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which vintage mono-blocks should I get and rebuild to use with my Quad 63 ESLs

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Posted on March 24, 2015 at 06:27:48
banpuku
Audiophile

Posts: 1008
Joined: January 19, 2006
 I have been using a Lafayette KT-550 with my Quad ESL 63 speakers. The KT-550 puts out about 27 watts and drives the Quads very nicely. I have completely rebuilt this amp and have enjoyed the journey (thanks Mike Samra and Don Sachs for all your support). I have a smallish room (14w x 17d x 9h) and listen to chamber music 90% of the time.

I would like to get a pair of vintage monoblocks and rebuild them. I am thinking about McIntosh MC-30 or MC-60. I am not bound to McIntosh, but have read good things about these 2 amplifiers.

So, please let me know which monoblock amps (vintage) you would suggest. I don't mind doing a complete overhaul of the amps. I find it fun and challenging.

UPDATE: I AM LEANING TOWARD BUILD AN EICO HF-14 FROM SCRATCH. PLEASE SEE MY NEW POST ON WHY AND WITH A FEW QUESTIONS.

 

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RE: which vintage mono-blocks should I get and rebuild to use with my Quad 63 ESLs, posted on March 24, 2015 at 06:41:27
Iain42
Reviewer

Posts: 895
Location: Arcansaw
Joined: February 10, 2004
 I had a couple Fisher SA-16 stereo amps. When I needed money for another project I sold them on ebay separately. What was interesting is they were all bought by Quad ESL owners. I know because I was curious and asked buyers what they would use them with.








High sensitivity, wide dynamic range, low distortion, and smooth frequency response. Pwk

http://www.itishifi.com

 

RE: which vintage mono-blocks should I get and rebuild to use with my Quad 63 ESLs, posted on March 24, 2015 at 07:37:30
deafbykhorns
Audiophile

Posts: 1067
Location: Florida
Joined: October 17, 2003
 I'm not sure about eh ESL63's but a friend of mine says out of all the amplifiers he's used over the years on his ESL57's, he liked the MC225 the most for tube amps.
I believe the 63's may like a little more power so the MC60 or MC275 might work for you the best. The output is a current amplifier which may account for its synergy with the ESL's.
I just did an overhaul of the MC-60s, it was fun but a lot of work (if you do it right). All of the devices are wrapped and a PITA to unsolder but worth it in the end. I hand matched most resistors within 1% which I think payed off.

 

EICOs, posted on March 24, 2015 at 07:54:33
Salectric
Audiophile

Posts: 1358
Location: East Coast
Joined: February 23, 2003
 How about a pair of EICO monoblocks? I have heard HF-60s on Quad 63's and thought they sounded very nice indeed. I suspect the HF-50 and HF-35 would also sound nice on Quads.

With point-to-point wiring and a lot of open area inside the chassis, the EICO monos are easy to work on and modify as you please.

 

Futterman H3aa or Berning ZH270, posted on March 24, 2015 at 08:59:36
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 10912
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 nt

 

It's said there's good sonic synergy between tubed Macs and the ESL-57, posted on March 24, 2015 at 09:16:53
JJ Triode
Audiophile

Posts: 716
Location: Northwest
Joined: December 2, 2004
 Old mid-power Dynacos (Stereo 70 or Mark IVs if you want monos) should also work well, if the amps are restored or sensibly upgraded. I have heard this combo with excellent results. Ditto ESL-57s with the legendary Luxman 3045 PP triode amps. Even a good 300B SET can do surprisingly well.

 

RE: which vintage mono-blocks should I get and rebuild to use with my Quad 63 ESLs, posted on March 24, 2015 at 10:54:54
Michael Samra
Dealer

Posts: 36118
Location: saginaw michigan
Joined: January 30, 2005
 Pat
Mc60s are superb and you can up the power by putting in GZ34s or Schottky rectifiers.A Citation 2 would really rock those speakers as well if you wanted to get away with spending less money..I can talk to you about it in a couple days when I feel better..I'm heading to med express when I get out of work.The school nurse said I have a swollen throat glands so it's painful to swallow and talk.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken

 

The ESL63s like a bit of power and OTLs with them have been the match made in heaven for a long time, posted on March 24, 2015 at 14:41:02
Ralph
Manufacturer

Posts: 4778
Location: Minnesota
Joined: April 24, 2002
 And I think an older set of our amps qualify as 'vintage' these days...

