Vic, from one fart to another, welcome aboard !
Welcome Vic! I’m in the Chicagoland area also! Welcome to the club!Hello! I don't know why it took me so long to find MLO but glad I stumbled onto it today whilst looking for feedback about using a tube amp with M-L ESL-X speakers. I began my audiophool journey back in the 60's with (2 pairs) of (stacked ! ) Bose 301's (oh I am so ashamed !), a Sony STR-7065 receiver and a Dual 1229 turntable (how many of you remember those??). From there I stepped up to a Mark Levinson JC-2 preamp, G.A.S. Ampzilla power amp and Bose 901's Series 1's (oh, doubly ashamed !) Eventually I came to my senses, sold the 901's and bought a pair of Magneplanar MG-II's. PHEW !
Anyway, when I got married (2nd time) my good wife encouraged me to trade the Maggie's in for something more "decor" friendly. This was late 1990's and I was seriously considering a pair of Sonus-Faber stand speakers (model # lost due to old age. I'm 69 !) but my good wife # 2 encouraged my to listen to the M-L Aerius-i's. My world changed ! Kept the Aerius'-i for 20 years, then sold them to a friend and here I am now with the ESL-X. Of course I wish I'd have popped for the ESL-9's but we did a complete system upgrade (same loving, stereo friendly 2nd wife after all these years!) so it was either spend more on speakers or go to a separate preamp / amp instead of an integrated. We finally settled on a Rotel RC-1590 preamp, Rotel RB-1582MKII amp and the ESL-X speakers. Boy, once they burned in I was in heaven !
Further upgrades hence; From a Marantz UD-5007 Blu-ray to a Marantz RUBY SA-KI SACD player. MAN-OH-MAN ! Is that thing a revelation ! Also added an SVS-SB-3000 sub.
And most recently, an Audioquest Niagara 1200 power conditioner w/ Audioquest NRG-Z3 power cord, Audioquest WATER interconnects between preamp and amp and between SACD and preamp, and Audioquest Rocket 88 biamp cables between amp and speakers. Don't let anyone tell you cables don't matter. It took a while but now that they have burned-in, the Niagara 1200 and the cables took the system to another level. Power cord upgrades are next but I'm having an issue with the phono input on the Rotel preamp (to be told in another forum), so even though I don't currently have a turntable I want to see if Rotel will get it resolved. If not, changes may be in order, which is why I was searching for advice about tube amps and electrostatic speakers.
Anyway, I'd love to hear from any and everyone who feels like chatting about audio equipment.
Best regards.
VideoVic
Hello Paul and thank you !Welcome Vic! I’m in the Chicagoland area also! Welcome to the club!
Hello, RJ. I totally remember Sound Lab stores. If memory serves they had a store in Palatine IL and that is where I bought the Aerius i's.Woof! Good one on the Bose!
I had those exact ones as well, man going back to senior school... had the 301 series III and then the 901's series IV with active eq. We hung those suspended from the ceiling using the Bose supplied accessories. Driven with a Carver power amp and Carver preamp, it pumped out tunes virtually 24/7... didn't miss a beat and would still play in rain, thunderstorms, tropics whatever! Bought the 901s from Spore dealer at the Adelphi, my go to place for anything audio. After Bose it was Paradigm speakers and then onto Maggie's, Quads... & finally ending with ML's.
Aaaah ...Chicago! That's where I completed my under-grad at Lewis University Romeoville IL. Small Christian Bros catholic Uni background... but I'm not catholic, rather just prefer stats!
That's where I got my name "big dog" from da hood!
Also, first experienced the ML SL3 in a highend store in Naperville. I think the name was Sound Lab... or something great chaps to deal with. I remember the day, I walked in and auditioned both the Aries and SL3's. Driven by a Krell integrated 150w amp and Krell top loading CD player. We loaded in a disc I brought along, Norman Brown - Better Days Ahead. From the moment he hit play... oh my golly! Was I transfixed! I didn't move until they closed the store and a couple bought the pair of SL3's that I was demoing. I even helped them load it into the boot of their car, and it was bloody snowing! Yet no boxes or anything just wrapped up in cloth and plastic, they drove off! I visited the store again the following month, had saved up a few dollars from Uni jobs, and went straight in and bought a new pair of SL3's and some Monster speaker cables. That was it! Funny, in one of my electives called, Interviews & Presentstion skills, I actually wrote a paper and did a presentation on ML & Bose. The ML were presented on the SL3 and the Bose 901 was presented. The lecturer thought I'd end up being a speaker tech specialist or designer...
