Quad ESL help appreciated!

[mikmas]

Just a thought, but if an equaliser is a bridge too far you could bung a Quad 34 in front of the valve amp. The 34 has a very good (and transparent..) bass control that might take any remaining bloom off the speakers.

Would be handy if there was an AoS member in the neighbourhood who had one (or something equivalent) to try ....

[walpurgis]

Yes I was trying to avoid using anything else in the signal path but if the absorption efforts don't provide the desired effect its certainly one to consider.

Nice bit of kit by the looks of it and like you say can pay a lot more.

Nice one.

If you should wish to experiment with some form of equalisation, you may find a multiband equaliser with spectrum analyser handy as you will get a visual idea of where the bass excess is occurring.

Alternatively, the Musical Fidelity X-Tone is one of the least intrusive ways of altering the tonal balance and offers +/- 9db adjustment, which should be enough. They are hard to come by though, people hang onto them.

[spendorman]

If you should wish to experiment with some form of equalisation, you may find a multiband equaliser with spectrum analyser handy as you will get a visual idea of where the bass excess is occurring.

Alternatively, the Musical Fidelity X-Tone is one of the least intrusive ways of altering the tonal balance and offers +/- 9db adjustment, which should be enough. They are hard to come by though, people hang onto them.

I rebuilt my ESL's about 30 years ago, no expert, but I think a critical thing for sound balance is the EHT going to the bass units and treble unit. A bit difficult (and dangerous) to measure, I used a GEC high voltage probe.

[Opti-cal]

I rebuilt my ESL's about 30 years ago, no expert, but I think a critical thing for sound balance is the EHT going to the bass units and treble unit. A bit difficult (and dangerous) to measure, I used a GEC high voltage probe.

Hopefully they are working perfectly having been rebuilt/replaced by Quad a few weeks ago! I assume there is no way to lower the output from them? Certainly without messing about inside them adding resistors etc . . .

[Macca]

If you should wish to experiment with some form of equalisation, you may find a multiband equaliser with spectrum analyser handy as you will get a visual idea of where the bass excess is occurring.

.

Not unless you hook it up to a microphone - it's only going to show the spectrum coming from the recording along with whatever EQ is set.

EQing digitally will not degrade the signal at all so that would also be worth a try, it does mean buying a unit to do it though.

[southall-1998_mk2]

EQ belongs in the trash bin. I fecking hate them.

S.

[Macca]

I'd only use digital EQ if there was no option but in this case I suspect there might be no option. It's not purist I agree but it won't degrade sound quality and it will get rid of the bass boom. Bass boom is worse than a bit of digital EQ surely?

[Opti-cal]

Bass boom is worse than a bit of digital EQ surely?

Yup . . . deffo.

[Macca]

I have heard ESLs in an a attic room pretty much identical to yours except a bit smaller and they did sound very good. But they were sat in the middle of the room...

[Opti-cal]

I have heard ESLs in an a attic room pretty much identical to yours except a bit smaller and they did sound very good. But they were sat in the middle of the room...

Mine sounded sublime up there pre-service . . . but I got greedy and assumed the service would improve upon that yardstick . . . .

Oh well kids just goes to show, grass aint always greener . . .

They still do sound fantastic, except when a sub 200Hz bass note comes in and messes everything up.

I did try a few things last night - more absorption material - raised 20 cm - moved forward - moved back . . . but still the boom is there.

Might give that EQ a try as a last resort otherwise I might well be looking for speaker recommendations . . .

But, where do you go from a good sounding pair of 57's?! . . . .

I've had horns up there too quite successfully (Loth X) but something tells me its likely to have to be a compromise . . .