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Post by fenominal on Dec 17, 2010 2:36:10 GMT -5
Electro-Static Sound, Sacramento, California. Air Motion Transformer ribbon mid-range tweeter. Dr. Oskar Heil. "Sound as clear as light." web.archive.org/web/20000614002208/http://www.essspeakers.com/I've googled and ebayed just about everything, including internet archives. I have a pair of refurbished AMT Monitors (brand top of the line) up front and the smaller 10" PS-5C's in the rear. Currently not running a center channel with UMC-1/XPA-5 combo. I don't have a ton of experience with different and high end speaker systems, but mine sound better than anything you can find in a big box store (yeah, I know that doesn't say much). My dad remembers ESS being the sh** in the 70's with the 1B/C/D's and Monitors and the great Heil ribbon tweeter. He says that anyone who walked into a high end speaker store in the 70's and listened to all the speakers, fell in love with and walked out with a pair of ESS's. My dad's also a bullshitter, but what can I say? I really love the sound of these things. Yeah, they're old, but I'm only 29. I want to know what you guys know and why you know what you know. You can tell me they suck, but I want to know why they suck, why they're awesome to you, or how they do/don't compare to ___________. And in what ways. I figure someone here has to know something... For me, they used to be a local'ish company. A lot of their speakers were sold in local high end speaker stores and military PX's. The ribbon design was patented after German/Nazi scientist Oskar Heil's studies on the human ear. As for the woofers, I've been told they're just JBL's of the time. Mine have a 12" woofer and 12" passive radiator. 93db sensitivity, can take 400w, and go down to 30hz. All of the critique that I have found is that they lack mid's and the low's are a bit heavy. Sound is subjective, so I want to know who here has heard ESS speakers. What model? What drove them? What are you comparing them to? What was the listening environment? Tell me your hearsay, but tell me if it is hearsay or actual experience. This isn't to validate or kill my own perception. It just seems that what small information there is, is severely lacking in detail. So, give me some input! And if price matters, I paid $400 for my ESS AMT Monitors, and another $400 for replacing of diaphragms (2), surrounds (4), and crossovers (2).
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2010 2:50:10 GMT -5
What First of all your thread is all jumbled up. What are you asking? And your link doesn't work
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Post by fenominal on Dec 17, 2010 3:19:55 GMT -5
Link works just fine on Google Chrome.
"What am I asking?"
Without googling, what do YOU know about ESS Speakers? Seems pretty simple to me...
"I want to know what you guys know and why you know what you know. You can tell me they suck, but I want to know why they suck, why they're awesome to you, or how they do/don't compare to ___________. And in what ways."
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Post by stangman on Dec 18, 2010 2:15:05 GMT -5
Back in the 70's when I was starting to get interested in Hi-Fi equipment our high school music teacher had a pair of AMT 3 Rock Monitors. If I remember correctly they were powered by a Dynaco Power Amp and Preamp. I do remember they sounded awesome and wished I could afford a pair. But alas I didn't have that kind of money as a high school student. I had to learn to be content with my second hand JBL L26's, which did give me many years of listening enjoyment.
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Post by strindl on Dec 18, 2010 3:05:50 GMT -5
I recall hearing the ESS speakers at a chain called Lafayette Electronics in the early 70's. They had the Heil air motion transformer models and they also carried Dynaco electronics to power them. They were way out of my price range back then, but I recall they sure did sound nice
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Post by magnepan on Dec 18, 2010 10:00:30 GMT -5
I owned a pair of ess Amy 1b I pick up from a friend a few years ago. At the time I owned magnepan 1.6's. Comparing the ess to the magnepans it was very clear the ess had that same magic the maggies had. The difference was they didn't have the height but they could play incredible loud and they were dynamic much more than you would think for a speaker that was 25+ years. Ess company is back in business but not in the U.S. Those same basic speakers sell for around 5k now. I gave mine to my sons friend to get him hook into audio. Some of the best speakers made were in the 70's and 80's period just like audio gear. Keep them and hook them up to some good amps like emotive and you will not regret your decision
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DYohn
Emo VIPs
Posts: 18,361
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Post by DYohn on Dec 18, 2010 10:20:47 GMT -5
ESS was a great speaker brand. The AMT large diaphragm ribbon was an amazing driver - and very expensive to manufacture, which is part of why ESS went out of business. I owned the AMT 1b towers and they remain perhaps my favorite speaker of all time. Dr. Heil created a full-range AMT system that I was pleased to hear at CES in about 1982 which was truly amazing. The ESS monitors do not have the same omnidirectional open baffle sound of the 1a or 1b, but they are very good systems.
