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Ebo Unregistered guest | Have not heard anyone speak of these speakers.Years ago that was the speaker toget.Are they just ok or no good any more.Loved the sound of the ADS very clear (years ago). |
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nate dog Unregistered guest | I have a set of five sb3's with a old low end reciever and sub. Suprisingly it sounds quite good. A friend was so impressed with the sb3's that he went to audition NHT speakers and bought a set of t5's (complete souround sound). His system is powered with a HK AVR325 and sounds amazing! The AVR325 seems like it would be to small for t5's, but it's louder than you would ever want to watch a complete movie at. His system is easily comparable to any of the good movie theaters around. I actually think his home theater sounds better than most movie theaters (incredibly good imaging and detail). All in all, we are both extreemly happy with NHT. |
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Silver Member Username: Elitefan1Post Number: 766 Registered: Dec-03 | NHT makes very good speakers but unfortunatly ADS is not in the home speaker market anymore. I looked up their website and they are more into commercial stuff. Very sad as the ADS line in the 70's was indeed in my area the best speaker line for the money by far. The ADS 710 was a real classic. |
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Unregistered guest | Does anyone have the website or address for ADS speakers? I have a pair and need to order speaker covers for them. ANY info would be helpful |
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Anonymous | Not true - ADS speakers are still available, but the company isn't exactly the same as they were 20 years ago (and who of us is?). Try |
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Anonymous | I absolutely love ADS loudspeakers, the older ones that is. I remember when they teamed up w/ Nakamichi to produce (at that time) the most amazing car audio system I had ever heard. It rivaled the CD systems of today, only it was a cassette format. The amplifiers were inside the small surface mounted speaker boxes. As for their larger home speakers, still the most accurate sounding loudspeakers I've ever heard. Truly awesome. Anyone know who might be selling surrounds for their drivers? |
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wabuba Unregistered guest | SCORE! My wife and I were taking a bike ride last Saturday evening through an upscale suburb in Sacramento. We turned a corner and there was pair of speakers sitting at the curb with a hand lettered sign reading, "Free, please take." A quick inspection showed a back plate reading, " Braun, Frankfurt, W/ Germany Model L500A, Made in USA by Analog and Digital Systems. ARIA, 4 Ohms" I called our teenage son on the cell phone and told him to pick them up while we continued our ride. When we got home some Howard Restore A Finish and 0000 steel wool brought the walnut enclosures up to a beautiful finish with only minor scratches on the bottoms. A pass with the vacuum cleaned the removable wheat colored woven grilles nicely. The drivers are 8 inch rubber surround woofers and 1.25" textile tweeters with no damage what so ever. Right now I'm listening to jazz through them- they're perfect! These are the speakers I wanted so badly back in '77 but couldn't afford then. It's amazing what people will throw away. I have to wonder if the owner knew what they were disposing of. |
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Unregistered guest | Awesome find on the ADS L500's! ADS produced some of the purist sounding speakers ever. I have a pair of the L-910 Series II Studio Monitors for sale if anyone knows someone that might be interested. I bought them new in 1978 when I worked in an audio boutique in Raleigh, NC. I'll include the optional steel stands and I'll also throw in a backup pair of dome tweeters and an additional pair of grill covers. The crossover was upgraded to handle high-powered amps (I was using a McIntosh MC2205) and the woofer chambers were repacked for tighter bottom end response with more power. They are in nearly perfect condition - rounded corner German walnut cabinets with black removeable grills. I'll accept the first $1100 offer. |
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dwm7011 Unregistered guest | I have a pair of ADS speakers that I bought in the late 80s and still sound fantastic. I need new speaker covers, however. Anyone know where I can look for speaker covers? |
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New member Username: PelonTemple, Texas Bell Post Number: 1 Registered: Aug-05 | I have a pair of ads m12 I bought theme from a friend I worked with they even came with an owners manual I paid $200. for theme. they have dual 8 inch woofers a 5.25 mid and a 1 in. copolymer dome tweeter. I bought theme in 97. I called ads to get some imfo on theme I was told that they were german designed if that means any thing to you. Ialso have a pair of L7s I paid $80. for theme they are in mint condition. I was told they were made in the 80s. I do not know much about home audio as I do car audio. but I know I got two good bargains. for old ads speaker repair call regnar AT 631 289 6559 THEY ARE AN AUTHORIZED ADS REPAIR SERVICE |
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Colorado Jeff Unregistered guest | I swear by ADS! I've had a pair of 1530 monitors since 1979 that have never given me a bit of problem other than a blown fuse. I'm powering each of them with a pair of Carver M400 cubes. ADS makes the Carver Sonic Holography experience incredible. Now, what I'd really like to find is the ADS C-2000 bi-amplifier. If anyone knows how I can get my hands on it, I'd appreciate it. |
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Unregistered guest | Hey, I'm listening to my ADS 910s right now, through a Crown IC150A and D150A. "Wanted: The Outlaws" by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings et al. |
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Anonymous | Wow...interesting where you find a thread going from a simple google search. I own a pair of A/D/S L-710 speakers. I found them at a GoodWill store. I'd never heard of A/D/S before, however one usually doesn't see walnut veneered well built speakers with 5-way binding posts, removable metal grilles, a pair of rubber-surround 6" drivers and a dome/textile 2" mid-driver and 1" tweeter. So I took them home since my Goodwill let's you return stuff if you don't like it in 7 days. Needless to say when I got these suckers home I was way surprised. After making sure all their drivers worked, I hooked them up to some Aragon equipment (4004 MkII Amp / 18k pre) and set them up on some 2' stands. WOW beautiful sound immediately before I dialed them into the room. They are exceptionally clear and have a wonderful low end. Mids are good but not the absolute best I've heard. All around a great full range speaker solution for a 2.0 high-end system or a surround application. Check here for more info: |
