A/D/S line pecking order?

Ok, maybe i'll see what I can do. Not eager to gut them, really.
How do they sound? If you have a spot where you pretty much just see the fronts, than it won't matter much what condition the cabs are in.
 
How do they sound? If you have a spot where you pretty much just see the fronts, than it won't matter much what condition the cabs are in.

They sound very good, I would say. Right after I got 'em, I got some much prettier L570's though, which have gotten their place in the rotation. I already have two setups going in a studio apartment, so I don't really have a purpose for them at the moment.
 
Those L1, black speakers? just do what you need to do to make them smooth again, even bondo and put a nice coat of satin black on them for that like new monitor look. If you have the grilles and they don't have rips, cuts, holes in the metal it is just easy sheet metal work to get them to look great again.

I did too much work on a pair of 810s, replacing a waterlogged bottom with a thick chunk of masonite and painting them black. Looked great with the black cloth grilles that also needed some work on the frame with wood glue. Couldn't part em even though I might have gotten a bit more for them. Sold to an AKer who moved them on to a friend and they are being enjoyed as the great ADS speaker it is. Just as yours could be.
 
Those L1, black speakers? just do what you need to do to make them smooth again, even bondo and put a nice coat of satin black on them for that like new monitor look. If you have the grilles and they don't have rips, cuts, holes in the metal it is just easy sheet metal work to get them to look great again.

I did too much work on a pair of 810s, replacing a waterlogged bottom with a thick chunk of masonite and painting them black. Looked great with the black cloth grilles that also needed some work on the frame with wood glue. Couldn't part em even though I might have gotten a bit more for them. Sold to an AKer who moved them on to a friend and they are being enjoyed as the great ADS speaker it is. Just as yours could be.

Yeah, the black L1's. They have a black plastic veneer - if it were black wood grain that would be easier to work with. Generally they are very rough, look like they were used as garage or even outdoor speakers for some time. Not a huge fan of black speakers in the first place, so I may just end up selling. Always appreciate your guys' encouragement to fix up, though. I am working my way up to attempting my first re-cap/re-seal job on a pair of KLH, at the moment.
 
Yeah, the black L1's. They have a black plastic veneer -... I am working my way up to attempting my first re-cap/re-seal job on a pair of KLH, at the moment.
So dropping by Parts-Express to pick a nice plastic wood veneer to replace the black stuff is out of the question. I understand.
 
I have a blown tweeter in my L810As. The model number on the back is Braun 2422731. I'm looking for a replacement. This exact model number is hard to find. Are their any ADS models that cross reference to this Braun number. It is a 1", BTW. Any help appreciated.
 
Well fellow AKers my adventure with the 1090s took a turn for the worse as one speaker is now a bit sickly. I think I may have damaged or dislodged something when installing inserts on the bottoms.

Can anyone recommend someone to take a look as this one “goes beyond my skills(Aragorn)” I am in westchester ny which is pretty much an audio repair wasteland from what I can tell, unless you want to spend 50K on custom home theater. I’d even try Connecticut ...

As always with this hobby cost is a consideration as these were cheap to our purchase and too large to ship
In the past I’ve used millersound sound in Pennsylvania who are fantastic but probably overkill in this application and a bit too far too drive,

Any advice or assistance appreciated, the only diagnosis I can make is the volume is about 50 percent less, there is definitely not much coming out of the mid woofer and there is some intermittent sound fluctuations...
 
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Well fellow AKers my adventure with the 1090s took a turn for the worse as one speaker is now a bit sickly. I think I may have damaged or dislodged something when installing inserts on the bottoms.

Can anyone recommend someone to take a look as this one “goes beyond my skills(Aragorn)” I am in westchester ny which is pretty much an audio wasteland unless you want to spend 50K on custom home theater. I’d even try Connecticut ...

As always with this hobby cost is a consideration as these were cheap to our purchase and too large to ship
In the past I’ve used millersound sound in Pennsylvania who are fantastic but probably overkill in this application and a bit too far too drive,

Any advice or assistance appreciated, the only diagnosis I can make is the volume is about 50 percent less, there is definitely not much coming out of the mid woofer and there is some intermittent sound fluctuations...
Tell us more about the inserts. You flipped them over and drilled near the corners ?
 