Well enough of that said, sorry for the digress...
You just gotta love Bose for what it can do. Obviously ML is in a totally different league!
Cheers to both!
RJ
Hello, RJ. I totally remember Sound Lab stores. If memory serves they had a store in Palatine IL and that is where I bought the Aerius i's.
I think it's that way all over now. The stores I use seem to be doing ok, but I feel like they do a greater and greater part of their business now setting up home theaters and sound systems in homes/businesses. The business is changing for sure.No, RJ. Sadly Sound Lab is no more. The brick-and-mortar high-end audio retailing business is really piss poor here considering that the Chicagoland area population is in excess of 4 million people
Yeah, that's nuts. Kinda like getting a pair of main speakers without ever hearing them.Yeah mate go figure! Just the other day, one of my neighbors ordered that Chinese made SUV called Haval. It arrived on a truck, in full glorious blue! I asked him what the heck is this color matey? He replied, "brilliant sporty bluuu." Uh?
Jeez man, I wouldn't see myself driving that color even if it was a Ferrari or Lambo, it looked like a sports car from the Smurfs episode!
Then we jumped in and went for a drive, he said it's the first time he's ever driven it. Wait a minute... I asked you haven't even driven the dam thing? So, apparently, it comes with a full 90 point vehicle check (whatever that means) road worthy test & certificates, plus 5 year warranty just in case the wheels fall off during that initial test drive...!
Oh boy... what has the world come to? I guess you could even purchase a submarine on eBay.
Cheers to that!
RJ
No, RJ. Sadly Sound Lab is no more. The brick-and-mortar high-end audio retailing business is really piss poor here considering that the Chicagoland area population is in excess of 4 million people
Nice one mate! Can you remember what type of amplification they were using?
Back in the day, it was mostly Krells, ARC or VTL. These could drive those Statements to full effect. There'll never be another Evo-II.
Cheers RJ
Nice one mate! Can you remember what type of amplification they were using?
Back in the day, it was mostly Krells, ARC or VTL. These could drive those Statements to full effect. There'll never be another Evo-II.
Cheers RJ
Nice one Garret, and congrats on turning 70 this year! Soon you will be one more year wiser!I will be 70 this year and I conifer my self older not old...lol. I started out with the Quad system and eel's. Was a great system for the time..
Ha! Congratulations Garrett! I too will turn 70 shortly, but I have to say I'm not all that sure about the wiser part!!!!!Nice one Garret, and congrats on turning 70 this year! Soon you will be one more year wiser!
You'll probably find that you are not alone in having a bit of senior in your makeup. I am older than you. Ha!Hello! I don't know why it took me so long to find MLO but glad I stumbled onto it today whilst looking for feedback about using a tube amp with M-L ESL-X speakers. I began my audiophool journey back in the 60's with (2 pairs) of (stacked ! ) Bose 301's (oh I am so ashamed !), a Sony STR-7065 receiver and a Dual 1229 turntable (how many of you remember those??). From there I stepped up to a Mark Levinson JC-2 preamp, G.A.S. Ampzilla power amp and Bose 901's Series 1's (oh, doubly ashamed !) Eventually I came to my senses, sold the 901's and bought a pair of Magneplanar MG-II's. PHEW !
Anyway, when I got married (2nd time) my good wife encouraged me to trade the Maggie's in for something more "decor" friendly. This was late 1990's and I was seriously considering a pair of Sonus-Faber stand speakers (model # lost due to old age. I'm 69 !) but my good wife # 2 encouraged my to listen to the M-L Aerius-i's. My world changed ! Kept the Aerius'-i for 20 years, then sold them to a friend and here I am now with the ESL-X. Of course I wish I'd have popped for the ESL-9's but we did a complete system upgrade (same loving, stereo friendly 2nd wife after all these years!) so it was either spend more on speakers or go to a separate preamp / amp instead of an integrated. We finally settled on a Rotel RC-1590 preamp, Rotel RB-1582MKII amp and the ESL-X speakers. Boy, once they burned in I was in heaven !
