Quad ESL 2805 or 2905 cloth replacement

[bamber2805]

Fantastic! I think we”re going to have to redecorate again to accommodate that look…

 

[bamber2805]

Thanks Sheldon for a very useful description of what to do.

 

[stokessd]

Thanks Sheldon for a very useful description of what to do.

Glad to help.

This thread really went off the rails, people looking at this in the future, we are sorry...


Sheldon

 

[bamber2805]

To add insult to injury, I believe they are JIS fasteners, not phillips fasteners. So you really should use a JIS screwdriver, and at the very least, go buy a brand new driver and be super careful. I use a Vessel JIS driver and they come right out without even damaging the paint.

I see that Amazon sell more than one size of JIS driver. Please which size did you use?

 

[stokessd]

I use this one:

Vessel Megadora 900 +2x100 JIS Cross Point Screwdriver (Original Version) - - Amazon.com

It also works well for traditional phillips screws.

 

[bamber2805]

I use this one:

Vessel Megadora 900 +2x100 JIS Cross Point Screwdriver (Original Version) - - Amazon.com

I’ve ordered one. Thank you.

Peter

 

[bamber2805]

So I know have the knowledge and the tools. But what about the cloth? It’ll need to be a stretch fabric and my partner and I want off-white, light grey or what at might be called ‘barley’. Does anybody have advice about stretch loudspeaker cloth of suitable light weight and acoustic transparency for the ESL 2805

 

[stokessd]

Beige is hard to find for some reason. I use parts=express 70" wide grille cloth on the modern quads, but they don't have a good beige. Here's a link to what I typically use:

Parts Express Speaker Grill Cloth Black Yard 70" Wide


Madisound also has grille cloth which used to be a bit blacker than the parts express cloth, but I haven't used it in a while:

Black Grill Cloth, running yard by 66"


These guys have a beige that looks promising, but I haven't ordered anything from them:

Speaker Grill Cloth, Speaker Parts, Speaker Grills




Just a word of warning, making the speakers lighter doesn't always help. You have giant beige monoliths in your living room instead of giant black monoliths.

Sheldon

 

[bamber2805]

Just a word of warning, making the speakers lighter doesn't always help. You have giant beige monoliths in your living room instead of giant black monoliths.

Sheldon

Thanks Sheldon for sharing your extensive knowledge. I'll look at those suppliers.

I take your point about replacing big, black monoliths by big, beige monoliths! I've been imagining the effect for weeks and weeks. Fortunately our lounge is very big by British standards so although they'll remain a notable feature at least that expanse of fabric will blend better with the new decor.

Thanks again.
Peter

 

[bentoronto]

And what's the problem adding an over-cover in beige? Need I add "duh"?

If you want truly great stereo, "hiding" one's speakers is a wonderful help. For example, behind a large scrim curtain blocking off the end of the room, spousal approval assumed.

B.

 

[stokessd]

Bentoronto actually has a very good idea. Before you tear apart your speakers, you may want to go buy some beige cloth or sheets or something and try just wrapping the speakers in the new color and see if that will be acceptable enough.

Sheldon

 

[bentoronto]

Yes, even burlap, at least for a look-see.

B.

 

[bamber2805]

And what's the problem adding an over-cover…

The problem’s that an over-cover would look like an over-cover and that having one made would be more time and expense than changing the speaker’s own cloth.

f you want truly great stereo, "hiding" one's speakers is a wonderful help. For example, behind a large scrim curtain blocking off the end of the room, spousal approval assumed.

That’s an interesting idea that would work well in some rooms but for several reasons can’t be done in ours.

Thanks for the ideas.

Peter

 

[bamber2805]

Before you tear apart your speakers, you may want to go buy some beige cloth or sheets or something and try just wrapping the speakers in the new color and see if that will be acceptable enough.

Yes, I’ll certainly be hanging the intended cloth over the speakers before dismantling them.

Peter

 

[georgebrooke]

Cloth on ESL 989

Hi,
Having progressed via 6 or so '57s, NS1000M, B&W P2H, IMF, Kef 105, Klipschorn, JBL 4343, I have now landed on a pair of Quad ESL 989 speakers
To say that the WAF is low is an understatement. Right now I am negotiating on cloth colour and perhaps even respraying the rest as it really looks like the monolith from 2001.
OK....but I am hesitant about damaging these speakers and so far I cannot even see how to remove the cloth!
I am told that you slide the top to the right and off it comes, but mine is black plastic and sits on top like a cap...so it cannot slide.
So, before I take a mallet to it, can anyone advise on how I can, safely, remove the top cap and then proceed to remove the cloth?
I am prepared to go through all of this because these speakers sound just great

 

[AVWERK]

You apply some side pressure and it will slide off.
You will have to go inside the base and loosen the upper section since it’s sandwiched underneath and captured by the bolts.

Regards
David

 

[stokessd]

AVwerk is right, they slide to the side. You don't need a hammer, just the heal of your hand. The bottoms are held in place with 8 nuts. But first you have to unsolder two signal wires to the delay lines, and an under-insulated high voltage wire that goes to the circuit board. You then pull out the antenna wire that slides into the delay line PCB assembly and then you are ready to remove the 8 nuts.

The grille cloth is a hoop of fabric with a seam up the back, it is held to the top and bottom of the panel assembly with velcro unless you have the classic 989's with the tweed like fabric in which case it's stapled to the top and bottom.

I've had a local wood-working shop make new top panels for the 988's and 989's upon customer request. It's amazing how much better that speaker looks without the plastic top and a nice walnut top slid into it's place.

hope that helps,
Sheldon
quadesl.com

 

[georgebrooke]

Cloth on ESL 989

Hi Stokessd and Avwerk,

Thanks...that is exactly what I needed to know..so I am encouraged to push the plastic top just that bit harder.
I removed the base on these speakers and found that they had been serviced in August 2014. So far all I have detected as a problem is an intermittent popping sound from one bass unit, with or without an amp connected and after music has been playing for around an hour. Overnight, still powered on, they are totally quiet in the morning, so it is the music signal which activates the popping.
Quad have put my speakers on their servicing queue...around 3 months delay. This seems to be because of a backlog which built up due to problems, since solved, in the Chinese factory's production of bass panels.

Once again thanks for the advice....these speakers are a long way from my previous (6 sets of ) ESL 57s.

George

 

[AVWERK]

I made the center section so theres 3 supports
Yours will be 2 and you see how it tapers and tightens snug



Regards
David

 

[stokessd]

This seems to be because of a backlog which built up due to problems, since solved, in the Chinese factory's production of bass panels.

That's good to hear that the problems are solved, because as of a couple months ago, they certainly weren't solved.

I'd love to hear what they did to solve the problem.


Sheldon