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ADS L990's in the basement!

CKDC

CKDC

Super Member
I picked up not one, not two, but FOUR ADS L990 speakers from someone on CL over the weekend.

I had been hoping to get some L1090 or 1290's but since these came up, I thought I would give them a shot. I figured for $100.00 it was worth the effort.:yes:

That is the goods news.

The bad news is that they need some big time cleaning up.

So, I have some questions.

The tweeters and midranges had a lot of animal fur stuck to them. (I think I found the original owner's long lost puppy stuck to one of the midranges.)

Is the goop that came on these domes something that can be bought? Do I need to send them off to Richard So to have him clean them up and provide new goop?

Is there a way to get replacement grills? These came with the metal grills. They are rather banged up and kinda grimy with stuff stuck on them.

I am thinking I will probably make some replacement grills out of plywood and conventional speaker cloth. (I am reluctant to use them without grills because I have two cats. I don't want to spend time plucking fur from domed speakers with tweezers EVER again.)

Is it possible to buy the ADS grill mounting hardware? (I don't see it mentioned on So's webpage so I thought I would ask here before contacting him.)

I have not read anything about the need to recap these speakers. Is this a common issue with ADS speakers from this period?

Thanks for your thoughts on these issues.
 
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I've never heard of any replacement goop for those tweeters. They certainly do attract most everything. I can't really help you with any of your questions but wanted to congratulate you for getting some nice speakers. I'm sure you will enjoy them.

cubdog
 
Thanks for those two threads. I did happen to find them. Fortunately my drivers are a lot cleaner than those.

I guess I need to get over the look of furry domed tweeters.

But wouldn't fresh goop add a decibel or two to the output?:D
 
I would be unable to resist dabbing at them with a damp sponge or damp microfiber cloth. That's just how I am.
 
If the grilles are not torn, just massage them back into shape. The grilles should have a thin cloth on the inside surface. Wash em with soap and water, let dry then bend em the way you need to to make em right and paint em satin black. Reinstall and all is good...if the metal is not torn.

Richard had the pegs necessary to mount them when I needed a couple years ago.
 
You can always try the hairspray with a lighter trick, be quick!! JK, congrats on the new/old speakers, I love my ads's!
 
How do you like the sound of the 990s? I have a chance to grab a pair from an original owner for $150. I have owned other ADS models including the 1290s that these would probably compare most closely to- but have never heard the 990s. Would be very interested in AK'ers thoughts who have owned them. Thx
 
sb001 said:
How do you like the sound of the 990s? I have a chance to grab a pair from an original owner for $150. I have owned other ADS models including the 1290s that these would probably compare most closely to- but have never heard the 990s. Would be very interested in AK'ers thoughts who have owned them. Thx
Click to expand...

For $150.00, I would go for it in a minute if the speakers are in good shape all around.


I like the 990's. They are my first ADS speakers. I was expecting a lot from them and I am impressed.

The bass is rather heavy though. I have it dialed back on the pre-amp to help. This is the third speaker I have owned with 10" woofers. I am starting to think two smaller woofers is a better design. I am trying to devise a way of elevating the speakers to raise them off the floor and hopefully decrease the overly heavy bass.

The mids and tweets on the speakers are exceptional.

Placement of the speakers does not seem to be critical at all. (My listening space is a mess. I have been trying to re-design it but there is a lot of stuff I need to work out.)

I would like to listen to the 1290's or 1090's but the 990's will do very well in the meantime.

That is the good news.

The bad news about these ADS speakers is the grills.

The sticky goop on the mids and tweets attracts dust and fur. I think grills are mandatory. I don't have kids but I am sure kids would kill the speakers without the grills.

It seems to me the domed mids and tweets require an open grill so the sound can disperse at 180 degrees. A closed in grill like on other type speakers would box in the sound. So, in order to get the full domed experience, open grills are needed. But then, we are back to dust and fur accumulating on the domes.

I got a great deal on these speakers partly because the grills are a mess.

I am trying to figure out how to repair or replace them. Replacement parts just do not seem to be available. Even if I can massage the grills into shape and, clean and repaint them, I do not have all the parts needed to mount them. I am trying to cobble something together with common hardware store parts but there does not seem to be a perfect solution.
 
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The sticky goop is the same thing that KLH and AR woofer surrounds are doped with.

vintage-ar sell it by the jar on ebay. I guess for the hair just get our some tweezers.
 
Thanks for your response CK- unfortunately I missed out on the 990s, someone beat me to them. Oh well, guess I'll have to settle for my L-780s in the meantime. AS far as the sticky goop stuff goes, I have been told by several folks not to try to get anything off those (hairs, fuzz etc)- it will most likely pull some of the dome material off with it. Maybe if a hair or something is just hanging there it might be worth a try, but otherwise I'd leave it alone.

There is another guy locally selling a pair of excellent condition L-810's for the same price ($150) but I haven't been able to get hold of him yet.
 
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