Further upgrades hence; From a Marantz UD-5007 Blu-ray to a Marantz RUBY SA-KI SACD player. MAN-OH-MAN ! Is that thing a revelation ! Also added an SVS-SB-3000 sub.
And most recently, an Audioquest Niagara 1200 power conditioner w/ Audioquest NRG-Z3 power cord, Audioquest WATER interconnects between preamp and amp and between SACD and preamp, and Audioquest Rocket 88 biamp cables between amp and speakers. Don't let anyone tell you cables don't matter. It took a while but now that they have burned-in, the Niagara 1200 and the cables took the system to another level. Power cord upgrades are next but I'm having an issue with the phono input on the Rotel preamp (to be told in another forum), so even though I don't currently have a turntable I want to see if Rotel will get it resolved. If not, changes may be in order, which is why I was searching for advice about tube amps and electrostatic speakers.
Anyway, I'd love to hear from any and everyone who feels like chatting about audio equipment.
Best regards.
VideoVic
Nice one Garret, and congrats on turning 70 this year! Soon you will be one more year wiser!
BTW, which Quad ESL's did you previously own? And what type of amplification did you use back then?
I started out with Maggie's, back in 88 then onto Quad ESL 63's placed on top of Gradient subs. Used conrad johnson amplifiers, Meridian transport and an Aragon DAC, it was marvellous! Over the years... onto Apogee's, ML CLS and CLSIIz's then back to Maggie's. Had a few Infinity's and Paradigm speakers but nothing quite like stats!
Quads didn't last too long in tropical climes, not to mention virtually any type of ESL's. However, Maggie's and other ribbon panels I had, such as Apogee's, lasted a bit longer. Even on those panels, corrosion would start on the wiring and things just fell apart with adhesives etc.
Fwd another 25yrs... now in Aus, that's not an issue. Melbourne weather is usually hot and dry, so ideal for stats! Had several newer iterations of Quads coming out of China, absolutely useless! Owned: 988, 989, 2905 and 2912's. They all failed miserably, it was an absolute disaster! I never had such problems with the original ESL 63's made in England. Peter Walker was a legend!
Only around Oct 2017, I ventured back towards ML's Reserve Line speakers and the rest is history! Just thought of sharing my wonderful experience with Quads. Will never forget it!
Cheers, RJ
Morning. I had the British Quad 100 watt amp and ESL 55's. It was a great sounding system for that time period. I had a thorens turntable feeding the system. I sold that to travel the USA and Canada for a couple of years and then when I got back into the sound systems I went box speakers. Bose 901's, Kef 104's, B&W 801's, 802's, Totem Winds, and just purchased the Martin Logans ESL 11a's. Love the stage presence they present. Pain in the ass to set up by yourself but worth it in the end. The Quad amp was an amazing little amp for the time. It had a lot of detail when I think back.......Nice one Garret, and congrats on turning 70 this year! Soon you will be one more year wiser!
BTW, which Quad ESL's did you previously own? And what type of amplification did you use back then?
I started out with Maggie's, back in 88 then onto Quad ESL 63's placed on top of Gradient subs. Used conrad johnson amplifiers, Meridian transport and an Aragon DAC, it was marvellous! Over the years... onto Apogee's, ML CLS and CLSIIz's then back to Maggie's. Had a few Infinity's and Paradigm speakers but nothing quite like stats!
Quads didn't last too long in tropical climes, not to mention virtually any type of ESL's. However, Maggie's and other ribbon panels I had, such as Apogee's, lasted a bit longer. Even on those panels, corrosion would start on the wiring and things just fell apart with adhesives etc.
Fwd another 25yrs... now in Aus, that's not an issue. Melbourne weather is usually hot and dry, so ideal for stats! Had several newer iterations of Quads coming out of China, absolutely useless! Owned: 988, 989, 2905 and 2912's. They all failed miserably, it was an absolute disaster! I never had such problems with the original ESL 63's made in England. Peter Walker was a legend!
Only around Oct 2017, I ventured back towards ML's Reserve Line speakers and the rest is history! Just thought of sharing my wonderful experience with Quads. Will never forget it!
Cheers, RJ
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