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Unregistered guest | I have owned a pair ADS 910's since 1978. After all these years I finally have one of the 10" woofers rattling and not sounding good at all. Anyone know where I can get a replacement or have it rebuilt? |
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Liv4cycling Unregistered guest | Great to see a thread about a/d/s speakers!! My L7e monitors from the late 1980s are still going strong and will (soon) be the rear guard in a 5.1 HT setup. |
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New member Username: N2hockyWichita, Kansas USA Post Number: 2 Registered: Jan-06 | I have a buddy at work who is offering to sell me his ADS M12's. Perfect condition in the black finish. He wants to me to give him a fair offer for them. What would be a fair offer? He bought them new 10 years ago. |
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New member Username: Audi91205Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-06 | i have a pair of the ADS L9e speaker in great shape, if some one interested to buy email me melikian.m@gmail.com |
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New member Username: MozartmindOlympia, WA Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-06 | I just picked up a SX 750 Pioneer Receiver in very good condition with a PS 72 Direct Drive Turntable and a pair of L500 ADS Speakers. About 30 classical albums in perfect condition came with it. All for $100. It sounds great! I had a lower model (650)of the receiver back in the late 70s and regretted giving it up. It's nice to see real stereo equipment again in my house instead of the all look alike stuff of today. The ADS speakers are incredible, considering their age. The sharpness of the midrange and highs is unreal and the bass excellent for this type of music. I would have had to pay nearly a grand to get this good of sound today. I won't make the same mistake twice. |
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New member Username: RockmanPost Number: 1 Registered: Apr-06 | I own a pair of the ADS L2030 monitor speakers. Does anyone know where I can get the drivers repaired? I love these speakers and want to keep them in top shape. Thanks |
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New member Username: BsufbfanPost Number: 1 Registered: Apr-06 | ADS L-2030, you lucky #$@!%. Anyway, go to ebay, look up the seller "ads speakers" and email him your repair questions. His name is Richard So, and he use to work for ADS and has some repair parts left. Good Luck. Mike |
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New member Username: FlexiflyerPost Number: 1 Registered: Apr-06 | Funny how this turned into an ADS thread! I have gone down to my local hi-fi shop and listened to narrow towers with stacked 5-6" drivers... definitly built to be used with a sub. I can not find a pair of speakers to rival my L-810's for under $3500.00. I love them and only wish I had more time to sit in front of them and just listen. I also own minty L-910's, minty 810's, 780/2's, 620's and minty 300's. I have a pair of mach 1's and AR 91's for louder listening, I baby all my ADS. |
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New member Username: CoprockPost Number: 1 Registered: May-06 | I was a proud owner of a pair of ADS L570s purchased new in the late 80s for $300. A fantastic speaker with beautiful walnut veneer. Unfortunately, they were stolen when my house was burglarized a few years later. A true shame the company was sold and no longer focuses on home speakers. Does any company make speakers with such a nice finish anymore? I sort of redisovered ADS speakers a few months ago when trying to find a nice set of 4ohm bookshelf speakers to hook up to a Sonic T Amp, this marvelous $30 featherlight battery powered amp the size of a couple of decks of cards. Although only 6-10 watts, these little amps provide fantastic clarity at low power levels. I purchased a pair of ADS L200 environmental speakers (4" driver and dome tweeter) and a pair of L300 (5" driver and dome tweeter) each for about $100 a pair on ebay. Both come in a metal/steel cabinet. Both pairs sounded great with the little amp. I have since upgarded to the Sonic Impact Super T Amp ($139) which is a vastly better built version of the original t-amp. The combination of the new amp and l300s with an M&K VX-7 sub (also purchased on ebay for $90)is nothing short of phenomenal. I am using this set up with my computer and cannot believe the quality of sound, even with mp3 files (ripped with the lame encoder at the alt preset standard setting) and a dated Soundblaster live value soundcard. Listening to music from my computer is now a true joy. The speakers truly translate the nuances of the t amp. Background guitar, string, horn percussion parts really stand out. Funny, I hear nuances in cds that I have owned for 20 years that I have never heard before. The quality and durability of these ADS speakers with the rubber speaker surrounds is undeniable. I hope to use these for many years. Although this is a secondary hifi system, I cannot believe the fidelity and enjoyment that $350 has purchased. In fact, I seem to listen to this system more than my primary system. I will now make a portable system with the first, cheaper t amp I purchased, the L200s, a pelican waterproof camera breifcase and my ipod to travel with. It is worth noting that the new ADS company (www.adst.com) still makes these speakers but are now called L210 and L310. Hopefully, they have not messed with the components too much. |
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New member Username: Lone_star_statePost Number: 1 Registered: Jun-06 | FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR ADS REPAIR, I HAVE YOUR SOLUTION!!! His name is Richard, and he resides in AZ. (Phone: 480-452-9736) His prices are pretty good, plus he pays for return shipping. He uses all factory parts (don't ask me how) to repair the drivers. The going rates are $40 for tweeter, $45 for midrange, and $60 for woofers. This includes a rebuild of the spider, cone, and surround. I found him one day while not looking for ADS repairs...funny how some things just pop up when you least expect them to. I too have a pair of L2030's that need the drivers repaired. I had been looking for about 4 months or so when I came across it. Now, I just need that darn paycheck. Let me know what happens fellas. If anything is not clear on this, email me at izzkidiotouknow@yahoo.com |
