Planar Speaker Asylum

Welcome! Need support, you got it. Or share your ideas and experiences.

Return to Planar Speaker Asylum

Message Sort: Post Order or Asylum Reverse Threaded

1+1's

76.28.43.194
Posted on May 11, 2023 at 05:00:43
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 Was at a friend's yesterday listening to his Acoustats. Superb speakers, from the midrange up, anyway. I love the clarity and uniformity of ESL's. They're always a bit etched in the highs, but to me, its a minor flaw. When he switched to his old dynamics, it was like sinking into the muck.


 

Hide full thread outline!
     RE: 1+1's - morricab 04:35:48 06/26/23 (0)
     Acoustats - M3 lover 06:29:03 05/12/23 (6)
       FWIW - E-Stat 15:18:25 05/12/23 (5)
    ...
Ideally, posted on May 11, 2023 at 06:10:52
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37581
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 they would be further out from front wall to breathe better in the room.

My interfaces were rebuilt by former Acoustat engineer Roy Esposito with his "Air Mod" that bypasses the big wirewound resistor at the top which improves transparency. Replacing the original socks with tightly stretched spandex helps as well.

 

tightly stretched spandex helps ..........., posted on May 11, 2023 at 06:56:22
trioderob
Audiophile

Posts: 753
Joined: May 15, 2015
 ...... not around these parts it dont - too many burgers and Frappuccino

 

RE: Ideally, posted on May 11, 2023 at 07:43:40
mraudio
Audiophile

Posts: 457
Location: Northern Colorado
Joined: November 4, 2006
 Further out would be much better. My 2+2's are 5 feet out and about 8 feet apart. They throw a MASSIVE soundstage and have depth out the butt.

Spent about 6 months restoring/modifying/updating them with 21st century parts.

WOW!!!

 

RE: Ideally, posted on May 11, 2023 at 09:25:08
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37581
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 In a perfect world, I've found that a mentor's "Rule of Thirds" works great. Place speakers at one third the room's length and width to minimize room modes.

In the main system, I'm able to situate the Sound Labs slightly over 8' from front wall in a 25' long room. Measured bass response in the bottom several octaves is very smooth. With the 1+1s in the family room HT, however, I don't have that luxury and they are only about 4' out. Consequently, there's a nasty peak I fix using the processor's parametric EQ.



 

RE: Ideally, posted on May 11, 2023 at 15:10:16
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 I'll have to ask him about that. I don't think he ever listens on center -- which, of course, means that some of the goodness is going to waste. I'll pass on the socks suggestion, but his cat has been using the left one as a scratching post -- you can't see it in the photo, but it's covered in fluff. Razor wire might be a better choice. :-)

 

RE: Ideally, posted on May 11, 2023 at 15:15:16
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 If you sit as far from the rear wall as the speakers are from the front, something magical happens and you get part way to an acoustical DBA because the back wave arrives from the front just as the front wave reflection arrives from the rear. I used to listen to my 1-D's that way -- haven't had a room since I could do it in.

 

That's the other part of the Rule of Thirds, posted on May 11, 2023 at 15:49:17
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37581
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 and roughly where my couch is situated. :)

 

Acoustats, posted on May 12, 2023 at 06:29:03
M3 lover
Audiophile

Posts: 6599
Location: SW Mich
Joined: May 29, 2005
Contributor
  Since: July 4, 2007
 About a year into initial production I bought a pair of 2+2s plus Acoustat amp and preamp. In spite of lots of experimenting I could never find a set up that produced any "magic" in listening. Many others loved the Acoustats so I was disappointed by never finding decent performance with mine.

On the other hand one friend had a pair of 1+1s which he continued to enjoy after 20 years or so the last I heard from him.

"The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing, if you can fake that you've got it made." Groucho

 

FWIW, posted on May 12, 2023 at 15:18:25
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37581
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 About a year into initial production I bought a pair of 2+2s

There were a number of refinements soon afterwards. I too, purchased a pair in '82 to replace Monitor 4s.

The panel wiring was changed to OFC and the interfaces underwent a couple of upgrades (Blue/Red Medallion). Each upgrade improved transparency. When I had them, I also bypassed the in-signal fuses and replaced the burlap-like socks with spandex which further elevated their performance.

Here's a view from twenty years ago...

 

Too bad for me, posted on May 13, 2023 at 05:52:39
M3 lover
Audiophile

Posts: 6599
Location: SW Mich
Joined: May 29, 2005
Contributor
  Since: July 4, 2007
 I don't remember dates and it would be a chore to look up exactly when I owned those. But I don't remember a burlap-like sock, more like a polyester. So maybe mine were a later version?

Regardless, they never worked in my room.

"The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing, if you can fake that you've got it made." Groucho

 

RE: Too bad for me, posted on May 13, 2023 at 09:13:40
Sondek
Audiophile

Posts: 9621
Location: Fort Worth
Joined: May 17, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 Burlap is a little over the top descriptively, but not by too much.

AFAIK, they used that same type fabric on everything from day one. Although, it's been a very long time since I've been up close and personal with one of their SPECTRA models, and I do not recall if they used different fabric on them.




 

The "burlap" socks destroy the treble response...-...-...-, posted on May 14, 2023 at 03:17:22
Mendel
Audiophile

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



I run my Spectra 22 naked. Big improvement.
My tech rebuilt the interfaces replacing all the parts (there are not that many) other than the transformers., and increasing the bias current to 6k. They had sagged to about 3k and was uneven between the two speakers.
These have been my main speakers for a dozen years. Bought them for a song, spent $650 on the mods. They make my former Totem Hawks sound like toys.
Long live Acoustat!

 

Show us your Acoustats!, posted on May 14, 2023 at 07:25:20
Sondek
Audiophile

Posts: 9621
Location: Fort Worth
Joined: May 17, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002



Long live Acoustat!

I couldn't agree more.

 

RE: Show us your Acoustats!, posted on May 17, 2023 at 04:54:04
blgtrio
Audiophile

Posts: 115
Location: Maryland
Joined: May 17, 2007
 Nice photo Mike. Glad you posted a picture of those servo drivin Acoustats.

 

RE: 1+1's, posted on June 26, 2023 at 04:35:48
morricab
Distributor or Rep

Posts: 9175
Location: switzerland
Joined: April 1, 2005
 The Spectra series were even better!

i had modded 1+1s with medallion trasnformers and upgraded caps and NO sock on them.

Then I got Spectra 2200s and they were more transparent and more dynamic with better bass.

Finally I also had Spectra 4400, which were not as transparent as the 2200s but had AMAZING bass...so I used them as subs. That was a true 20-20 system with jaw dropping bass depth and control.


Also had the STAX ELS F-81, which were even more transparent but were limited in what they could do. Finally, I also had Audiostatic ES100s that were also a bit more trasnpaent than Acoustats but uneven in response...Acoustats are very even in response.

 

Page processed in 0.037 seconds.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]