• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

ESS SuperQuads - I just scored some holy grail speakers/amps

Man, would I ever love to find a pair of those. :thmbsp: I'll bet they would be amazing with the bass columns. Good score, and another piece of audio history in good hands.
 
Wow, just noticed this old post popped up again. Anyway the dude i got them from was one freaky guy and difficult to deal with, painfully difficult. Anyway ESS was obviously supported bay Quad in these and there was a lot of included literature to support this partnership. I'll leave it at that. As for the sound these are not 100% functioning but will be some day including the KEF bass towers. I will fully restore these but it will be a labor of love and take some time. I know it will be costly but these are obviously worth it. I plan to build an entire system around these one day when the rug rats are out the door.

JP (Charivari) has had these at his house for some time looking into the treble issue on the one Quad. He knows more about them than i do.

Regardless of everything these are obviously VERY rare and one day will sing beautiful music again. From the short time i have them running at 75% they sounded VERY promising. This will be a long term relationship for me I'm sure and hope to one day have a room full of gear dedicated to making these things sing.
 
I'll just trust the intelligence of others to figure out who made a more effective argument.

At any rate, the model name of these speakers was ESS SuperQuad. Don't see where the argument against that works there because it was named such.

Funny thing is, I'm actually a bit biased against the ESS brand and hold a slightly negative view against their Heil offerings due to the ESS history I've heard from a former employee I know. I just don't like to see someone come in all hot and bothered that a poor brand dared to become remotely associated with an uptight British legend.

kfa888 said:
JP (Charivari) has had these at his house for some time looking into the treble issue on the one Quad. He knows more about them than i do.
Click to expand...
Hey, that wasn't my plan. I had hoped that they'd be a simple fix and that I could get them back out in short order. Seeing how mystical a view people hold of these speakers, I decided that I'd really best not mess with them. Even if my repair were just as good as a certified Healer of the Quad, they wouldn't maintain the same effective value. Just a little lesson I learned with Tannoys.

Now, you would already have these back were it not for how conveniently that boulder blocked the pass near where you were at the time. What a coincidence...:scratch2:

- JP
 
theophile said:
Don't confuse Mark Levinson the company and Mark Levinson the person.
Click to expand...

A very important distinction, as Mark Levinson the man married Kim Cattral and produced a book on great sex, while Mark Levinson the company just makes a bunch of audio stuff. :D
 
I'll be, some "Mark Levinson HQDs" just showed up.

Come on everyone, let's declare fraud! I see Mark Levinson, but where's the acknowledgement that he was just selling Quads under his name? A lowly letter 'Q' in the name, that's it? Well, that could stand for everything. Talk about a near fraudulent product, he should've named it the ML UberQuads or something like that to make sure the Quad name was fully represented in the model name.

- JP
 
So they were produced. I had heard of ESS planning to produce a speaker in conjunction with Quad but never heard the joint venture went through. I wonder just how many of these were made. My understanding at the time was that there were several companies making conversions kits for double Quads and makeshift addons. ESS approached Quad to supply speakers for somthing akin to the KLH 1 or AW-1W setup where ESS would make a system where a Quad owner would buy the system and install their 57s. Quad suggested ESS produce and offer a complete system with the Quads installed and they were going to do a JV. The remaining issue however was that Quad distribution was controled in the US by a US company, can not remember the name but I think at the time Harmony House in NYC was about the only quad dealer of substance and may have been controled by the distributor. The Quad/ESS venture would have bypassed the distributor as no commission was to be paid to them. At the time I knew the ESS rep in New England though I was not a dealer and he knew I liked Quad but could not get the line. He had proposed that maybe if it became a done deal I could by Quads from ESS if I were an ESS dealer.
 
I'm glad kfa has those! My wife wouldn't be so happy if she saw those in her living room!:no: I can just think of the look on her face and what she might say.:yes: However, if I ever come across a set....:scratch2: Brad
 
On the second page of this thread you will see a scan of some original documentation showing ESS collaboration with Quad. It also came with a really nice embossed and bound Quad booklet. They did have a working agreement for a while. This is all I know about this.

Right now these speakers are at Charivari's (AK member), have been for a while. I was having an intermittent issue with one of the Quads tweeter panel but had them 90% working at one time. The sound was VERY good and reminiscent of my Maggies but i could tell working 100% and placed / driven right they would surpass them with lower distortion and transparency. One day i will get this system to 100% functionality and in a dedicated room. It is my plan for the future. Unfortunately the bozo owner original owner i got them from was going to throw the whole thing out. Prior to me meeting with him (a semi scary experience in itself) he has smashed the KEF transmission line enclosures but still had the drivers and end caps which i have. If anyone knows where the plans for these might be available I'm all ears.
 
Electrostatic Sound SYSTEMS

IMHO, ESS stands for Electrostatic Sound Systems, not Solutions. I did some advertising, photography and design work for them in Sacramento in the 70s and was paid in equipment. I still have their pre-amp and 500 watt power amplifier. I recently found a pair of their (much lesser) speakers that used the small Heil ribbon tweeter.

Old John
 
Just found this but the page does not work right for me...

http://www.audiocircuit.com/index.php?c=ESS&cc=941&m=SuperQuad#SuperQuad

WOW just found a pic of the Superquads with the KEF TL enclosures. I swear I looked for info before and found nothing!

http://www.onethingaudio.com/FOR/QUA/57/9512-QUA-57-MOD-OTH.htm

And...

John Hamm provided the following information:

I've owned a pair of the ESS SuperQuad loudspeakers. Utilizing the 12x9, KEF B1339 woofer, special version with 18hz Fs in seperate transmission line enclosures. The Quad ELS 57 Electrostatic loudspeaker for midrange. With five RTR Electrostatic tweeters for high end. Included was an ESS built three-way electronic crossover with crossover points of 120 and 3000 hz. Most units were also sold with the Quad 303 power amplifier, a perfect match to the Quad loudspeaker. and 3000 hz.

ESS Electronic Crossover. Supplied with the SuperQuad system. Crossover points of 120hz and 3000hz. Those were recommended points by supplier of woofer and tweeter. Later, after much experimentation, I settled on 75hz and 7500 hz. This removed both a mild muddiness in the upper bass and an edge, I felt, caused by running the RTR tweeters too low. Last but definitely not least. One pair of Dynaco Mark III tubed amplifiers. Extremely good for the RTR tweeters. The sound of tubes and they'll never clip. Please note that I was one of the first to champion the use of amplifiers AT the speakers instead of at the pre-amp! You wouldn't believe how much arguring there was back in 1974 over which was better.

And his pix...

http://www.onethingaudio.com/FOR/QUA/57/9512-QUA-57-MOD-PIC-ESS.htm
 
kfa888 said:
I'll do it this winter. He did give me the matching top caps :thmbsp:
Click to expand...

Wow... I have one of those BSR crossovers... never seen one before, until now. btw... if you decide to part with with, I'd be interested in buying it!!
Killer system!!
 
Next you'll be finding the "Fountain of Youth" or maybe "Noah's Ark" WOW are you lucky have you bought a lottery ticket this week????
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom