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ADS L1090/2's - Really?

relaximus

relaximus

Consoles 'Я' Us
Okay, I've now had these for almost 2 weeks. What's wrong with these things? Is there something they don't do right? Okay, so they lose their balls under around 42Hz or so (I supplement with a sub for certain music). But other than that, why aren't they more sought after? These things are so loving and smooth! They don't spank me when ill-placed. I can shove them around the room all day and they still reward me. After hours of listening, I get no fatigue from their tweeters. There's not even a hint of sibilance in their high end. The mid-range is like butter. Mid to upper bass is tight, connected and controlled. Well-placed and coherent sound stage with decent depth. Nicely defined even well off-axis. Am I missing something about these little towers? Is it just me and my room?

I'm really in love with these speakers (if you couldn't tell!).

Dave
 
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thedelihaus said:
Kinda like a favorite comfy pair of broken-in jeans.
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Deli:

Yeah, there's just something that is just instantly comfortable about them. Nothing really that jumps out, pokes and says "look at me!". Really a very listenable loudspeaker system. They just seem to disappear into the wall and make music as if not even there. It's very hard to describe. Kinda like going back in time and hearing my mother sing to me as a baby. Very soothing and warm. I'm liking these things!

Dave
 
Love my L1090s from the first day I put ears on them 25+ years ago. Very honest and musical sound. I now use them in the HT system but I often find myself listening to them in stereo combined with a couple of ADS SW2 subs.
 
relaximus said:
Okay, I've now had these for almost 2 weeks. What's wrong with these things? Is there something they don't do right? Okay, so they lose their balls under around 42Hz or so (I supplement with a sub for certain music). But other than that, why aren't they more sought after? These things are so loving and smooth! They don't spank me when ill-placed. I can shove them around the room all day and they still reward me. After hours of listening, I get no fatigue from their tweeters. There's not even a hint of sibilance in their high end. The mid-range is like butter. Mid to upper bass is tight, connected and controlled. Well-placed and coherent sound stage with decent depth. Nicely defined even well off-axis. Am I missing something about these little towers?
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You aren't missing a thing.
I bought a pair of these new back around 1988 and a few years later, I picked up a pair of L1290's, used.
After awhile, I needed the room and had to let one pair go. The 1290's left and I still have the 1090's to this very day.

For whatever reason, these speakers just work for me.:yes:
As you said, they are a very soothing speaker. No fatigue here.
 
I don't think you are missing anything. I learned about ADS here at AK and since got several pairs (570, 980, 1290 and 1530). While I do not have the 1090 but feel the same about my 1290 (I got two pairs for that reason).
The 1090 are supposedly the best balanced in the line - I think I red it here on AK (perhaps Deli posted it) they got the drivers/cabinet ratio etc. just right.
Congrats and enjoy!
 
Wow guys, I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in my assessment of these speakers. I, too, would not have thought of picking these up without the wisdom and guidance provided by AK. They would have been way off my radar without the comments and experiences provided by this family. Joyous, healthful, safe and fulfilling holidays to everyone on AK.

Dave
 
I love my a/d/s/ speakers too. I just got a set of L9E's a couple of weeks back and I can't stop listening to them. I have like 25 pair of vintage speakers and the a/d/s/ quickly became my favorite speakers of the whole bunch. Pair them together with my Adcom power amp and Integra cd player and wow!
Nice Score. I'm sure you will enjoy them for years to come.
 
The only ADS I have had the chance to listen to are the smallish 570/2's and 'comfortable' describes them perfectly. Small room speaker that fills the room, love them. Plus they are easy on the eyes, beautiful wood, killer preforated steel grills!
 
Overshadowed by the L1290 & L1590 (and not that much cheaper than the L1290 either). Most stepped up for bass, subs were not that common then.
 
They are great speakers. They are a little brighter and more forward than the larger L1290 and L1590.

Mike
 
sancho22 said:
I don't think you are missing anything. I learned about ADS here at AK and since got several pairs (570, 980, 1290 and 1530). While I do not have the 1090 but feel the same about my 1290 (I got two pairs for that reason).
The 1090 are supposedly the best balanced in the line - I think I red it here on AK (perhaps Deli posted it) they got the drivers/cabinet ratio etc. just right.
Congrats and enjoy!
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I have also spent some time with a set of L1290s thinking they would be an improvement over my L1090s. Don't get me wrong, they sound exceptional and a noticeable extension in bass over the L1090s but I also noticed more cabinet sound from them. Probably the cabinet technology of the day may not be up to the larger woofers? The L1090 cabinet is dead in comparison.

I also feel the L1090 is easier to place in a room and the tweeters seem to be the right height for a seated position. The L1290 tweeter was a little high from the sweet spot I hear on the L1090s.

I think of my Soliloquy 6.5 speakers as super ADS towers. They have totally dead cabinets, and the tweeters are below the midrange. They also have a dome midrange. Of course they are rear ported and have a dramatically different sound. They also require a more critical room location than the ADS.

None the less, they remind me of the ADS tower speakers which put me on the look for a set for several years before I found mine.
 
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soundmotor said:
Overshadowed by the L1290 & L1590 (and not that much cheaper than the L1290 either).
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Is this statement based upon personal experience? Overshadowed by virtue of sales numbers or critical reviews? If the L1290s/L1590s are truly that much better, then I really need to be on a mission. I'm really not trying to diminish your opinion, but I feel these L1090/2's are truly quite compelling in their own right. Yes, a little shy in lowest of bass regions, but a supremely well balanced system (at least to my ears) as compared to my DQ-30's and Stratus Gold i's. In my current listening space and with the same upstream components, the ADS' beats them both for my ear and room. Is bigger truly always better?

Dave
 
relaximus said:
Is this statement based upon personal experience? Dave
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Well he worked at ADS. ;)

I think his comment was not dissing the L1090 but merely stating the bigger brothers got more attention. Many think the L1090 was better balanced and maybe the better sounding of the three sans deep bass. I've owned L1090's before and now have L980's. The 980 and 1590 share the same mid and tweet domes. I really liked my 1090's but don't remember the highs and imaging being as good as the 980's. :no:
 
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