Your hifi history part 1 - speakers

hearhere

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 9, 2013
1,373
1,185
158
Portsmouth, UK
AKA
Peter
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Quad ESL63 - Wonderful in all respects other than the limited maximum volume/dynamics. Very frustrating that the protection circuits kicked in before 'realistic' volume levels could be reached and/or when music with loud transients was played

Quad ESL63 again but with accompanying Gradient Subwoofer and active crossover. Superb, much better than sole ESL63's. Only got rid eventually as I was fed up with failing panels, otherwise would have been a speaker for life.
Quad seem to have dramatically improved on the volume / dynamics problems since the ELS63. I was so impressed by a friend's 2905 speakers that I bought a used pair myself - ones that had been upgraded with 2912 transformers - I understand that's the main difference between these models.

My room is huge at 945 sq ft and I was then using big Avantgarde Uno horns that feature twin 10" drivers each side. To my great surprise, the big Quads were able to play as loudly as I even wanted and the bass was a revelation as I'd expected it to be lacking. No need to consider subs.

I never intended to keep these "barn doors" because of their centre-room placement, but they encouraged me to look at other slimmer electrostatics. I bought at vast cost, Martin Logan Expression 13As new, but these turned out to be a serious disappointment, but only because of their uncomfortable placement in the centre of a room with 12 ft behind one and 15 ft behind the other - with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall behind - at an angle! Why the Quads coped so much better than the MLs is a mystery, but the MLs were sold and new Avantgardes procured.

New big Quads are a bargain given their performance levels.
 
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Gizza

Well-Known Wammer
Wammer
Mar 12, 2011
4,795
1,828
158
65
Sutton Coldfield
AKA
Gary
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Quad seem to have dramatically improved on the volume / dynamics problems since the ELS63. I was so impressed by a friend's 2905 speakers that I bought a used pair myself - ones that had been upgraded with 2912 transformers - I understand that's the main difference between these models.

My room is huge at 945 sq ft and I was then using big Avantgarde Uno horns that feature twin 10" drivers each side. To my great surprise, the big Quads were able to play as loudly as I even wanted and the bass was a revelation as I'd expected it to be lacking. No need to consider subs.

I never intended to keep these "barn doors" because of their centre-room placement, but they encouraged me to look at other slimmer electrostatics. I bought at vast cost, Martin Logan Expression 13As new, but these turned out to be a serious disappointment, but only because of their uncomfortable placement in the centre of a room with 12 ft behind one and 15 ft behind the other - with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall behind - at an angle! Why the Quads coped so much better than the MLs is a mystery, but the MLs were sold and new Avantgardes procured.

New big Quads are a bargain given their performance levels.
It was undoubtedly the challenge of reproducing the bass on the older Quads that held them back in regards to volume and dynamics. Adding the Gradient subs and active x-over, thereby relieving the Quads of the duty of reproducing everything from 110hz downwards, allowed the Quads to play 10db louder before protection would kick in. I'm sure the upgraded transformers on your 2905's would have improved them.
You certainly need the space for the big Quads but I would take them over Martin Logan's any day of the week. The point source 'Fred' panels of Quads allows them to image far better than ML's.
Interesting to hear that you're back to Avantgarde again. I love horns when they don't have the coloration issues that some of them unfortunately have. When I heard the JBL 4365 horns speakers, I knew I just had to find a pair.
 
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lowendall

Wammer
Wammer
Feb 14, 2009
1,345
274
113
Scotland
AKA
happy enough
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
JBL are superb speakers. My friend spent several hours with me listening to 2k speakers in a local dealer, on the back of Accuphase. Nothing moved him, nor me, and he ended up buying a set of used JBL L96 for about half that. They were leagues apart from what we listened to - vastly superior, IMO. Subsequently, he has invested in a really good pair on NS1000M and he is utterly delighted.
Well tha sound like a result sounds better and he saved half a wedge of money well done that man .
 
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TIU

Artist and daft as a brush
Wammer Plus
Dec 17, 2005
13,656
7,754
208
Birmingham
AKA
Gary
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
B&W
JPW
Revolver
Tannoy
Monitor Audio
Art
Dynaudio
Amphion
Dali
Celef
ProAc
Totem
Plus a few I cannot recall.
 

Snoopdog

Wammer
Wammer
Nov 30, 2005
1,113
2,124
158
Winchester, Hants
AKA
Steve
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
1976 - Present day:-

Tannoy Cheviot
Nightingale NM1
Linn Isobarik DMS
Linn Isobarik PMS
TDL Monitor
Amphion Krypton
Avalon Indra
TAD CR1 MKII
 

pmcuk

Wammer
Wammer
Sep 12, 2015
7,317
1
4,879
148
Kensington, London
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Speakers have been the most boring part of my system since I abandoned panels like stacked Quads, Maggies and Apogee Caliper sigs. Those were the good old days. I've had small 2-way stand mounts for years.

Changes are afoot - I'm slowly making aluminium cabinets......

Meanwhile I have Mission 761s which I bought very cheap. I like them. Nice Vifa 6.5" and a 19mm tweeter with a plastic dome which is very detailed. My plan is to end up with that combination - 6.5" and a nice tweeter.
 

rocky raccoon

Wammer
Wammer
Mar 9, 2010
1,151
1,613
158
Cambridge
AKA
Iestos de la Mancha
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I'll bite !

Celestion DL4's.
They still work ! In France somewhere....

Tannoy 609's.
They were great. Fantastic dynamics in a small room. They still work - in Aukland, NZ

Kef 1960's 2 ways.
Not very exciting - First on the left in photo below.

Spendor BC1's -
Still work. The reference loudspeaker.

JM Lab 926's -
Now we're getting somewhere ! There's a lot of JM lab/Focal bashing and I think this is more to do with the rooms and the amps driving them. Tremendous speakers if you get them away from the walls and have a bit of absorbtion on the first reflection points.

Focal 1027 Be -
Got them from this parish recently. In many ways, just like a 926 but more transparent, more tuneful bass, deeper bass, play quietly whilst preserving the tonal balance, play loudly effortlessly and the best imaging I have yet heard. Stop and start so fast they suck the air out of the room. They absolutely need to be away from the walls and they absolutely need absobtion/diffusion in my small ish room. I would argue there are a lot of speakers/rooms that need this. It's a pity so few music fans are prepared to tame the room. Give the Be's what they need and they are utterly brilliant. Probably the last speakers I will ever need (says he.......)
 

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aardvarkaudio

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 23, 2014
814
729
98
In terms of HiFi:
Panasonic midi system with "bass reflex" plastic speakers
Mission 701
Celestion A1 - great speakers
Wilson Benesch Discovery (recently added Wilson Benesch Torus)

I'm terms of AV I still use the Celestions with Boston Cube rear satellites and a Wilson Benesch Arc
 

JANDL100

Wammer
Wammer Plus
Dec 5, 2006
20,125
7,866
208
Forest of Dean, Glos
AKA
Jerry
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
My new (to me) Celestion UL8 take up residence in their new home.

IMG_20230728_165220.jpg

Actually I think I'll be using them with the grilles on, but they looked cooler without them for the photo.
 
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Phyztech

Newbie
Wammer
Oct 19, 2023
65
57
18
HiFi Trade?
  1. Yes
Started with active Klipsch the Sixes.
Then went for separates:
Spendor A6
ATC 20T
PMC Gb1i
Martin Logan 35xti
Definitive Technology Demand D11
Heybrook Heylios
Now running Neat Petite Classic
 

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