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
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)
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
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