TD1

Yeah, I'm going to keep them after some discussion with younger family members. Thanks! Tim

I sent them off to R. So who replaced the caps, a couple of broken binding posts, and the tweeter control & bi-amp switches. As I did them both at once I was unable to do an A/B before/after comparison but the sound (with the rebuilt mids and tweeters, which I _did_ to an A/B comparison with) remains pleasing. Tim

So I have a pair of ADS L700s (the 3-driver, 2-way little brother of the L710) which have been sitting and basically collecting dust for years. I bought these new from Stewart's Audio in Westfield, NJ sometime in the early 1980s. The woofers and dome tweeters are, or may be, the same as those used in the L710s but I haven't confirmed this. I don't know about the crossover board design, specifically whether it is a de-populated version of that used in the L710. The rubber woofer surrounds are all in good shape, the tweeter domes are OK, and the speakers play well. Obviously, there's a difference in SQ between these and my L1290s, but they have a nice sound to my ear. The cabinets are OK, though one has significant water staining and damage on top. The grilles are good. I even have a pair of nice edge-banded plywood stands I made for them... I'm trying to determine what, if anything, to do with them. As complete speakers they don't appear to have much residual value, but I could part them out as the drivers seem to be worth something. The default option is to put them back in storage, while another is to use them in my wood shop. They have some emotional value, which is why I still have them. Suggestions? Thanks. Tim

Following up on this. I successfully removed the crossovers from both L1290/2s. Removal is very straightforward: Remove the four 3 mm hex socket head screws, one in each corner of the crossovers. Gently pry the left side of the crossover away from the cabinet, then pull the crossover out and to the left until the 8 spade terminals, lugs, and wires are visible on the right. Remove the spade lugs and wires using a plier, hemostat, or possibly a flat blade screwdriver, noting the wire color-to-terminal mapping first. E.g., take a photo. The unit will then be free from the cabinet and drivers. Tim

Hi all, I'm enjoying my L1290/2s with R. So rebuilt domes. Presently I have them set up in a horizontal biamp configuration, which I may describe in the future in the "Biamping the Big ADS Models" thread. I'd like to inspect the crossovers but have not so far been able to remove them from the cabinets via the opening in the base. Has anyone succeeded in removing the crossovers and, if so, could you describe how you accomplished it? Thanks! Tim

The images you embedded (if in fact they are images) did not render correctly on three browsers across two platforms. The grille edges are car door edging! Available on eBay.

I'd like to share what I've done w/r/t replacing the grilles on new-to-me L1290/2s, in the hope it may help someone else here. I'm not recommending what I've done, but it works OK for me. The speakers were purchased from a guy in VT who had opportunity to deliver them to a location not far from my house in Metro West Boston. The speakers were in decent shape but were supplied without grilles. Nothing wrong with leaving the drivers exposed, but those domes are finger magnets, so I wanted grilles one way or another. They don't seem to be available as used items. Richard So didn't have any, either. After some homework I ordered a pair of rectangular, 5/32" perforated, staggered-hole steel grilles from Reliable Hardware. Dimensions I used were 29" x 10". Nice finish. The vendor was willing to bend the edges for an additional $20 setup charge, which I declined. Delivered cost was $63 + $23 shipping, or $86. I mounted the grilles using nylon circuit board standoffs and screws which insert directly into the existing grille mounts. These were sourced from Amazon or eBay, I forget which. Standoff length is 25 or 30 mm. Later I added automotive door edging after repeatedly catching my clothing on the raw edges of the grilles. As a final touch I added engraved, period-correct (I think) ADS badging from a supplier in located in Iowa and selling on eBay. Results are illustrated below. The downside is that the grilles are heavy and occasionally work loose. They don't fall off however. I probably should have had the edges bent (only cry once theory). I'm considering building custom basswood or spruce frames and covering these with speaker cloth, once I finish a couple of other woodworking projects I've got going. If I do that I'll post an update. Thanks Tim

Nice job on the grilles! I have been thinking about making a set out of wood (spruce or basswood) and fabric. i would like to retain the original mounts but that isn't strictly required. Could you provide a bit more detail on what you did to refinish them? Thanks! Tim

I have not yet done anything with the crossovers. I don't have a reason to think they need work, beyond their age. On a related note (ha ha), I am in the middle of a bi-amp experiment, which I will describe in the 'bi-amping the big ADS' thread, probably later this week. I've also come up with an OK solution for the grilles, which I can also describe separately. Good luck with your repairs! Tim

I bought a pair of L1290/2s sometime in late 2019 or early 2020, before the pandemic. They were in good cosmetic condition but lacked grilles. One of the mids was damaged. While researching the purchase I came across refrerences to, and positive remarks about, Richard So and his repair service. The speakers souded good, or so I thought, but eventually I decided to have the damaged mid and tweeter from the same cabinet rebuilt. So I took them out - not easy, but not hard, following his guidance - packed them up carefully and sent them off. They were back in about 10 days. Doing one side at a time allowed an A/B comparison. They came back looking like new. The difference in sound quality was very significant. Louder and better defined. I am sure there are a multitude of audiophile adjectives I could use here but I will just say they were significanly improved. I have since had the other speaker mid and tweeter done (3 weeks ago) with the same results. Cost was about $125 per side, including Priority Mail shipping between AZ and MA. There was a problem with one tweeter after repair. It sounded blown. I sent it back and it was fixed for free and returned in a week. He sent a video of it playing on his bench before shipping it back. Richard is not a great communicator, but he seems to do good work and stands by it. I don't know know what other options exist for having these drivers rebuilt or repaired. Hope that helps! Tim

Will do - thank you!

Hi all, I'm new to this forum. I'm presently renewing my interest in high fidelity sound, using vintage components. I live west of Boston and recently retired after 40+ years working in computer systems and telecom equipment engineering development. I hope the pandemic is giving everyone a chance to enjoy their music that much more. Last year I picked up a pair of L1290/2. The speakers I wished I'd owned (and wished I could afford) as a youth. I've had a pair of L700 II since 1980 or so and owned a pair of L810s for a while (which I bought opportunistically, 2nd hand at the now-defunct Music Box in Wellesley, with stands, for $250). So, I'm a fan. I'm considering bi-amping the speakers. There's some really good information here. Thank you very much for that, it will be helpful if I move forward. Amplification would be an Adcom 545 II for the lows, and a B&K ST-1400 for the uppers, which happen to be what I have The speakers sound great with either amp right now. I'd probably use a dbx 223/224 crossover, since they can be had for under $100. The spec'd voltage gain of the two amps is quite close (1 dB delta), but clearly there is a risk of some deterioration of tonal balance w/o gain adjustment. One question that sticks in my mind is, why would the developers include the ability to bi-amp the L1290/2 if they didn't think doing so might provide an advantage? And why did they choose the unusual design for the bi-amp support in the crossover (straight through on the woofers but through the internal crossover for the mid & tweeter when in bi-amp mode)? There is of course the usual reason developers add features - namely, they sell more stuff, in this case C-2000s! But there are some other putative advantages outlined on page 8 in the C-2000 manual (https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1019271/Ads-C-2000.html), some of which are discussed here. Thoughts? Thanks! Tim