wojtek
20-11-2023, 10:40
Hello all,
I have just bought some original used esl 63’s. A 30minute drive from the seller’s home lying flat which they thankfully survived unscathed. They were very affordable (less than my headphones), but knowing of course the panels could fail whenever given they are 40 years old.
I guess one point to make is just the sense of wonder. Such wonderful wonderful big sound when listening to strings, orchestra, jazz, voices. Even low midrange in electronic music but of course without the bottom end thump. Easily low enough for a cello C string with just the most amazing texture. The treble isn’t as silvery and tingly as it is with normal drivers but if anything it makes it less fatiguing.
Three questions for folk who know about these -
1. Picking up and moving the speakers I can hear a crinkly sound. This is the membrane flexing presumably as the frame is famously not that rigid? Or is that sound a worry?
2. I’m using a 50W el34 valve amp to power them ( a papworth tva10). Are any of the new age digital amps (Nord etc) good at driving them without losing the valvey soundstage /midrange ? Without blowing them up ideally.
3. I have them in the corners of a rectangular room across the wider wall if that makes sense, trying to move them away from the wall when listening. But I just wanted to check if I should be moving them as little as possibly owing to the fragility of the membranes?
Thank you for any advice!
I have just bought some original used esl 63’s. A 30minute drive from the seller’s home lying flat which they thankfully survived unscathed. They were very affordable (less than my headphones), but knowing of course the panels could fail whenever given they are 40 years old.
I guess one point to make is just the sense of wonder. Such wonderful wonderful big sound when listening to strings, orchestra, jazz, voices. Even low midrange in electronic music but of course without the bottom end thump. Easily low enough for a cello C string with just the most amazing texture. The treble isn’t as silvery and tingly as it is with normal drivers but if anything it makes it less fatiguing.
Three questions for folk who know about these -
1. Picking up and moving the speakers I can hear a crinkly sound. This is the membrane flexing presumably as the frame is famously not that rigid? Or is that sound a worry?
2. I’m using a 50W el34 valve amp to power them ( a papworth tva10). Are any of the new age digital amps (Nord etc) good at driving them without losing the valvey soundstage /midrange ? Without blowing them up ideally.
3. I have them in the corners of a rectangular room across the wider wall if that makes sense, trying to move them away from the wall when listening. But I just wanted to check if I should be moving them as little as possibly owing to the fragility of the membranes?
Thank you for any advice!