Summary: You guys are gonna die!
I just picked up a pair of these ads l520 speakers at a yard sale for $4 for the pair.....and they sound great (and look like crap) but I can sand them down and with a little lemon oil....
first time I have ever really listened to ads speakers. I am familiar with their reputation as I have been working in the industry for years...and years.
Hooked them up to my 1978 hh scott 390r(85 real watts/channel) ss receiver,which if you are familiar, is a very good quality amp.one of the best amps scott ever produced in the ss years.recently overhauled by vince at audio proz in watertown mass..thanx vince!
These speakers definately are the New England sound,which shocked me at first as I have grown accustomed to a pair of klipsch kg4s and a pair of pioneer hpm 6os that I have recently switched in for a pair of HH Scott 186b bookshelfs(very NE sound).
So when the switch happened, I at first, thought the tweets were blown...but I ran through the frequencies with my tone generator, and no the tweets are working just fine.
I settled in with a drink and a smoke and popped on some dire straits....all I can say is wow!
smooth lows...and deep! Highs are subdued but airy, and there,you just have to listen to them. they don't slap you in the face as my kg4s and the hpms do.nice mids,solid voices,very nice soundstage,well balanced.
you can grow very comfortable with this sound after just a few minutes...
Build quality is awesome,very heavy construction,real wood veneer,rubber surrounds which will eliminate foam rot forever!
I may have to keep these in the rotation rather than sell...these are special speakers.
I may be the luckiest hifi picker in the NE!
If you find these at any reasonable price,or even a little unreasonable...buy them. a real hifi, medium sized bookshelf speaker.
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Summary: WOW. Excellent timbre and lifelike presentation! These are some of the best sounding and well made (although not gorgeous looking) speakers I've ever listened to. I favor these more than the 3 ways with the smaller 1.5" midranges (but equal to the 2"s crossed somewhere under 600 Hz). The first reviewer said it well! The amazing -3dB at 35hz from an 8" in a sealed cabinet is unheard of these days! Some L520s have displayed heightened power handling when the tinsel leads were shortened to avoid slapping.
These are the first speakers I've owned that actually sound great even at lower volume levels. I cannot imagine ever improving on this design. The woofer not only looks quick, but it IS incredibly dynamic, fast and light, and is of a very high compliance design. The tweeter is legendary. The crossovers are first rate. The cabinets and grilles are solid. The logo is classy. The ADS company was classy.
If you find these, you have found a gem.
If I were to ever sell these, as of winter 2010, I would get FAR less for them than what they are worth to me. That may change as people are getting privy to the uncommon value all that ADS speakers yield.
These are keepers.
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Summary: Gorgeous flat frequency response, beautiful clear highs and tight bass and accurate mid-range. My holy grail of bookshelf speakers, though the larger ADS with more dedicated midrange might be more balanced. The 2-way design is quite elegant though, there are no deficiencies. I don't hesitate to say these are some of the best sounding bookshelf speakers I've heard short of things I've heard for a small fortune in listening rooms.
Really amazing speakers at any price. The soundstage is expansive and the imaging is immaculate and so realistic. The speakers seem to disappear from the room, leaving only the music. This is simply how speakers are supposed to be.
Again, an incredible value. If you ever come across these or any other ADS bookshelf or floor speaker from 1978-1993, do not pass them up.
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