So- a set of older Atma-Sphere MA-1s work really well on that speaker and will play them louder and cleaner than any of the amps mentioned so far. One nice thing is they can really make the speaker show of its bass capabilities! Make sure you have them 5-6 feet from the wall behind them for best results.

Our M-60s do a good job on that speaker as well if the MA-1s prove too rich for your blood. The MA-1s have been in production about 28 years, the M-60 about 25. You should be able to find a set somewhere...

Another nice amp on that speaker is the H/K Citation 2...

 

RE: The ESL63s like a bit of power and OTLs with them have been the match made in heaven for a long time, posted on March 24, 2015 at 17:08:42
Michael Samra
Dealer

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

 

RE: which vintage mono-blocks should I get and rebuild to use with my Quad 63 ESLs, posted on March 24, 2015 at 20:03:59
kyle
Audiophile

Posts: 1839
Location: London Ontario
Joined: September 29, 1999
 Is there any reason why nobody has suggested Quad II amps? I've heard them on other speakers and they are nice sounding amps. It would seem to be a natural choice to have their own amps with their speakers.

 

RE: which vintage mono-blocks should I get and rebuild to use with my Quad 63 ESLs, posted on March 24, 2015 at 20:31:35
Steve O
Audiophile

Posts: 12383
Location: SE MI
Joined: September 6, 2001
 The Quad II is a very nice amp esp for Quad ESL57s. Unfortunately, the amp is good for maybe 20W max and so would be pretty underpowered for 63s under most conditions.

 

RE: which vintage mono-blocks should I get and rebuild to use with my Quad 63 ESLs, posted on March 25, 2015 at 05:18:41
kyle
Audiophile

Posts: 1839
Location: London Ontario
Joined: September 29, 1999
 Thanks Steve.
I borrowed a pair of 57s for a week in the late 1970s (too long ago to remember) but haven't heard the 63s so I wasn't aware of the power requirement.
I was thinking that with the lack of bass inherent in both that power wouldn't be the issue, rather, stability into the load presented to the amp. If I'm not mistaken, both drop down to less than 2ohms at some point.

 

RE: which vintage mono-blocks should I get and rebuild to use with my Quad 63 ESLs, posted on April 1, 2015 at 07:13:52
Lee of Omaha
Dealer

Posts: 1800
Location: Omaha NE
Joined: September 8, 2006
 While the QUAD II may be a good amp (I've never heard them) it is not automatically true that the same brand of amp and speaker automatically sound good together.

I've heard the QUAD 303 and 405 on QUAD ESL-57s and to me they had the same fault as every other solid state amp I've heard on ESL-57s: Dynamic compression. I've only heard tubed amps sound dynamically correct on ESL-57s. Don't know why.

I'm not in any way opposed to solid state amps. I dearly love some solid state class A amps, and even a few class AB amps.

If anyone can offer an explanation of why solid state amps sound compressed playing into ESL-57s when tubed amps don't I'd like hear. I wonder if amps with MOSFET outputs would sound compressed.

 

RCA SP20, posted on April 1, 2015 at 17:16:05
PakProtector
Audiophile

Posts: 12365
Joined: May 14, 2002
 No loop NFB, and 6V6 finals...:) Tasty. Good luck finding two, but with a schematic and a 5k a-a OPT it should not prove very difficult to make two more.

Or scale it up. 6550 finals, Class A, and install some bigger drivers for the 6AU6...and ditch the 12AU7 front end. 7AH7 maybe?
cheers,
Douglas
Friend, I would not hurt thee for the world...but thou art standing where I am about to shoot.

 

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