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Acoustat Spectra 66

69.88.44.105
Posted on February 8, 2017 at 07:03:08
blgtrio
Audiophile

Posts: 115
Location: Maryland
Joined: May 17, 2007



Hi, Any Acoustat users that have something to share? Haven't seen any posts for a while. I have been enjoying my Spectra 66's even more so since I sent the interfaces to Kevin Ferris for some upgrades and modifications. They sound even sweeter and more holographic. Imaging is better, with a wider and deeper stage. I drive them with a Cary SLP-98P preamp, a pair of Jeff Rowland model 6 monoblocks 300 wpc into a 4 ohm load. A Wadia 27ix DAC and 270SE Transport. I have owned several pair of Acoustats including 1+1's 2+2's, model 3's and a pair of Spectra 44s. I still have the model 3's and 2 pair of 2+2's along with the Spectra 66's. I have enjoyed all of them but the Spectra 66 presents the music in an effortless manner. It simply seems more real to my ears. I would like to hear back from any Acoustat fans and hear about your experiences with these wonderful speakers that I feel are the best deal on the planet.

 

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RE: Acoustat Spectra 66, posted on February 8, 2017 at 07:40:56
Michael Samra
Dealer

Posts: 36118
Location: saginaw michigan
Joined: January 30, 2005
 They are fabulous speakers. The spectra series was when it was owned by HAfler and they are very good.I had the Acoustat Model 3s and then I had the model 4s and I got all new panels for free when Hafler bought the company as he honored the lifetime warranty.I have Martin Logans now but I ran my Acoustats with the Servo tube amps which I still have hooked up to my old Martin Logan Monolith 2s. Now I have the CLXs.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken

 

RE: Acoustat Spectra 66, posted on February 8, 2017 at 08:48:11
Mendel
Audiophile

Posts: 1207
Location: GTA
Joined: January 17, 2009
 Amazing set of speakers!
Just wondering, what do you have directly behind them? The 2+2s? That might affect the imaging. That is a bit of a tight squeeze in your room. Have you experimented with any room treatments? I run my Spectra 22s in a small room and found some absorption behind the speakers useful as I only have about 3 feet behind them to the front wall. Many recommend diffusion as well. Your room probably is not that small given the 66s are so big!
Are your speakers still running with the original socks? If so you will gain clarity and high frequency extension if you substitute acoustically clear spandex or run them naked. You can roll down the socks by removing the metal top plate and the many staples that hold the socks up on top.
Once you get the socks down you can examine the panels and check the bolts holding the panels to the frame. Some people remove some of the bolts or loosen and/or tighten them which can "tune" the resonance of the frame and alter the sound. You may want to vacuum the panels and/or do the hair dryer treatment while you have the socks down (you must unplug them and let them discharge before doing this of course).
You should experiment with toe in and panel tilt to focus the soundstage. These speakers are very directional and extremely sensitive to changes in these parameters.
Renovating the interfaces was a great idea! Made a big difference to my Spectras. Not sure if your tech did this, but mine juiced the bias voltage to 6KV and that made a big difference in dynamics and speaker efficiency. The panels can easily run at this bias. By the way, the more panels an Acoustat speaker has, the more efficient it is. With 6 panels per side, your speakers are probably about 92 decibels per watt, which means you could easily run a tube amp if you wanted to, maybe even a high powered SET! You really don't need 300 watts. I run my 2 panel per side Spectra22 with a 90 watt tube amp.
You are very lucky there are probably not more than 100 functioning Spectra66 on the planet. Enjoy!

 

RE: Acoustat Spectra 66, posted on February 8, 2017 at 09:39:23
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 Amazing speakers that do it all. Wish I could accommodate them.

For the folks sitting on a pair or buying, as Mendel noted, the speakers have more potential with well executed upgrades to either the servo amps or interfaces. And upping the bias voltage gets you the dynamics and sensitivity typically lacking in ESL panels..

 

RE: Acoustat Spectra 66, posted on February 8, 2017 at 12:04:06
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 They look wonderful. It's good to hear from some stat owners here -- it's been a long time since I saw anyone discuss anything but Maggies!

 

Still lovin' my Roy Esposito modified 1+1s in the HT, posted on February 8, 2017 at 14:47:37
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37603
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002

300 watts/channel drives them nicely above 80 hz where a pair of subs handle bottom octaves duty.

Last year, I updated the cores in my Sound Lab U-1s to the PX type. I also moved from using a Touch renderer (now in garage) to a Sonore microRendu which improved resolution and provided better first octave response.

 

RE: Acoustat Spectra 66, posted on February 8, 2017 at 16:16:45
blgtrio
Audiophile

Posts: 115
Location: Maryland
Joined: May 17, 2007
 Hello to everyone who responded. Mendel I have replaced the burlap socks with the spandex on my 66's like I did on my 2+2's and 1+1's. I have 2+2's behind the 66's. I occasionally move the 2+2's out in front but most of the time the 66's are in front. I have played both pair together and the bass is incredible. I use a Threshold S300 for the 2+2's. I do have bass traps in all 4 corners of the room. I have used the heat gun on all my speakers to firm up the diaphragms. My tech set my voltage to 5KV. In his opinion that was the way to go. I trust his judgement. I have used tube amps in the past, I prefer the control of the Jeff Rowland. It is as smooth sounding as tubes but a lot tighter bass. Thanks for all your helpful comments.

