Ear 509 Mk2

[DSJR]

Actually not, if you ever read reviews and scientific buff at the time sir.. ABR's can and did flap about if they weren't under proper control. Why do you think only a very few people used this technology?

You don't get owt for nowt and the phase situation was a "joy" I understand, although sonically not too much of an issue (driver goes in, ABR pumps out and there'll be a frequency when they sort of blend and the ABR stops working)

[Reid Malenfant]

That'd be below the ABR tuning frequency Dave & in the case of the 66 it's very low (near 20Hz) so the only thing that'd excite it as you point out will be infra bass on CDs & phono stages with no high pass filter at the same time as speakers sitting on suspended floors with footfalls

As witnessed at Scalford, though people were paying attention to this & using their heads & being careful when vinyl was spinning

[DSJR]

I never said I didn't like them (quite the opposite ) and I'd love the chance to one day hear them again, but I do remember the heartbeat on DSOTM on vinyl being a bit "pungent" at the time (pre LP12 era), in the way the old IMF mk3's used to in the mid 70's (the RSPM IV's were much tighter in the bass and offered further damping if necessary)

[Reid Malenfant]

Yes, the Reference Standard Professional Monitors were very happy damping that Kef bass unit down to 17Hz though Different enclosure design all together & a damn sight bigger to boot

[DSJR]

Using test tones, the mk3 would do 14Hz quite nicely and the doors would buzz along too.. They really did need beefy high-damping-factor amps to control the excesses, a "bolt-up" Naim 250 being totally inadequate at control I remember.

[Marco]

Dave, me old mucker, you're letting your 'old memories' cloud the current reality again!

READ MY (virtual) LIPS: 66s (with their ABRs) do NOT sound how you describe on the end of my copper amp!!

Therefore, you do not necessarily need "high-damping-factor amps to control the excesses". Quite simply, when 66s are driven by a properly designed amp (valve or SS), on the end of a decent system, there are no "excesses".

Capische?

Marco.

[MartinT]

No doubt, dude. Next year we'll be using Martin T's solid-state Chord behemoth (250 WPC, I think?).

350 Wpc.

[Marco]

Ha - even better!!

Marco.

[DSJR]

Dave, me old mucker, you're letting your 'old memories' cloud the current reality again!

READ MY (virtual) LIPS: 66s (with their ABRs) do NOT sound that way on the end of my copper amp!!

Therefore, you do not necessarily need "high-damping-factor amps to control the excesses". Quite simply, when 66s are driven by a properly designed amp, on the end of a decent system, there are no "excesses".

Capische?

Marco.

OK, OK, don't get so defensive

The last I heard was the 662 in the late eighties (we had some 552's as well later). Both had a blown tweeter or two and we had the last "modules" from Celestion's service stock. They sounded very good indeed for £50 the pair traded in and with the same money spent on the tweeter modules. Sadly, they reacted unfavouably with the fruitbox of the period and the boxes didn't seem that good, but there was potential on these I remember and I'd have liked to have spent more time with them, looking back.

[Marco]

Good lad! You know it makes sense

Marco.