is a steal.
If electrostats are what you are looking for, I highly recommend considering these. I have had mine for about six months, and for the first time in my audiophile career, I can say that I am done. There, I said it.

Some production runs of older-generation SoundLabs had problems with some of the materials used that would not show up in testing, but could show up later. Current generation SoundLabs have been highly reliable to the best of my knowledge, as long as they have not been damaged in shipping. In my experience, reliability issues in older SoundLabs can often be traced to improper packing when a used pair is sold and shipped to a new owner. The new PX panels are much more rigid and less likely to be damaged in shipping, but they are not totally drop-proof nor forklift-proof.

I don't think it's my place to post specifics about changes in manufacturing techniques on the internet, when SoundLab hasn't posted those changes on their website. But I invite anyone concerned about the reliability of current-generation SoundLabs to give me a call - my phone numbers are on my website, audiokinesis.com.

Duke
dealer/manufacturer

I am 3rd in line with Acoustat. I bought my Spectra 33's in 1988. They have been driven by B&K, Counterpoint, Krell and VTL and never needed repairs. They are now used part time but once a year they are up a running for a few months. I'll never get rid of them.