Your Favorite Panels...

[bshorey]

Your favorite panel speakers....


The legendary quad ESL-57s, or the cool follow-up ESL-63? Carver Amazings, which, I hear, are "amazing", or the stylish and sublime Apogees? The affordable and much-loved Magneplanars, or the modern Martin Logans? Or is there another brand you favor?

Feel free to discuss the demands of the speakers on your gear (ohm loads, ect), the rarity of the models, the repairability of them, where they lack (usually bass response, it seems), where they excell (seemingly everywhere else), problems (tricky placement, glue drying, failures), pretty much it all.

Looking forward to some good responses...:thmbsp:

For me, this hobby slipped into the background many years ago. Then, a couple of years ago, I caught a reference to a review of a modern speaker, in which the reviewer mentioned comparing them to Quads, and how they didn't stack up. For some reason, I noticed that same comment a couple more times, so I set off to learn something about them.

After some reading, I decided I wanted 63's, as I didn't want to deal with the amplification issues with the 57's. Finally found a set, however I'm still in the process of bringing them up to snuff.

What little bit I've heard from them, however, has blown me away. I'm mainly a rock and roll kind of guy, love deep bass. I've got Walsh 4's, F's, and now K-Horns. But the 63's are simply *amazing*, I found myself listening to tracks and artists I'd never pay much attention to, just because the quality of the sound was so good.

A good friend was so impressed he went out and bought a pair of Quad 989's, and I have spent some time listening to those. Best speaker I've ever heard, hands down.

I'll never give up my Walshes, I love the sound of them. Nor the K-Horns. But those Quads, wow!

I'm looking forward to hearing some of the others, but all I can say is I love my 63's!

bs

 

[ka7niq]

The original 1 ohm Apogees blew me away driven by big Krells.

 

[thedelihaus]

...After some reading, I decided I wanted 63's, as I didn't want to deal with the amplification issues with the 57's...the 63's are simply *amazing*, I found myself listening to tracks and artists I'd never pay much attention to, just because the quality of the sound was so good.

A good friend was so impressed he went out and bought a pair of Quad 989's, and I have spent some time listening to those. Best speaker I've ever heard, hands down...

Oh man, I'd love to hear those 63s, or your friend's 989s...:thmbsp:

 

[rdiiorio]

Klh-9

I had in the early 70's to the late 80's the Nines and powered them with a Futterman H3a. Since I lived in NYC, (still do) Julius the H3a designer, would come over my house listen to whatever vinyl was on the turntable and tweek my amp while listening. The last modification was to add a new bias supply and signed the underside of the transformer while doing so. He also left with me some external filtering electolytic capacitors which plugged into the front 8 pin sockets. I still remember the Nines as having the best sound I've heard. I own currently SoundLab A-3's yet they don't move me as the Nines did. My Nines met their demise when I went on vacation to calif and when i came back, the Nines where taken apart by the person watching my apt. At that time there was no means to their being repaired but i still have many of the parts such as the transformers and bass panels and a HF unit. I see that A.A. Janszens son has carried on his work, I am so tempted to listen to them.

 

[dokblues]

Maggies forever since I heard my fist pair in 1971! Love the warm and very complete soundstage. I have heard Apogee`s, Quads, Amazing`s and many others. I like some but none does it for me like Maggies. JMHO