Steve M Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 (edited) Well, I can now confess that I am the new owner of Bryan's - Lansche Plasma Guy, Direct Drive Electrostatics (DD-ESL), described by some as being part of what is the "Best System That I Have Heard" , see SNA thread here: http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/56698-the-best-system-i-have-heard/?hl=%2Bdirect+%2Bdrive+%2BeslFirst up, I will say that the DD-ESL is a phenomenal speaker ...think of the best of what an electrostatic can do and multiply it by 2-3 times in terms of a bigger sound stage; more loudness capability and punch (this stat will do 100dB easy); increased midbass strength (a common failing in stats) and even greater levels of fine nuance and detail through the midrange. The imaging is confronting to say the least - the sonic picture is soooo large and placed so strongly in front of you that the rawness of it leaves you shaking your head in disbelief. A very dynamic loudspeaker at both the micro and macro levels of music replay. In the end, it is what it is - a very BIG electrostatic loudspeaker with plenty of surface area, with all the benefits that this brings when compared to normal electrostatics.Whether it is the 'best' loudspeaker in the world is open to discussion. I would not be so bold as to make such a claim and Imagine that some will still want more in terms of what a big capable box speaker is able to do. I use the speaker with my very capable German Eton 11" Bass Reflex bass modules which are designed to go down to 26Hz +/- 3dB, only on some music that requires it.This speaker costs about $8K -10K to set up properly and with a large dose of enthusiasm required from the owner! However, the effort is more than worthwhile as the end result is stratospheric in terms of the money spent (in fact, it competes at any price point if you respect what it does well).Anyway, I'll stop talking for now and post some pretty pictures which will tell a thousand words ...When I first got the speaker from Bryan it was just a pile of plastic, raw pine framing and wires everywhere. Such is the case when you dismantle and send something like this from Melbourne to Perth. Bryan did a great job of packing everything and it came to me safe-n-sound (phew!).The initial design brief for me putting it back together was No. 1 SAFETY & No. 2 sorting out the AESTHETICS (how do you bloody hide a 1.2m x 1.2m wide monstrosity in a normal domestic setting??). On the safety part, I triple insulated and locked every bit of wiring down to protect myself and my little family from the 5000v floating around the wires and panels, it was essential to build the grill covers and serviceable panels front and rear to achieve total protection, which I've succeeded I think (fingers crossed). Secondly, as to sorting out the aesthetics I consulted my ever patient and tolerant wife. We both concluded that you cannot really camouflage such a construct, a big slab of black was too obvious, subtle coloring too boring and curtain-like ...so we decided to go a Funky Orange colour! This is in keeping with the orange desert theme in the psychodelic Bush Medicine painting on the wall by Jeannie Petyarre, a Central Desert Aboriginal Artist. I also like to think that the orange colour reminds me of my favorite website, namely, Stereonet Australia.The colour scheme has had the desired effect, its had the nod of approval from the young ones visiting the house (25-30 yr olds), who with iPods in ears, think that it is cool. They still tell me I should just get an iPod and be done with it all (what the hell do they know?)! It took me two weekends about five full days to sort out the aesthetics and make the speaker safe. The panel at the back (lower down) is velcroed into place rather than screwed. The hidden wires need to be accessible quickly for maintenance or modding while at the same time I did not want any 'screwing around' with metal screws at the back with 5kV potentially floating around ...I didn't want to be screwed at some stage, if you get what I mean. The Roger Modjeski USA, Output Transformer Less (OTL) Direct Drive valve amplifier RRP $5,500AUD to land in Australia with probably a one year waiting list. The unit has been modified by Bryan with Mundorf capacitors etc. This amplifier is as pure as it gets I suppose, no transformer with miles of wire and electrical effects to sully the signal. The signal by the way, comes straight from your source and is delivered directly from the plate of the valve to the electrostatic panels as a 5000 volt voltage source. All the electronics in the ESL is also bypassed (the ESL transformers, crossovers, rectifier block/diodes etc are completely eliminated). It is about as pure in concept as you can get in both building and driving a loudspeaker.I think it was Tim de Paravicini of EAR who came up with the concept in the 1970s when he started building Direct Drive OTL amplifiers to run his beloved Quad ESL-57 electrostatic speakers.The Modjeski amplifier uses $5 television power tubes so is cheap and easy to keep