Sure Walker knew what he was doing, at a genius level. So why did he make the ESL with that horrid metal front grille?! It the panels have resonances, why is the front wave not as effected as is the rear?
I've been out of the scene for a few years... Does the T.H.E. show still take place in Vegas during CES? Back in the day I worked for ML the T.H.E was the bomb. Absolutely huge!
Describing the front metal screen as 'horrid' is a bit dramatic don't you think? They are there to protect the user from LETHAL voltages.
Can one 'hear' the front screen? Sure. I listen to them both ways with and without the front screen and I most certainly 'hear' the screen. Does it screw everything up? Not IMO. A little less HF extension a little less resolution nothing dramatic it adds a somewhat diffuse character to the speaker. This minor decrease in performance may drive some to distraction but most people won't really care.
I use mine with front screens simply because I get tired of looking at the ugly panels all day long. I like the look better with the screens. If one wishes to remove the front screens keep in mind the speakers are now dangerous. If there are small children, animals or drunk friends in the room probably best to leave them in place.
Adding damping to the front of the panels will further reduce the resonances but then you kind of kill it. Imagine what all that damping on the front would sound like! You think the front screen is bad?
The rear damping does not eliminate the resonances it simple reduces the magnitude of the resonances and lowers the frequency of interest.
Yup Kent, the Quad looks like hell with the front screen removed. I have run mine for years with Jerry Crosby's grilles in place of the stock. They are more open in construction (bigger holes), less resonant (the stock make quite a racket when struck), less audible. But any way you run your Quad ESL's, what a great loudspeaker! It certainly has it's limitations, but they all do. Pick your poison.
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