QUAD ESL 57 A little work on the loudspeaker "B"

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
attachment.php



attachment.php



attachment.php






attachment.php




attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5877.JPG
    IMG_5877.JPG
    308 KB · Views: 239
  • IMG_5878.JPG
    IMG_5878.JPG
    334.8 KB · Views: 245
  • IMG_5879.JPG
    IMG_5879.JPG
    302 KB · Views: 246
  • IMG_5880.JPG
    IMG_5880.JPG
    331.1 KB · Views: 239
  • IMG_5881.JPG
    IMG_5881.JPG
    218.5 KB · Views: 242
attachment.php



attachment.php



attachment.php



attachment.php






attachment.php



attachment.php


attachment.php

attachment.php



attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5883.JPG
    IMG_5883.JPG
    310.9 KB · Views: 250
  • IMG_5885.JPG
    IMG_5885.JPG
    243.7 KB · Views: 271
  • IMG_5886.JPG
    IMG_5886.JPG
    195.7 KB · Views: 233
  • IMG_5890.JPG
    IMG_5890.JPG
    184.2 KB · Views: 231
  • IMG_5894.JPG
    IMG_5894.JPG
    312 KB · Views: 246
  • IMG_5896.JPG
    IMG_5896.JPG
    217.6 KB · Views: 230
  • IMG_5897.JPG
    IMG_5897.JPG
    265.4 KB · Views: 244
  • IMG_5898.JPG
    IMG_5898.JPG
    304.8 KB · Views: 226
  • IMG_5900.JPG
    IMG_5900.JPG
    249.3 KB · Views: 236
Last edited:
The initial test sounded O.K. without any pop or crack, but next time I have to listen to them very carefully. I am afraid that the conductive aquadag (?) on the stators must be even and the thickness should be permanently the same all the surface of one stator. I redoed it with this silver defogger, but I am sure that the repaired fields are not the same thickness as the factory standard, so it may interfere with the even magnetic field and cause distortion, I am not sure, who knows?


attachment.php






attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5903.JPG
    IMG_5903.JPG
    315.6 KB · Views: 232
  • IMG_5909.JPG
    IMG_5909.JPG
    311.3 KB · Views: 228
NOTE

I was informed by the admin about my humongous linked-in pictures those are inconvenient to have a look at, and about my old images those are dissapearing from time to time due to the picture hosting website.

If my time will allows me, I am going to reinsert all the pictures from this thread and from the other one in a more convenient size and they will be stored here at the forum, so they won't disappear again. (oc. if anyone interested, lol)
 
I would love to hear them. I do not know if the small imperfection in the difference in thickness will be detremental to the soundfield quality and it may be difficult to reproduce the exact manufacturer specifications even with knowing what they were.

Once you are satisfied with the repairs, I would seriously concider small pieces of curved wood and clamps to listen to the vertical alignment before you do your final instalation. You never know what will happen.
 
I would love to hear them. I do not know if the small imperfection in the difference in thickness will be detremental to the soundfield quality and it may be difficult to reproduce the exact manufacturer specifications even with knowing what they were.

Once you are satisfied with the repairs, I would seriously concider small pieces of curved wood and clamps to listen to the vertical alignment before you do your final instalation. You never know what will happen.


I will see ... But simply, I do not have the proper room acoustic for such a great speaker:(
 
Frame

Messing with the frame
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5323.JPG
    IMG_5323.JPG
    968.2 KB · Views: 53
  • IMG_5324.JPG
    IMG_5324.JPG
    621.2 KB · Views: 42
  • IMG_5326.JPG
    IMG_5326.JPG
    631 KB · Views: 33
  • IMG_5328.JPG
    IMG_5328.JPG
    649 KB · Views: 36
  • IMG_5329.JPG
    IMG_5329.JPG
    562.8 KB · Views: 34
  • IMG_5330.JPG
    IMG_5330.JPG
    975.8 KB · Views: 28
  • IMG_5331.JPG
    IMG_5331.JPG
    528.5 KB · Views: 31
  • IMG_5333.JPG
    IMG_5333.JPG
    400.1 KB · Views: 35
  • IMG_5334.JPG
    IMG_5334.JPG
    534.7 KB · Views: 33
  • IMG_5336.JPG
    IMG_5336.JPG
    722 KB · Views: 38
Frame

