Edinburgh Listening Society
The Edinburgh Listening Society is a sound system curated by AV Department Limited. It comprises predominantly of refurbished vintage Quad Hi-Fi including the legendary Quad ESL 57 Electrostatic Loudspeakers in a stacked configuration.
Conceived at the end of the Covid pandemic when smaller groups could once again meet. The concept was to bring together people who had rediscovered a love of their music collections during lockdown and wanted to share the experience of recorded music in a more social environment than their living room but not as intrusive as a club. Listeners will often bring their own music to play on the system and take the ‘Sweet Spot’ seat where the system sounds its best.
The system is designed to compliment events were the quality of the music audio is paramount so it suits art installations, chill out spaces, pop up listening café / bar, personal listening experiences and recording monitoring. Geared towards Vinyl and CD playback we can also accommodate Mini Disc, Cassette and 78rpm by special arrangement. Ideally suited to small audiences and spaces. If you have a space or event that you think would be complimented by a Edinburgh Listening Society installation then please get in touch.
System Components
- Quad ESL 57 Speakers
- Quad 303 Amplifier
- Quad 44 Pre Amplifier
- Technics SL1200 Mk2 Turntable
- Quad 66 CD Player
The Quad ESL 57 introduced in the late 1950’s and continues to astound the listener with its clarity and musicality especially in the mid range of frequencies which makes it particularly suited to classical, jazz and vocal music. Our 57’s are available as a stand alone pair or as a stacked pair.
The 303 was the first transistor amplifier produced by Quad and was designed specifically to drive the ESL 57 Electrostatic speakers, which were originally driven by an earlier 15w valve design (The 303 is 45w). The 303 amp is a another classic that was produced by the thousands and found its way into many professional applications including the BBC and Recording studios as the reference amplifier. It was also used extensively through out the rail network for announcement amplification due to its legendary reliability. Universally loved by domestic owners these amplifiers become family heirlooms getting sent back to Quad for refurbishment multiple times. Our 303s have been refurbished by Quad and when used in the full system drive one side of the stacked ESL 57s.
The Quad 44 Pre Amplifier spans a period when both vinyl records and CDs were the predominant formats available to music lovers. This makes this pre amp the obvious choice when listening to either format. The pinnacle of vinyl performance and the understanding that the CD was designed to out perform vinyl in sound quality and longevity. The pre amp switches between inputs and controls the levels and tone to suit the music being played. Again our 44 is refurbished by Quad.
Technics SL1200 Mk2 is every DJ’s preferred turntable. Renown for its build quality, reliability and sound quality. This club deck is a cult classic that has gone through many refinements and is copied but never equalled. Our turntable now sports a Ortofon P20 cartridge with elliptical stylus to provide a quality sound while maintaining a high degree of reliability.
The Quad 66 CD Player is possibly not the pinnacle of CD sound quality but it sits well in the Quad ethos of on sound reproduction. Some CD players are too clinical in their reproduction and as such loose the musicality of the recording. The 66 CD player is a simple to use player that maintains a neutral tone that allows the music to be focus of your attention and not the player. Not the best for cueing tracks for the DJ but that is not what it was designed for. Firmly a domestic player for personal enjoyment.
