In praise of Quad Electrostatics

[Oldpinkman]

I just posted (pretty much) the following post somewhere else, and then realised I have "ESL63 fanboy" as my soubriquet here, and felt accordingly I ought to share the love. As ever, no bloody idea which forum to post in, but I bet there aren't many electrostatic posts here, and its as relevant as in the 2 channel speakers section

enough waffle - a cut and paste job -

The ESL63's picked up a different sort of compliment this week. They couldn't be heard. The inaudible speaker.

This was doing duty as front left and right in a dolby 5.1 set up whilst watching Liverpool play football.

The background is, that on return from holiday, having mended the ESL's and restored them to front of house, the ventricals relegated to behind the sofa, they had been switched off by a teenager. Sue came in, noted the sound from the front was weak - the rear speakers dominated, and said "if you're not going to use those ugly bloody great things then they're going. They're too big". She could acknowledge that they sound sublime listening to music, particularly classical music which she loves to listen to, but felt (not without reason) that they cover a larger area of wall than the emulsion paint does.

But they were working, ffortissimo, when liverpool were on the goggle box, and yet they appeared to be silent. The clear natural, at the football stadium sound was coming from the TV itself - apparantly. I proved they were on - she stuck her ear to them, and I took out the other speakers using the setup function. But they were so "transparent" - the effect was of the sound being there - but not the speaker.

'Course, this is what I love about them for music. But I would never have thought they could be so good as an AV speaker, nor that it was possible to get home cinema sounding like that.

Having said all that, I'm not yet sure they're keepers. I daren't plug the testicals back in just yet, because although different, I fear it's going to be a damn near run thing (Wellington - Waterloo) in this room, in this set-up. But another testimony for the ESL's.

Mrs S has seen the light and is a believer again

(She's layed down the law about the Lowthers so, which is a real pity, cos they are beguiling in ways, and make a fabulous dining room speaker if you ignore the small detail of there being no room left in the dining room. Ebay here they come...)

[Macca]

I've seen an episode of Grand Designs from some years ago now where the bloke had a 5.1 QUAD system with electrostatic fronts and flat panel rears. The flat panels were disguised as framed pictures hanging on the walls. So there is a precedent but I'll grant you it is not something you see that often

[Ali Tait]

Yes, I remember that episode. I believe Martin Logan do an AV setup too.

[Firebottle]

Why wouldn't they be good for AV work Or football commentary, or anything else for that matter?

I've heard a couple of tales of people thinking that there was someone in the other room, when the other room had Radio 4 playing through ESLs.

Can't go wrong mate, Mrs S will get used to the size after a while. Keepers

Alan

[Ali Tait]

No reason at all, except the size of an AV system would put a lot of people off I think.

[struth]

You can hide them in my livingroom if necessary . your wife won't see them there

[Oldpinkman]

The case for the defence M'Lord


[IMG][/IMG]

edit : Harry - her son, my step-son, suggested the answer was to get a MUCH bigger TV. I like the boys style! I'll leave him to work on his Mum

[Oldpinkman]

And by way of contrast, the dainty, delicate, twee Lowthers

[IMG][/IMG]

I bet she regrets calling the Ventricals "big and ugly" ...

[struth]

No doubt, the Ventricals do looks superb and fit in much better....in fact they look fabulous in that set up.

[Oldpinkman]

My apologies Grant. I realise I have jumped into this thread missing out essential background, posted elsewhere during my sabbatical from this forum.

Those speakers you mistook for Ventricals are in fact the Lowther Fidelios I lovingly restored to their proper and rightful beauty (I say "restored" - but I don't believe the guy I bought them from changed drivers as he claimed, and I suspect they were always a pile of poo before I fixed them. I should really say "allowed the beautiful cabinets to achieve their true potential" rather than restored - but its a bit of a saga.)

These beauties are the delicate dainty (but amplifier demanding) Ventricals front of house

[IMG][/IMG]

(Currently stored behind the sofa)

And these were an experiment with Kef R900's

[IMG][/IMG]

D'ya see now why she was premature in being so rude about the "big ugly" Ventricals? However, I favour Harry's "keep the ESL's and get a bigger telly" route - although the picture on that Phillips is the best I've ever seen...

Why is life so difficult?

Anyway, I take the point that I can't keep hoarding and something has to go, and reluctantly I think it will be the Lowthers.