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New member Username: RockmanPost Number: 2 Registered: Apr-06 | Andrew, I highly recommend Richard So for ADS speaker repair. I own a set of L2030's and Richard recently repaired the tweeters. He did a great job and was very fast on the turn-around of the units. WOW! The speakers sound great! As a L2030 owner, you know what I am talking about. |
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New member Username: Lone_star_statePost Number: 2 Registered: Jun-06 | I believe I will be sending them to him before the end of this month. Thanks for the reply, I was wondering if anyone else out there knew about him. That is good that he is known among other audiophiles. There are a few others, one in PA and NY, but no one else uses genuine ADS parts. |
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Bronze Member Username: 1stimerPost Number: 47 Registered: Mar-05 | I will 3rd the reccomendation for Richard So. Great work on my ADS 910's. |
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Bronze Member Username: 1stimerPost Number: 48 Registered: Mar-05 | He used to work for ADS. That's how he still has some parts left. He also sells under the name ads_speakers on e-bay if you want to check his reputation there. |
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New member Username: Lone_star_statePost Number: 3 Registered: Jun-06 | Yeah, I have sent the drivers off, and I will be calling him on Monday to check the status. |
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New member Username: Lone_star_statePost Number: 4 Registered: Jun-06 | UPDATE: Richard did a fantastic job, and I am probably going to send the rest of my drivers to him for repair. He is going to make a lot of money off of me...reccomend him highly as well.. |
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New member Username: Spd2112Post Number: 1 Registered: Oct-06 | I've had a pair of L910 studio monitors for years. I run them in biamp mode. These speakers can be bi-amped or tri-amped using different cards that plug into the crossover. The sound is jawdropping. Problem has always been the active crossover. Manual (when I could still find it) recommended a crossover frequency of 400Hz or 425Hz. Originally I used an ADS car crossover where you could set the filter by using different resistors. This kept crapping out so I went to a heathkit active crossover who's top frequency was 125 Hz. Hardly optimum. About a year ago my sumo amps starting blowing fuses both the low and mid upper. Decided it was time to retire the whole system. Now I'm using an aperion 5.1 with the towers for regular stereo and the rest for home theater. All driven by their own outlaw block amp. It's great sound, clean but....no punch I miss my L910s. I couldn't bear to part with the 910's so I had them gone thru by a local electronics shop. I picked up a rane ac 22b active crossover to nail the 400 hz. 2 more outlaw block amps and I'm set to change the aperion mains to my old 910's. Except I can't find the manuals and there's to many connections to try and wing it. I need a manual for the ADS L910 studio monitors, or just a photocopy of the connection page showing which terminals to use for bi-amp. Also, I have a pair of the led power monitors for these speakers. For those that don't know, that line of holes in the front of the crossover is for an optional led readout. It reacts to input power, rising and falling, very visible thru the mesh cover and very cool. Only works in single amp mode . Plugs right into the crossover. I'd part wth them cheap. But really I need help with a L910 manual. Anyone? |
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New member Username: BsufbfanPost Number: 2 Registered: Apr-06 | A poster named "Soundmotor" use to work at ADS and probably has what you're looking for. |
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New member Username: JtrbugMethuen, Ma. USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-07 | Wow Just found this forum. A customer just found a pair of very rare BC-8 ADS Studio Monitors and needs a Dome Mid for it. Any info Please contact me. I use to work for ADS back in mid 70,s would love to hear from people that have ADS stuff. |
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New member Username: RhdjrBrooklyn, Md United states Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-07 | I have a pair of a/d/s L 2030 need some help with the highs are turning on protection light therefore no highs are playing is there anyone that can help me find Richard or any help would be very appreciated. |
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New member Username: RockmanPost Number: 3 Registered: Apr-06 | Richard's E-Mail address is 'ads_speakers@yahoo.com'. I highly recommend his work. I also own a pair of L2030s; awesome speakers! |
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New member Username: 7wangeriPost Number: 1 Registered: Apr-07 | We have a pair ADS 1350 speakers that are about 17 - 18 years old (or about that age). We inherited these speakers -- which are about 50 x 24 x 12 -- about 10 years ago and have used them very little since. As best as I can tell, the speakers are in perfect working condition and sound absolutely wonderful. They do, however, have cat scratches in the mesh and the mesh probably should be replaced. We are "downsizing" and no longer have room for these speakers. Do you know somebody who might be intersested in buying them? If not, could you suggest a reasonable price that we might use if we offered them on ebay / craigslist, etc. We are in Chicago. Please respond to 7wangeri@jmls.edu Thanks Paul W |
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New member Username: SpetersonPost Number: 1 Registered: Jun-07 | We have a pair of ADS L1290 speakers. We are moving out of the country and would like to find someone interested in purchasing. The screens need replacing but the speakers are in the original boxes when purchased. If interested, please respond to speterson52@sbcglobal.net Thanks, Steve |
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New member Username: JtrbugMethuen, Ma. USA Post Number: 2 Registered: Feb-07 | Looking for parts for ADS BC-8 Speakers and also want a pair of CM-7,s. Once Had a rare Grey pair. Please E mail me info@jtrbug.com Also would would like to hear from people who worked there. I worked there in the mid 70,s |
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Bronze Member Username: LobsterPost Number: 18 Registered: Oct-07 | I have a pair of adsL810s. I was thinking about replacing them but after listening to them properly with a better receiver & set up etc. I dont think I will. |
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New member Username: BsufbfanPost Number: 3 Registered: Apr-06 | You're heading in the right direction Christopher, I hooked my ADS L-880's to an nice pair of vintage Aragon seperates and a tube CD player and the results are unbelievable. |
