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I'm new to ADS but very familiar with Dynaco A25s. Which ADS speaker would be most comparable to the Dynaco? One better than the other, or different strengths/weaknesses?
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My 1st pair of ADS were L-570 (series I) and I was running a pair of rebuilt A-25's in the living room.
At the time I struggled with what pair to keep. In the end I ended up keeping the ADS and still have them. It was a close race even though I wouldn't say they have the same signature. The A-25's were fun to listen to, with a laid back vibe. The ADS were just more honest. I think it was the superior tweeter (my opinion) that put the ADS ahead of the game. Bass with the ADS also had more snap.
Not sure if there is another model of ADS that is more comparable to the Dynaco. But from what I remember they are very similar in size.
almost NO comparison. the dynas are not well extended in the top but won't drive you from the room as JBLs will. the ADS are nice and flat and extended in both directions (depending on size).
i owned A25s and lusted after the ADS.
...regards...tr
A deal breaker for the Dynacos is the replacement tweeter. the original was a standard cone type of the day. Better than most but still a cone that was limited by it's type.
Drop in the Seas 27TDFC silk dome tweeter and you're back on the top shelf again. New cap, clean up the connections, if there is a padding resistor replace it with a better resistor from Madisound.
The Seas 25FE-W was perhaps one of the best woofers made. You are not going to see many woofers with as flat a FR curve and smooth roll off extension cleanly up to 1700hz. No spikes, no bumps, no dips - flat! Coupled with the new tweeter - it's the best in that class!!!!
The OP should consider those upgrades. Then if he is still in need try the other speakers.
Encouraged by all of the posts I've read here & elsewhere concerning this matter, I'm absolutely going to be modern Seas driver oriented up-specing & recapping my Dynacos as soon as I can figure out where to have this done in my area (Brooklyn/NYC), as my physical limitations would make it difficult for me to accomplish independently.
Hi airtime,
I still have a clean pair of A-25s, got them from original owner at a garage sale and they even came with factory cartons. I removed the mesh screen from the tweeters to open them up a bit and a friend replaced the crossover cap for me. So is the 27TDFC then a simple drop in, no need to change the cap value?
BTW, I've owned two pair of A-25s through the years and every one I've seen has a dome tweeter, not a cone.
Thanks
"You can't know what the "best" is unless you have heard everything, and keep in mind that given individual tastes, there really isn't any such thing." HP
You are correct about the dome. All A-25's had dome tweeters.
Dave
MAN, I'm really off my vintage game today!
the a25 had a large dome for the so called tweeter (actually more of a midrange to lower highs driver, flat MAYBE up to about 12kHz).
the ADS were much more open at the top.
...regards...tr
The Seas 27TDFC Tweeter is only one of three (maybe only now two?) tweeters made that actually DOES go cleanly down to 1500hz. One hell of a tweeter!
That is why it just finishes off that speaker. It meets the woofers natural gentle roll off just perfectly. Like they were made for each other.
For the SEAS A26 Kit, which is marketed as the successor to the A25, they use the SEAS Excel T35C-001, which also looks very good, and has the same 1500hz bottom. It could very possible be superior. Unfortunately, it cost $236.70, however, it may very well be worth it. I sure would like to give that kit a listen. The graph looks very smooth, both on and off axis and SEAS know how to make a soft dome. I am very curios about this SOTA effort, if it wasn't for that extra 70 cents ...
Dave
i would very much like to hear that, too bad i had to sell them as at the time i could only have one set at a time due to raising children, paying for a house, etc.
the a25XL had a smaller dome tweeter as did the a35XL. they DID sound better.
...regards...tr
I still miss my Braun/ADS LV-1020 triamped speakers! They even sounded good with a Phase Linear preamp! Much better with a Yamaha C-2.
Everything sounds better with a Yamaha C-2 or in my case, a C2x.
Dave
Depends on your amplifier. Most - and again most ADS speakers sound very similar to JBL.
Many - and not all but again many - were rated 4 ohms but did dip below 2 ohms and could be a problem with some amplifiers.
except, possibly, JBL and (vintage) Quad ESLs.
Most JBL loudspeakers (including all of the vaunted JBL monitors I've heard to date) send me running from the room due to their brightness and aggressiveness.
most ads speakers are very smooth, almost polite, and very ear-friendly to me/to my tastes.
all the best,
mrh
We must have very different ears.
I don't know of any overly bright and boomy ADS speakers. Perhaps you might cite an example that relates to your experience.
I can't think of a more different comparison to L100s and 810s.
We're on the same page as far as JBL vs ADS. Their sound couldn't be more different. I've found ADS speakers (I've owned a pair of 1230s since '83) to be among the most neutral transducers on the market. Forward and in your face? Not mine, and not any pair I've yet heard. Shows you how subject this stuff is.
When I first heard ADS for myself, ( a pair of L710) I was struck by how neutral they were. When I first owned ADS and compared them side by side to what I owned at the time (AR2a. EPI 100, etc.) I was struck by how 'fast' they sounded in comparison. Transients like jazz horns and symphony crescendos seemed to be much faster and more dynamic through the ADS using the same amp and source. I guess you might think of that as the ADS sounding 'brighter', but I don't think that's it. The other thing that struck me about the ADS is the dispersion and imaging. When I was physically close to one of the ADS speakers, it did not drown out the sound from the other. I could still hear what the other one was doing.
--Matt
"When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a lot."
--Dalai Lama
I have owned JBL L100's. I thought they were okay. I did have a pair of JBL Nova 88's, which are actually very similar to L100's with the same size cabinet, but are a two way with a 12" woofer and cone tweeter. And I think they even sold a kit with a midrange and crossover so you could convert the 88 to an L100 equivalent. Sometimes I even miss the Nova 88's, I thought they sounded good on low stands angled back with the tweeters on the bottom and the woofers on top. They were very efficient too. The only JBL's I own now are a pair of L19 with an 8" woofer and cone tweeter. I think they sound good, and you can play them surprisingly loudly with a 5 watt per channel 6BX7 tube amp.
--Matt
"When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a lot."
--Dalai Lama
It's kinda hard to put in words exactly what a speaker sounds like. But the one thing I am sure of is basically they both sounded like they were in your face.
Did I like JBL - not really! Compared to today multi driver speakers of that era were on the crude side. Would I like to even own either - no!
Multi driver speakers were really meant for "show".
If the original post wants to find out how they sound then I suggest he just go and buy the damn things already.
I (the OP) agree that I'll never really know until I've owned & operated a pair myself in the environment they'll be projecting from. I've got a very nice pair of Dynacos already. I'll be keeping an eye out for a set of L520/570s, they seem to be what I'm looking for. Along with my other related research, my thanks to everyone for helping me sort out the different models & your opinions, which have given me the info I need to make a more informed decision than would otherwise have been possible...... Guitars, Recumbent Trikes, whatever your area of intense interest, I love hobbyist driven forums!
Another thing that ADS did better was have more consistent directivity across the range using smaller dome midrange than competing JBL models.
The transition from the 2" mid to the tweeter was much smoother using the same crossover frequency - 4 kHz - as JBL models did using a 5" cone.
ADS are in a different league from JBL altogether.
"To Learn Who Rules Over You, Simply Find Out Who You Are Not Allowed to Criticize."
-Voltaire
Marantz PM6005 & '76 Kenwood KA-6100 integrated amps.
I'm using the Marantz PM8004 on a pair of Monitor Audio RX2's that go that low. So best guess - it should work???
I had a similar model Kenwood, the number I've long since forgotten? and it was tough as nails. So again it should not be a problem.
I had a McIntosh that would blow out if it had a low load.
The ADS's had a very JBL type sound. Bold and in your face. And I don't mean that in a bad way. I think that was because many of the models used multiple drivers and tweaked it towards a forward midrange.
That's what I'm looking for, something as highly representative/regarded/executed as the Dynacos for that East Coast Sound, but in the West Coast genre. Never had one of that ilk, I think I'd like a pair for variety.
I'm looking closest at the 500/520/570 series, as they seem to be closest to the Dynacos in dimension.
All this ADS talk lately has me looking for a pair.
I would like to find a larger 3 way floor stander.
Which of the bigger ADS were considered the most neutral?
Which were the friendliest to tube amps?
Thanks.
Meat; It's the right thing to do. Romans 14:2
I'd recommend anything in the L-series, particularly:
L-1290
L-1590
L-1230
L-1530
or possibly L-910.
later M-series were not nearly as good, and anything after that is not worth bothering with either (MV-40t, etc.)
I once regretted not stretching my budget back in '83 to buy the 1530s instead of the 1230s, which I still own. But not now, because the 1530s, while producing deeper bass and a wider sound stage, weighed over 100 (unwieldy come move time)pounds, and were really too big for the listening rooms I've had since the purchase.
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