轉載: 古機今看 - Quad ESL-57

柒喜

我說我話: 生於1957的QUAD ESL-57 - 被評為在音響史上十大里程碑之一，它們改變了音響世界。曾幾何時，一次鴨記遊蕩中遇上歷盡滄桑的她，安詳地躺著地上。當時並不認識，更不認為這個"老太"的聲音有何能耐。直至一次在某二手鋪碰上ESL-63，當時客人正在試聽，細聽下一句鐘有多，原來她帶來的人聲是可以那麼真，那麼柔情，聽弦樂更似現場，惟是音壓不足(以動圈喇叭計)。我想，倘若未嘗"靜電"，可會是音響歷程中一個小小遺撼 認識她的你，可有多大樂趣的回響？如獲賜寶貴思憶，一律50/50以表謝意

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年代久遠，試音報告早已失傳，找來一位外國用家的心聲
My pair of 57s is middle-aged (late70s) and still sounds breathtaking. Let me amend that: the music sounds breathtaking. This iconic 50+ year-old design has simply no sound of its own, none that I can hear at least.
A sublime design - were I a speaker builder I would either give up or do my best to copy this - that closes the book firmly on nonsense like exotic cables, expensive power cords and the like. Like Sri, I use a bog-standard set of interconnects, having got rid of all my expensive designer gear. Result; bliss.

I've attempted to augment the bass with a variety of subwoofers, some being rather expensive; nothing, repeat nothing was an improvement on the original. I would say the same for supertweeters.

This is the end of the line. Unless they get eaten by giant moths (unlikely) I am devoting my time to music from here on. No other speaker has what the 57 does: a midrange to die for. The extremes of frequency are utterly unimportant by comparison. The treble, like the power of a Rolls Royce engine is "sufficient". So is the bass. Why you would want more is beyond me. For those recordings that require a lift or a tilt down I have tone controls, but I use these exceedingly rarely.

I imagine that there are a few dealers of high-end gear out there that would like these speakers to vanish off the face of the earth....it must be upsetting to realise that the last 50 years of progress has been less than progressive....

My only criticism of any importance is against myself: I try not to think of the money and time that I have spent/wasted in the last 25 years! Peter Walker got it right first time, and the fact that there is a small army of listeners who will never be parted from their 57s is a wonderful testament to that. I am one of them.

auraheart

The year was 1979, I think.  I listened the Mark Levinson's HQD system.  I was very impressed with the speakers performance.  I said to myself "Hey, I could have a scale down system like that" What could a not so rich college student do?  I started day dreaming of my upcoming system.  Ok...could get gears one at a time.  It wasn't until couple of years later, my dream came true ! (I quit school for  nearly 2 yrs & worked)

I purchased the Quad ESL 57 and see how it fits into my existing system.  Driving it with the Marantz 500 was a nightmare.  As all my friends know, I always prefer solid state amps..did some research, listened & listened.  I picked the Bedini 25/25 pure class A amp to drive the 57 along with the Marantz 7c pre-amp.  OMFG, it was just marvelous!  I have never heard anything this good at the time!  I know the fact that was plenty of room for improvements (how I improved it not covered here, too long).  Best mid-range I've heard in my entire life at home, not show room.  Sweet, transparent, not slow at all, it responded fast, just as life music.  Deep and Wide sound stage. String instruments never sound like it. The image was clean and clear, so detailed. This system has life.  Hey, even for Cantonese pops, just sounded better.   High is pretty good also, tight bass but not deep and no punch lol..The overall sound quality of the ESL 57 is just simply mesmerizing.    It was known as Peter Walker's wonder (founder of Quad), hmmm...and mine too.  However, quality was worst with bad recordings.  I was a happy dude for a week or so until I fully calmed down or until the cons out-weighted the pros..lol..

This was such a great system for "normal" listening.  Classical, Jazz, chamber pop, country, electronica...simple vocal, small singing groups, solo, trio..whatever you might call it.  NO full orchestration, no rock and metal...just forget it.  That started my long and painful way to further improvements.  It was worth it !

Sorry, nothing technical here..as least we don't deal with freq. responses, x-over, design principals.  Something I love doing, but boring to all.




補充內容 (2013-10-25 14:07):
I tried so hard to make it short ! lol..

auraheart

Quad ESL 57, OMFG....My beloved speakers.  Have have heard anything this good?

柒喜

auraheart 發表於 2013-10-25 09:55
Quad ESL 57, OMFG....My beloved speakers.  Have have heard anything this good?

等著你的報告，慢慢不急，如篇幅頗大，大可另開新帖，務必大大力支持

auraheart

MR 柒喜 You only listen only 63?  You missed out if you never experienced 57 !

auraheart

柒喜 發表於 2013-10-25 10:01
等著你的報告，慢慢不急，如篇幅頗大，大可另開新帖，務必大大力支持

Should be pretty long lol...knowing how it sounds is one thing...put it in writing is a different story !   I even listen to duo quads so many many times...even I never had it.  Only own one freaking pair of quads...  , not duo.