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Bronze Member Username: LobsterPost Number: 23 Registered: Oct-07 | Thanks. The only problem is that my wife does not like them because of the size and how they look in the living room. I dont want to spend money because they still sound good. Right now she is winning the battle!! |
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New member Username: CrayonPost Number: 1 Registered: Feb-08 | A little embarassing... I've been living in this condo for over 17 years and have a set of ADS speakers in the ceiling upstairs and the 8 pin din downstairs with two speaker connections on each side of the room. I've never used them because of my stereos wasn't compatible - or so I thought. Anyway... I am in the process of selling my condo and the question has come up about them. I got thinking... can I use a 8 din to RCA cable to hook up my ipod to it? or my iPod Speaker dock? Any help would be appreciated. |
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New member Username: Mich_esserTexas Post Number: 1 Registered: Sep-08 | Hello, I want to thank Andrew for head recomdation of Richard So in Arizona, for ADS repairs. I have a pair of the Grey CM7's that are finally in need of a rebuild of the drivers and off they go to Richard. I was wondering if anyone remembers the matching subwoofer that was sold with these back in the day? I believe they had and internal 300 watt amp. Wish I'd bought it with the CM7's. But I couldn't afford them all together at the same time and intended on buying the sub later. Anyone ever see one for sale please let me know. Thanks |
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New member Username: WbrPost Number: 1 Registered: Jun-09 | I have a pair of L780 II's. I love em, but they're oddly muffled directly in front of the cabinets. You have to be above axis to catch the full range of mid-to-upper end. The only ADS speakers I've owned, how do these speakers compare with other ADS models of the time? Thanks |
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New member Username: TedstrPost Number: 1 Registered: Sep-09 | I am running a pair of L810s bought in 1982. I have shipped them from Detroit to LA to Boston to DC where I live now. I think I paid about $500-$600 for them. Braun the German consumer electronics company owned ADS at the time. They also made a fantastic reel to reel tape deck back then. I also owned a pair of the car audio speakers though they were stolen. Braun was owned briefly by The Gillette Company where my dad worked. I bought them with his company discount. I run them now with an Adcom GFA 7500. When I put that in in 2001 I could not believe the sound improvement. They have a nominal 4 ohm load so no doubt the 225 watts @4 ohms out of this unit gave them new life. My wife didn't care for them much either, but they are off in a den now so she's cool. |
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New member Username: JtrbugMethuen, Ma. USA Post Number: 3 Registered: Feb-07 | Selling my very Rare ADS BC-8 Monitors. 400 or Best Offer. Contact me for description.condition etc. |
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New member Username: RbfletchPost Number: 1 Registered: Nov-09 | I still enjoy my ADS Sat 7 Sub12 system bought in 1992...benchmark it regularly against the new speakers and can't justify changing( for under $7k at least) I use them constantly for music and TV! |
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New member Username: TsandColorado Post Number: 1 Registered: Nov-09 | I thought i would add a note about my good fortune. I recently purchased a pair of L1290 ADS speakers from a seller in Florida. The L1290s were advertised as NIB by the ebay seller which was hard to believe since my bet is these speakers were manufactured in the early 1980s. I bid and followed the sale til the last day and decided to do my best to win the speakers even though it appeared that there could be no way these speakers were New In Box. I currently own a pair of L990s which I am the original owner. Like a lot of people my age, I was very cash poor in the early 80s, in the middle of university, with absolutely no money for anything but school. I ate a lot of Top Ramen and took the plunge and purchased the L990s and today, while the L990s are in rough shape, they still sound great. When i purchased the L990s, my eyes were on the L1290s. I almost purchased the L1090, but purchase the smaller speakers as I didn't want to go hungry to too long. But my heart was really set on the L1290s, but they were not to be... So back to the Future, I bid more than I should on the L1290s, $850 for the pair, plus a boat load for shipping (these things are heavy). The boxes arrived with no visible damage, the boxes are the ADS originals, a very good sign. I opened the boxes and to my great relief, the speakers are truly in Like New, almost NIB box condition. The only marks of any kind I can see are a few minor scratches on the underside of the speakers from what looks like someone removing the speakers for inspection only. Further inspection reveled that one of the biamped speaker terminals red knob is missing, but still works. Other than that everything looks like I picked up the speakers from a HIFI shop. I connected the speakers to my old Denon 3802 reciever preamped out Emotiva XPA2 amp, the right L1290 bass speakers did not work. I winced and rechecked the biamp switch and to my wife's relief, I found that I hadn't pushed the switch far enough to the right. I have often boasted about my ADS L990s, saying that I would need to spend over $2500 to $3000 in current speaker technology to replace the L990. I am not a HIFI expert by any stretch of the imagination, but these L1290s sound as good as the B&W 804S which are about $4000 a pair. In the end, it appears that I am a very fortunate in finally getting what I really wanted, just 25 year later. |
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New member Username: PierremPost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-09 | this is probably a stretch, but I need a pair of stands for my ADS 910's. Hope someone can help me out! Pierre scrobie99@yahoo.com |
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New member Username: LiftedPost Number: 1 Registered: Jan-10 | hey everyone just came across this forum. I am now a proud owner of a set of ADS910's and love em! but the reason i have been searching the internet was I need a replacement woofer. If anyone knows or has one for sale that would be amazing. m.neil82@gmail.com |
