Graaf GM200 GM20 Modena OTL Quad ESL 63

Click pic to enlarge. Quad ESL-63 on stands; Graaf GM200 on stool, connected with Nordost Speaker Cables; above, pair of GM20 Modena Monoblocks with black coverings, next to which Marantz 10B Tuner; beneath Marantz is Luminous Audio Passive Control.

Virtual Home Visits (9): Quad ESL, Graaf OTL

The Perfect Gentleman
This photo came by accident. When Jules (Visit 8) sent his photo to me, he included this one, which briefly threw me off. It turned out to be a more recent picture of the home of dkyyu, which I had visited a few times before. dkyyu is a perfect gentleman and a generous man (come to think of it, don't you think the majority of audiophiles, of any nationality, are really nice people?). I took the liberty of using this photo, just to say hello to him! dkyyu is also a precious tea collector and an LP collector.

Researching this blog, I was surprised that I had actually recorded a visit to dkyyu more than 10 years ago!!! I forgot about it! It is still a good read, and relevant to this article! :-) That makes me happy. I have visited him after that, but did not write about it, so please say hello to LeeHC and big Lau for me too! I miss you all!

dkyyu's living room can be considered reasonably sized in HK. He is a die-hard vintage Quad ESL fan, owner of the iconic ESL-57 and ESL-63. There is a crazy gang of vintage ESL users in HK; some members even do DIY repairs (HK is very humid, and almost all ESL's go bad). Some of their exploits can be seen here (pics galore).

ESL users naturally gravitate to OTL (the theoretical high impedance matching thing). That is one of the reasons (but no the only one) why I have heard many Graaf's in HK. This Modena (home of the 3 i's of race cars) manufacturer is not well known in the US. This is understandable, as North American homes on the average are much larger and OTL, being a low-powered and impedance matching oddball, is a niche; and the US also has its own Atmasphere and Transcendent Sound. On the other hand, in places like the UK, Europe and Hong Kong, listening quarters are small and Graaf would be more suitable. In the HK market, any Graaf that shows up is lapped up quickly; in NA, I think it'd be like hunting for hen's teeth. Graaf's official websites have not been updated for a few years but can still be read (old one has more info, "new one" less so). If readers know if they are defunct or not, please let me know. Where are you, "Giacomo Bello" (come to think of it, can you email me?)?

OTL in General My own experience with OTL is summarized here in an Overview.

Graaf GM 20
Graaf's most commonly seen OTL amp is the GM20 (this review is probably by Ken Kessler of HiFi News). Employing 4 x 6C33, it puts out 20 watts. It is a great amp, and not just with ESL. Yes, I have heard it with vintage Quad ESL, like at dkyyu's place, to good effect. But, keep in mind, I understand what's good about ESL, but am not an exact fan of vintage ESL, as they image low and have no power envelope to speak of for this classical symphonic listener. In my opinion, for vintage ESL, elevation and addition of subwoofer is a must. I'd actually prefer my lowly low-level Martin Logan Source (here, and there are many after that pilot, just search; second-hand price is probably a few hundred dollars). But I notice that dkyyu now has a subwoofer! If my memory serves me, my previous visits were without, and that is a big step forward by my thinking! In terms of average,based on what I heard in HK, I actually prefer the sound of my friend relax173's Graaf + B and W Nautilus 804. So, OTL can work well with other lower impedance loudspeakers as well.

Graaf Modena Monoblocks 
These are special monoblock editions of the GM20, and highly coveted. The sound is excellent, just like the GM20, with a little more power. Should you be interested, this past sales ad has a lot of great pics.

Graaf GM 200
Judging by the looks and the "magic eye" tubes, dkyyu's ' "newest" acquisition, which I have not heard, is the GM 200, 10x the power of the GM20! This was reviewed by Ken Kessler in HiFi News and Stereophile. A whopping 42 tubes, and in ultra-hot sub-tropical (misnomer; I think the difference between sub- and tropical is disappearing) HK! While I admire the fanaticism, I cannot really take this to heart. I am sure it sounds great, but the energy cost! I'll take the GM20 myself, thank you. What I am saying is, no matter what the power, vintage ESL is highly limited in dynamics - there is a reason why SME's Alistair Richardosn employed stacked pairs! For me, the current Quad offerings (28' and 29' series) are more dynamic and suitable (though I shall still opt for Martin Logan).

Thank you Jules, and dkyyu! You both have enhanced my audio experience so much. I am grateful that I have you as friends.

Home Visit: Quad ESL63

Home Visit: Quad ESL63 Now we're talking!

A spontaneous gathering took place at the home of dkyyu on Monday. I was the first to arrive, followed by Alan, pcs100, mda, Gingers, relax173, and lastly, feikeung. I was pleasantly surprised by the presence of mda, whom I haven't seen in years!

Thanks Dennis for his generous reception, which included Kobe beefsteaks and smoked salmon! Dennis turns out to be quite proficient in the kitchen, dishing out the delicious steaks (with good sauce) before we could even finish one side! The only thing missing was perhaps pu-er?

pic: What we listened to (click to enlarge)

-Linn LP12/Ekos/Linn cartridge into Linto
-Cyrus CDP as transport into MF X-DAC v8
-Music First TVC passive preamp (capable of 6 db gain) and Nagra PLP (courtesy feikeung)
-Graaf 20 OTL amp
-Original mint pair of Quad ESL63, with only minor repair done by pcs100

Dennis' home has quite a new and softer look since my last visit (ESL 57, and no CDP). Even with the gears just turned on it was clear from the first beat this was the best sound dkyyu has achieved in his place. Compared to the ESL57, the ESL 63 undoubtedly has superior bandwidth and dispersion and can play louder. As importantly, the 63 does not really require you to sit still in the center, and that's much more consistent with my audio preference.

The speakers were likely not quite run-in (allegedly early returns stuffed away in the warehouse), so the treble does not have quite the openess I heard from the restored 63 at pcs100's place (the first time, when they were just fixed; not the second time, when they sounded highly abnormal). But the bass is already something to be proud of, clean and agile midbass - what a delight!

With only 20 OTL watts, the 63 was surprisingly dynamic and played surprisingly loud, even surviving feikeung's acid test, EMI's Falla La Vida Breve, though vocals just clip a bit on fortissimos. Importantly, right to the moment of clipping composure was maintained and separation remained very good.

We also compared the passive TVC with the active Nagra. There is little doubt an active preamp brings about greater control and oomph, necessary for playback of large-scale music. For jazz and smaller combos I can see why some may like the TVC. For myself, an active preamp is a must for playing back symphonic music.

With digital playback especially, the system achieved a very commendable degree of neutrality. In fact on many of the new issues (like 童麗) we preferred the CD to LP. It has been my opinion that most of the new HK LPs based on CD material are inferior to the CD. Save your money!

Congratulations to Dennis!