I have been wanting to get an ESL loudspeaker for my main stereo rig, that will be good enough that I won't want to upgrade for 4-5 years.
I want to spend around 1000 dollars a pair (used or otherwise, but no projects, unless I can buy them from a builder).
Bass response is not an issue, as I plan on crossing over to a custom TL stereo subwoofer at around 100hz.
What should I be looking into?
I want to spend around 1000 dollars a pair (used or otherwise, but no projects, unless I can buy them from a builder).
Bass response is not an issue, as I plan on crossing over to a custom TL stereo subwoofer at around 100hz.
What should I be looking into?
A pair of used audiostatic es100 is probably the cheapest way.
You probably have to replace the Mylar unless very lucky.
You probably have to replace the Mylar unless very lucky.
ESL best deal
hi,
if you like it a 2+2 acoustat is very reliable ESL, i do have 4 friends
with this ESL and never had a problem, is draining a lot of pwr
you will need a good 200w amp. the only problem they are
2.4 meter tall, second option is a kit
best regards
Williams
hi,
if you like it a 2+2 acoustat is very reliable ESL, i do have 4 friends
with this ESL and never had a problem, is draining a lot of pwr
you will need a good 200w amp. the only problem they are
2.4 meter tall, second option is a kit
best regards
Williams
Acoustats seem to be the way to go when you're on a budget as their diaphragms seem to keep on going and going when all others seemingly need to be replaced. But even they seem to be fetching a pretty fair price nowadays,..not sure why so high. Maybe it's a cyclical thing.
I've seen some refurbished Magnepans on audiogon and ebay for around 800... Should I be looking into saving up more?
I really want to make something that I will feel NO NEED to upgrade for a long time.
It seems like I buy speakers or make them and 6 months later, I get to thinking "but it could be better". I know that I'm not going to get a flagship speaker, but I want something that's 95%+ of it.
I really want to make something that I will feel NO NEED to upgrade for a long time.
It seems like I buy speakers or make them and 6 months later, I get to thinking "but it could be better". I know that I'm not going to get a flagship speaker, but I want something that's 95%+ of it.
hi,
the Magnepans are fine, they keep a good price in used market but only the ones with the true ribbon tweeter is the real thing and is a big one, a very good pwr amp is a must. Tricky to place and balance, you need a large room for the 3.6, don't think about the 1.5 or 1.6 are not that big deal, that's why an Acoustat is not bad, especially if it comes with the medallion step up trafos.
There are some kits in the market but I am not sure about it, I think HI FI CHOICE has a review under MT AUDIO from Sweden
or ERAUDIO from Australia, there you can get an idea about the kit.
Best regards
Williams
the Magnepans are fine, they keep a good price in used market but only the ones with the true ribbon tweeter is the real thing and is a big one, a very good pwr amp is a must. Tricky to place and balance, you need a large room for the 3.6, don't think about the 1.5 or 1.6 are not that big deal, that's why an Acoustat is not bad, especially if it comes with the medallion step up trafos.
There are some kits in the market but I am not sure about it, I think HI FI CHOICE has a review under MT AUDIO from Sweden
or ERAUDIO from Australia, there you can get an idea about the kit.
Best regards
Williams
Acoustat 0ne plus 0ne
Given your location I should think that you will have no trouble to find a set of medallion 0ne plus 0ne Acoustats in good order. Retension the diaphragms and upgrade the grill cloth make sure all mounting screws are made tight. After that there are a number of things that you can do to improve upon thier stock performance quite a bit.
With the budget that you have along with your eternal quest for better I just can't imagine you finding anything for one K that will keep you happy for 5-6 years without upgrades of one kind or another. The Acoustats can take you a long way down the road but like any other product they can be improved. I think that the slow upgrade road is your best bet to get you to where you want to go at a price you can afford. There is also something to be said for making improvements to a loudspeaker as you go the enjoyment keeps growing. I realize that this is probably not what you want to hear but I do think that it is a realistic course of action to take.
A good buddy of mine has just included a small set of ribbon tweeters to his modified 0ne plus 0ne's and the results are very nice at about $750.00 US. Supply mods discussed on this forum and elsewhere also make significant improvements as do frame modifications. Bracing the top of the speaker frame to the ceiling has significant impact and is easy and cheap to do. Applying duct seal to the empty outter row of louvre cubes is very inexpensive and easy to do and damps the panels very well. While others may disagree I have found that Acoustats respond very well to upgrades in the power supply power cord and I would recommend you install IEC chassis connectors so that you can experiment with after market power cords. With a suitable amplifier the 0ne plus 0ne can put many more expensive loudspeakers to shame.
I am sure that this all sounds like a real project and it is, that said changing speakers every time you get tired is going to cost far more in the long run and still leave you wanting more. The ongoing investment in your Acoustats will be primarilly one of time along with minimal cash investment. The good part is that there is a pay off at the end and your once lowly ESL will probably then sound better than anything new that you might be able to afford. Give it some thought it sounds as if you are up to this kind of work all it takes is a little time. Best regards Moray James.
Given your location I should think that you will have no trouble to find a set of medallion 0ne plus 0ne Acoustats in good order. Retension the diaphragms and upgrade the grill cloth make sure all mounting screws are made tight. After that there are a number of things that you can do to improve upon thier stock performance quite a bit.
With the budget that you have along with your eternal quest for better I just can't imagine you finding anything for one K that will keep you happy for 5-6 years without upgrades of one kind or another. The Acoustats can take you a long way down the road but like any other product they can be improved. I think that the slow upgrade road is your best bet to get you to where you want to go at a price you can afford. There is also something to be said for making improvements to a loudspeaker as you go the enjoyment keeps growing. I realize that this is probably not what you want to hear but I do think that it is a realistic course of action to take.
A good buddy of mine has just included a small set of ribbon tweeters to his modified 0ne plus 0ne's and the results are very nice at about $750.00 US. Supply mods discussed on this forum and elsewhere also make significant improvements as do frame modifications. Bracing the top of the speaker frame to the ceiling has significant impact and is easy and cheap to do. Applying duct seal to the empty outter row of louvre cubes is very inexpensive and easy to do and damps the panels very well. While others may disagree I have found that Acoustats respond very well to upgrades in the power supply power cord and I would recommend you install IEC chassis connectors so that you can experiment with after market power cords. With a suitable amplifier the 0ne plus 0ne can put many more expensive loudspeakers to shame.
I am sure that this all sounds like a real project and it is, that said changing speakers every time you get tired is going to cost far more in the long run and still leave you wanting more. The ongoing investment in your Acoustats will be primarilly one of time along with minimal cash investment. The good part is that there is a pay off at the end and your once lowly ESL will probably then sound better than anything new that you might be able to afford. Give it some thought it sounds as if you are up to this kind of work all it takes is a little time. Best regards Moray James.
Magnepans won't satisfy your ESL cravings (as they're not ESLs).
If you want the best selection, it seems there's plenty of older ML Aeons and Aeriuses for sale (mostly with grody oak trim) in the under $1k range. Keep an eye on ebay and audiogon. I'm patiently holding out for a pair of Claritys at $1200.
If you want the best selection, it seems there's plenty of older ML Aeons and Aeriuses for sale (mostly with grody oak trim) in the under $1k range. Keep an eye on ebay and audiogon. I'm patiently holding out for a pair of Claritys at $1200.
You might be able to find a pair of used ESL-63s for $1k. Bump your figure up to $1500 and you'll find them for sure.
I_F
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