KLH 17 (high School '67) Dyna A-25 EPI 50 KLH 6 & 5 Custom cab. double Peerless 3 way Altec 602-c corners (loud) Macintosh with some ugly wood grills JBL LE-15 w/ Janzen electrostats Custom box Warfdale 60-D 60-E Heil AMT 1, now with new woofers Tannoy Red 15" in custom box (lost in a flood) Tannoy Golds 15" Belevedere Box (in my office) Snell A-III Main Home sys.(Best of the bunch) Krell pre, bi-amp Bryston 3B's
I am a cabinetmaker so many systems were shop built. I am currently thinking of building GFR boxes for the Tannoy Golds. I never spend much money on systems, just buy used and distressed sales. |
As well as memory serves...
Pacific Stereo Quadraflex ST-15 Pacific Stereo TransAudio (forgot model number) A/D/S 710 Braun L810 GNP Valkerie Vortex Screens (Albert Von Schweikert) NEAR 50ML Genesis 8300 Alon II Scientific Fidelity Crown Joule Speaker Art Clef Speaker Art Double Odyssey ESP Concert Grand ESP Concert Grand SI |
1. Pioneer HPM40(blew tweeters out)2. Norman Labs Towers (3-10inchers)- fair 3. Klipsch LaScalas(loud!)4. Klipsch Cornwalls(big and ugly) 4. Klipsch cornerhorns(nice but nowhere to put them in a real-world room) 5.Klipsch ChorusII (overated) 6. Thiel 3.6 (new-now were talkin) &. Legacy Focus (not as accurate) 7. Thiel 2.4 (shouldnt have sold) 8. VonSchweikert VR4Jr (bottomed-out) 9. Thiel 3.6(used)-now back to sonic nirvana! The Thiels used are a bargain and are wonderful! MHO |
Paradigm Titans Paradigm Studio 20V.2 Dynaudio 42 Totem Forest |
1981 - Kenwood compact 2-way, $88/pr. 1982 - Polk " ", $150/pr. 1983 - AR 3-way towers, $200/pr. 1984 - Mission 70MkII, $150/pr. 2000 - Mission 772, $340/pr. 2006 - Spica TC-60, $350/pr. (used) (currently owned) 2006 - Martin Logan Aerius i, $1,000/pr. (used) (currently owned) |
ADS L-520, new at around $400 ADS L-730, new at around $650
25 years later I no longer have the 520's or 730's and now go for strictly bargains. Here is a list of speakers that I currently own.
ADS L-810, a steal at $160 but later repairs ran the total to $370.
Large Advent Utility Cab, $40 needing refoam which was another $20.
Wharfedale W-60D, $50 but had to replace the tweeters so add another $40.
AR-91, a steal at $40 needing refoam which was another $20.
AR-9, i consider these a steal at $400. I lucked into them after they didnt meet the reserve on eBay. |
Dingus: Wow, those are some bargains! So, is AR-9 your primary listening speaker now? |
Aktchi, sorry about the late response. yes the AR-9 are my primary speakers.
i recently added a pair of ADS L-710's ($200) and run them in a stack with the L-810's. |
In April of "05 I listed the following as my "personal speaker evolution"
ELECTROVOICE EV-2 (1963) DYNACO 25 TANDBERG LOUDSPEAKER DOUBLE LARGE ADVENTS KLH-9 ACOUSTIC RESEARCH AR 3A MAGNEPLANAR TYMPANI IU ALTEC VOICE OF THE THEATER GALE LOUDSPEAKER OHM F MAGNEPAN MG II MAGNEPAN MG 3 MAGNEPLANAR TYMPANI IV MAGNEPAN MG 3.3 MAGNEPAN MG 3.6 THIEL CS 3 THIEL CS 3.5 THIEL CS 3.6 THIEL CS 5i WILSON WATT WILSON WATT 3 PUPPY 2 GENESIS 200 EGGLESTONWORKS ANDRA AVALON EIDOLON MAGNEPAN 20.1 VERITY PARSIFAL ENCORE
Since that time, I have added a few others and I am thoroughly enjoying my "journey". Thanks to AudiogoN, it is possible to "try" a wide variety of fine audio products at very nominal cost - usually no more than shipping costs - .
Add to my list:
JOSEPH AUDIO PEARLS (Possibly the best I've ever heard in my system - wish I hadn't sold them. PSB PLATINUM M-2 MONITORS (In second system) JM LAB 907Be (Second system) JM LAB MICRO UTOPIA Be (in a second system) JM LAB SUB UTOPIA Be ( Used with the Micro Utopia Be speakers) SONUS FABER CREMONA AUDITOR (second system) SWEET! KHARMA 3.2 FE (I don't like the titanium tweeter - gives me a headache) MARTIN LOGAN SUMMIT (A great speaker)
And . . . . . for now. . . . . . and maybe for good!
I have settled on two of the speakers listed above. I've tried to find something that I like better, but seem to go back to the two following:
System 1 - AVALON EIDOLON System 2 - VERITY PARSIFAL ENCORE
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Paradigm Export- still have Magnepan 1.4 ProAc Studio NHT SuperZero w/sub Magnepan MMG w/sub - still have Mirage M-3si Triangle Celius |
What a great thread. I am marveling at the awesome rigs mentioned here. It truly is a lifelong thing. I started in the '50's as a young boy listening to my older brother's mono McIntosh going into a single Wharfdale, hifi but pre stereo days! My humble list: 60's Pioneer CS-77 60's Sansui SP-2500 70's Rectilinears (big ones) 80's Stacked Advent A3s 90's Advent Maestros All driven by a variety of Sansui receivers, 3000A, 5000, 9090, G-8000. Presently listening to the Advent Maestros and a set of Klipsch Epic CF2's driven by a Conrad Johnson PV8 preamp going into 2 tweaked Dynakit ST-70's. These two sets of very different speakers seem to wonderfully augment each other. Sure glad I saved all my records ;-) Thanks for all the great reading. |
Cool topic. 1.Monteverdi Stereo/8-track system. Actually made by Zenith, which really raises the quality level. Ha. $-Christmas present
2. DLK 1's. $-Probably around $100.
3. Borrowed a set of early 70's model Jensen's. Had those along with the DLK's in my bedroom. My mom was very happy. Not.
4. Boston Acoustics and I don't remember the model $140. Thought I had really moved up in the world. Wanted 3 way speaker. Thought I had them. Foam went bad so I went to replace it and found out that that it wasn't a woofer at all. It was a 10" passive radiator beneath a 6" mid/woofer.
5. Moved into surround sound with some Klipsch SP-1's ($950)with built in subs and RC-3 center($379). Used the foamless Boston's for rears.
6. Replaced Boston's with B&W Dm 303's. $300
7. Paradigm Studio 40 V3 (2 pair for front and rear $1100/pr) CC470 V3 center $749. PW1000 Sub $1K.
8. Don't know yet, but the upgrade bug is bad. Really bad. |
Just another word, after 30years the Monteverdi system is still playing 8-track and all in my dads street rod shop. I'm not sure it doesn't sound any worse. But then I'm not sure it could sound any worse. |
17 years= Infinity RS3 17 years= Onkyo THX Sys 2 F1 18 years= Onkyo THX Ultra Sys1 19 years= Magnepan MG 0.5 19 years= Magnepan MG 1.6 20 years= Magnepan MG 3.6 20 years= Second MG 3.6 21 years= Apogee Scintilla 22 years= Apogee DIVA 23 years= Apogee GRAND :-) :-) :-) |
1976 Radio Shack Realistic Nova 7B 1999 Energy Connoisseur C-4 (4 as part of a 5.1 system) 1999 Energy Microstar 12.1 Powered Sub with Athena Digital Amp (http://www.cinenow-trailers.com/p/energy_micro-star-sub_bro2_us.pdf) 1999 Energy AC-300 Center channel (the week link in the system) 1999 Energy Take-2 for 7.1 special effects (Yamaha 2090) |
back in the day, eltravoice 3 way, infinity holosonic 1 till mid 90s thats almost twenty five years, had them reconed several times, they had transmission line for the bass and man they rumbled, got into ht and had a bose 25 system, and in early 2005 made my living room a ht and left the bose in the den and in the new ht room onix rocket rs 1000, rs 550, rsc200, with ufw 10 bass unit, hurricane katrina took them and every thing else i owned with fifteen feet of water in my home, but i am alive and well with tyler signature system one piece and man they rock, no more ht for me back to good old fashioned hi fi stereo, mike |
Small Ohm book shelf speakers, I can't remember the model number. These were actually my step dad's but I used them all of the time growing up. JVC- Boom box- in college First pair- I purchased my self Essence Super Gems in 1993- Sold in 2005 Very good speaker for the money- rare and hard to find now. In the last year I have experimented with the list of speakers below:
Surrounds: Monitor Audio 2.5s, Klipsch, Triad, RBH 66-SEs and 44-SEs,
Centers: Several models of Monitor Audio, Aerial Acoustics CC-3, Intuitive Design Pinnacle power Centered Channel- scary good speaker.
