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a/d/s speaker history and uses

GrungeGod

GrungeGod

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
Ok. I got a set of ads l620s today.I was very skeptical of buying these speakers.I thought 195 at a stereo shop in nashville was steep for a speaker set 30 plus years old.id also like to add I listened to some infinitis which I don't recall the model,and some cv d15ee.I listened to the three with different music.only after hearing division bell from pink floyd did they sound like a s.peaker I could see in my collection.Now mind you I am a fan of rock from the sixties to the mid nineties.I brought this little set home to introduce them to my 4270 quad marantz.All I can say is wow.these speakers aren't a speaker to overlook..no mine have been refurbed completely.the bass response is tight and punchy do to being sealed units.the highs are very detailed and clean.I'm in love with these little powerhouses for sure.Merely guessing that 35 to 50 watts are enough to put your ears in shock.Not because of loud.Because they sound sooooo good.Id like to start by saying the two ways lack in mids but I don't like a mid speaker screaming at me anyways.Id like to encourage all owners of ads speakers to chime in and share your history of the company and to tell me of your great past or present ads speakers.Id love to know more about ads speaks models and such.any info and history on these even brochures are welcome.also followers of this brand of audio speakers.let's build a following for these accurate speaks.
 
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Age isn't necessarily a problem with speakers and amps. New technology is available, but in many cases the main impact is to make things smaller and less expensive to make. Science speaker design has made a difference, but it seems like ADS came along at the beginning of the time when that had started.

Another issue is deterioration of parts, but ADS often used rubber surrounds and capacitors of a type that don't necessarily deteriorate.

I'm still not convinced that the 6.5" bookshelves common today work as well as the 8" that used to be more typical.

My primary speakers are ADS L500, from the 70s. I''m the original owner. I think they are significantly better than the Paradigm Studio 20's I got more recently. (I'm not sure why -- I had lost track of the L500's for a while.) They're in original shape. The only adjustment I've done is a very slightly bass boost in the amplifier (1 or 2 db).

It's a shame that the brand died. It seems like they had a problem adapting to changing times, not an unusual problem with many once-great American brands. They lasted longer than many of those classic companies. It seems like they kept their quality more consistently than many, although there are certainly relative high and low points.

My other speaker is a more recent Altec, the model 95. It's a more recent equivalent. It requires slightly more touchup in frequency response, since it has a peak in the presence area. Once that's adjusted is has a very similar sound to the ADS. They're both 8" acoustic suspension desktop speakers.
 
Do a search for ADS speakers. It will take you weeks to read everything.

cubdog
 
I'm a novice in buying equiptment but I found at an early age my passion for music.I know what I like and the ads I have are great.I ran a sound board for a while for a local band so I have an ear for sounds and picking apart instruments and vocals.so Its been easy to find a nice set of speakers that apeal to my musical tastes.I'm sad to say I don't have a lot of in depth knowledge or the privalegeto have heard a lot of different speaks.but I'm learning quick.glad to meet another ads owner.
 
Saved these 1290/2's from a crystal meth addict a few weeks ago. Took a week or so for the methamphetamine stinch to air out but only took a few minutes for me to realize what all the fuss here on AK over ADS was all about. Outstanding sounding speakers and just a friggin' hoot to listen to.
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I loved music from an early age, and in my youth i was pushed into learning the violin, the piano, and the french horn but found that there is no music in me trying to get out. Indeed, I have a void of music that needs constant filling.

When i was 18 or so i walked off my job as a telesurveyor who asked people at work intimate questions about their photocopiers (legitimately) and into a thrift store where i immediately found a pair of ADS L810 with distressed cabinets for $24.

And then called for a ride on a pay phone and sat on them in the parking lot for hours waiting. And multiple people tried to buy them out from under me.

I also had a small MOSFET amp with built in AM/FM tuner and quadrophonic 8-track deck. I forget the brand. Lafayette or JC Penney or something. I was still living at home, in the basement, and my dad remarked that he didn't necessarily hear my stereo but he could always feel it. It was awesome for playing flight simulator games.

My 810 pair is old enough that the drivers all have brAun markings. They have had a hard life and some of the rubber surrounds have been torn and repaired with soft silicone.