 

RE: Acoustat Spectra 66, posted on February 8, 2017 at 17:20:24
Mendel
Audiophile

Posts: 1207
Location: GTA
Joined: January 17, 2009


Blgtrio, you are so right when you say Acoustats are the one of the best deals in high end speakers today! The prices these things are going for today are a joke! In another thread a fellow inmate just commented that he had picked up a pair of Spectra 22 on Audiogon for $450! What can you get for that kind of money these days? If he spends a few more dollars on the interfaces he will have one of the best mid sized planers around. Full range electrostatic speakers for pennies on the dollar!
Don't know what you paid for your Specta66s, but it was a fraction of the cost of the big Soundlabs. The Soundlabs may be better (maybe) but they should be at 10 to 15 times the cost.
Long live Acoustat!

 

RE: Acoustat Spectra 66 (right side up), posted on February 8, 2017 at 17:50:02
Jonesy
Audiophile

Posts: 3156
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Joined: September 1, 2005
Contributor
  Since: March 1, 2018




Not sure why, but on my computer the photo is upside down.

I fiddled a bit to see if I can fix it from my end.

If the original looked fine to everyone, and the one in my post is upside down, then I think I need to get more sleep.

Cheers!

Jonesy


"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."




 

RE: Acoustat Spectra 66 (right side up), posted on February 8, 2017 at 18:24:12
Mendel
Audiophile

Posts: 1207
Location: GTA
Joined: January 17, 2009
 Did I mention the Acoustats sound even better upside down?
Lol stupid iPad photos!

 

RE: Acoustat Spectra 66 (right side up), posted on February 8, 2017 at 18:43:30
Jonesy
Audiophile

Posts: 3156
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Joined: September 1, 2005
Contributor
  Since: March 1, 2018
 It was weird because if I downloaded your image it looked fine.

But if I tried to re-post/preview just to see what would happen it would go upside down again.

I had to pull it into Photoshop (where it still looked fine) and re-saved it as a .jpeg.

That worked.

iPad and cell phone photos do weird things.

One day I will Google what the deal is with that.

Nice speakers by-the-way! (edit)

Cheers!

Jonesy




"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."




 

RE: Still lovin' my Roy Esposito modified 1+1s in the HT, posted on February 8, 2017 at 19:28:25
Michael Samra
Dealer

Posts: 36118
Location: saginaw michigan
Joined: January 30, 2005
 Love the U1s.I almost got those but I decided on the ML CLXs because they were less money.I use them with the ML subs but you don't need a sub with the U1s.They go down to like 25hz I think.They may go even lower.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken

 

RE: Still lovin' my Roy Esposito modified 1+1s in the HT, posted on February 9, 2017 at 06:51:25
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37603
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 ...but I decided on the ML CLXs because they were less money

I lucked out and bought mine used from Duke (just refurbished and shipped directly from Sound Lab) for a good price.

While the CLX ends up being a three-way design, the U-1PX with double the panel area does offer excellent first octave response for a single panel full range stat much like the Spectra 66.

The new panels offer a gradual "loudness compensation" rise at the bottom. 25 hz is now there at the same level as 160 hz, but not to the degree of relative linearity as 30 hz. Here are comparative before and after third octave plots:






They're not going to fully pressurize the room with the low C in Saint Saen's Orgel-Symphone, but nevertheless offer wonderful clarity and texture down there. Ideally, I'd add a pair of U-1BX subs with their double diaphragms and flat panel grid. :)

 

RE: Acoustat Spectra 66, posted on February 9, 2017 at 07:09:36
Sondek
Audiophile

Posts: 9622
Location: Fort Worth
Joined: May 17, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 Hey, Blair:

Glad to hear Kevin's mods are working out so well for you. If you ever make a run near DFW the offer to stop by for a listen to my servo 4's is still good.

Best,

Mike

 

RE: Acoustat Spectra 66, posted on February 9, 2017 at 11:24:06
blgtrio
Audiophile

Posts: 115
Location: Maryland
Joined: May 17, 2007
 Hey Mike, nice to hear from you. If I ever get out that way I would definitely take you up on it. The 66's are outstanding. I get excited everytime I turn on the system because I usually hear something that stands out that I missed in a previous listening session. I just laugh to myself when I see ads for multi way speaker designs and they want $20,000 $30,000 or $40,000 and up. The Acoustats give you 90% of what those speakers offer for a fraction of the price. Not many of them disappear like the Acoustats do. I know we are a small group (fans of Acoustats) but we sure are passionate about them and we are very lucky to have people Like Roy E. and Kevin F. being available to make these great speakers last indefinitely.