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New member Username: Modport11Erie, CO Weld Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-10 | Hi my name is Mario. I ran into a pair of ADS L1350 speakers that my uncle had gave me from one of his rentals that the tenants got evicted from, and left a bunch of stuff behind including the speakers . I plugged the speakers into my regular audio reciever and they didn't sound very good. After doing some research , I realized that they were Hi fi and need a powerful amp to push and get the best quality of sound. Unfortunately i dont have anything to push them and are very big for my house. Does anyone know where i can sell them and get a decent offer for them. Craiglist just seems like most people are scams, though i have never tried to sell anything on there. And I dont have an e-bay account or really to much time during day to sell them. I work alot and could use some more info on them. Either to keep them and get a recomendation of what kind of amp to get ,to put them to good use ,because i love to hear clean ,crisp, and loud music. Or just sell them for a decent price and get some more knowledge to make sure that they work right .If anyone out there can give me some tips i would appreciate it very much. Or if someone is interested in them also , please email me at modport11@yahoo,com. Thanks!!! |
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New member Username: RgathanyPost Number: 4 Registered: Feb-10 | Mike with the 910s: I don't recall if the stands for the 910s were bigger than those for the 710s (big enough to cover the whole bottom of the speaker). I think the 710 stands were the same shape, but smaller. I have the powder black metal stands I purchased for my 780s (I think that was my model number), which although smaller, might fit under your 910s. They are in storage, but if you are interested, I will check the dimensions. Mario: They are probably 1530s, not 1350s. They are very good speakers made in the early 80s, and sold back in that time for about $1500 each. They need a fair amount of power to get them sounding good, preferably a high current amp. I think you can still get some pretty good money for them if you find someone that remembers them and has the room for them (and whose wife will let him buy them), but the buyer should live within driving range, as they are very expensive to ship. |
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New member Username: RgathanyPost Number: 5 Registered: Feb-10 | Sorry; I guess my prior post is to Pierre with the 910s. No, Mike, I do not have a woofer for your 910s, but check back through this thread and find the guy in Arizona that repairs all the ADS speakers. |
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New member Username: RkeeseckerCleveland, OH Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-10 | ADS M-12 speakers. I don't have the manual, can't find it on the 'net. I've used bare wire connection for years, thought I'd try banana plugs now that I've purchased a new amp. The terminals on the M-12 accept a banana plug - kinda - but they don't seem to go all the way in, just a little over half-way. The terminals look banana plug acceptable, but maybe they are deceiving and want a different wire terminal. Anyone use banana plugs with M-12s? If those aren't banana plug terminals, what do they accept? |
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New member Username: MotorbikePost Number: 2 Registered: Mar-10 | I recently acquired a pair of ADS L730's with the original stands and I think they sound very nice and are in excellent condition. I would like to know how they were rated and what they sold for.when they were new. Also, can you tell me about how old they are. Thank you, Motorbike |
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New member Username: Bedec487Post Number: 1 Registered: May-10 | Hi A/D/S Fans-- I have For Sale a like new set of A/D/S L400e Speakers and an SW4 subwoofer. This was my back up set up and used very little. They are in excellent condition and look great--$450 for both speakers and subwoofer }with original user manuals included. please email bedec487@yahoo.com |
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New member Username: TschagfreebirdPost Number: 1 Registered: May-10 | I have been a ADS user for several years. I got four ADS CM 60 book shelf speakers in an auction and I have love them. I am now thinking about purchasing the L1290 speaker. I know that these used to be the best speaker on the planet in the 70's early 80's, so my questions is how good are they now? Would they play well with my NAD T761 amp? Could they handle playing DVD's being a multimedia speaker too. peareo@gmail.com |
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New member Username: TsandColorado Post Number: 2 Registered: Nov-09 | I recently was fortunate to find some never used L1290 last year. These speakers are very very good. i think that I would need to spend $3000-4000 to get a similar quality sound I am using an older Denon 3802 receiver as a preamp for an Emotiva 2 channel XPA2 which pushes 300 watts RMS x 2 into 8 ohms, 500 watts RMS x 2 into 4 ohms into the L1290. I am using the other Denon channels to push the center and rear left right and sub so I have a less than stellar set up. I am using a mid line velodyne sub woofer, a B&W CDM center speaker with some smaller LM1 B&W rears. While some would argue that the "timber" wouldn't be matched when you use HT speakers from different vendors. I feel that the B&W are a good match for this no longer manufactured fantastic speaker. I can't speak to the condition of the L1290 speakers you are looking at. If they are in good shape, you will be happy. If they are in need of work, there is a fellow on one of the big auction sites that still repairs the speakers. |
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Silver Member Username: Vm8444TorontoCanada Post Number: 209 Registered: Aug-05 | Ted your better off getting the matching center... later theaudiogy.ca |
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New member Username: HansscPost Number: 1 Registered: Jul-10 | Hello all! I'm looking for a pair of ADS 1530. Any leads would be most appreciated! Hans |
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New member Username: 10000_feetPost Number: 1 Registered: Aug-10 | Wow what a Great Forum! I just bought a pair of ADS L1590's in Rosewood today. The bad part is one of the Mid domes is pushed in. I got online and started searching around and came across this forum and found the phone number for Richard So. He is still doing repair work and I will be sending my mid off to him. I have yet to listen to the ADS and have never heard them before. After reading all the stuff online I think I will be pleased with them. I have a pair of Tannoy DMT 12's and really like them and hope the ADS out do them. I will let you know.............. Thanks to all!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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New member Username: Rlx5513Hoboken, Nj Usa Post Number: 1 Registered: Sep-10 | I have a pair of a/d/s CM7's for sale. They are in excellent condition. Anyone interested? |
