My first pair of planar speakers were the Maggie Tympani 1Ds back in the early 1970s. The were physically huge, required multiple ARC Tube amps to sound their best, and yes, were often mistaken for a pair of dressing screens. But the sound experience they produced was, and still would be no doubt to this day, truely world class.
When I moved to a major metropolitan area and smaller living quarters, I replaced them with a pair of Infinity ServoStatics, which were physically MUCH smaller, but sounded terrific, on stands, right up until they would arc-over and need RTR elements replaced.
Later on I moved on to the much more reliable Accoustat 2s, then the 1+1s, and finally the 2+2s and direct drive amps. But no matter what I tried, they still had an artificial, over etched sound about them that I couldn’t live with in the long run. To my ear, the Martin Logan’s have a tendency toward those those same colorations.
I was very happy with Audiostatics for several years, but no matter what I tried, I never could never get a subwoofer that could seamlessly give them the bass augmentation they needed.
The sound of Carver’s Amazing Speakers caught my ear for a number of years, and the BG Radia with the same ribbon driver was also a keeper.
I have tried all kinds of box speakers along the way, from Celestion, to KEF, to B&W, and even ARC triamped Fulton J Modulars, but none could ever provide the immediacy and immersive soundfield of planers.
After over 40 years of searching for a completely satisfying sound system, I heard a pair of Sound Labs M-1s at a friends’s home. Finally, after all these years of searching, I had found the sound quality that I have always hoped would be possible.
I bought a used pair of Sound Labs M-1s and sent them to the factory to have the panels and backplates brought up to date. The people at Sound Labs were very friendly and helpful and walked me through the whole process. For me, Sound Lab speakers and Pass Labs electronics provide absolute sonic nirvana. I am retired now, and often have 4 or more hours listening sessions, day after day. The sound quality is so spookily realistic that I am continually amazed at how much more there is to be heard and enjoy on all of my favorite recordings.
Sound Labs electrostatic speakers have been around for so long that, years ago, J Gordon Holt used to use them for his personal reference. In recent years, Sound Lab has made changes in their panel and backplate design that make them more efficient and even better than ever. The most recent developments have made it possible to produce the same quality of sound by noticeably smaller sized panels than my M-1s.
Sound Labs has chosen to remain a niche company, with a small production and only a handful of dealers world wide. If you buy a pair of their speakers, it will not be because of any advertising or mass marketing on their part. They are the opposite of Martin Logan. More like Magnepan. Much more like Sanders. You will have to go out of your way to get them, but they are well worth the effort.
By the way, I am not affiliated with Sound Labs or Pass Labs, or anybody else. I am just a home music lover, who, after all these years, has finally found the almost perfect speaker. I say “almost perfect speaker” because to me, the truely perfect speaker would sound exactly like these Sound Labs, but would be as small as a Rogers LS3/5a.
When I moved to a major metropolitan area and smaller living quarters, I replaced them with a pair of Infinity ServoStatics, which were physically MUCH smaller, but sounded terrific, on stands, right up until they would arc-over and need RTR elements replaced.
Later on I moved on to the much more reliable Accoustat 2s, then the 1+1s, and finally the 2+2s and direct drive amps. But no matter what I tried, they still had an artificial, over etched sound about them that I couldn’t live with in the long run. To my ear, the Martin Logan’s have a tendency toward those those same colorations.
I was very happy with Audiostatics for several years, but no matter what I tried, I never could never get a subwoofer that could seamlessly give them the bass augmentation they needed.
The sound of Carver’s Amazing Speakers caught my ear for a number of years, and the BG Radia with the same ribbon driver was also a keeper.
I have tried all kinds of box speakers along the way, from Celestion, to KEF, to B&W, and even ARC triamped Fulton J Modulars, but none could ever provide the immediacy and immersive soundfield of planers.
After over 40 years of searching for a completely satisfying sound system, I heard a pair of Sound Labs M-1s at a friends’s home. Finally, after all these years of searching, I had found the sound quality that I have always hoped would be possible.
I bought a used pair of Sound Labs M-1s and sent them to the factory to have the panels and backplates brought up to date. The people at Sound Labs were very friendly and helpful and walked me through the whole process. For me, Sound Lab speakers and Pass Labs electronics provide absolute sonic nirvana. I am retired now, and often have 4 or more hours listening sessions, day after day. The sound quality is so spookily realistic that I am continually amazed at how much more there is to be heard and enjoy on all of my favorite recordings.
Sound Labs electrostatic speakers have been around for so long that, years ago, J Gordon Holt used to use them for his personal reference. In recent years, Sound Lab has made changes in their panel and backplate design that make them more efficient and even better than ever. The most recent developments have made it possible to produce the same quality of sound by noticeably smaller sized panels than my M-1s.
Sound Labs has chosen to remain a niche company, with a small production and only a handful of dealers world wide. If you buy a pair of their speakers, it will not be because of any advertising or mass marketing on their part. They are the opposite of Martin Logan. More like Magnepan. Much more like Sanders. You will have to go out of your way to get them, but they are well worth the effort.
By the way, I am not affiliated with Sound Labs or Pass Labs, or anybody else. I am just a home music lover, who, after all these years, has finally found the almost perfect speaker. I say “almost perfect speaker” because to me, the truely perfect speaker would sound exactly like these Sound Labs, but would be as small as a Rogers LS3/5a.