ADS l470s followed me home, great more East Coast for the pile.

[cwh]

While I was picking up some M&K fixers today a pair of ADS L470s were dangled in front of me. I foolishly took them home. Caveat emptor is not my strong suit but they seemed clean enough. With a grill off one speaker I deemed them both to be good.

I was told there was an issue with a clicking sound.

Back on the bench I discover the other speaker to have some minor damage to the woofer. Moving the woofer, it seems like the (bump, abrasion, tear?) isn't all the way through. The pushed woofer returns slowly.

Any ADS fans with thoughts?

 

[Blue Shadow]

That problem needs lots more description as the 1000 word picture isn't a picture of the issue you are experiencing. I have found some flatulence from a surround that has lifted at one point around the outside edge.

 

[Porkloin]

Your description of the problem is unclear. The only thing I can make out is a woofer returning slowly, which would indicate a dragging voice coil, which I surprised that there would be any WOOF at all. I'd say send the drivers to Phoenix, but if you need to keep inventory moving, that would price them right out of profitability.

 

[cwh]

That problem needs lots more description as the 1000 word picture isn't a picture of the issue you are experiencing. I have found some flatulence from a surround that has lifted at one point around the outside edge.

Your description of the problem is unclear. The only thing I can make out is a woofer returning slowly, which would indicate a dragging voice coil, which I surprised that there would be any WOOF at all. I'd say send the drivers to Phoenix, but if you need to keep inventory moving, that would price them right out of profitability.

Sorry guys I wasn't meaning to pose any questions besides a general, any thoughts on the ADS L470 as a speaker. Wide view pics were just to add context as such.

I was told there is an issue but I haven't tried listening to them. When I do and I have something concrete to ask about I'd definitely appreciate the wisdom!

I mentioned the woofer because I was stupid not to check both speakers. I assume that the woofer isn't damaged as it behaves as the other does. Shouldn't a sealed woofer move without springing back when pushed in and released? Slowly being a relative term of course. It moved back within 2 seconds.

I'd love to hear others steps for a thorough speaker assessment.

 

[GD70]

Yes, the woofer should spring back slowly, so clearly the seal is in tact. Please post some detailed pics of the damage you mention. Is the cone itself damaged? Looks like one of the dust caps has some in your pic.
ADS of this era all get high praise and I would expect the same from these when working properly.
Glenn

 

[Porkloin]

The 470's are a good bang for the buck. My position as an ADS fanboy though, is maintained by the sticky dome midrange, which the 470 doesn't have. I'd use the 470s as surrounds in an HT system with some 1230's up front, but for a few more bucks and a little more shelf space, you could take a substantial leap forward.

 

[Porkloin]

I've always through of ADS as "East Coast", but I've seen them referred to as "West Coast" at AK before.
Which is it ?

 

[GD70]

I've always through of ADS as "East Coast", but I've seen them referred to as "West Coast" at AK before.
Which is it ?

East coast.

 

[bluestime]

I've got a set of L470's that don't look so good but sound excellent. Nice speakers.

 

[Porkloin]

Yes, the woofer should spring back slowly, so clearly the seal is in tact.

Glen, I suppose "slow" is a relative term.
The cone only springs back slowly if, when pushed it in, it displaced some air out of a one-way valve in the cabinet, thus creating a lower pressure scenario behind the cone. What happens when you press on an exaggerated example of a acoustic suspension enclosure, a balloon?
Of course, my scenarios are exaggerated to illustrate the point - I'd be willing to bet that due to the size ratio of the enclosure to the cone, even with the box sealed up like an aquarium, that 90% of the resistance to motion is provided by the surround and the spider.

 

[cwh]

As I was finishing up the cabinets on my M&K project I also cleaned the funk off of the ADS speakers. I brought them up to my impromptu listening space, hooked up the in progress h/k 430, and threw some Red Hot Chilli Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik at them. Somewhat demanding album and the speakers are hanging tight. They sound good, really good. The bass is not house shaking but it's accurate, the whole sound is pretty accurate. Sounds like my only modern speakers, Wharfedale Diamond 10.2s. As for the speaker having a problem? No issues right now.

I think I'm going to hang on to theses for awhile.

I took a pic of the woofer abbrasion.

 

[likebike23]

That's funny, I recently picked up some ADS L520's and said they reminded me of my Wharfedales (Vardus400). I've heard the ADS sound described as a cross between east coast and British. Whatever it is, they sound pretty good. Enjoy.

 

[MJB1959]

They sound like keepers to me also, and disregard the statements about the three way models, while they are a superior speaker, the two way ADS speakers are quite an enjoyable listen, I have three sets of two way ADS and three sets of three way ADS' and I enjoy the two way just as much, I imagine the 470 has the same quality of sound as I enjoy here at home. As for which coast they are coming from, really only matters as far as their factories location, keep in mind ADS was originally a German product. I'd call them more of a eastern Euro sound

 

[seb9316]

I've never compared the two brands but I'd be really surprised to find out ADS (German heritage, sealed enclosures, more forward sounding) sound anything like Wharfedale (British heritage, ported enclosures, a bit more laid back sound.)