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New member Username: DutchiePost Number: 1 Registered: Sep-10 | Awesome Forum!!! I have a pair of A/D/S 910s and am looking for a pair of the led power monitors that connect to the crossovers. I know it is a long shot, but does anyone have any leads? Thanks in advance!! |
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New member Username: Cierac1993Post Number: 1 Registered: Oct-10 | Okay I'm gonna say I have no idea what half of this means but I have two ADS L-500's in my posession and would love to know how you can hook these up to a stereo. Pictures help. Haha thanks. -Ciera |
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New member Username: TigerstripeeyesPost Number: 1 Registered: Nov-10 | I have come across some white L200C's and walnut L520's. My question is with the L520's... they have push-down binding posts on the right and a blank space immediately on the left(directly below the fuse housing cover) which looks like a space for another set of binding posts, possibly for bi-amping?? Was this an option back then? If so, then how would it be properly done now? [I also have a good question... what was a/d/s/ "top-of-the-line" speakers? The L2030? The L1590? I never could find out which a/d/s/ speaker had the largest amount of drivers/woofers, so I figure someone here would know.] |
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Bronze Member Username: RgathanyPost Number: 15 Registered: Feb-10 | Don't recall the blank space on the L520s but they were near or at the bottom of the ads line and could not be bi-amped. As to 1590s vs. 2030s, 90 series replaced the 30 series and was generally better sounding, but if I remember correctly, there was no 2090 to replace the 2030. 1590 was a better speaker than the 1530. In the average room the 1590 would sound better than the older 2030; however, in a very large room, 2030s bi-amped with a lot of power were awesome. 1530s, 2030s and 1590s all had 2 woofers, and I'm pretty sure that they all had a single soft dome mid and a single soft dome tweeter, but I would certainly hope that you are not judging the quality of sound of a speaker by the number or size of its drivers. |
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New member Username: TigerstripeeyesPost Number: 2 Registered: Nov-10 | Of course I don't assume that just because a speaker has more drivers than another, it is better in sound quality! What I meant was with a/d/s/ speakers, the lower line had only a tweeter and a single woofer and was not bi-ampable, while the higher lines had tweeters, midranges, AND multiple woofers while being bi-ampable. Usually this means more woofers makes more bass and more midranges means better higher-range sound quality... and bi-amping cleans up the sound... usually. |
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New member Username: BemrfstPost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-10 | I have owned a pair of 910s for 35 years. I have a friend who ownes Audiotronics, a high end audio store, so I listen to a lot of high end speakers up to 8000.00. I still think my 810s are the best sounding speakers ever! I am looking for a nice pair of 710s or 810s to go with them. Anyone know of or have a pair they want to sell? |
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New member Username: TedstrPost Number: 2 Registered: Sep-09 | I have a pair of 810s that I have owned since 1982. Still my primary speakers with a B&W center and rear. THey really are amazing. Not sure I would sell but what would you offer? |
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New member Username: Dpod4Post Number: 1 Registered: Dec-10 | In 1981 when I was 16 I bought a pair of A/D/S 300c speakers and put them in the rear deck of my '76 Buick Century my dad had just bought me; the 300s were driven by sony amp in the glove box. Some of the best sound in a car I've ever heard. Those A/D/S 300 speakers have been with me ever since. I used them in college as my main speakers; I have used them in HT as rear surrounds. I painted them white to match walls in one of my homes. Now they are both being used as center channel in a home theater set up. Amazing that a speaker that has been all over the country with me and baked in the back of a Buick for 5 years from the onset still sound great 30 years later. I just picked up a used mint pair of 300Ls -- same as my others just no bracket holes for car mounting bracket ("c" versus "L"). I have them on my desktop now paired with a velodyne microvee sub. One of the best small speakers ever made. Even today's speakers (I own Anthony Gallos) don't have magic they somehow figured out in the A/D/S 300. I plan on handing these new 300s to my children as they go off to college -- passing the torch on a classic. |
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New member Username: GannonDetroit, MI Post Number: 1 Registered: Dec-10 | I just found this thread on a search to find parts to repair a number of a/d/s/ speakers I still have in my grand collection of hifi. Kudos to the fellow above with the 300c's...I have two pair that have seen similar travels! I sold a TON of a/d/s/ speakers through the early to later 80s at retail north of Detroit...they were my favorite along with KEF. In journalism, I was lucky to finally meet Dr. Goodheart Gunther when he started his latest venture soundmatters...making a little entertainment receiver. Plus, a few of the folks at Aerial Acoustics continue this legacy. Cheers, John |
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New member Username: MswingrPost Number: 1 Registered: Apr-11 | I just acquired a pair of L7e's and they sound damn sweet, particularly given their age! The metal grills are a little scuffed up - does anyone know of anyone who refurbishes a/d/s/ grills? Thanks everyone for the great thread! |
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New member Username: GannonDetroit, MI Post Number: 2 Registered: Dec-10 | They should be pretty easy to spray paint. Back in the day, I used to custom paint 300is to match the room...used the standard Black&Decker electronic spray with slightly thinned regular paint, and poked out the holes with a paperclip if they got blocked. You've got to paint BOTH sides of the grille, though. If you want it original, use regular black Rustoleum in the can. Unless you live in Chicago where they don't sell due the taggers. If they are bent, use two flat blocks of wood and a hammer to straighten 'em out! If the angles got bent, that would require two pieces of wood cut at that angle and a LOT more patience. Good luck. |