maintained. The output tube is a 12AV5GA and the smaller driver tubes are 6BQ7A."Bush Medicine" painting by Central Desert Aboriginal Artist ~ Jeannie Petyarre ...sets the theme for my listening room.The system components have changed a bit too. Since selling the Supratek Grange, I have ended up with two more Suprateks would you believe!?! Mick is very patient and good to me and I am now using his latest Supratek DHT Dual Cabernet 71A preamplifier, the new circuit with Coleman regulators (next step is to install some nice Magnaquest chokes to take it a step further). This pre is two preamps in one, I use the 71A for linestage duties and a 6H30 circuit which is optimised for good tight bass to drive the Eton bass modules. The second Supratek Cortese preamp is really my phono stage solution. It has the very nice sounding and new 4P1L DHT circuit plus a superb Moving Coil phono stage. Mick has configured this preamp so that I can send the phono signal from it to the 71A preamp (like a tape loop), so in effect I can use it as a dedicated phono stage with the 71A preamp.Sources are still my Accuphase DP-77 CD/SACD player which I love the sound of; a Squeezebox Touch or Laptop with JRiver and computer audio feeding into the DP-77's 24bit/192kHz DAC and a Technics SP-10+EPA100 turn table with three arms and seven MC cartridges feeding it. I have gone a bit mad on MC cartridges lately and now have four high-quality ones, namely, a Lyra Argo-i ($1.8K)+Transfiguration Temper($3.5K)+Zyx Cosmos Cryo nude version ($5K) and a beautiful sounding Supex 900 Mk IV with Soundsmith re-tip. I have four nice MC cartrdiges not quite in the league of the big four mentioned. Of course I didn't really pay those kind of dollars for the cartridges and have collected over time. Life's Good and variety is the spice of life!Since the DD-ESL speaker is valve based and shouldn't really be run 24/7 hrs, I also use a pair of Proac Response 2.5 clone loudspeakers with a Peter Daniels Audiosector LM3875 kit chip amplifier which kind of runs all day long ( lovely sweet music from this 'standby' system). I think the Proac clone actually sounds a bit better than the real thing. It uses exactly the same drivers and box, but the crossover is significantly better built than the factory version which uses the typical electrolytic caps and cheap parts. Edited February 18, 2014 by Steve M 17
tuyen Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Nicely finished Steve. GTG @ yours soon pretty please?
Malcolm Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Really like the colour Steve ,now you must need a room extension to fit all your speakers . Cheers
THOMO Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Zzzz-zz-zzz-zz-zz-zzz -zzzzz-zz-zz -ZAP! Oh well plenty of more cats in the RSPCA Cat Home.
gamve Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Just Got Better? Please elaborate Steve. In what respect have they just got better? Cosmetically they look great like what you have done. I'm chasing two more panels to give me eight before I make up the stands/supports for mine. Were you commenting on the additional bass support? Cheers Graham
soundfan Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Thanks Steve, I love reading of your hi fi journey's. Would love to have heard these, and really like the colour scheme too.
Sir Rab of Everest Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Hey Steve, welcome to the club (of two) ! You've done a fantastic job of hiding the wiring: mine is still a rats nest! - r.
Volunteer sir sanders zingmore Posted February 14, 2014 Volunteer Posted February 14, 2014 so that's where they went, congrats! Looks like i'll have to head over to WA for another listen
andyr Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Well, I can now confess that I am the new owner of Bryan's - Lansche Plasma Guy, Direct Drive Electrostatics (DD-ESL), described by some as being part of what is the "Best System That I Have Heard" , see SNA thread here: http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/56698-the-best-system-i-have-heard/?hl=%2Bdirect+%2Bdrive+%2Besl Were they Brian's personal pair ... in which case, what has he replaced them with? Or does he make them for interested punters? Regards, Andy
Tax Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Congrats Steve! Happy listening. Look forward to hearing them on my next visit West. t
Steve M Posted February 14, 2014 Author Posted February 14, 2014 More words added to the original post guys ...writing as fast as I can. Cheers, Steve.
Malcolm Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 More words added to the original post guys ...writing as fast as I can. Cheers, Steve. Hi Steve Are these the amps Bryan had ,also where does the 5000volts come from . Cheers
steve u Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 (edited) Congrats, very impressive and I really like the orange, looks great. Edited February 14, 2014 by steve u
Jake Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Awesome looking speakers Steve. I have a Jeannie Petyarre too, great artist.