As with many loudspeakers from the 70's the ESS systems are subject to foam rot in the woofer surround and in the passive radiators, plus to save money they used two electrolytic caps in the crossover which should be replaced with good poly caps.
I often wish I still had the AMTs.
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RSavage
Emo VIPs
My goal is to live forever. So far, so good.
Posts: 674
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Post by RSavage on Dec 18, 2010 11:28:37 GMT -5
....... they remain perhaps my favorite speaker of all time. I concur 100% ! Ray
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ajeepham
Minor Hero
At 66, still playing in the Audio Crib...
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Post by ajeepham on Jul 27, 2014 10:51:55 GMT -5
Had the AMT-1a's in the 70's. Were just great while playing drums live. When the 2a's came out, they offered a free ribbon upgrade which I was able to do at the manufacture in Sacramento with a turn in of the 1a's ribbons. They never sounded quite as good as the originals, so I would vote the 1-a's as the best series, although not as rugged as the b's. Driven with the Dynaco 70 amp, this was a great setup for the day. Then Sony came out with the Compact Disc Player, CDP-101 that truly brought that system to life.
Thanks for the 70's trip...
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Post by bradleyaudio on Sept 20, 2014 18:35:19 GMT -5
When I was a kid in the 70s, the ESS AMT-1 was the first speaker that really blew me away. I couldn't afford them at the time, and I owned conventional dynamic speakers for several years. Then in the 80s I built a set of electrostatic hybrids, and have never looked back. Every speaker I have owned since have been planars (My first home theater was all Magnepan) or planar hybrids. There is just something about the sound. A couple of years ago I saw a pair of AMT-3s for sale and jumped on them. The 3 is considered by some to be the best of their hybrid models, since it is a 3-way and doesn't run a large woofer all the way up to 700-1000Hz (another even rarer model that is well regarded is the transmission line AMT1 Tower). I replaced the woofers and completely rebuilt the crossovers. These sit in my secondary living room system, and while they can't compare to my Newform Research towers, they still hold up well for a 40 year old design. I have a pair of new mid-ranges to put in some day...
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Post by pedrocols on Sept 20, 2014 23:12:50 GMT -5
I hope you guys realise this thread is four years old...
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Post by fenominal on Sept 28, 2014 20:52:36 GMT -5
I hope you guys realise this thread is four years old... And your point is what? That you're upset someone had relevant information or fond memories to express for a topic in an old post? Wow. Such crime. Many hate. I'm still following and loving this thread, as well as appreciating the anecdotes and memories and tips of those who came upon these before me. Although there is *some information on this brand and these speakers on the interwebs, there isn't much more than anecdotal attestations, of course, that's the fault with the speaker builder for not owning its corporate history online. Thus why I started this thread and continue to monitor it.
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Post by pedrocols on Sept 28, 2014 21:31:19 GMT -5
I hope you guys realise this thread is four years old... And your point is what? That you're upset someone had relevant information or fond memories to express for a topic in an old post? Wow. Such crime. Many hate. I'm still following and loving this thread, as well as appreciating the anecdotes and memories and tips of those who came upon these before me. Although there is *some information on this brand and these speakers on the interwebs, there isn't much more than anecdotal attestations, of course, that's the fault with the speaker builder for not owning its corporate history online. Thus why I started this thread and continue to monitor it. I understand your enthusiasm...What I don't understand is your irracional post.
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Post by fenominal on Sept 28, 2015 20:23:27 GMT -5
And your point is what? That you're upset someone had relevant information or fond memories to express for a topic in an old post? Wow. Such crime. Many hate. I'm still following and loving this thread, as well as appreciating the anecdotes and memories and tips of those who came upon these before me. Although there is *some information on this brand and these speakers on the interwebs, there isn't much more than anecdotal attestations, of course, that's the fault with the speaker builder for not owning its corporate history online. Thus why I started this thread and continue to monitor it. I understand your enthusiasm...What I don't understand is your irracional post. 1. I think you meant "irrational." O tal vez usted no lo hizo. Check your spelling, reading comprehension (please see the third comment), and your unexplained statement of how my post is "irracional." My post asks two things of commenters: 2. Share your nostalgia 3. Share your information (I'm younger than those who experienced these in their heyday, and there's not much information on the Internet) *UPDATE I'm currently restoring a pair of AMT-1a pyramids. They sounded amazing with my XSP-1 and diy 50w amp, and that's before the new crossover board, new caps, resistors, barrier strips, and speaker terminal upgrades. Currently saving for an XPA-2.
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Post by bradleyaudio on Sept 28, 2015 20:32:14 GMT -5
Good luck on the restoration, let us know how they turn out.
