Imaging ,detail

bass

Well I found the tweak that I had been searching for and I believe these speakers are closer to a 5 than Id ever realized.I got a great deal on some old new stock Monster M1.0s speaker cable ,and it made all the difference .Bass is tightened ,Mids have punch and nuance.Highs were mellowed while adding even more detail.The imaging is 3D!
I just auditioned $3500 B+Ws and my ADS are sounding as good if not better.Im definately keeping them.

Extremely accurate reproduction.

Very sensitive to the system its hooked up to.

I've had the a/d/s/ 1290s for about 6 years now. I bought them used when somebody brought them in on consignment at the stereo store where I normally shop. He wanted $600 for them, but they were all scratched up with banged up grills and in generally retched cosmetic condition; so I offered $350 and became the owner of speakers that I had coveted since they were introduced. I spent the next 2 weeks taking them apart and refinishing them so they would look as good as they sounded.

Since that time I've used them with 4 seperate sets of electronics ranging from a/d/s/ atelier series, to Adcom and a couple of Yamaha integrated amps. I each case these speakers were more than happy to reveal the inadequacies of my system. The a/d/s/ R4 did not have enough dynamic reserves to keep up with them. The Adcom amps were much too dry and clinical thus making them sound harsh. The first Yamaha lost a great deal of the detail. Finally when I went with the current DSP-A1 everything came together.

At first I was a little concerned about using these speakers in a home theater system (although I listen to them strait stereo 50% of the time), but they reproduced that type of audio very well and stood up to the rigors of Dolby Digital at high volumes. I found that they match extremely well with my Snell K IIv center channel speaker, but ended up using 3 subs before I found 1 with the speed to keep up with them. I've ended up going with a Sunfire TrueSub MkII turned way down for an excellent seemless match.

These speakers have really spoiled me for any speaker that I've heard under $3000. They've done everything I've asked of them and reproduce all types of music accurately without fatigue. It's just too bad that a/d/s/ has gone another direction. I would highly recommend them to anyone who comes across a used pair.

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NHT 1.3

Smooth smooth smooth, big and wide soundstage, clear rich mid's and sweet shimmering highs.

I like them so much I can't find anything newer to buy!

Having always been on a very strict audio budget, I bought what I could find in local pawn shops and such, occasionaly visiting the higher end stores in my area so I would at least know what 'real' higher fi equipment sounded like. On these visits one of my must listens were always the ADS speakers, they were so clear and rich, detailed, everything I like to hear.

Lo and behold, one day I walked into a pawn shop with some actual cash in my pocket and there, on a top shelf, were a pair of ADS speakers..walnut finish, metal grille, just waiting for me..

They are L810 models, smaller than this actual review, but if I'm not mistaken essentially the same speaker with dual 8" woofers, that wonderful 3" dome midrange driver, and 1" dome tweets.

I asked the price and was quoted $200. I bought them sound unheard.
Turned out, one tweeter had no output so we pulled the fuse cover off the back panel. Sure enough, no fuse. I bought a replacement and it worked perfectly. Out of curiousity, I pulled the other fuse cover off. It had a copper penny acting as it's fuse!! It was a wonder no damage had occured, as to me it was apparent someone had driven these beautiful speaks loud hard and long..with no more appreciation of there quality than to put a penny in the fusebox.

I replace that with a regular fuse also,,and in more than 10 years have never had anything but sheer pleasure in owning these.

No matter what kind of music they consistently give a big rich sound, full and warm, with lush detail and a soundstage you can walk through. The bass just rolls out,no
booming or sounding overdone. The midrange is liquid. On some of my old Weather Report vinyls, you can hear what side of the stage the sax is on..and the drums a little off center, where they were place for the session.
Breath sounds on flutes and horns are normal fare for these speaks. Cymbals shimmer in the air before fading out.
These speakers make Sade sound as if she is performing a smoky routine right in my living room..and Foghats 'Live' album sends me back to the 70's and some of my most memorable concerts at the 'ol Collesium.


I built a set of risers for these speakers after owning them for a few years. They add to the visual appeal and opened the soundstage even farther.


Now that I have considerably more income than in those days,,my ADS's are still one of my most cherised possessions..and will be keepers for good.


Equipment driven by:

Denon DCD 1520 CD player
Pioneer SA 8020 Integrated Amp
Pioneer PL 530 Turntable
Akai 1100 Open Reel Tape Deck

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Nothing really, I found these about 10 yrs ago when shopping for new, and well, see comment above.

Very Open and transprent, crystal clear highs and uncomparable midrange. Good bass when material delivers

very deep bass

I am in the market for a new system and it is amazing how these speakers compare to newer units from KEF, B&W in the $3-5K range. I have been using these for almost 10 years without a single complaint. The midrange drivers are so good you can actually hear singers breathe!