Any advice or assistance appreciated

Check the "bi-amp switch" if your speakers have one. It may have been inadvertently switched to the bi-amp position and if you connected the speaker wires to the mid/tweet terminals you won't have any low frequencies.
 
Well fellow AKers my adventure with the 1090s took a turn for the worse as one speaker is now a bit sickly. I think I may have damaged or dislodged something when installing inserts on the bottoms.

Can anyone recommend someone to take a look as this one “goes beyond my skills(Aragorn)” I am in westchester ny which is pretty much an audio wasteland unless you want to spend 50K on custom home theater. I’d even try Connecticut ...

As always with this hobby cost is a consideration as these were cheap to our purchase and too large to ship
In the past I’ve used millersound sound in Pennsylvania who are fantastic but probably overkill in this application and a bit too far too drive,

Any advice or assistance appreciated, the only diagnosis I can make is the volume is about 50 percent less, there is definitely not much coming out of the mid woofer and there is some intermittent sound fluctuations...
Hay kbuzz,
I'm in westchester. There's actually a lot of AKers in the area.
Good advice checking the bi-amp switch. Let us know how it goes.
Glenn
 
Hi guys. Thanks for the replies. No bi-amp switch on this model.

Re inserts, yes I just flipped them to use corner inserts. Unfortunately I had a rough time drilling and I may have manhandled the speakers a bit ....well actually, more than a bit. I seem to at minimum, torn a small hole in one woofer...and this speaker also sounds weird not withstanding
 
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Welllll, I probably will get scolded for resurrecting this ancient (and seemingly venerable/legendary) thread, but after a few hours and 47 pages of reading, and the creation of an AK account, I felt it would be worth a shot. My first foray into ADS (and audiophile hi-fi equipment, for that matter) has come in the form of a pair of walnut L1290s I just picked up with a Parasound HCA-1500a (200wpc) and a Nikko Beta III a few weeks ago. I ended up paying $850 for all three ($400 for speakers, $300 for the amp, $150 for the preamp). They are in perfect working order, so far as I can tell, and I would rate them 7 or 8/10 cosmetically, though maybe I’m a bit biased by how great they sound :music: For speakers that are likely almost a decade older than I am, I think the cosmetic dings on the case give them a little wabi-sabi—sort of like the knicks and discoloration on my 120 year old cello. The tweeters/mid ranges, however, are probably due for a little Mr. So love... Which I’m considering, especially because I’m guessing he’ll run out of parts sometime in the next couple years.

So here I was, perfectly happy with my decision to drive 3 hours to scoop these up and re-discovering a bunch of old vinyl my parents and a few of their friends donated to my hi-fi cause, when I decided I should find a copy of the manual on these while I’m at it. That lead me to looking into bi-amping options, and how the PA-1 (if not the modified C2000) is really the holy grail combo with the ADS towers... So I did a little searching on the old craigslist.

Up popped a pair of BEAUTIFUL L1590s for $500, and “only” 3.5 hours or so away from me. They look pretty minty except, strangely (given the fade marks suggesting otherwise), they are without grills. I also spied an empty PA-1 cutout. So I emailed the guy and talked to him yesterday (turned into an hour and a half conversation... gotta love those craigslist phone calls with strangers who have similar interests/hobbies). Anyhow, turns out he does have the PA-1s that came with these beauties that he bought off the original owner some years back, but one of them “just doesn’t turn on.” He’s willing to sell the speakers and amps to me for $800. I’ve all but purchased them (he took the ad down, and I’m sending him a little paypal money to hold them until I can make the drive). I’d post photos if the ad was still up, but they look immaculate (no dented drivers, cabinets look basically blemish free).