Subs- HSU VTF-2, REL Storm III, Triad Gold, Triad Silver, Atlantic Technology SB12, and various RBH subs. I liked the REL first and the Triad Gold second, although the Gold is better for movies. It's pretty good for music too, but not as good as the REL.
Stereo: Super Gems Triad Bronze LCRs RBH 770s RBH 1266s Triad Gold LCRs NHT Absolute Zeros-- cool little speaker for only $400 retail. These will impress you. James Loudspeakers S62s book shelfs Intuitive Design Summits- 8/06 Although I really enjoyed almost all of the speakers above, the Summits are in a totally different league. With these speakers I finally feel like I have a pair of very high end speakers. Which I guess now I do. |
First was a Wharfdale. Don't remember model but had a (wow) 15" woofer. Then: AR3a B&W DM6 Theil 3.5 Vandersteen 3a B&W 801 series II Apogee Duetta Sig Maggie 1.6 in my office for awhile Currently: Maggie 3.6 Omega Super 3r Cain Super Abby Omega A8 I enjoy the Maggies in one room and the single driver/SET in the other. |
Acoustic Research bookshelves Cerwin Vega floorstanders (forgot the model) Canton floorstanders (again forgot the model) B&W 603 S2 Dynaudio Contour 1.8 mkII Von Schweikert Audio VR 4jr Von Schweikert Audio DB99 SE
I think I've found THE SPEAKER for me. It's very versatile and room friendly, not to mention they sound awesome. I can also amp roll to my hearts content. From as little as 3 watts of SET power, to a whatever you got SS, I just love em. Next thing on my list is the matching ribbon tweeter module. |
Advent (original large version) JBL L200 (I think that was the model #, or maybe L100?) Carver Amazing Silver(still have these and still pretty amazing) Dynaudio Confidence C4 (great speakers) Dynaudio Temptation (Wow!, describes these best)
No more speakers for me! |
Radioshack am/fm radio Panasonic Boombox Maganov CD player boombox Fisher (hand me down from Dad) Aiwa (cheapies that came with my bookshelf system) Sony (for a while I was playing music through my TV speakers...sad) Bose (I know I know...) B&W 601 s3 B&W 805S B&W 804S B&W 802D
I am done for a while. The next upgrade I do will be to something extravagant and in the silly price range like Von Schiwkerts, Wilsons, Dynaudio, etc. |
Genesis 44 Bose 901 B&W 320i Vandersteen 2CE Signature Vandersteen Quatro |
Panasonic shelf-system speakers,Superscope bookshelves ($90), Frazier Monitors($280), EPI 100($100 used), OHM C2 ($275?), KEF Chorale ($220), POLK SDA-2($1,200, still own), Boston HD9($340), Paradigm Atom (v1, $160) |
When I first began this hobby almost 20 years ago, I started with a pair of Magnepan 1.5's. I then went back and forth between this level of Maggies and a pair of Snell Type J's and Fried speakers. But had Maggie 1.5 QR for most of the time. Then two years ago on this thread I wrote,
"I have evolved a couple times since I last posted. From the Thiel 2.3 I went to the Vonschweikert VR2 (1 yr.) and then the Vonschweikert VR4JR. I think I am done evolving for a while. I can't afford to anymore. I love these jr's though!"
