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Odd Looking ESS HEILS

L

leftfielder

Active Member
Hi guys, I was just cruising E-BAY and came across these Ess Heil Elite speakers. Personally I never saw these and thought ESS made only Rock Monitors or their various pyramid models. I contacted the seller to see if he knew anything about them. When produced, what's inside, what amp can power them, what kind of positioning is needed for them. The wood and package alone looks great but can't help to notice the Bose 901s kinship.
Are these rare in any way ? He wants $400 + shipping. Being the weekend I can't call ESS to see if they have an archive on these and did not Google them. What do you dudes think if heard/saw before back in the day.....Lew

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ESS-Heil-E...m=183130411301&_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982
 
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This should have been posted in Dollars and Sense

This was the ESS version of what JansZen did with the 130's

IMG_1201.JPG

A tweeter add on for a speaker system that need a little help.

Since a pair of heil tweeters usually go for $400 alone they are probably worth more with the nice little cabinets they are mounted in.

 
Those are "Elites" - a Heil Air Motion Transformer with a crossover in an enclosure. It was marketed as kind of a "supertweeter" way to get that AMT sound on top of your existing speakers. If they're functional, and come with a pair of extra diaphragms ($80 each), they're worth the $400. I wouldn't say you've laid hands on a rare find that you could flip for a big profit, but you'd have a nice addition to your existing speaker system.

EliteSchematic2.JPG
 
An Elite with it's clothes off. Air Motion Transformer on the right side, crossover on the left.

Elite_Exposed.JPG
 
That Heil was rated to handle 300W, as I recall. They're very efficient and can play very loud on low wattage too.
 
BilboBaggins said:
What kind of amplification power do these elite like? I do like the style!
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Wattage is kind of irrelevant as the Elite is a tweeter born in a day when watts were comparatively rare. It's pretty efficient. Bear in mind that the "Great Heil" (the big dipolar one used in the Elite) was a part of some very efficient loudspeakers back in the day. Odds are good that if you put the Elite on top of your average modern speaker with a modern high watt receiver, you'll be turning the volume (brilliance) knob down.
 
Porkloin said:
Wattage is kind of irrelevant as the Elite is a tweeter born in a day when watts were comparatively rare. It's pretty efficient. Bear in mind that the "Great Heil" (the big dipolar one used in the Elite) was a part of some very efficient loudspeakers back in the day. Odds are good that if you put the Elite on top of your average modern speaker with a modern high watt receiver, you'll be turning the volume (brilliance) knob down.
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You really don't need a lot. They sound louder than they measure.
 
I lusted after Elites many years ago. Since they were very rare and expensive, I thought I could make my own substitute version. Had 2 pair of house brand speakers from Silo that I deconstructed and put the large Heil, Ess xovers and some small 6 inch woofer from either parts express or radio shack. I didn't have a load for the low frequencies to go so I felt I needed the woofers. So it became a mini monitor. Have 2 pair of these, both working in the system. One pair has amt 10b xovers and the other pair 1b xovers. There is no engineering here. Just parts slapped into the enclosure to make it fit. Not much bass, but don't care. The other Ess speakers in the system make up for it. ESS Mini Monitor.JPG
 
Ok, if really only a type of tweeter how did they connect to what ever system you owned. Was it like a stage monitor system w/ in/out plugs. Most speakers I know only have 2 terminals for whatever speaker wire you are using. I don't doubt they are a kind of tweeter because that's exactly what the Heil radiator was. How was this used. the fit and finish w/ these looks great and find it hard to believe it went to sit on top of another speaker. That main speaker had to be pretty big and had to have a way to bond to each other.
Smiiter Dave don't be that uptight, I'm not selling these and added the price so people here had an idea what these were worth or going for and as tweeters from the '70s a bit much. Besides posting the C/L ad.
 
leftfielder said:
Ok, if really only a type of tweeter how did they connect to what ever system you owned. Was it like a stage monitor system w/ in/out plugs. Most speakers I know only have 2 terminals for whatever speaker wire you are using. I don't doubt they are a kind of tweeter because that's exactly what the Heil radiator was. How was this used. the fit and finish w/ these looks great and find it hard to believe it went to sit on top of another speaker. That main speaker had to be pretty big and had to have a way to bond to each other.
Smiiter Dave don't be that uptight, I'm not selling these and added the price so people here had an idea what these were worth or going for and as tweeters from the '70s a bit much. Besides posting the C/L ad.
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Believe it or not, it was indeed made to sit on top of your main speaker and augment it with the "lighter than air" sound. The Elite is not all that big compared to the speakers of the day, but they would be a little large for modern skinny towers. The '70's styling would definitely look out of place on a pair of HT speakers.
With a larger, older main speaker, gravity would provide a sufficient "bond".

I believe that the original manual recommended that you connect them in series with your main speakers, It would probably be safer to go that route first as it would present more resistance to the amp. If it sounds good, you're in. If it doesn't, proceed with caution when hooking up parallel. Do you know what the impedence of your main speakers is and what impedence loads your receiver will take?
 
Porkloin: I believe that the original manual recommended that you connect them in series with your main speakers, It would probably be safer to go that route first as it would present more resistance to the amp. If it sounds good, you're in. If it doesn't, proceed with caution when hooking up parallel. Do you know what the impedence of your main speakers is and what impedence loads your receiver will take?

I can't see that working with the built-in crossover of the Heil blocking the low frequency content.
 
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