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Post by pedrocols on Sept 29, 2015 10:54:48 GMT -5
I understand your enthusiasm...What I don't understand is your irracional post. 1. I think you meant "irrational." O tal vez usted no lo hizo. Check your spelling, reading comprehension (please see the third comment), and your unexplained statement of how my post is "irracional." My post asks two things of commenters: 2. Share your nostalgia 3. Share your information (I'm younger than those who experienced these in their heyday, and there's not much information on the Internet) *UPDATE I'm currently restoring a pair of AMT-1a pyramids. They sounded amazing with my XSP-1 and diy 50w amp, and that's before the new crossover board, new caps, resistors, barrier strips, and speaker terminal upgrades. Currently saving for an XPA-2. It seems your participation in this forum has gone better from once every four years to once a year. Felicitaciones...
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Post by fenominal on Sept 29, 2015 21:35:49 GMT -5
1. I think you meant "irrational." O tal vez usted no lo hizo. Check your spelling, reading comprehension (please see the third comment), and your unexplained statement of how my post is "irracional." My post asks two things of commenters: 2. Share your nostalgia 3. Share your information (I'm younger than those who experienced these in their heyday, and there's not much information on the Internet) *UPDATE I'm currently restoring a pair of AMT-1a pyramids. They sounded amazing with my XSP-1 and diy 50w amp, and that's before the new crossover board, new caps, resistors, barrier strips, and speaker terminal upgrades. Currently saving for an XPA-2. It seems your participation in this forum has gone better from once every four years to once a year. Felicitaciones... OK, dude, cool. Thanks. I started a thread that wasn't popular in this community and received a handful of comments pretty quickly, and then nothing for 3.5 years. So by "you," I'm sure you also mean the commenters in 2014 who activated this thread, kept it alive, which in turn alerted my attention to it and by which I kept it going? Why so hostile? Do I have to make 20 posts a month to be a "real" Emo fan? Should I have been on more than just the UMC and XMC waiting lists? Or upgrade my XPA-5 g1 and XSP g2 to... something Emo else? Is it an unwritten rule that thou shalt never revive an old thread? Do you just not like this speaker company? Cool. I don't actually care if you say they're shlt, as long as you tell me/us why you think that. I don't get your negative attitude. And I'm dismayed to find that, even after I answered your questions, your reply is an ad hominem (attack on the person, not the argument) instead of addressing my answering your questions. Mostly, though, if you have issues with this topic or post or with me, then stop commenting. You'll contribute to letting this thread die for another 3.5 years until another fan notices it and brings it back.
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Post by fenominal on Oct 26, 2015 22:52:07 GMT -5
For a couple months, I've been restoring some vintage ESS AMT-1a speakers. This task has not been simple or easy or cheap. Last weekend, I completed the crossovers and mounted all the components for some listening. Thought I'd share some pics from the rebuild. (XSP-1 g2 on my shelf)
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Post by crashdamage on Feb 25, 2016 7:03:11 GMT -5
I hope someone is still reading this thread. I came across it while searching for information on the ESS Heil AMT 1 and registered so I could tell my experience with these amazing drivers.
For 37 years I've been privileged to have a pair of custom built monitors using the finest high drivers ever made. Over the years I've fine-tuned the speakers to the point where they deliver truly breathtaking sound. A Mobile Fidelity 1/2 speed master of Dark Side of the Moon is a religious experience.
Let's start from the beginning... In 1981 there was a longtime local stereo shop here in Kansas City named Audio Mart that along with the usual sort of speakers you would expect, was selling a couple of versions of their own custom built speakers featuring Heil AMTs.
When I heard them I was totally knocked out. They blew away everything else in the store in detail and dynamic range regardless of price and that included some very high-end units. I had to splurge for a pair.
These were 2-way, in rectangular cabinets about 5 feet tall, approximately 22 inches wide by 20 inches deep, constructed of 1” high-density particle board. The sides are doubled, 2” thick from top to bottom. The upper 8” of the enclosure is divided into a separate space, effectively like a short box stacked on a taller box. But the upper box was open front and rear, with only sides and a top panel. The large Heil drivers were mounted in this open space so they could fire bi-directionally.
Mounted in the bottom of the woofer enclosure firing forward is a single (Audio Mart offered a dual woofer option I passed on) Cetec Gauss 5831F 15” cast aluminum woofer with 5lbs of Alnico V magnet and 3” voice coil. These were produced from 1978-2011 but production with the Alnico V magnets stopped in 1981 with units produced thereafter using much less powerful ceramic magnet material. I was lucky and got a pair right at the end of Alnico V production and these are the much preferred version. The boxes are sealed and heavily stuffed. A very good quality handmade high-capacity 12db/octave passive crossover with upper level control and centered at 1000hz completed the package. As you can imagine, these are very heavy speakers – almost 200lbs each!