柒喜

auraheart 發表於 2013-10-25 10:03
MR 柒喜 You only listen only 63?  You missed out if you never experienced 57 !

只見過一次擺係地下，我個陣行音響鋪已經好勤力

柒喜

auraheart 發表於 2013-10-25 10:04
Should be pretty long lol...knowing how it sounds is one thing...put it in writing is a different  ...

等你，唔趕既，但要快

auraheart

柒喜 發表於 2013-10-25 10:08
等你，唔趕既，但要快

Sir, very complex feeling at this moment, strange and strong feeling toward these speakers.  I know I will never have a chance to own a new pair of these again, never !   I even think that the 57 better than 63..they are not the same class.  I had both models before.../cry.

"年代久遠，試音報告早已失傳"  I remember how they sound til the day I die....wide open mid range, fast fast response on bass, just not deep and kick lol..never anything like it.

柒喜

auraheart 發表於 2013-10-25 10:10
Sir, very complex feeling at this moment, strange and strong feeling toward these speakers.  I kno ...

發左毛你就知味道，有無出開架我記得朋友以前對infinity經常性發毛

auraheart

柒喜 發表於 2013-10-25 10:14
發左毛你就知味道，有無出開架我記得朋友以前對infinity經常性發毛

Not easy to 發毛 here in Northern California, no air pollution, nice and dry, not much rain either.  I have cloths that is over 20 years, can still wear, like new...lol..

補充內容 (2013-10-25 10:25):
Mr. 柒喜 how come the system don't allow me to give you points? Sometime I could, sometimes I can't, but still have plenty of points

parma

唔6企,仲老過禾

柒喜

auraheart 發表於 2013-10-25 10:16
Not easy to 發毛 here in Northern California, no air pollution, nice and dry, not much rain either ...

哈哈！招積得你，睇下幾時生蟲，你要比分另外他人，唔可以只比一個，否則系統會拒絕接受評分

柒喜

parma 發表於 2013-10-25 10:38
唔6企,仲老過禾

但後生過家兄

BB29

好正既古董機

auraheart

柒喜 發表於 2013-10-25 10:45
哈哈！招積得你，睇下幾時生蟲，你要比分另外他人，唔可以只比一個，否則系統會拒絕接受評分

I did give points to many others..well in other sections of this forum..

Those Quad has unbeatable mid-low to mid high..specially above 4 or 500hz all the way to 5khz, partly due to the absence of cross-over crap.  Some old cakes like to drive Quads with tube amps, not a very good idea due to the ever changing impedance (people will kill me for saying this, too many used tube amps, they loved it).  Maybe 1.5 Ohm (above 10khz) to 30 Ohms or so...stack quads made it worst.  It is one of the few "amps killer" I know of.

補充內容 (2013-10-25 11:16):
Gale speakers are the opposite, lol...the bass region can drop to below two ohms, consider the amount of current needs to drive at that part of the spectrum, lol...kill amps.

標青

1957  
一定唔識

auraheart

Very hard to make these Quads sound good..picky on amps, crazy impedance due to different frequency.  Very directional speakers.  Need to place them few feet away from wall, and corners.  If you have bad room acoustics, just forget it and don't waste time.  Pretty much need exact sitting spot for good listening results where ESL 63 has an edge on these.  Damn and many others, need to to put all the loose pieces together.  It is a hell of challenge to stereo experts.  

補充內容 (2013-10-25 11:50):
I guess put all I said form my posts, it is like a report already lol..

schmid9394

柒喜 發表於 2013-10-25 09:49
我說我話: 生於1957的QUAD ESL-57 - 被評為在音響史上十大里程碑之一，它們改變了音響世界。曾幾何時，一次 ...

小弟孤陋寡聞,

十大里程, 其餘9個系咩牙....?!

柒喜

auraheart 發表於 2013-10-25 10:51
I did give points to many others..well in other sections of this forum..

Those Quad has unbeatabl ...

其實玩得靜電都應知Ohm數會經常跌到1 Ohm，如果水塘細既就死梗

auraheart

柒喜 發表於 2013-10-25 12:01
其實玩得靜電都應知Ohm數會經常跌到1 Ohm，如果水塘細既就死梗

Technically, it is not 水塘, it is the entire power supply (not design to give that much juice, worst case could melt inside the cow) and the power out-put stage (due to excessive heat generated by power transistor).  A lot more current drawn when impedance dropped.  Usually happened to older amps though.  What I did was to cut it off at about 7k using electronic cross-over and let the ribbon tweeter to take over. Of course, that is a lot of money lol...
from 1 to 30 ohms is a very wide range..lol..(4 ohms worst case on ESL 63@10khz, huge improvement) Some said Quad 303 is the best for ESL 57...That is a crappy amp lol...