Since I wrote that I have sold my JR's and now have a pair of Lowther 2.8 Ambience speakers. These are single driver speakers -- very high efficiency. Love em! |
Just sold my Hales Sig 2's after having loved them for 16 years. Before that Acoustats and before those Maggie 1c's. The Hales were wonderful, but after all that time the tweeter began to bug me. Replaced with a new pair of Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage. In my small room with vault ceilings, these are magical. By far the best speaker I have ever heard with my set up, and I have heard many other speakers in the last 25 years. |
Update: When I last left this thread (8/02) I had owned Thiel CS 2.3's. Since then I owned VR-4JR's for three years. Now, I own a pair of single driver speakers from commonsenseaudio.com: Lowther 2.8 Ambience. |
Large Advents DCM Time Windows Definitive Tech BP8s Totem Model 1 signatures B&W Nautilus 804s B&W Nautilus 802s |
panasonic 2 ways $100 new quadraflex $250 used b&w dm110i's $400 new silverline sr16's $850 used dynaudio 1.3 mkII's $1200 used TOTEM MODEL 1 SIGNATUR's $1700 new |
SRL 4.4 (clueless bliss, my first purchase) Original Carver Amazing loudspeaker (still have but, unused, plan to carve up into satellite sys with active crossover) DCM Time Frame 1000 JBL L80t (still have but, unused) JBL L100t3 (still have but, unused) JBL 4410 monitors (current Garage system with ss) VMPS towers, 240lb beasts (current Family room system with ss) AR TWS-910 (still have but carving up for a project) Original AR9 (current primary with tubes) JBL L250ti (current Master bedroom system with ss) Cambridge Soundworks M80 (just purchased for an office system with tubes) |
I started in 1976 with some speakers from Team electronics. I think the brand was Atlantis? I was 16 and within 6 months I had went through every speaker they sold and ended up with with Bose 901s the best thing they had. I had the stands but eventually hung them from chains from my ceiling and when I crakned AC/DC they would swing because of the massive amounts of air coming from the ports in the back. I thought they sounded great and they went pretty loud. I had those for about 2 years and then I built a huge pair of speakers using Gauss 15" woofers in 6 cubic foot ported boxes. For mids I used JBL wooden horns hooked up to JBL 2461 midrange drivers and JBL2405 slot tweeters in their own seperate boxes. Now I had the same speakers that the bands were using to make the music. They were bi-amped with a yamaha power amp for the bass and a NAD integrated for the high end all running through passive and electronic crossovers. I was 18 and didn't have a car but EVERYBODY partied at my house!! LOL. With only 35 more watts per channel than with the bose I now had concert level decibles and I realized how bad the bose not only sucked watts but how bad they sounded. Then came marriage, kids, and the big speakers went in to storage. B&W 601 for years, then Totem Sttaf, and now I have JMR Offrandes, but I have the bug and I have been looking for some floorstanders that will get down to the low 20's. P.S. I sold the Bose for what I paid for them after owning them for 2 years and I just sold all of the individual components to the speakers I built in 1976 on Ebay. Russ |
Scott S-17 1972 $40 pair EPI Microtowers 1975 $60 pair B&O S45 1978 $300 pair CHARTWELL LS3/5a 1980 $375 pair Large Advent 1986 $125 pair MAGNEPAN SMG1 1986 $475 pair Theil CS2 1990 $750 pair LINN KAN 2 1993 $400 pair Cambridge Soundworks 1996 $500 pair SOUND DYNAMICS 300 TI 1997 $525 pair Paradigm Monitor 5 v2 2001 $400 pair Von Schweikert VR1 2003 $899 pair SPENDOR SP1/2 2003 $1000 pair
Overall favorites: LS3/5a and Magnepans. Second tier: Spendor SP1/2, Linn Kan, Sound Dynamics
And a few others that we either HT oriented or short lived. |
Wow, lets seeif I can remember.
*Design Acoustics DA-10 Sub/Sat System, mid-80's & college. *Calibration Standard Instruments, (Ed Long Designed) MDM-TA3 near field studio monitors late 80's, mid 90's. *Monitor Audio Silver 4i's, late 90's *JM Labs Cobalt 826's Current ***COMING SOON... Totem Acoustic, Wind's*** |
OK, I'm doing this for the therapeutic value as I have not confronted the problem...