Sooooo... Are PA-1s repairable? Can Andrew So help me out with the amp? Am I crazy for thinking that this is a good deal (not a steal, but a solid deal) even with the as-is PA-1? Before reading this whole thread—I’d read several other AK ADS threads while contemplating the L1290 purchase, just apparently not this encyclopedic one—I was thinking I’d sell my L1290s locally (most likely for more than I got them, since my area is pretty starved of vintage high end audio equipment), and get a solid upgrade between the amps and the bigger speakers/drivers, but I’ve heard some people say they prefer the L1290. I’ve also heard that the PA-1 isn’t really as good as a C2000 and bigger amps for the 1590s (won’t hold my breath on finding the crossovers). I’m using these in a 19’x14’ room (acoustically larger, since that’s just the part of the room that goes to the bannister, and it’s a fairly open floor plan), so I think I’d have the space for the 1590s to breath, I’m just wondering if I’m crazy for thinking I should go further down the rabbit hole.

Thoughts? Opinions? Thanks! And to all who have contributed with their anecdotes, advice, historical recollections of a bygone era (one which many of us millennials are very jealous of, by the way—traditions posts like these will help spread to us whipper snappers) :beerchug: In the meantime, I’ll continue listening to Crime of the Century (among a growing number of things I’m getting on vinyl) at high volume in all the glory these things pump out :music:



D9FFB41E-8AD9-4B9A-9DA3-BBCC718A2303.jpeg
76FB679A-6B46-4869-9EDF-018F120D61D4.jpeg F409DCF3-AC01-478B-95B0-0B1F811DAD0D.jpeg 9D89B097-B1A5-49B3-8794-623B2924C8E8.jpeg 36E37A28-2969-4192-BBF9-C9D9841C71D5.jpeg
 
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Welllll, I probably will get scolded for resurrecting this ancient (and seemingly venerable/legendary) thread, but after a few hours and 47 pages of reading, and the creation of an AK account, I felt it would be worth a shot. My first foray into ADS (and audiophile hi-fi equipment, for that matter) has come in the form of a pair of walnut L1290s I just picked up with a Parasound HCA-1500a (200wpc) and a Nikko Beta III a few weeks ago. I ended up paying $850 for all three ($400 for speakers, $300 for the amp, $150 for the preamp). They are in perfect working order, so far as I can tell, and I would rate them 7 or 8/10 cosmetically, though maybe I’m a bit biased by how great they sound :music: For speakers that are likely almost a decade older than I am, I think the cosmetic dings on the case give them a little wabi-sabi—sort of like the knicks and discoloration on my 120 year old cello. The tweeters/mid ranges, however, are probably due for a little Mr. So love... Which I’m considering, especially because I’m guessing he’ll run out of parts sometime in the next couple years.

So here I was, perfectly happy with my decision to drive 3 hours to scoop these up and re-discovering a bunch of old vinyl my parents and a few of their friends donated to my hi-fi cause, when I decided I should find a copy of the manual on these while I’m at it. That lead me to looking into bi-amping options, and how the PA-1 (if not the modified C2000) is really the holy grail combo with the ADS towers... So I did a little searching on the old craigslist.

Up popped a pair of BEAUTIFUL L1590s for $500, and “only” 3.5 hours or so away from me. They look pretty minty except, strangely (given the fade marks suggesting otherwise), they are without grills. I also spied an empty PA-1 cutout. So I emailed the guy and talked to him yesterday (turned into an hour and a half conversation... gotta love those craigslist phone calls with strangers who have similar interests/hobbies). Anyhow, turns out he does have the PA-1s that came with these beauties that he bought off the original owner some years back, but one of them “just doesn’t turn on.” He’s willing to sell the speakers and amps to me for $800. I’ve all but purchased them (he took the ad down, and I’m sending him a little paypal money to hold them until I can make the drive). I’d post photos if the ad was still up, but they look immaculate (no dented drivers, cabinets look basically blemish free).

