Quote Originally Posted by Mike Reed View Post
'Scuse my higgorance, Combwork, and greetings, but how do you motivate electrostatics (esp. Quad) with a baby NAD?

I've always been under the impression that beefy amps. are required to get any sense out of this genre of speakers.

Commiserations with your dry rot (I know it well.......!) and welcome to the home of ranting rot, though I think that has now migrated to more aquatic climes.

In which part of Caledonia are you domiciled?
I lurk in Kirriemuir, just up road from Dundee. As to higgorance, everything I 'know' I've learned from others. Notably AudioKarma (U.S. Site) plus following whatever I find on Google. The Quad ESL57 can be fully motivated by all manner of amps including the NAD 3020(B); I had a saved site listing about 30; some solid state; some valve. I thought I had it saved, but I've just spent 20 minutes trying to find it with no avail The original amp Quad designed specifically to partner their new (in the 1950's) electrostatic speaker had it's own strange way of doing things, from what I've read it was rated up to 45 watts. The NAD 3020B has a series of LEDs that light up as the power goes up. They're marked as "Power Watts 8 Ohm" and number up to 35. The thing to take into account though is that unlike the 3020, the output on the 3020B can be switched to 4 ohm and according to the manufacturer, is perfectly happy with a sustained 2 ohm load, so for the ESL57 it's a good match. It claims to be a high current design, but I think I might be pushing my luck expecting it to drive the B & W's properly.


shane Quote: "Seriously cool. Continental or Standard?"

Hi Shane, Continentals with wood finish, upgraded power supply and original paperwork. The man I'm buying them from had two pairs. One pair he bought new direct from the factory, the other pair (the ones I'm buying) he bought second hand as a back up pair in case his first pair were ever out of service Now he's having building and decorating work done on his house and needs the space. He's even lending me the original boxes his new pair came in (on pain of something horrible if I don't get them back to him). So, in a few days I'm paying him the balance and arranging transport to Kirriemuir...........from Southampton! I'd pick them up myself but unfortunately, I had an epileptic fit a couple of months back, so the DVLA nicked my license until I've been symptom free for 12 months.

If anybody here is going from the south of England to Scotland in the next few days, if you fancy a diversion let me know and I'll pay your petrol.