I. No longer have:
1. Home made 3-way acoustic suspension 2. Cerwin-Vega D-3, great when I primarily listened to rock
II. Still have:
1. SoundSource (Cuthbert, GA 1983) dMa, approx. $300 new 2. Advent Laureate, used $75 3. Klipsch kg2, used, $100 4. Klipsch KG 3.5, used, $185 5. KLIPSCH CHORUS II, used, $750 6. Spica TC-50, used, $100 7. SPICA TC-60, used, $375 8. SPICA ANGELUS, used, $305 9. JBL L166 Horizon, used, factory surround replacement, $450 10. JBL S109 AQUARIUS IV, TWO PAIR, total $610 11. Harman/Kardon HK50, used, $50 12. SNELL J SERIES II, used, $350 plus new surrounds 13. SNELL E SERIES II, used, $200 plus new surrounds 14. B&W DM601 S2, new, $440 15. Spendor S6e, demo, $1,400
I have a tolerant wife, the finished, windowless basement is mine, and I tend to have several vintage systems that I don't get rid of (an Arcam/Rega system bi-amping the Spendors in the living room is the exception). I am a public and college radio junkie, so several vintage tuners simultaneously running and spread throughout the house explains the need for the large number of mediocre boxes (that and my love for tung oil and steel wool sessions). I wish I had traded up sonically, but I suppose that would come if I moved or downsized. The Aquarius IV's (running off the A+B of a Kenwood KA-8300) got me into omnidirectional sound, and I imagine that my next pair will be ordered from Ohm new or purchased here on Audiogon. Always wanted a pair of Thiels, perhaps after I divest of all this old lumber and buy some modern monoblocks to drive the Ohms... She swallwoed the spider to catch the fly... |
Canton Nestors Boston Acoustics vr3
Justin Olson Jolson@mail.roosevelt.edu Trumpet Gaudete Brass www.GaudeteBrass.com |
Mid 50's Magnavox floor cabinet mono system w/Garard t/t.Very early 60's Janzen 130's w/a 10"Janzen woofers in homemade cabinets.Dynakits mk3 & I forget the Dynakit pre#Dynakit tuner,Fairchild 130B-T/T. SME tonearm V15 cartridge.Late 60's home built JBL's same e/t.70'sBose 901's w/Kenwood int.amp/pre.&tuner,Miracord tt.80's,Snell type A imp.Kenwood LO-M7's,Forte 44 pre.Rega tt/goldring cart.Panasonic CD player (ugh).90'sAcoustat 2+2,NYAL Moscode 600,Klyne SK6 pre. a better cd player,Sony #?.2002 & on NHT VT2.4 w/surrounds & Sub1,Bel Canto Evo 200.2 still have the LO=M7's.Sony 9000es pre/proc.Sony dvp 999es.Sorry 'philes,no more tt.Got the big screen Sony but I'm looking to get back to stereo & now on the hunt for speakers(large). |
diy about $120 for parts / new RECTILINEAR 3 $350 / NEW bose 901 series IV $600 / new infinity tower II $400 / new klipsch heresy $700 / new KLIPSCH LA SCALA $1600 / NEW LEGACY FOCUS 20/20 $6300 / NEW |
Rat Shack Criterion two-ways KLH Model 5 DIY LS3 5a - KEF T27 and B110 Acoustat Model 2 Vandersteen 2Ce Quad ESL63 w/ Janus W2 subs, Dalhquist DQLP-1 crossover KEF 104/2 Green Mountain Europa w/ Vandy 2Wq Merlin TSM-MM w/ Vandy 2Wq |
Definitive Technology BP-10 Magnepan 3.5R Martin Logan SL3 Martin Logan Prodigy VMPS RM40 SP Technology Continuum A.D. Vandersteen 5As Evolution Acoustics MM Three (Done) |
My first speaker purchase was a pair of JBL 4301B monitors which I purchased new from an audio retailer for $235.
Fifteen years later, I obtained a pair of Dahlquist DQ10s which I bought at auction for $299. They needed extensive refurbishment but sounded great.
Currently running a pair of factory rebuilt Magneplanar SMGs which I purchased at auction for $275 |
Definitive Tech. BP 10 very early Soliloquy monitor Soliloquy 2 1/2 way floorstander JM Labs Mini-Utopia Avantgarde Duo(5 years) DeVore Fidelity Super Gibbon(?) Ocellia Celia Silver (All purchased new,except for S. monitor) Ocellia SMOKES 'em ALL (on music,not subways and sound effects) |
Great question!
All speaker replacing took place for room related or financial reasons.