I've found out that the frames bases are made out of different wood until some time when that swapped with MFD. The latter version also has narrower handle at the top.
My speakers' serials are 20721 and 20728, at least, they are some way identical cosmetically, but I am not sure if they are really from 1968 or it's just the back grilles those are 'matched' by the previous owner(s)
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5337.JPG
    IMG_5337.JPG
    828.9 KB · Views: 33
  • IMG_5339.JPG
    IMG_5339.JPG
    763.2 KB · Views: 32
  • IMG_5341.JPG
    IMG_5341.JPG
    789.6 KB · Views: 32
  • IMG_5342.JPG
    IMG_5342.JPG
    519.3 KB · Views: 31
  • IMG_5343.JPG
    IMG_5343.JPG
    531.2 KB · Views: 32
  • IMG_5344.JPG
    IMG_5344.JPG
    848.8 KB · Views: 30
  • IMG_5345.JPG
    IMG_5345.JPG
    732.5 KB · Views: 26
  • IMG_5346.JPG
    IMG_5346.JPG
    766.6 KB · Views: 42
  • IMG_5347.JPG
    IMG_5347.JPG
    585.3 KB · Views: 39
  • IMG_5348.jpg
    IMG_5348.jpg
    298.4 KB · Views: 39
Last edited:
Frame

More pics of the untouched frames
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5350.JPG
    IMG_5350.JPG
    609.1 KB · Views: 41
  • IMG_5351.JPG
    IMG_5351.JPG
    961.9 KB · Views: 43
  • IMG_5352.JPG
    IMG_5352.JPG
    679.5 KB · Views: 42
  • IMG_5353.JPG
    IMG_5353.JPG
    578.1 KB · Views: 34
  • IMG_5356.JPG
    IMG_5356.JPG
    563.8 KB · Views: 40
  • IMG_5358.JPG
    IMG_5358.JPG
    610.5 KB · Views: 38
  • IMG_5360.JPG
    IMG_5360.JPG
    536.4 KB · Views: 37
  • IMG_5362.JPG
    IMG_5362.JPG
    606.1 KB · Views: 37
  • IMG_5363.JPG
    IMG_5363.JPG
    734 KB · Views: 31
  • IMG_5364.JPG
    IMG_5364.JPG
    597.9 KB · Views: 30
Frames

Pictures
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5366.JPG
    IMG_5366.JPG
    661.1 KB · Views: 210
  • IMG_5367.JPG
    IMG_5367.JPG
    698.3 KB · Views: 204
  • IMG_5368.JPG
    IMG_5368.JPG
    749.9 KB · Views: 199
  • IMG_5369.JPG
    IMG_5369.JPG
    558.6 KB · Views: 187
  • IMG_5370.JPG
    IMG_5370.JPG
    951.1 KB · Views: 189
  • IMG_5371.JPG
    IMG_5371.JPG
    744.4 KB · Views: 50
  • IMG_5372.JPG
    IMG_5372.JPG
    592.3 KB · Views: 49
  • IMG_5379.JPG
    IMG_5379.JPG
    831.1 KB · Views: 57
Frame

This was after 2 days of sanding without any e-tool. I am not planning to do it again in the close future...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5937.JPG
    IMG_5937.JPG
    820.6 KB · Views: 62
  • IMG_5938.JPG
    IMG_5938.JPG
    792.3 KB · Views: 54
  • IMG_5939.JPG
    IMG_5939.JPG
    676.8 KB · Views: 50
  • IMG_5940.JPG
    IMG_5940.JPG
    863 KB · Views: 53
  • IMG_5941.JPG
    IMG_5941.JPG
    747.8 KB · Views: 49
  • IMG_5942.JPG
    IMG_5942.JPG
    762.3 KB · Views: 47
  • IMG_5943.JPG
    IMG_5943.JPG
    840.5 KB · Views: 51
  • IMG_5945.JPG
    IMG_5945.JPG
    654 KB · Views: 48
  • IMG_5946.JPG
    IMG_5946.JPG
    695.9 KB · Views: 58
  • IMG_5947.JPG
    IMG_5947.JPG
    686 KB · Views: 55
Last edited:
Frame

I used a very little amount of linseed oil this time, not to mess up the acrylic finish at the end
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5948.JPG
    IMG_5948.JPG
    752.1 KB · Views: 51
  • IMG_5950.JPG
    IMG_5950.JPG
    765.1 KB · Views: 65
  • IMG_5951.JPG
    IMG_5951.JPG
    691.5 KB · Views: 57
  • IMG_5953.JPG
    IMG_5953.JPG
    765.6 KB · Views: 65
  • IMG_5954.JPG
    IMG_5954.JPG
    876.9 KB · Views: 54
  • IMG_5956.JPG
    IMG_5956.JPG
    812.2 KB · Views: 56
  • IMG_5958.JPG
    IMG_5958.JPG
    787.3 KB · Views: 59
  • IMG_5959.JPG
    IMG_5959.JPG
    652.1 KB · Views: 60
  • IMG_5960.JPG
    IMG_5960.JPG
    768 KB · Views: 50
Last edited:
Painted frame

