Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: ADS L980 Speakers by jonbee

Model:	L980
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$1150
Description:	3 way monitor
Manufacturer URL:	ADS
Model Picture:	View

Review by jonbee on July 02, 2010 at 11:04:43
IP Address: 24.18.209.64 Add Your Review
for the L980

I have had a weakness for ADS speakers for quite a long time. As part of my vintage speaker tryouts I've owned L300, L780II, L1290II, L9E, and L910s. I have a good friend who owns L1590IIs, so I have a lot of time in with those.
The positives of the line are very compelling- great engineeering and construction, very flat frequency response, and an open and clear mid to high range that is very lifelike. The downsides in the line is that the lower mids, handled by paper cone woofers, are not as fast and detailed as the upper range, and the sticky dome tweeters in the x10 and earlier series ran a little hot. Also, the sticky domes are delicate. All in all they still stand tall among fine midline speaker lines of the '70s and '80s and have a loyal following.
The top line ADS speakers, such as the 910,2030,1530, 1590 and 980 were all touted as true monitor quality speakers, and those models all were in use by various studios in that capacity. They used tighter tolerance drivers than the lower models. They all offered high power handling and good protective circuitry, and very flat response.

ADS refined the mids and tweeters in the x80 and x90 series, so they are smoother and more refined. In particular, those found in the 980 and 1590 offered exceptional smoothness in the tweeters and a lower resonant frequency for the mids, which were crossed over lower, thus relieving the woofers of some midrange duty.
I'v admired my friend's 1590II as they are one of the very few vintage speakers I've heard that hold up pretty well against fine speakers of today. The 1590s are too big for me to own as project speakers, so I've been on the lookout for a pair of L980s, which share the mids and tweeters with the 1590, coupled with a 12" woofer in a largish (27x15x13 60+ lbs.) sealed box. They are mirror imaged. The 980s are pretty rare, as they were a good bit more expensive than the others in the line, and the measured specs were not that much better than the lower models. What made them different is the driver quality.
As soon as I hooked up the 980s I was very taken by them. They are indeed more refined than any other ADS I've owned. The top end is slightly truncated and not as finely detailed as a ribbon, but is as natural sounding as any I've heard. Mids are also gorgeous, smooth and natural, and mesh perfectly with the highs.
The overall response sounds ruler flat from about 70 to about 10 khz. Below 70 there is a 3-4 db rise with system resonance, down to about 40 hz. Useful response is into the low 30s, and the bass is well defined and powerful, although a bit rich overall.
Compare to my main speakers, VMPS RM30 planar/ribbon hybrids, overall the RM30s have much better resolution and clarity. In audiophile terms the RM30s are certainly superior.
That said, the most important quality of any speaker ultimately is how much I enjoy listening for long periods, to all types of music. Using that criteria, with music from fusion to opera to rock and movies, the 980 are very fine, ranking not far behind the VMPS in sheer listening joy.
That makes the 980, and the 1590, my favorite vintage speaker. There are other candidates, such as JBL L300 and Klipsch La Scalas, among others, but the 980 are just small enough to fit in my world while offering truly excellent sound.
I've decided that I can only keep one extra pair of speakers beside the 3 pairs currently in my systems, and the 980s are that pair. Despite their audiophile shortcomings in the resolution department, I absolutely love their sound. For me, that's the story.
At around $500 for a good pair, they are a sonic steal. The main caveat, as with all vintage stuff, is parts availability. The mids and tweeters are only interchangeable with those from 1590 and 980 models, both of which are uncommon, and the domes and wires are delicate.

Product Weakness:	Not as resolving as really good modern speakers. A bit strong in the midbass. Rare; hard to find parts. Domes are delicate.
Product Strengths:	Smooth, unfailigly musical. Wide range, will play loudly without distortion. Very reasonable price. Very "right" sounding.

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Cullen modded PS adio GCC-500
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): none
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Modwright/sony 9100 player
Speakers: VMPS RM30, Volent VL-2
Cables/Interconnects: Clear Day audio, anti-ICs
Music Used (Genre/Selections): lots
Room Size (LxWxH): 17 x 19 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments: room eats bass, a little bright
Time Period/Length of Audition: 2 weeks
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): PS Audio quintet
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Cullen modded PS adio GCC-500
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	none
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Modwright/sony 9100 player
Speakers:	VMPS RM30, Volent VL-2
Cables/Interconnects:	Clear Day audio, anti-ICs
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	lots
Room Size (LxWxH):	17 x 19 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments:	room eats bass, a little bright
Time Period/Length of Audition:	2 weeks
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	PS Audio quintet
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner