Quad II with quality glass. I’m running real GEC KT 66s. I did a piece on the web which has links on amps for the 57. I’ve owned mine since 1974 (they’ve been restored by Electrostatic Solutions-- there are several other amps mentioned). When I used them back in the ’70s, I ran various ARC tube amps. The little Quad II sounds better. My pair of amps date from around 1961-- also restored. They aren’t terribly expensive but the tubes can get costly. I don’t know where you can even find OG KT 66s today, though I understand that the one modern one- I forget which-probably Russian- sounds ok.
Showing 3 responses by whart
@noromance -+1. |
I ran super tweets with my 57s back in the day-- Deccas, which I still have and Sequerras, which were a good substitute (also used ribbons). It gave the Quad a broader sweet spot, given how beamy the original tweeter panel is- but it wasn’t a substitute for the stock tweeter. It was fun putting it together even with the subs available at the time (this was before subwoofers were as common as they are today- which I attribute to the home theatre boom of the ’90s). Sort of a mini-HQD system. These days, I just run my Quads without add-ons, no aftermarket stands, etc. They serve well in a small parlor as part of a vintage system. If I wanted to get serious about Quads as a main speaker-- I still know a few people who run them as such-- I would definitely look at a stacked/double pair. Quads are sort of a perennial favorite- I’ve known people who got rid of them, only to buy another pair. As long as they are in good condition, and have been gone over (E Solutions added a protection circuit and more conventional connectors), you can enjoy them without worry. Classic speaker, despite its obvious limitations. PS: I also had Crosby modded '63s, and though a better all-arounder, it did not have the magic of the '57 in the mids in my estimation. |