Managed to paint the frame. This time, I did not have any problem with too much oil, it worked well.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_6057.JPG
    IMG_6057.JPG
    461.3 KB · Views: 56
  • IMG_6058.JPG
    IMG_6058.JPG
    767.3 KB · Views: 59
  • IMG_6059.JPG
    IMG_6059.JPG
    632 KB · Views: 67
  • IMG_6060.JPG
    IMG_6060.JPG
    696.3 KB · Views: 60
  • IMG_6061.JPG
    IMG_6061.JPG
    704.8 KB · Views: 59
  • IMG_6062.JPG
    IMG_6062.JPG
    675.7 KB · Views: 62
  • IMG_5997.JPG
    IMG_5997.JPG
    865.5 KB · Views: 74
Last edited:
Wiring

I made a mistake while I was heat-shrinking the connections; unfortunately burned a little hole next to the tagboard. Now, I know the purpose of the missed out extra tape at the bottom of the bass panels...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_6064.JPG
    IMG_6064.JPG
    802.4 KB · Views: 90
  • IMG_6063.JPG
    IMG_6063.JPG
    903 KB · Views: 97
  • IMG_6066.JPG
    IMG_6066.JPG
    716.8 KB · Views: 104
  • IMG_6068.JPG
    IMG_6068.JPG
    684.3 KB · Views: 110
  • IMG_6077.JPG
    IMG_6077.JPG
    589.4 KB · Views: 108
I will later post images of the final 'product'.
Now, my "impressions", if I can say:

I am not happy. Unfortunately, the right bass panel (viewed from the back) is leaking at the bottom. This is only an assumption, but I think I punctured the insulating tape with the wooden dustcover frame that pressed hard against a rivet while I was assembling the panel into the frame. I assume this as I remember, the dustcover frame's alignment weren't that precise so the edges touched the rivets.I found out that there is a permanent faint clicking noise (about 3-4 per sec.) from the bottom of the panel when my ear is next to the grille. However, the unit charges up, but the treble get up slower than before.
I will do additional tests in the future, like the neon-bulb flasher test for leak, but I do not want to bug the speaker for now, I fed up with the task for a while.
 
Last edited:
I've checked the faint clicking more closely today, and I assume that it may be come from the tagboard rather than the front. So, I assume that one or two of the rivet or rivets and these tagboard srews touches each other, hence the 'leak'.
Maybe I could try to fasten more these nuts from the outside to see if I enlarge the distance between the rivets and these Ti srews would help me to solve this matter? :violin:
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5890.png
    IMG_5890.png
    882.7 KB · Views: 128
I can happily say that after tightening these screws solved the discharging (leaking) problem (permanent popping sound disappeared completely) so I didn't have to take the speaker apart completely again, thank God...
Nonetheless I made some panels for that purpose, I haven't done any neon-bulb tests yet. I think that there isn't any intensive discharge path anywhere as the units get up very fast from zero and they play almost at the same level after 30-45 minutes of being plugged out of the mains. I do not know if my analogy is good.

The treble from the last side is still a bit shy, as the bass at the other side but that could be that It had been discharged for the period of works for 2 and a half months, so time will help, or that could be the unevenness of the coating I saw when the panel was 'naked' compared to the coating evenness of the other panel in the other speaker. Maybe it's just a placebo as the difference in sound (at higher frequencies) is barely noticable between the two speakers for human ears. (I mean when I play mono rec, the sound is almost coming from the origo between the two speakers).

Anyway, I am satisfied with the results. Repainting (paint-patching) the bass panels hasn't made any difference, it plays great as before. The speaker sounds the same that is not a bad thing at all. :)
So, maybe the whole project wasn't neccessary at all, but was a great journey. I am aware that swapping the diaphragms to new and tightening, coating, heat-conditioning them with the correct factory solutions in all the panels would make a big difference but I think I do not have the proper knowledge and tools for a project of this altitude. That part would be better done by the professionals those have the know-how and materials, etc.
Who knows, maybe later when I have the coverage?
 
These speakers are so far ahead of other speakers for reproduction of music that I would not worry myself over any minor details so just forget they are there, enjoy the sound, and have the satisfaction of knowing that you have a job well done. Smile really big to yourself everytime you have a listening session. Good luck in the future.
 
These speakers are so far ahead of other speakers for reproduction of music that I would not worry myself over any minor details so just forget they are there, enjoy the sound, and have the satisfaction of knowing that you have a job well done. Smile really big to yourself everytime you have a listening session. Good luck in the future.



Thank you!

I haven't forgotten the special set up you'd told me. If I am ready to purchase an another pair (that is completely untouched) I will check that arrangement, but there are too many 'projects' running in paralell, and I do not have the financial cover momentary.

Regards,
Ambrus
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.