Sooooo... Are PA-1s repairable? Can Andrew So help me out with the amp? Am I crazy for thinking that this is a good deal (not a steal, but a solid deal) even with the as-is PA-1? Before reading this whole thread—I’d read several other AK ADS threads while contemplating the L1290 purchase, just apparently not this encyclopedic one—I was thinking I’d sell my L1290s locally (most likely for more than I got them, since my area is pretty starved of vintage high end audio equipment), and get a solid upgrade between the amps and the bigger speakers/drivers, but I’ve heard some people say they prefer the L1290. I’ve also heard that the PA-1 isn’t really as good as a C2000 and bigger amps for the 1590s (won’t hold my breath on finding the crossovers). I’m using these in a 19’x14’ room (acoustically larger, since that’s just the part of the room that goes to the bannister, and it’s a fairly open floor plan), so I think I’d have the space for the 1590s to breath, I’m just wondering if I’m crazy for thinking I should go further down the rabbit hole.

Thoughts? Opinions? Thanks! And to all who have contributed with their anecdotes, advice, historical recollections of a bygone era (one which many of us millennials are very jealous of, by the way—traditions posts like these will help spread to us whipper snappers) :beerchug: In the meantime, I’ll continue listening to Crime of the Century (among a growing number of things I’m getting on vinyl) at high volume in all the glory these things pump out :music:



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Welcome to AK. Sounds like you are going edit in here just fine!
 
Nice pad. Welcome to AK!

Nice 1590s! Look to be in great shape. PA-1 amps for 300 bones is a good deal even with one not working I would think. Hope you fix 'em up, please keep us posted!

(Richard So)
richard so.jpeg
 
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Richard So, will be on vacation in the month of July. BY ALL MEANS contact him before he leaves and he'll be able to answer your questions for you. I say by all means because I'm not his spokesperson and I wouldn't want Mr. So to suffer any business opportunity because I informed people he will be out for a bit. I've spoken to him this week and he's trying to get his current projects out the door before he leaves. Just a heads up there may be a little delay from his schedule. :thumbsup:
 
the pa1 is an amp (and xover) It is repairable, tech may need both amps for compare. Even R So may want to do to one amp, that which he does to the other. He would be my first choice for the amps. Not sure if these need rebuilt like most amps or not, likely a question for him. WHile i dont send EVERYTHING ADS related out, the amps i likely would.
I did prefer the c2000 over the pa1 for the wider variety of options, but the pa1 is a great asset either way. The c2000 is not built for the 1290 or 1590, though i did mod mine to run the 1590 with the avail information. I have used the c2000 on the 1590, 2030, and even the 980 just for giggles. Ive also biamped many other speakers.
As suggested, get the 1590 and do some comparison with the 1290 and keep what you like. Nice score, great setup either way and welcome to our communicative rabbit hole. Many rabbits, same hole. No desire to exit.
 
Yes! Definitely get the L1950 and the amps. As several have said, you can sell the pair you do not like. Either way you will be able to move the speakers and especially the amps once they are repaired. Richard So is a great resource and a master at what he does. It looks like the tweeters on the L1590 could use a refresh. I predict you are going to be very happy at the end of your journey, regardless of which path you take!
 
Is there a specific question?
TL;DR questions:

  • Some people seem to prefer the 1290 to the 1590, why?
  • Some people claim bi-amping with a crossover is better than the PA-1, but that seems difficult/impossible to achieve C2000 level results with other crossovers. What are members experiences/thoughts on this?
  • Am I paying the “right” price for these?
Thanks for the replies everyone! I’m feeling better about my GAS.

Also, I found photos of the 1590s that I’ve committed to with a down payment now—just have to drive to Maine to pick them up sometime next week:

1A3C8F8A-2F90-436A-9B2E-C2979A23053A.jpeg D4AB645E-B292-43D3-AF28-F33AAA66B731.jpeg 5A08BCC8-6AAC-4C79-B332-51012CBD82E4.jpeg BDC90E26-DF8E-4B06-9EB3-4CA8340A2C07.jpeg 22B6D41C-6548-4B80-8FA2-6FE87C48A803.jpeg 81DC8094-5F85-42E4-8FC3-28D48D0AFD53.jpeg 40C118DF-4B52-406D-9D9B-951E1E6C8ABA.jpeg
 
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