In fact, M&K speakers used to have either rotary switches or two sets of binding posts on their products to select different types of sound outputs (I think the crossover networks included a defeatable high frequency attenuator, among other things) and they actually referred to these settings as "German" vs "British."

 

[GD70]

They sound like keepers to me also, and disregard the statements about the three way models, while they are a superior speaker, the two way ADS speakers are quite an enjoyable listen, I have three sets of two way ADS and three sets of three way ADS' and I enjoy the two way just as much, I imagine the 470 has the same quality of sound as I enjoy here at home. As for which coast they are coming from, really only matters as far as their factories location, keep in mind ADS was originally a German product. I'd call them more of a eastern Euro sound

ADS bought Braun from Gilette, were not originally a German product.
There's a lengthy history over on the CSP forum from a former two time ADS employee. Fascinating story about ADS and its demise. Look for the A/D/S/ L1590 thread.

 

[MJB1959]

a/d/s/ and Soundmatters founder Dr. Godehard Guenther


Reno, Nevada – Hi-fi industry pioneer Dr. Godehard Guenther, who founded home and car audio supplier Analog + Digital Systems (a/d/s/) and audio company Soundmatters, passed away Oct. 16 after succumbing to cancer.

Dr. Guenther entered the U.S. hi-fi market by importing Braun loudspeakers, then founded a/d/s/ of Wilmington, Mass., in 1972. The company later acquired Braun. At a/d/s/, he led the development of rare-earth metals, including samarium cobalt and neodymium, for use in speakers and created the first fully digital surround sound system, Soundmatters said.

He left a/d/s/ in the latter half of the 1990s and founded Soundmatters in 1998 “to shrink both the size and cost of true hi-fi audio,” the company said. Under the Soundmatters brand, Guenther introduced the first hi-fi-quality all-in-one surround system, and in 2008 he launched the first pocket-sized Bluetooth stereo speaker said to meet the demands of audio purists, the company said. The product was named one of the Top Ten Gadgets of the Year by TIME magazine.

At Soundmatters, he also developed products for such companies as Logitech, Viewsonic, Roku, IGT and most recently Jawbone.

Guenther made arrangements for Soundmatters to continue in business “along with virtually an additional lifetime’s worth of new designs,” the company told TWICE.

Guenther was born on April 9, 1939, in Bochum, Germany, and earned an undergraduate degree in physics at the University of Göttingen and a PhD in astrophysics at the University of Heidelberg, where he met his wife, Adelheid.

Dr. Guenther joined the National Academy of Sciences as a fellow in 1968. A year later, recruited by Dr. Wernher von Braun, Guenther and his wife immigrated to the U.S., where he worked with a group of scientists at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., to develop an experiment that became part of America’s first space station. He left NASA in 1972 to pursue his growing interest in acoustics.

He is survived by his wife, three children and seven grandchildren.

 

[cwh]

In fact, M&K speakers used to have either rotary switches or two sets of binding posts on their products to select different types of sound outputs (I think the crossover networks included a defeatable high frequency attenuator, among other things) and they actually referred to these settings as "German" vs "British."

Very interesting, thanks for sharing that bit of info.

 

[cwh]

By: By TWICE Sta

a/d/s/ and Soundmatters founder Dr. Godehard Guenther


Reno, Nevada – Hi-fi industry pioneer Dr. Godehard Guenther, who founded home and car audio supplier Analog + Digital Systems (a/d/s/) and audio company Soundmatters, passed away Oct. 16 after succumbing to cancer.

Dr. Guenther entered the U.S. hi-fi market by importing Braun loudspeakers, then founded a/d/s/ of Wilmington, Mass., in 1972. The company later acquired Braun. At a/d/s/, he led the development of rare-earth metals, including samarium cobalt and neodymium, for use in speakers and created the first fully digital surround sound system, Soundmatters said.

He left a/d/s/ in the latter half of the 1990s and founded Soundmatters in 1998 “to shrink both the size and cost of true hi-fi audio,” the company said. Under the Soundmatters brand, Guenther introduced the first hi-fi-quality all-in-one surround system, and in 2008 he launched the first pocket-sized Bluetooth stereo speaker said to meet the demands of audio purists, the company said. The product was named one of the Top Ten Gadgets of the Year by TIME magazine.

At Soundmatters, he also developed products for such companies as Logitech, Viewsonic, Roku, IGT and most recently Jawbone.

Guenther made arrangements for Soundmatters to continue in business “along with virtually an additional lifetime’s worth of new designs,” the company told TWICE.

Guenther was born on April 9, 1939, in Bochum, Germany, and earned an undergraduate degree in physics at the University of Göttingen and a PhD in astrophysics at the University of Heidelberg, where he met his wife, Adelheid.

Dr. Guenther joined the National Academy of Sciences as a fellow in 1968. A year later, recruited by Dr. Wernher von Braun, Guenther and his wife immigrated to the U.S., where he worked with a group of scientists at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., to develop an experiment that became part of America’s first space station. He left NASA in 1972 to pursue his growing interest in acoustics.

He is survived by his wife, three children and seven grandchildren.

Thank you for posting that!