 

RE: Still lovin' my Roy Esposito modified 1+1s in the HT, posted on February 9, 2017 at 11:42:00
blgtrio
Audiophile

Posts: 115
Location: Maryland
Joined: May 17, 2007
 Hello E-Stat, both your rooms look great. I'm sure you are enjoying your U-1's with the new PX cores. I had a pair of A-3's long ago but I had nothing but problems with them. They kept cutting out. I thought it was the OTL amps I was using but the problem persisted even with a different amp. I sold the amp and speakers and ventured into horns and SET amps for several years. In 2014 I decided to get back into Acoustats and have been very satisfied. I would love to hear the big Sound Labs sometime. I'm sure they sound amazing. Have you had a chance to hear the U-1BX subs? In the 80's I heard the A-1 with the B-1 subs at a show in NY, that was a revelation. I recently saw an ad on Agon for the A-1's and B-1's for around $7500 for all 4 pieces. If you have heard the U-1BX sub could you compare the U-1BX sub to the B-1 sub?

 

RE:Sweeeeet. (nt), posted on February 9, 2017 at 11:46:55
benie
Audiophile

Posts: 1851
Location: Alberta, Canada
Joined: October 24, 2004
 Nt

 

Sorry to hear that, posted on February 9, 2017 at 13:30:25
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37603
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 I had a pair of A-3's long ago but I had nothing but problems with them. They kept cutting out.

I've experienced no such difficulty with mine over the past eleven years. Cutting out? Did you contact your dealer or Roger about that?

If you have heard the U-1BX sub could you compare the U-1BX sub to the B-1 sub?

I have not. But the Professional eXtension cores are more rugged and can take higher output levels than previous versions. Also, the Ultimate series speakers use the tubular steel frames which are more rigid and are less resonant. Here is a pic of them along with U-1s courtesy of Brian Walsh. They are the ones in the center.



I think I'd like some separation in the middle as you find with a couple of instances on the SL installation page using standard B-1s.

Click here to view those.

Dr. West has recently changed the grid structure ("Bass Focus" series) so that both the top and the bottom sections are taller for supposedly even better and more linear bass response. They have also added a couple of smaller models (5' tall) called the U-4iA and Majestic 545.

I cannot imagine finding a better range of full range electrostatic speakers. As a coherency freak, I confess that I am not a fan of hybrids using dipolar panels and monopolar cone woofers operating up through the lower midrange.

 

RE: Still lovin' my Roy Esposito modified 1+1s in the HT, posted on February 9, 2017 at 14:25:26
Michael Samra
Dealer

Posts: 36118
Location: saginaw michigan
Joined: January 30, 2005
 You can buy direct from Soundlab and many times they will give it to you at dealer cost because there are no dealers anywhere to be found in many areas being so exotic.Even at dealer price,they are very expensive but that is a very seductive speaker.I knew they were flat down to 30hz at least and they have done a phenomenal job getting that speaker balance right.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken

 

Actually, nope, posted on February 9, 2017 at 14:35:11
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37603
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 You can buy direct from Soundlab

You are mistaken. There are enough Sound Lab dealers today such that what you say is not done. Don't ask me how I know. :)

 

RE: Actually, nope, posted on February 9, 2017 at 15:49:48
Michael Samra
Dealer

Posts: 36118
Location: saginaw michigan
Joined: January 30, 2005
 This was 9 years ago.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken

 

Like all good companies, posted on February 9, 2017 at 17:38:14
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37603
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 they are committed to their dealer network. :)

 

RE: Like all good companies, posted on February 9, 2017 at 17:47:03
Michael Samra
Dealer

Posts: 36118
Location: saginaw michigan
Joined: January 30, 2005
 There is more to the story but I can't discuss it here but yes,a friend of mine bought a pair direct because there were no dealers in the state.This was back at a time when we had the real-estate crash and Soundlabs is a small company with literally 10 people.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken

 

Understand, posted on February 10, 2017 at 06:20:08
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37603
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 Things change. BTW, as a software developer, I am innately a stickler for details. The actual company name is Sound Lab. :)

And I've visited their modest facility in UT and met the people who built mine. Good folks!

 

RE: Acoustat Spectra 66, posted on April 11, 2017 at 13:37:59
blgtrio
Audiophile

Posts: 115
Location: Maryland
Joined: May 17, 2007
 Hey Mike, I tried to PM you but it said user doesn't accept unsolicited email. I wanted to ask if u could send me your email or send me some pictures of your listening room.I get a kick out of the various Acoustat systems. Googling Acoustat images lets u see a lot of set ups. I know you have extended the invite for me if I had a run coming out that way. Most of the runs I do are between 150 and 250 miles which allows me to return home the same day. Do you ever get to the east coast? I am 75 miles from both Baltimore and Washington, DC. I just wanted to extend the invite to you as well. Happy Listening, Blair

P.S. Did u see the pair of model 8's on Ebay with the 4 Carver Amps? Need a big room and a big van or truck to accomodate those big boys.

My email is:

blgtrio@myactv.net

 

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