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RE: Any Quad ESL-57 Owners in NW PA, E OH or W NY interested in letting me audition your speakers?

Posted by AJ (A) on October 14, 2012 at 05:53:52

In Reply to: Any Quad ESL-57 Owners in NW PA, E OH or W NY interested in letting me audition your speakers? posted by George S. Roland on October 13, 2012 at 08:27:37:

Good luck on your adventure.

I have USA monitors and a pair of ESl's refurbed by Penketh.
I would love to host you, however, while only an hour or so further from Buffalo, NY. I am in Ontario, Canada.

I was in your shoes years ago. I was enamoured with Quads with my audio store visits in the early 80’s and the experience around that time with Beveridge Electrostatics left me sure that electrostatics were for me.

After years with Acoustats, I switched to ESLs and then bought a pair of USA monitors just so that I could do the comparison. By that time my audio-friend crowd was married or lost interest so there was not much chance of hearing both side-side locally.

I concluded that the ESL was superior for me especially in that critical midrange. Theoretically the 63 is a better speaker, I think: easier to place, images better & lower bass response. But....but the ESL is cleaner more real.

Some would argue it is because of its tipped up balance because of its lack of low register prowess. Refurbed though, the speaker is quite nice in the bass region and tuneful.

Years ago I asked my young son, to do the comparison with me I think he was 9-10 and without prompting picked the ESL every time as his favourite---“...cleaner more alive” sounding according to him.

I just came from an audio show in Toronto last weekend and I would not trade my ESLs for almost any of the demos there.

I have just move so I am not totally set up, however, before the move I notice one of the 63’s were crackling .. I will have to decide whether to refurbish them or sell as is over the next while. Although it would be nice to do the comparison one more time!

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Schiit Audio

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