BDP - yep.
I had one of the first Tympani 1a's, in 1973. What a speaker! Biamped with ARC crossover, modified ST-70's, and solid state monos. The Quad ESL's were just not big enough for me then, or now - so I have several copies of the new crop of Quads.
The new Quads need serious modding to sound their best, but when they do - they are no more musical than the ESL 57's!!!!! Another octave top and bottom, but no more musical. It's the electronics that have really shifted up, now that designers know how to use complementary push-pull pairs. And modern high end caps and resistors. And cartridges. Those Supex units were wonderful, but beside a modern higher end Koetsu?? Not so much.
I had one of the first Tympani 1a's, in 1973. What a speaker! Biamped with ARC crossover, modified ST-70's, and solid state monos. The Quad ESL's were just not big enough for me then, or now - so I have several copies of the new crop of Quads.
The new Quads need serious modding to sound their best, but when they do - they are no more musical than the ESL 57's!!!!! Another octave top and bottom, but no more musical. It's the electronics that have really shifted up, now that designers know how to use complementary push-pull pairs. And modern high end caps and resistors. And cartridges. Those Supex units were wonderful, but beside a modern higher end Koetsu?? Not so much.