ADS L1590

[b1daly 0]

Very interesting discussion here. I thought I would pipe up with a comment on the old tweeters/ferrofluid issue. I’ve had Richard So rebuild multiple pairs, and the improvement is palpable. I’m a firm believer in home audio that if it sounds good it is good. In my case I was trying to bring my Dads old L1290 back to life, and I was hearing them as sharper, almost brittle, spitty tweeters than I remembered them from 35 years ago. I have 4 pairs of ADS speakers, and so far all of the tweeters were problematic. They weren’t quieter, but instead had a “spikier” sound with certain frequencies distorting. It’s not like they were unlistenable, but on modern production with a lot of high frequencies they just weren’t right. 

Right now I have two head scratchers: the 1290s sound pretty good, but the bass seems untight, sort of underfined, not punchy  I actually have two pair of 1290s and they both sound like this. But it just doesn’t seem right. I’m experimenting with some high quality parametric EQs and also some bi-amping to see if I can tighten this up. I’m also pull out some slight edge in the high mids  . Just by ear, I sweep the frequencies until I hear a some ringing then notch it out. This is a new approach but I think it has huge potential to dramatically improve some of these older speakers, which are already quite excellent 

 

[bassment142 0]

On 1/22/2019 at 1:06 AM, batchman said:

Hi Tom,

batchman, do you play bass by any chance?

I think you dont have enough power for the 1590s to "break things" and move air the same way you can get your 980s movin.?

[batchman 0]

On 6/20/2019 at 8:36 AM, bassment142 said:

batchman, do you play bass by any chance?

I guess it shows ;).  Guilty as charged.  Yourself?

And FWIW, the only 12" driver I've liked for reproducing bass is (drum roll), the L-980.

(I play through 15"s, with a side order of 4x10" for "treble pickup moments")

[batchman 0]

On 6/20/2019 at 8:36 AM, bassment142 said:

I think you dont have enough power for the 1590s to "break things" and move air the same way you can get your 980s movin.?

Power is not likely the issue.  Everybody gets the same channel, 8x200wrms (4 corners bi-amped), and yes, each 20A capable.

Why yes, that is a lot of heatsink, now that you mention it...

The maths say the 1590s are superior, and I'm not changing my room to prove or disprove it, but I could not blow out a match with the 1590s.  Guess I'll keep tryin' ;).

Cheers,

- Jeff

 

[Jim Pearce 0]

Super happy to find this thread, I have a pair of these and had no idea they would be included in the class of loudspeakers featured by this page.

Thank you all very much for your writings!