Quad ESL 57 Floorstanding Speakers
Quad ESL 57 Floorstanding Speakers
USER REVIEWS
[Nov 09, 2016]
Gordon
Audio Enthusiast
I will not repeat what so many have already said except to comment on the narrow listening. While I agree that these speakers are more sensitive to positioning and the room it is not untrue for other speakers as well.
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[Sep 04, 2016]
Bart
Audio Enthusiast
About 15 years ago i used to have a set of these ESL57. They were not in good shape but still quite impressive. They started to tick when you would play a little louder. I sold them and bought several other sets of speakers.
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[Mar 09, 2014]
Tunaoue
Audio Enthusiast
My friend has a set of these Quads. Since we're both audio buffs, we'd sit and listen several times.
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[Oct 28, 2011]
opus10
AudioPhile
My pair of 57s is middle-aged (late70s) and still sounds breathtaking. Let me amend that: the music sounds breathtaking. This iconic 50+ year-old design has simply no sound of its own, none that I can hear at least.
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[Jul 13, 2011]
Sri
AudioPhile
Just bought a late serial numbered version of these immortal classics. Mine are in the 45000 range, which makes them near the end of the run. I consider this the best audio purchase I have made in the last 25 years.
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[Apr 01, 2008]
upstate dave
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Absolutely amazing midrange transparency and realism...completely convincing soundstage, both in depth and precision.....from 50 Hz up these speakers are scary good...the best I have personally ever heard!
Weakness:
Won't produce prodigious amounts of bass or very much extension below 50 Hz. I purchased a used pair of 57's in the early 90's for about $800. I have heard a lot of other speakers that can do certain things better than Quads's (bass, sheer volume levels, etc.), but none that can create the sense of realism and transparency that the ESL-57 presents. I've listened to B&W 801's and 808"s, Thiel's, Vandersteen's, Snell's, Merlin's, even ESL-63's and Martin Logan's, and none of them has been capable of resolving music to the extent that the 57's do! Thay are, simply put, the most transparent natural sounding loudspeaker I have ever heard...period! I must confess that there are many speakers that I have not yet listened to, but have heard great things about; like Sound Lab's and the larger Magnepan's. But as of this writing, I have yet to hear a speaker that is capable of relaying voice and instrumentation with the startling sense of realism that the 57's do. Similar Products Used: ESL-63
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[Jan 04, 2007]
Michael from Oz
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Mid range to die for
Weakness:
None that matter to me. Back about 1970 I first heard a pair of Quad ESL57s and I remember being unimpressed. They just sounded so ordinary. Many years later I bought the pair I have now and I realized that the fact that they sound ordinary is their greatest strength. They just sound like the real thing. OK, so they are not going to blow the roof off and organ pedal notes need a bit of help from my home made sub-woofer but everything else is just right. I can listen to them for hours and they are do not induce listening fatigue. For voice and accoustic instruments they are just so accurate. And the stereo image is so stable and deep. These things may have limitations but I am more than willing to live with them for the amazing ride they give on just about everything. Customer Service For a product designed in the 1950s and made in 1970 the support is fantastic. Similar Products Used: Nothing else I have ever had has even come close. |
[Sep 12, 2006]
teemacs
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Quite the best speakers I have ever heard
Weakness:
Very large and low WAF.
These were bought on eBay and the price incudes a complete refurbishing by ESL specialists Quad Musikwiedergabe GmbH in Germany (whom I cannot recommend highly enough).
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[Jun 16, 2004]
aroostookme
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Soundstage, clarity, piano and voice (wow), and vocal texture. Horns and fiddle and cymbals are incredible. Try the Housemartins' "Build", Wilderness Road's "Death Dream", Andy Pratt's "Avenging Annie", Little Feat's "Long Distance Love", or 10CC's "I'm Not In Love", or the 2nd BS&T album... you'll be spellbound. Just a wonderful reason to have time alone!
Weakness:
None Well, hearing the Quads for the first time after 30 years of listening to finer audio reminds me of a Mel Brooks line in an old movie. Brooks' head is screwed on backwards (literally) in one scene and he looks down and asks "How come no one told me my butt was so big?" Same with the Quads. How come no one ever told me to listen to these FIRST! I own a great set of Snell A's, they are amazing. My Grado Reference headphones fantastic. Now multiply it all by a thousand and there are the Quads with a Dyna St-70 and a PAS-3 with a Music Hall MMF-7. Maybe there's another level. But I am fine right here in Quad Heaven. Similar Products Used: KEF Reference 4 Snell A, Snell B, Snell C-II Proac |
[Feb 24, 2004]
Jane Parsons
AudioPhile
Strength:
Lovely transparent, transcendent sound. No distortion. Once heard, you will never go back to any other speaker.
Weakness:
None My current pair of Quads has been in my possession since 1978. For 26 years they have shared my life through folk, hard rock, jazz and classical phases. The same electronics with no modification have run them: a Quad 405 amplifier and a Citation 11 pre-amp. A Sony CDP-302 CD player was added in the mid-80s which permanently replaced the original Technics manual turntable. There is a reason that so many knowledgeable people have stated the original Quads are the finest loudspeaker ever made. For you to agree is to listen - just once will do. The sound is crystal clear, transparent, splendid. There is nothing to come close to the sound of these full range electrostats - not horns, not cones, not magic, not anything. Specifically, sound is so real it's easy to believe the musicians have sneaked into the room with you. If you are a fan of voice, piano, horns or string instruments, put on the CD, close your eyes, and Quad heaven awaits you. There are a few caveats in owning a pair of Quads. They are like an old MG car - British and quirky. Positioning is everything. Obsessive-compulsive types will spend months to get perfect placement. They have solid, clear bass, but if your idea of stereo is a thumping rap party at ear splitting levels, these are not the speakers for you. The arcing and subsequent repairs will empty your bank account. And they can be picky about the type and quality of amplifier and pre-amp. You don't need but 20 or 30 watts a side for full volume, but it has to be clean. The Quad clean sound is a two-edged sword. You will hear every bit of distortion from any sub-standard electronics or even poor CD production. My Quads have never had repair and I believe the reason is the matching Quad amp and the fact we have resisted blasting the neighbors with our favorite music. My husband, a cellist in a past life, also adores these speakers. To blow away friends who come over for dinner, he just puts on something like Madama Butterfly or Linda Ronstadt. They sink into the chair in front of the speakers, down for the count. I have critically listened to hundreds of speakers and can state conclusively that the Quad ESL 57 is the finest loudspeaker ever made. |
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