Steve M Posted February 14, 2014 Author Posted February 14, 2014 (edited) OK ... to answer some of your questions: Thanks Tuyen & Tasso, nothing's changed from what you heard at Bryan's in Melbourne Tuyen, other than room response which I warn you is VERY different. Gtg, all in good time although I do prefer a personal visit for a relaxed session. Becomes a pissing contest with more people, but that's just me ... Mal: my ability to seek out the best speakers within the confines of a normal household budget (whatever that is?) knows no bounds! I put my money where my mouth is and believe that loudspeakers produce the MOST difference so will continue to pursue this aim, until the day I die I think ;-)). The amplifier outputs 5000v in OTL mode to the two stators and moving membrane in the ESL panel, the three wires encapsulated in hard Teflon running across the floor is the dangerous part! Andy: Bryan is now using Tannoy as a compromise (his words not mine), he needed business start-up funds and I leant a helping hand, all good and what goes around comes around. Practicing good Karma means something in life. Tax & Zingy: you are always welcome to visit sunny Perth and my home anytime. Rab/Richard: thanks for the positive strokes, show your wife/partner and your boys the Orange speakers ...it will be revelatory for them and show them that you are not quite mad? Gamve/Graham: the speaker is only improved cosmetically (at this stage) ... Regards, Steve. Edited February 22, 2014 by Steve M
Volunteer sir sanders zingmore Posted February 14, 2014 Volunteer Posted February 14, 2014 Might be in Perth next month so I may just take you up on the offer
Monkeyboi Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Wow, as an ESL owner I'd be keen to hear these. Cheers, Alan
Malcolm Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Mal: my ability to seek out the best speakers within the confines of a normal household budget (whatever that is?) knows no bounds! I put my money where my mouth is and believe that loudspeakers produce the MOST difference so will continue to pursue this aim, until the day I die I think ;-)). The amplifier outputs 5000v in OTL mode to the two stators and moving membrane in the ESL panel, the three wires encapsulated in hard Teflon running across the floor is the dangerous part! Regards, Steve. Steve keep collecting it's always interesting to see what you come up with :-)) . If they are Bryan's old amps ,Lucas measured the out voltage @ 900volts given the tubes used that's why I'm surprised about the 5000V going around . But I'll ask Lucas next time I see him just incase I've got it wrong . How's the 71A tube sounding ,was looking at changing over to it . Cheers Mal
Steve M Posted February 14, 2014 Author Posted February 14, 2014 (edited) Oops post deleted, got my Gamve/Zingmores mixed up ... Edited February 15, 2014 by Steve M
Steve M Posted February 14, 2014 Author Posted February 14, 2014 (edited) Mal, you might be more informed tabout the voltage with the ESL amp - that's for the boffins like Modjeski and Lucas to argue over, please share when you discover the answer. The 71A circuit is best described as 'liquid' sounding if that helps. The 4P1L circuit is possibly all-conquering, but that's not the case for everyone including Lucas who might fiddle at the edges - Mick Maloney has extreme skill with valves and is ahead of the curve (World-wide) , well, that's my personal belief anyway. Steve. Mal, you might be more informed about the 5kV voltage with the ESL amp - that's for the boffins like Modjeski and Lucas to argue over, please share when you discover the answer.The 71A circuit is best described as 'liquid' sounding if that helps. The 4P1L circuit is possibly all-conquering, but that's not the case for everyone including Lucas who might fiddle at the edges - Mick Maloney has extreme skill with valves and DHT circuits and is well ahead of the curve (World-wide) , well, that's my personal belief anyway. Steve. Edited February 14, 2014 by Steve M
Audionutz Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Hey Steve, welcome to the club (of two) ! You've done a fantastic job of hiding the wiring: mine is still a rats nest! - r. and nearly three Hopefully soon as my amp arrives from Roger !!! This is just the motivation I need to get moving on this project -time, funds and space permitting Cheers 'Nutz
Steve M Posted February 14, 2014 Author Posted February 14, 2014 Hello Mr Nutz, please persevere with your Modjeski DD-ESL project ...it will be well worth it. Basically, a $50K result for a $10K investment, imho. Steve.
~Spyne~ Posted February 14, 2014 Posted February 14, 2014 Gotta say, I really like the orange and the overall neatness of the system is pretty astounding..what cables?!
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