1. Sennheiser HD40 headphones -$90-(Shoestring budget) 2. Acoustic Research AR5 -----$200-(A bargain !) 3. JBL homemade TL 15-inch ---$400-(High efficiency !) 4. Altec Lansing model 19 --$1,000-(Tangerine, aaaah !) 5. ADS L-400 mini-monitors ---$400-(Moved to small house) 6. Canton Plus 3-piece set ---$200-(Moved to bedroom) 7. Acoustic Research AR3a ----$300-(Old darling) 8. Marantz Imperial 8 --------$200-(Teen age memories) 9. Advent (Original large ----$200-(Couldn't resist) 10. B&W CM-120 In-wall --------$200-(Just curious) 11. Quad 988 w/Seas pipe Sub $4,000-(Large listening area)
All speakers except ADS were used and needed repair. All bad components where replaced with better quality. Quads needed no repair and only mod was upgrade with new cardas speaker terminals.
Happy holidays to all!
Jotam |
KLH 20, Advent, Thiel 03a, Vandersteen 2C, Audio Physic Virgo II, Vandersteen Quatro |
1. Some old drivers I tore out of an RCA console stereo from the 1950's and put into homemade boxes 2. A pair of Merlins (forget the model number, but entry level) from the late 1980's 3. Merlin Signature 4 Bi-wires (still have them on 'passive display') from the late 1980's 4. Merlin VSM-Milleniums 5. Merlin VSM-MX with the superBAM 6. Peak Consult Incognito X |
speakers de la ed:
1. mission 70 (w/ some akai receiver) - circa 1984 ....college starts
2a. mission 700 Leading Edge (the same akai receiver) - approx 1988
2b. mission 700 Leading Edge (new NAD integrated amp) - circa 1999
3. celestion F1 (with the NAD integrated amp) circa 2001
4. tetra 120U (with Denon AVR4306 in a 5.1 system - 3 120Us as L/C/R) starting 2006
/fancy eh?/
/it's been good listening for me/ |
Here goes:
o Altec 604C in Klipsch-designed Empire Electrovoice enclosure; then built a second identical enclosure from plans and equipped it with a 604E ($275, plus $70 for materials) o KEF 101s WITH AUDIO PRO SUBWOOFER ($1,100) o KEF 104/2s with Velodyne 15" subwoofer ($3,700) o APOGEE DUETTA SIGNATURES ($3,700) o B&W 801 SERIES 3s ($5,500) o MAGNEPAN 3.5Rs WITH VANDERSTEEN 2WQ SUBWOOFERS ($5,900) |
Klipsch chorus II, what kind of shipping are we talking about? finish? condition? and what is your location? Vic 701-223-6315 |
those who i remember... teenager: MULIDINE accord MAGNEPAN MG MARTIN LOGAN Aerius MARTIN LOGAN QUEST adult: GENESIS 6.1 GENESIS II.V now since 5 Years: CELLO Serafin Active Speaker. |
Fisher towers w/ 12" woofers 3 yrs Pinnicle mini monitors 1 yr cambridge soundworks ensemble 2 2 yrs Vandersteen 2ce 5 yrs Talon Audio Khorus 1 yr Wilson Watt Puppy 5.1 5years and going for the record |
1)Infinity's RS 2?? Not too sure of the model number,but they where my first serious leap into this crazy venture.They where book shelf speaker as a matter of fact it was the first time I heard that term!(BOOK SHELF) I remain an infinity fan and jump into their Power speaker line, the 2)Overture 1's the cc3,and the quads rear! I was Like this is it! Nope a few years later I purchased a pair of 3)Intermezzo,with the smaller surrounds can't remember the name,but every once in while they show up here for sale. Nice sound but grown tiered of the power tower thing. So got a pair of 4)Def tech Mythos 1 for the bedroom,and a pair of 5)Energy Veritas v2 4i for the living room which sound great & clean,very transparent indeed! So at the moment the Veritas are in the process of being sold to be replace by a pair of 6)MYTHOS ST that I preorder they are more for aesthetic reasons you know the old WAF.I've always played it safe with the choices of brand,and mainstream sound.What a roller coaster it has be,lets see what over the horizon?
Daniel(aka Tav) |
polk r20- $60 technics- gift from uncle who said they were too big. gave to little brother upon... ESS 1b bookshelf- free, but had to refoam them (loving the heil) probably will keep the ESS's for quite a while. |