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Infinity, KEF

Clean, tranparent, fast

metal grill is not very pretty

I just want to say to any people who own this speaker, that a great inexpensive improvement is to take advantage of its bi-wire capability. I just tried it last night based on the recommendation of Arnie at Audioworks, and was astounded by the improvement. Most apparent was the depth and imaging, which went from good to excellent. Placement of instruments and voices was so much more definite and solid. Soundstage depth and width are now beyond the edge of the speakers, and well behind them. Image is broad, and now the speakers have really disappeared. I find myself listening to the music, rather than the speakers. Isn't that what it's all about? Coloration was reduced, bass tightness also improved. I'm not a stuffy audiophile and not into "tweaking", but this was such a dramatic improvement that I was compelled to post this review.
My system is nothing worth bragging about, but here goes:

Nakamichi OMS-2A CD
Audire Legato preamp
Carver M500t amp
Yamaha T-700 tuner
Kimber silver streak interconnects
ADS L1290 speakers

I can't wait to hear these speakers after I upgrade my CD and preamp. Thinking of Rotel 961 and Adcom GFP-565 or 710.

Similar Products Used:

ADS, JBL, Boston, B&W

Strong,tight bass,transparent highs, extremly accurate mid range.

NONE

I bought these new in 1984 complete with the PA-1 Bi-amps.At the same time I bought sonys first CD player, and a Yamaha Pre-amp. To this day I have not heard another speaker that I can honestly say is as good or better...They have performed flawlessly all these years. If anyone knows how I can contact ADS.Please let me know. On my last move accross the country,I lost a couple of the fasteners that hold on the grills. If any of you might have some spares please contact me.

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B & W,Altec Mod. 17, etc

Crisp clean sound, nice balance.

None

I bought my L1590's new in 1986 and have been extremely pleased ever since. I still use them daily with never a problem. I had a Carver amp but switched to a 100 watt HK PM 665 because of the clean low end. You get rewarded when you buy quality! I agree with the other posts, if you can find a pair of L1290's or L1590's buy them, you will not be sorry.

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Rectilinear

Incredible sound

None whatsoever

After reading the other reviews, I figured I would put in my two cents. This review is really about the L-810 with cloth grills, but it seems like this section is the collection place for all of the ADS speakers in this category (dual-woofer 3-way).

I bought these in the mid-70's after finally scraping up enough money to buy them. After hearing them I couldn't accept anything less! They were the best sounding speakers I had ever heard and they are still incredible even by today's standards. The cabinets are beautiful, the construction superb, but the main point is the sound: accurate, well-balanced, they disappear when you listen to them.

I don't remember where I purchased them except that I was lucky enough to get them on sale at under $600 for the pair, new in box. It's a shame that Braun/ADS don't make these anymore (at least from looking around and reading the other reviews, it appears they are no longer manufactured) because they are fantastic.

Tight, deep, well-controlled bass

None

My father gave me his L1590s back in 1997 when he decided to start from scratch with a Martin-Logan based Home Theater System. They were originally purchased in 1987 and I have had them for the last 4 years. Man am I lucky. I have to reiterate all of the other posts: Nothing short of $3k can even touch the performance of these speakers. I am continually amazed at how these speakers hold up to the latest speakers on the market. Crystal clear highs, extremely tight, satisfying bass, open midrange. I agree they are quite sensitive to the equipment used, but you are rewarded with substantial improvements when good quality equipment is used. Not to say mine is high-end, but I am bi-amplifying my 1590s using a 100WPC Adcom amp for the mids and highs and a 100WPC Parasound amp for the lows. I am also using an NAD preamplifier with a Carver 5-disc changer. I highly recommend bi-amplifying the L1590s for maximum benefit. Absolutely wonderful speakers and everything I have listened to since has been a disappointment. I even prefer them over my father's very large Martin-Logans.

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Paradigm

Build quality, top to bottom coherence, extended treble, natural midrange, deep, taut bass from a modestly sized cabinet.

Very sensitive to the electronics that it is hooked up to. They are long out of production, which is too bad.

These are the little brother to the highly acclaimed L 1290/L 1590 series of speakers. I believe these were manufactured in the early 80's, around 1983-1986.
They are visually identical to the larger 1290's except that they use two 7 inch woofers instead of 8.3 inch woofers as in the 1290's. Like all ADS speakers, the cones are made of stifflite and use butyl rubber surrounds (which after almost twenty years, are still as good as new. How many foam surrounds last that long?). The midrange and tweeter domes are the same proprietary type used in the larger models. Both domes are made of woven cloth, and then coated with a damping compound. The frames are of extruded aluminum and are very solid.
The cabinets are very rigid, and covered on 5 sides with a beautiful walnut laminate. Each woofer has its own separate sub enclosure inside the cabinet, for tighter bass. This is an expensive way to design a speaker, even back then, as evidenced by the $1050 price tag in 1985 dollars.
How do they sound? In a word, beautiful. They are speakers that draw you into the music, instead of calling attention to themselves. Although it should be noted that these are very revealing of the electronics ahead of it. The old adage, "Garbage in, garbage out" is especially true here. To truly hear what these can do, they must be partnered with good equipment. No Sony surround sound receivers need apply here. I use mine with a Yamaha A-700 integrated amplifier, and a Marantz CD-63 SE cd player. This is a very happy combination. Bass is extended and tight, midrange is detailed without calling undue attention to itself, and the treble is extended and crystal clear.
These are speakers that really let you see into a recording. If you can at all locate a pair of these, I give them my strongest recommendation. For the record, I just purchased a pair of Paradigm Monitor 9's to replace the ADS's and I ended up selling the Paradigms. They are good speakers themselves, but just not in the same league as the ADS speakers.