I still have the 810's and recently resurrected a pair of L520 in donor cabinets. I currently use Ohm Walsh 3's, but i still intend to refurb my L810 pair and use them in some fashion, some day.
 
Nice find tomlin I bet those things rock out.ericj I feel your pain sweet deal on your speaks to.good luck on the resto job of the 810s.
 
The brand has not died... it's just resting :yes: :D

John

hedrick said:
Age isn't necessarily a problem with speakers and amps. New technology is available, but in many cases the main impact is to make things smaller and less expensive to make. Science speaker design has made a difference, but it seems like ADS came along at the beginning of the time when that had started.

Another issue is deterioration of parts, but ADS often used rubber surrounds and capacitors of a type that don't necessarily deteriorate.

I'm still not convinced that the 6.5" bookshelves common today work as well as the 8" that used to be more typical.

My primary speakers are ADS L500, from the 70s. I''m the original owner. I think they are significantly better than the Paradigm Studio 20's I got more recently. (I'm not sure why -- I had lost track of the L500's for a while.) They're in original shape. The only adjustment I've done is a very slightly bass boost in the amplifier (1 or 2 db).

It's a shame that the brand died. It seems like they had a problem adapting to changing times, not an unusual problem with many once-great American brands. They lasted longer than many of those classic companies. It seems like they kept their quality more consistently than many, although there are certainly relative high and low points.

My other speaker is a more recent Altec, the model 95. It's a more recent equivalent. It requires slightly more touchup in frequency response, since it has a peak in the presence area. Once that's adjusted is has a very similar sound to the ADS. They're both 8" acoustic suspension desktop speakers.
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Back in the late 70s as a poor college student I used to wander into stereo shops just to listen to nice gear. I always leaned towards liking the sound that came out of ADS speakers. They were far from affordable to me at the time, but no matter which model, no matter what they were hooked up to, they just sounded right to me.

After graduating from college, and working for a couple of years, I walked into one of those stereo stores and walked out with a pair of L1090 speakers. Although I have gone through a lot of gear through the years, I still own these L1090s and I've listened to them every day for 30 years. They have never needed anything and still sound great.

Now I own a pair of L1290s, L420s, & L300s and I enjoy them all. This company knew how to make quality speakers that were worth every penny when they were new and are still a great value today.
 
I begrudgingly sold my set of L500s to a guy who came over to buy a receiver I had on CL. I had resurrected them from a pawn shop who didn`t know they had a dead woofer and later adjusted the price. I bought 2 woofers and a tweeter on ebay and fixed them, and even kept the spares after selling the working pair, thinking maybe someday I`ll find another set. Well, the someday happened last weekend and I found another pair and they`re happily set up in the garage.

Also have the legendary L1090-ll in the vault.
 
Great find!

No skepticism necessary!
Those are advent killers.

I have the little brother to those.

Those may have the fastest 10" woofer I've ever heard.

Plenty of bass too.

Great speakers.
 
phatster said:
ads is my most recent favorite speaker!
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My L400's and L420's keep fighting my Klipsch Fortes and KG2's for speaker supremacy among 10 sets of well-chosen comparable speakers. I heard nothing but favorable reports about them, and my first pair, the 420's, I took a chance and bought them from an ebay seller on the east coast. I'm in the St. Louis area, and was definitely concerned about shipping. My second pair came from an audio dealer who sells to millionaires, and they were among castoffs from system upgrades, as were the KG2's. Both sets are SO great sounding that it's a struggle to order out the SQ of ten sets that all have their own desirable features...That's my kind of dilemma!
 
stoutblock said:
Back in the late 70s as a poor college student I used to wander into stereo shops just to listen to nice gear. I always leaned towards liking the sound that came out of ADS speakers. They were far from affordable to me at the time, but no matter which model, no matter what they were hooked up to, they just sounded right to me.

After graduating from college, and working for a couple of years, I walked into one of those stereo stores and walked out with a pair of L1090 speakers. Although I have gone through a lot of gear through the years, I still own these L1090s and I've listened to them every day for 30 years. They have never needed anything and still sound great.

Now I own a pair of L1290s, L420s, & L300s and I enjoy them all. This company knew how to make quality speakers that were worth every penny when they were new and are still a great value today.
Click to expand...
Agreed….Snell too , all I will ever need….
 
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