As I said, this made a very impressive speaker, far, far better in the bottom end than the very good ESS AMT 1 monitors. They were setup together in the store for comparison, but it was no contest. The big, extremely solid cabinets and massive Gauss woofers paid big dividends. Even the midbass was better with the 15” Gauss than the 12” ESS units, a surprise.
So I hauled my pair home. Always on a tight budget, I powered them with a Phase Linear 400, quite adequate power output and still kind of a sentimental favorite. And I was very happy – for a while.
I realized from the start, even before I bought them, that the design had two major flaws: 1. It needed a midbass/midrange driver. The Heil AMT was going too low and the Gauss woofer was trying to go too high. Something was needed to cover about 70-1200hz. 2. To really show off what they could do, the big Heil ants needed to get outta that hole and into the open air.
0Now the question was...how to do it. I was wise to the considerable advantages of bi-amping, so I decided to go that way. I took the Heils and mounted them on top, in the open where they always should have been. I boxed in the open upper space with 1" thick front and rear panels, which gave me a nice box to mount very good Audax 7 1/2” mdbass drivers with a cast frame and 1 1/2” voice coils. These drivers were used in some $10,000 speakers at the time which shall remain nameless. Point is, they're excellent units. The boxes are sealed and heavily stuffed.
Some slight modification to the existing crossovers matched them to the Audax/Heil combination at 1200hz. Added a smaller Phase Linear 200 amp and used Bryston crossover and all was good to go.
And go they did! This was very good! Midbass definition was way better! Male voices sounded real! And those Heils, free from their tunnels and out in the open, really sang sweet songs!
Of course I couldn't stop there. I really wanted to get the friggin' passive crossovers and all their problems cmpletely out of the way. Face it, even the best passive crossovers are bad crossovers. I wanted to use the Gauss as stereo subwoofers and improve the integration between the Audax mibass units and AMT units. I had tweaked the big cabinets to the point I thought they were about as good as they could be, even down to sound padding surrounding the mid bass on the front of the box and on top of the shelf under the AMT to cut unwanted reflections.
But I knew I could still get more from them. Part of that involved going to 18db slopes for the crossovers, impractical with passive crossovers. It was time to get serious and tri-amping the boxes. So my present electronics are:
Denon turntable, Shure V15. Sumo Charlie tuner “Charlie the Tuner” modded and realigned by James Bongiorno Sumo Athena preamp also modded by Bongiorno. BGW Model 85 35wpc high amp. BGW Model 150 50wpc mid amp. Carver M1.5t 350wpc bass amp. Rane AC23 18db/octave active crossover. No CD player. My old Marantz quit. I'm looking. Balanced inputs/ouutputs on crossover and power amps.
BTW, the BGW amps used to power the highs and mids are little jewels, a real underrated find. Very quiet, smooth yet detailed. A high damping factor and direct connection to the drivers makes for higly accurate, clean sound. And they're built in the USA like tanks.
So to wrap all this up...Many, years of tweaking the system has paid off big-time. The now- vintage electronics are in excellent condition and feed a really clean, clear, low noise signal with range and power to burn directly to the drivers - no passive crossovers muddying up and distorting the sound.
The importance of tri-ampiing and enabling a direct connection between drivers and amps cannot be overstated. You haven't really heard the unbelievable sound that the AMT 1 and supporting drivers are capable of until you hear them direct‹connected to the power amp. I can listen for hours, even at high levels, without the "ear fatigue" other speakers !eave me with.
The dipole Heils, now set free, are simplily unmatched in detail, clarity and power I still say these are the finest high drivers ever built. Plus they're highly efficient, 35wpc is plenty. I thought perhaps I would need more, but no. I think I've covered all the bases with the current setup and won't make any significant changes for the foreseeable future.
Nothing else I have ever heard can match the combination of speed, clarity, accuracy, smooth musicality, ease of listening yet gut-wretching realism and power of these speakers in their tri-amped configuration can deliver.
35 years of happy listening! I really would like to hear your comments. Of course, I'd be happy to answer any question s as best I can.
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Post by Boomzilla on Feb 25, 2016 7:52:18 GMT -5
I've owned these before Unfortunately, I can't tell you what they sounded like. This was before, or just at the beginning of the internet, and I could find service or parts nowhere. I eventually gave them to a buddy who wanted to piddle with them, but I'm not sure if he ever got them working or not. They were supposed to be good speakers.
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