Connecting stacked ESL 57's to amplifier

[sima66]

I'm running two pairs of 57' connected in parallel + a pair of 8 ohm super tweeters with my tube AA mono's (for the last 3-4 years). I just tried in series, but I'm loosing the dynamics and a bit of volume.
I have two questions:
1. What part of the amp is under the most stress connecting this way? What damage can be done?
2. Is there a way to tweak the output somehow to ease the load on amps, but not loose the quality?

Any other suggestion or advice are welcome?

Thanks,
Adam

[tony]

I think you are running this post parallel in the wrong thread! Would suggest moving this serious question to General!
Fran knows the answer best I reckon. My understanding is that in series is the way to go as it ends up being less stress than a single pair(Somebody will probably correct me on this but that is what I remember being told)

Anyway I can offer you €400 for the pair if they are that bad at blowing up amps.

[sima66]

Hehehehehehe......it wasn't meant to be in classifieds, but I screwed up.......like usually!!!

Fran, help!!!

[Diapason]

Topic moved to general.

Wish I could help with the problem in question, but in my head a series connection should be way easier to drive than parallel (in terms of impedance dips). However, Fran is definitely the man here.

[tony]

Edited as Adam explains below correctly how to wire in series.

[james]

http://www.quadesl.org/index.php/hard-c ... cked-quads

article on stacked quads ....

[sima66]

Thanks Diapason for moving the thread and avoid the confusion! ;-)

Thanks James for the links, I remember reading those ones before I started my project (I don't thing that I missed any of them), but at that time I had my mind already formed on connecting in parallel and I just concentrated on the frame and positions and all the tweaks that could be applied.

Each of my Quads is connected directly to the amplifier with Valhalla shotgun spk cable (in parallel), so I'm using two sets of speaker cables.
I tried connecting in series with one speaker cable ("+" from the amp to "+" of the speaker 1, than "-" of the spk 1 to the "+" of the spk 2, and "-" of the spk 2 back to the "-" of the amp). The connection between the two speakers was a cheap 15 cm speaker wire.
Connected this way I got loss of dynamics and volume (10%).
Then I tried to double the speaker wires and that was a nice improvement in dynamics, but still not close to connection in parallel! The weakest link in connecting in series was that 15 cm cheap speaker wire if that can be the cause of this much of a difference!

After all this (inaccurate) testings, I still prefer the parallel connection and probably my amps will still be sweating for a while.........till the end!!!
I can promise only "sweat, blood and tears" for my Audio Aero's!!!

[sima66]

Does anyone has any experience (or opinion) on the "Anti Cables Zero Boxes"?

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/zero/zero.html

[Fran]

I'm late to this party!!


I had mine connected in arallel for a long time, but switched to series when I swapped amps around. I think in most cases series will be easier for the amp to drive, and the place to listen out for is the high freqs. The impedance curve for quads is reversed compared to normal speakers - they take extra current to drive the high freqs, whereas most others want current to move the bass. So if you find the treble sweeter then you are matching closer to what your amp is set up for.

Dunno about the boxes....


Fran

[sima66]

Thanks Fran,
I tried to connect them in parallel, but this time on the 4 ohm output of the amps. I got more bass, more body, a softer voice, but less details and dynamics and not that punchy and defined bass (I guess because of lacking highs). Sound was very similar to connecting them in series on the 8 ohm output.
So far, I still like better the parallel connection in 8 ohm.
I'm still looking for a better jumper wire (between the spk) to see how much of a difference that can make in the connection in series.

Best,
Adam