Recommend an amp + pre for ESL 57s and a new turntable (way out of my league)
Hi all, longtime lurker now starting my semi-serious venture into all of this. I was recently gifted a pair of Quad ESL 57s, a Well Tempered Labs Amadeus GTA turntable, and a Miyajima Labs Shilabe cartridge. I need a preamp and amplifier for the system on a budget of ~$1000 - $1500. I currently have an old Harman Kardon Stereo Festival (TA-230) receiver, which is just a cool piece of old, barely working, shits-n-gigs gear I used to drive some junky speakers with in college. It hasn't been plugged in in two years and even if its still works, I don't think it's a great match for my system. What would you recommend? I am most interested in listening to some old mono blues, jazz, and folk LPs I have, and I imagine most of the records I collect in the future will be similar (I know I have a stereo cart, which I've always understood to be fine for this?).
Some guiding questions:
- Seems like a favorite for the ESLs are a pair of heathkit UA-1s. Another that I'm seeing well recommended is the Dyna st35. Thoughts? Does it make sense to spend ~$700 - $1000 on a nice amp and get something more basic for the pre in the $400 range? (Rega fono??)
- Should I get a nicer preamp to match my cart and go with something more basic wrt amplification? Not sure what is good in the way of cheaper(?) amps to drive these speakers.
- In the event that I stretch my budget and wait a bit between buying one and the other (to save back up lol), would I get more out of a ~$1200 amp and the cheapest preamp that will work, or a ~$1200 pre and the cheapest amp that will work? What would the cheapest preamp and amp that "will work" be in the meantime? What would be in the $1200 range for each, respectively?
Thank you if you took the time to read this! I will be cleaning the dust off the Quads in the meantime.
@arg6442 No Prob's with the Inquiries at my end. The N'chrome is the Modular 86 (65W), there was once a 286 option, but not a current design and the current increased Power Model is the 386, my reports on experiences had, was instrumental in quite a few in the UK adopting the 386 and they remain loyal to this day, having it supersede Power Amp's with a good pedigree and reputation. |
I am familiar with all Quad ESL Models being driven by SS and Valve Power Amp's and having both Analogue Vinyl and Digital CD as the main Source Materials. Certain unowned models are ones I have multiple hours of being in their company used in systems I am very familiar with. I have only ever felt later production 63's were falling short of Sibling models, to the point of being unliked. Early production 63's, not too easy to find, had been as impressive as any Quad ESL that has been demo's to me. |
@elliottbnewcombjr - the 57 has a modulus of impedance that rises as frequency falls and falls as frequency rises. They are a difficult load but not in the way difficult cone speakers are.
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The best taps may depend on the amplifier. Try 8 or 16 and hear what sounds best. I’ve tried many amps on my Quads. The Heath UAD-1 sounded good in a reflective space, but didn’t have enough power to drive them in my living room. A Scott 5791 integrated was just OK. An Anthem Integrated One was nice on midrange, but loose on the low end. A Bedini 25/25 was also pretty good overall, but was unreliable, and replacement caps made it a bit thin-sounding. Finally went up a bit in price and got a used Cronus Magnum. It ticked all the boxes. But I still needed a sub to cover the lowest frequencies (an 8” Velodyne, crossing over gently at 50hz). Swapped the KT88’s for KT120s and barely use the sub anymore. Should add that the speakers had been upgraded by One Thing Audio by the previous owner, with the benefit of extended high frequency response and added power protection. The Quads are magical for many kinds of music, but not all. Also, even when perfectly positioned, their magic can only really be experienced within an 18” circle that fits only one head at a time. Definitely not a “social speaker”- more like a awesome set of room-size headphones. I should add that they also benefit from any improvements at the source end. Assuming a good preamp with phono, you may well find that the shape of your stylus has a bigger impact on sound quality than anything else in the chain. |