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New member Username: MswingrPost Number: 2 Registered: Apr-11 | Thanks for the above. There is a thin cloth membrane adhered to the inside of each grill, so painting them doesn't appear to be an option - unless I remove that cloth. Thoughts? Thanks again. |
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New member Username: GannonDetroit, MI Post Number: 3 Registered: Dec-10 | Sorry, I forgot about that. It is very strong fabric, take one corner and s-l-o-w-l-y pull it away. Paint the metal. IF you want, re-apply that cloth with a very light spray of 3M's excellent Super 77 adhesive, available at any Lowe's or Home Depot. THAT stuff is magic...works for mounting artwork and other things around the house, just watch that overspray and keep the cats away! LOL Cheers |
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New member Username: CombresLa jolla, CALIFORNIA United State... Post Number: 1 Registered: Apr-11 | I have a pair of ADS 910s I inherited from my parents. I am trying to figure out what type of amp I need to power these speakers. I would like to play music from my computer, through an amp to these speakers. Any idea what power rated amp I need? |
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New member Username: TedstrPost Number: 3 Registered: Sep-09 | Class A 4 ohms lots of power |
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Silver Member Username: NencyPost Number: 195 Registered: May-09 | I m very happy because i found this post i like this article about this speakers. Nice post man i like this article i shared to my friends. Thanks for... |
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Platinum Member Username: Project6Post Number: 15967 Registered: Dec-03 | Nice post Nency...you crazy spammer you |
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New member Username: TigerstripeeyesPost Number: 3 Registered: Nov-10 | HERE'S A COOL A/D/S/ STORY: I've owned some a/d/s/ car speakers for probably almost 20 years but have never had the chance to use them, because the a/d/s/ PS5 & PS5.2 amps that I had just installed in my car were stolen a week before I could get the speakers in there to hear them!! I have been looking for those same model of amps ever since because I WILL HEAR THESE SPEAKERS WITH THOSE MODEL AMPS BEFORE I DIE!! First, I found a set of Klipsch Forte II's awhile back at a thrift/consignment shop. The guy wanted $500 for them, but I wasn't in the mood to blow 5 bills that day on what would be my 2nd set of Forte II's, so I offered him $250. He went down to $400, I still stuck to my guns, $250. He then went down to $300 & I could tell that was as far as he was going to go. Now here's where the a/d/s/ speakers come in!! I look over & see a small pair of white, little baby speakers... so I check them out while he's mulling around wondering if I'm going to go for the $300. They were a/d/s/ L200c's! I then came out of nowhere with this one & said, "Okay, I'll give you $300 for the Klipsch IF you throw in those old, tiny little speakers over there." He quickly glanced over at them & said,"You've got a deal." Those little speakers JAM! They are like having the top half of a high-end speaker without the woofer(s), but don't get me wrong... these little guys play deep for their size... I mean they actually thump! Great amount of clean bass for such a small speaker. Next, a guy I know, who runs a storage facility, called me up saying that one of his clients left a ton of stuff in one of the units & asked if I would clean it out for him. He said that I could keep whatever I wanted. I found a cheap set of 5 Pioneer flatscreen speakers that go with a tv & a few other misc. cheaper speakers in the stuff. Then, a guy (who owned a small thrift store) put up a set of a/d/s/ L520's on craigslist for something like $80! I brought all of those speakers over to him at the store and he traded me the a/d/s/ for them!! These sound so smooth it's sick... and they only have an 8" woofer and a huge tweeter. Finally, another guy on craigslist was selling a nice set of a/d/s/ L1290's for $295 or so, so I drove 90mph to his house & bought them for $220 with a vintage Pioneer CT-F9191 cassette player in MINT condition!! And to top it all off, those speakers came from another guy I met later who bought them in the Daytona, FL area from a pawn shop who told him that they came from the son of the lead guitarist (I think?) from the famous rock group, Poison!! The guitarist actually used to listen to them & rest his cigarettes on one of them, which made a little burn mark. I think it gives it a little character and a cool story to tell. What a way to go from the smallest a/d/s/ speaker ever made, to the mid-size, and then to one of the best speakers I've ever heard in my life! God was looking out for me, how else can you explain that?! LOL This story is very rewarding because now I have a/d/s/ in the house instead and I think I just might have found identical amps for the car setup also!! Keep your fingers crossed... better yet, pray! |
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New member Username: GannonDetroit, MI Post Number: 4 Registered: Dec-10 | Jealous. When I sold these things at retail...the 1290 was my favorite in the high-end room, and the L520 in the low-end. I sold a TON of 'em. You can really tighten up the bass and image if you put 'em on spikes. Especially if you've got carpet. If you've a fine-finish floor, put some pennies down first. If these were owned once by a rock musician, I will guarantee at least one of the fuses is blown. Put your ears right up to the mids and tweets and make sure they're all singin'. As for the 520s...they respond very well on 30-inch metal speaker stands, also spiked. You will totally freak on the depth of bass these things can reach. Always have those L200s right up against the wall, or there is no midbass. Cut 'em off at 100Hz to a decent sub and you will have the greatest sounding spousal-friendly system in town! Cheers, John Detroit |
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New member Username: GannonDetroit, MI Post Number: 5 Registered: Dec-10 | Forgot about the fine lead buckshot to fill the metal stands...mass loading helps shunt errant resonances...been a while. Sorry. You buy it by the bag at the nearest gunshop...they'll think you're reloading shotgun shells. Probably two twenty pound bags. |
