Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: ADS L1590-2 Speakers by jonbee

Model:	L1590-2
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$2400
Description:	Large 3 way towers
Manufacturer URL:	ADS
Model Picture:	View

Review by jonbee on January 19, 2013 at 10:49:59
IP Address: 98.225.22.34 Add Your Review
for the L1590-2

Pardon me if this is a little long, but as these are vintage, ~22 years old, a little context might be helpful.
I've long had a soft spot for ADS speakers. Of the ~275 pairs of speakers I've owned, I've owned L300, L780II, L1290II, L9E, L910, L980, and now the subject of this, the L1590II. I'd admired their engineering as some of the best the 70s-80s era; the best models have a response window of +-2 db over the useable range, which translates to excellent balance. On the downside the x00 and x10 and earlier models had some hashiness to the tweeters, and while most of the 3 way models had excellent openness and transparency in the region covered by the dome mids and tweeters, it wasn't quite matched by the woofers. Part of this was due to the 550-700 crossover points demanded by the dome midranges. It was this discontinuity that prevented me from using any of them long term.
However, the top line studio monitor models, 1530, 2030, L980 and L1590, had higher spec drivers than the others, with much larger magnets in mids and tweeters (strontium cobalt in the 1530 and 2030, I believe). The much larger magnets in the mids of these models had a larger back chamber with lower fs than the "home" models, which allowed the high pass xover to the mids to drop from 550-700 hz. in most of 3 ways to 450 for L980 and 350 for the L1590. This relieves the woofer of some of the midrange duty. The woofers are also heavier in the studio models, with very massive cast aluminum frames and magnets.
When I learned this a couple of years ago I bought a pair of L980s to try and did like them better. I rewired them and added a lot of cabinet panel damping to tame the obvious panel talk and they sang nicely award, clean and with little boominess.
They were a little too polite on top for me, though, IMO. I though this was unusual for a "studio monitor".
A friend had a pair of 1590iis. I liked the mids and highs a lot better, but he was driving them with a mid-fi Pioneer receiver and they had no bass at all, not matching what I had read about them.
Recently a local pair of 1590IIs in near perfect condition showed up on Craigslist at a very good price, so I thought I'd try them in my good rig.
My first reaction upon unpacking them in my 17x20 living room is that these are huge speakers, and quite heavy, ~100 lbs. ea.
Once hooked to my Ncore NC400 amp, I had two more reactions. First- these things have bass power and depth in spades. Rated -3db at 28 hz. anechoic means full bass power in room to the low 20s. I usually use a sub but not with these. A real chest massage. The down side is the bass is on the boomy side, in spite of side braces for the large 3/4" thick panel walls. My experience with the same issue with the L980 suggests these should benefit from some effective panel damping.
The second reaction was a "WOW!" for the rest of the range. From about 150 hz. and up, these clearly are studio monitor quality- smooth, balanced, uncolored and with a very consistently voiced soundstage. Detail and harmonic accuracy was very good, without emphasis, and macrodynamics are excellent. No part of the upper spectrum was pushed or dropped, and the soundstage was very open and coherent, with good spatial rendering. Very easy on the ears, too, with little listener fatigue even at very high volumes. They will play VERY loudly without distortion.
My main speakers are Selah Audio Tempestas, which are among the most musically accurate speakers I've heard, with high-rez drivers from RAAL, Accuton, and Scanspeak Illuminators. I was surprised and pleased that above the bass range, the tonal qualities and balance are quite similar. The Selahs offer sharper focus, with more clearly defined instruments, a blacker background, and more air at the very top, but not to such a large degree as I'm used to with vintage speakers. Microdynamics are delivered with more immediacy with the Selahs.
Taken solely on their own terms, though, the 1590s offer a very convincing presentation. Only in the bass range was the comparative lack of focus and boomy coloration from those big dual 10s a show stopper in comparison with the Selahs.
I'm looking forward to tuning up the cabinets and upgrading the wiring on these.
FWIW, according to ADS, the "II" models in the x80 and x90 ranges used kapton voice coil formers rather than aluminum and better crossover designs based on newer computer simulations of speaker behavior. I can't say whether this actually made for better sound.
I'll probably do the upgrade work over the summer, and I'll post a follow up.
So- I'm usually disappointed with my vintage speaker projects. Older speakers usually sound slow and opaque, or too colored or flawed in comparison to really good modern speakers to be of much interest to me, but I'm very pleased with the L1590IIs.
Those with large rooms might find them quite good as is; for me they are very promising material for an upgrade project.
Bang (and I do mean BANG) for the buck is very high.
Given the usual caveats about parts availability for vintage products, these offer great full range, powerful and musically right performance for the usual ~$1000 or under prices for good pairs.

Product Weakness:	Bass is somewhat woolly and unfocused. Cabinets exhibit a lot of talk. Not quite as transparent as the best modern speakers Big and heavy
Product Strengths:	Powerful bass, excellent clarity and coherence above the bass range. Low fatigue, will play loudly

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Hypex NCore NC400
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Audio-GD C-3
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Music PC-> Eastern electric minimax plus/dexa op amps
Speakers: review
Cables/Interconnects: Discovery cables,Zu
Music Used (Genre/Selections): lots
Room Size (LxWxH): 17 x 20 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments: Two walls of glass, eats bass
Time Period/Length of Audition: one week
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): PS Audio Power Plant premier
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Hypex NCore NC400
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Audio-GD C-3
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Music PC-> Eastern electric minimax plus/dexa op amps
Speakers:	review
Cables/Interconnects:	Discovery cables,Zu
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	lots
Room Size (LxWxH):	17 x 20 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments:	Two walls of glass, eats bass
Time Period/Length of Audition:	one week
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	PS Audio Power Plant premier
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner