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I'm wondering if it is possible to do electrostatics like esl63 on a budget? I have had a pair of Conrad Johnson 50 watt tube amps for a very long time that I would love to put to use. The last time I used them with more efficient speakers in the 90s I remember the sound was very nice.
Unfortunately I wouldnt be able to bugdet much more than $1000 for the speakers including if any repairs were required. I am o.k. with a sodering iron, but not really sure if i'm cut out for working on delicate materials like panels.
I would appreciate any advice.
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Given your budget restrictions you have basically two options. A nice pair of Acoustats in good working order. These are pretty easy to find for under a $1K. Best to purchase from an original owner that has maintained them well and will fully disclose any issue they might have had over the years with the speakers.
The second option is a pair of the smaller Martin-Logan hybrids. The Aerius comes to mind. This is a great speaker for the money and has the advantage over the Acoustat in that ML is still alive and can keep the speakers running. They routinely sell for under $1K. If you can stretch the budget just a bit go for the Aerius II or the SL3.
Forget about Quads for that kind of money. Unless you are lucky in the extreme you will simply purchase a headache that will cost significant $$$$ to get working correctly. While a pair of original ESLs might be found for a $1K or less, and appear to be working nicely, they will be far from specification. There are NO bargins when it comes to Quads, unless, again, you are lucky in the extreme. You get what you pay for.
Forget about things like the KLH-9, Koss, D-W, etc. All of these are terribly dated designs by modern standards. The performance of any of these speakers can be easily eclipsed by more modern designs; their day in the sun has come and gone. And most likely they will also need a significant amount of work/$$$$$ to get running properly. That money is better invested in a better speaker to begin with.
Good luck with your hunt. Stats are a blast but one should know what they are getting into before exploring electrostats especially units that are approaching 30-40 years in age.
All under 1K. There are others too but forget the Beveridge, Stax and SoundLab as they all go for considerably more than 1K unless you're very lucky and run across a deal in which case it's a no-brainer, snap them up. Sometimes a Dayton Wright ESL will go for under $1,000 but usually for more. Note, if you run across a Dayton Wright esl the insulating gas has more than likely leaked out by this time, this will cause the speaker to arc at a lower level than it was designed to operate. The gas used is Sulfur Hexafluoride SF6, a common industrial electrical insulating gas for high voltage spark arresting environments. One can buy a lecture-bottle of SF6 gas but it's not cheap at $300 to $500. Despite the name, SF6 gas is generally considered harmless see; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_hexafluoride
Dayton Wright history,
http://www.dayton-wright.com/DaytonWright.html
Koss Model 1a, last pair I saw went for between $400 to $500, skip the Model 2's and 3's they are poor performers compared to the Model One or the Acoustats. Also the Koss will require a high current stable amp as they are finicky about amplification much like the Soundlabs.
http://www.audioflipper.com/model.php?id=109717
Hope this helps.
FWIW apparently from what I've read Lew Johnson of "Conrad Johnson", was a big Acoustat fan and designed amps using Acoustat speakers as one of his references. Was a friend of Jim Strickland founder/inventor of Acoustat.
Used Acoustats is the only bargain under $1K I can think of off the top of my head. I have twelve 9" panels and six 8" panels from various Acoustat and that also includes a working set of Model 3 with original 121 transformers and a set of 121 blue medallion transformers. So thats 18 panels of Acoustat I can configure any way I like and plenty of extra panels and all total the various purchases add up to $1550. A pair of 1+1 transformers for around $200-300 would net a pair of 1+1, pair of Model 3 and pair of Model 4 for around $1800. What I'm pointing out is you can get a nice pair of 1+1 with medallion transformers and still have $500 left over. Just make sure you get a seller that will state no buzzes or rattles and no physical damage. Caveat Emptor!
You can find Acoustat's on the used market at reasonble prices.
I have some items that may interest you...
I have four ESL panels, 8x20" that are fully assembled.
You could have them for my cost, $275.
You'll need a HT charger, but I believe these are also available second hand. Pics available. Shipping from 02790.
If you don't need a full range panel, there is the small Soundlab.
I sold my Acoustat 2+2s several years back for around $800. They were working just fine at the time. Over at Agon', there's a pair of 1+1s available for less than that (no connection).
rw
Just have to watch ebay and talk to the sellers in detail. If they haven't actually been arced they are likely to be basically OK. Go for ESL57s, they are cheaper. I just got a virtually mint pair for £300.
I'm afraid the short answer is "no", or probably not. Generally speaking, a thousand bucks will get you an old set of esl-63s that either need repair or will shortly. Properly rebuilt, a set of 63s should give twenty years of faithful service. Many older Quads that have developed a problem have been sent to QS&D, the factory approved service center, and have had the offending panel replaced. The problem is that each speaker contains four panels, so with a pair of old Quad 63s, you have eight panels that could go any time. This is what frustrates people and makes them dump their old Quads. In my opinion, the only reasonable way to approach this is to have the speakers completely rebuilt including all eight panels, which will run in the neighborhood of $1800 when done by Electrostatic Solutions. Then you should have a set of speakers ready to serve you for decades. If you buy an old pair for $800-$1000 bucks (sometimes less) you still have a remarkable bargain as you have a set of speakers that are, in many areas, state of the art for under $3k. Quads unlimited currently has a completely rebuilt set that Wayne is asking $2500 for. This is an incredible bargain. But for a thousand bucks? You would almost certainly get a pair on their last legs which would soon need repair and leave you frustrated. Just my 2 cents.
Mark
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