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New member Username: TigerstripeeyesPost Number: 4 Registered: Nov-10 | Hey, John, thanks for the info! The L1290's sound great... all speakers singing sweetly. One might think that a rock musician might like his music at ear deafening levels, but some probably don't because when they are playing their concert, they get that, but when they are chilling out, they probably want to listen to things at a quieter level and with far more detail (hence, the purchasing of the a/d/s/)... after all, they are musicians and truly love music more than most people. I think that if he had wanted to listen to music at extremely loud levels, he would NOT have chosen to buy a/d/s/ and would have went with something more like Klipsch, JBL, Cerwin Vega, or similar, that could handle more than a few hundred watts, wouldn't you agree? I have some stands (don't know how tall exactly) but they hold like 100lbs. or something sick like that. They have spikes on them and "cable-management" areas to hide the speaker wires. Don't know how I would "fill" them with lead, but it's an idea if one has hollow, metal stands I guess. Hmmm.... lead = poisionous material... just something to consider also for us "go-green" type of guys. LOL I would think that some of that sound-proofing (Dynamat, etc...) that they use for the floorboards, door panels, and any other metal panels in a car stereo environment would work even better because that stuff absorbs/dissapates the vibrations like nobody's business! I've even heard of other products which are specifically designed for home speakers that goes inside the cabinets and applies to either the back of the speaker's frame itself and/or to the walls of the cabinet. Some guys use "mortite"... especially the Polk guys! LOL!! Those little 6 1/2" midbass woofers really pump out some pressure in those older SDA/Monitor speakers. I have a set of Polk SDA1 and you would not believe what ONLY 4 of those babies will do in a 110 lb. cabinet with a 12" passive radiator (and 2 silk-dome tweeters). Try 25Hz!!! And the speakers are rated at something like 50-500 watts RMS?! The big brother, the SDA SRS 1.2tl, will literally shake your house apart and handle 1000 watts per speaker and go down to something like 18Hz. Sorry to digress from the a/d/s/ topic, but maybe some a/d/s/ speakers can also use some of this newer technology to help certain speakers remove unwanted resonances/frequencies?? Like the L990's, which are said to have abnormal amounts of bass compared to most other a/d/s/ speakers. |
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New member Username: GannonDetroit, MI Post Number: 6 Registered: Dec-10 | LOL...if you're worried about handling lead, use sandbox-purified sand...or as we used to joke at retail, some o' that stuff scraped off the White Cliffs of Dover! You have to unscrew the top plates, and pour through the screw holes, usually. Nothing beats mass damping, although the dyna-mat would be nice to reduce metal ringing, too! Enjoy! Cheers, John Detroit |
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New member Username: RbfletchPost Number: 2 Registered: Nov-09 | After 20 years of faithful wonderful service, I'm parting with my A/D/S Sat 7's. Anyone interested? I hope to sell in Northern California. Thehandsome Frog Design stands are included. I might also consider selling the matching Sub 12. rbfletch@aol.com |
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New member Username: MartineauxAnacortes, WA USA Post Number: 1 Registered: Dec-14 | About 6 months ago, I walked into a local thrift store and saw two large cartons marked Allison One. I immediately said I was interested, and they said once the speaks were tested they would call me. Two days later I was the proud owner of a pair of Allison Ones, for the princely sum of $125, although they had tossed the cartons(but kept the paperwork & brochures). Great speaks, but just too big a sound for my apartment. Then, two weeks later, I walked into another thrift store and saw a tall pair of unmarked speakers(missing the grills). Seeing an access panel on each, I borrowed a screwdriver and pulled the panels: A/D/S L-1290. I hooked up a POS receiver they had, and everything sounded great. I asked the owner how much.....$80, $70 if I paid cash. I turned the Allisons over for $300, and finally have speakers that give me the chills my late AR-11s did before a Siamese called The Hell Beeyotch shredded the cones AND the surrounds. It's odd how many 1290s are missing grills. Have any of you had experience with Reliable Hardware, who make-to-order perforated aluminum grills? I've downloaded images of every 1290 grill I could find to see exactly how they're bent and affixed, and bought insignias from Richard So to get ready for this project. |
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New member Username: TomaczCHICAGO, IL United States Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-16 | BOUGHT 3 OF THEM FROM A THRIFT SHOP 15 YEARS AGO,,I REMOVED THE FAC INSTALLED CROSSOVER so they would run @ 8 ohms,,dern things still sound sweet,the shop I bought them from,I paid ten bucks for the 3,the cabinets & grills were kind of rusty,used a brush & higloss black enamel to nicey up the finish,they still crank like the duracell bunny. the bass speakers attach with natural rubber,that still is soft,pliant,unlike most foam bubbly acoustic suspension always present on todays speakers,,the bright charcoal finish sparkly foam always falls apart & crumbles after a few years. |
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New member Username: HughesHendersonNV Post Number: 1 Registered: Jul-16 | Hay still in use also love their sounds |
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New member Username: RiproarPost Number: 1 Registered: Sep-17 | Years ago I purchased a pair of A/D/S L990 speakers. Truly enjoyed listening to them. They've been sitting in the basement collecting dust til last week. I got them out and hooked them up to my Luxman LV-117 integrated amp and once again enjoyed the rich acoustics of the L990. One minor thing, one of the grills is in poor shape.The posts in the grill are bent and don�t hold the grill securely. I need a new grill basically. Any replacement parts for this model? Any suggestions would be helpful? |
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New member Username: OrdyPost Number: 1 Registered: Oct-18 | About five years ago one of the tenants in the building I work in was throwing out a set of ADS M12's. I asked the kid if they worked he said yes so I brought them home. I plugged them into my 15 year old Denon 3602 and immediately heard the dreaded "ADS Death Rattle". The rubber surrounds on all four woofers were toast from supporting the weight of those magnets since, what?, 1993? I searched the entirety of the internet, all the way to the end, and found a company that sold the surrounds complete with glue and spacers for the voice coil. Replacing them was a snap. Turned on the Denon and was pleasently surprised at how good these ancient speakers sounded. I have to agree with some here that the bass is lacking but I have them integrated into my HTS and use the M&K sub that I bought in the nineties and resurrected by replacing the output capacitors. They leaked. Still, a little more bass would be welcome. |