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ADS L980 Speakers

cjmustang69

cjmustang69

Well-Known Member
I'm a long time Polk Audio speaker fan - currently have a couple pairs of SDAs (the 2Bs and SRSs). I've had Polk speakers since the late 80's. I also have a pair of Klipsch Cornwalls and RF 63s. I got into horns over the past year and half. I enjoy both the Polks and Klipschs - but had a desire to try a pair of ADS speakers. I recall them from my college days, but never had owned or heard a pair. Today, I picked a pair of L980s up locally. They need a little cosmetic work, but all drivers are original and work properly. I've been listening to them for the past couple hours and am really impressed with their sound. Everything I've read about the smooth mids and highs is true. I think these are going to be keepers.
 
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Interesting...we've arrived at the same place..I've got a ton of ads speakers....just recently got some Klipschs and like them a lot, and am chasing after the elusive polk sda 2*

I think these are all really good speakers and it's just a matter of synergy at this point. They all sound great on the au-9500 I have.....yamaha's favor the polks...and they all sound great on the sui 719....

congrats on the ads...I like them a lot.
 
What models of ADS speakers do you have - and which do you find the best sounding? I have a couple of Forte Model 3 Amps, with Forte Model 2 and Model 40 Preamps, and Cambridge Audio 640 CD Players. I use these setups with all my speakers. I find the Klipschs and Polks sound very nice - at least to my ears. I don't find any of the harshness some people hear with the horns. Also, if you are seriously looking for Polk SDAs - look at the Polk Forums. There is a tremendous amount of knowledge about Polk speakers - particularly the SDAs. Good luck in your search.
 
I also have a pair of 980 and like them a lot. I think my 1290 is better yet - deeper, faster bass, altogether a bit tigther (I found at least the 980 be a tad more laid back).

However, for me, the 1530 beats them all. I just feel that the musicians are in the room when playing them. They are huge though...about 117 lb each.
 
I'll have to see how I feel about the 980s after I have listened to them enough to form solid opinions on their performance. If I continue to be impressed with their performance - I may need to be looking for a pair of 1290s in the future. I'll post some pictures of the 980s next weekend when I'm back home.
 
Here are a couple of pictures of my ADS L980 speakers. Cabinets had a few scratches and were faded - but no chips in the wood. I used Howard's Restore-A-Finish and speakers turned out pretty nice. I've had these for several weeks now and continue to be impressed with their sound. They just seem to have very open high and mids and a nice overall balanced sound.
 

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As I wrote above, I enjoyed my L 980 speakers when I first purchased them 16 years ago. During the intervening years, I had sold these speakers to a friend in 2012 as I explored many other speakers. My friend reached out to me a few months ago and asked if I'd be interested in purchasing them back. The timing was good, as I'm prepping for move to Florida next year and moving large speakers is something I'm trying to avoid. So the L 980's will replace my JBL 4430 and Klipsch RF 83 speakers. I've been listening to them for the past few days. I've made certain there is adequate room for proper placement (when first owned, had many speakers and space was tight). They sound better than I recalled from years past. This pair of speakers, along with my Quad ESL-63 speakers will be making the move to Florida with me.ADS L980 1.jpegADS L980 2.jpegADS L980 3.jpeg
 
cjmustang69 said:
I'll have to see how I feel about the 980s after I have listened to them enough to form solid opinions on their performance. If I continue to be impressed with their performance - I may need to be looking for a pair of 1290s in the future. I'll post some pictures of the 980s next weekend when I'm back home.
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These are outstanding speakers. As with any speaker new to you, your brain needs time to adjust to them. After a month or so, you should be gobsmacked at how great they are. I have mine in tandem with my 910s.
 
GD70 said:
These are outstanding speakers. As with any speaker new to you, your brain needs time to adjust to them. After a month or so, you should be gobsmacked at how great they are. I have mine in tandem with my 910s.
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I totally agree with your assessment of the l980 performance. I have system setup to drive them with either McIntosh MC2255/C33 or Scott 299c. Their ability to throw a wide soundstage and precise imaging is vey satisfying. The fact I feel they also look very nice is an added plus for me. I’m very appreciative of having an opportunity to own this pair again.
 
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