WTB Acoustat 66 or 6600

[gnwt]

Hi there

I have been along time fan of Acoustats and am searching for my ultimate and last speaker purchase..a pr of acoustat 66 or 6600 probably will require shipment , I have been looking for a few years now without any success.

I have a pr of 1+1's and Spectra 4400's for my HT with a pair of Spectra 3's in my dedicated listening room but would like to complete my listening experience with the 66 or 6600's.

I listened to a pair in 1992 but they were outside my price range..now I can afford them..none to be found..

I have found the acoustats to be the best speakers that I like to listen to and are extremely musical and alluring. Anyone else agree with me on the sounds of the acoustat..few speakers in the under $5000 can compete the sound

[E-Stat]

I have found the acoustats to be the best speakers that I like to listen to and are extremely musical and alluring. Anyone else agree with me on the sounds of the acoustat..few speakers in the under $5000 can compete the sound
I've been an Acoustat fan since they were first introduced. Bob Reiman and Jim Strickland flew a pair to Atlanta back in '76 for TAS reviewer Dr. Cooledge (JWC) to hear. Several local audio enthusiasts (including yours truly) were invited over to meet the Acoustat folks and hear the new model X. JWC had Dayton-Wright electrostats at the time and they had converted me to the benefits of transparency and coherency.

One of the guests ran a local audio shop and picked up the line on the spot. I bought my first pair about six months later. I upgraded those to Monitor 4s and later purchased 2+2s which I used until a few years ago. Indeed they created a very convincing soundstage. Over the years, I replaced the internal wiring, bypassed the fuses, and replaced the socks with a more acoustically and visually transparent spandex cloth. They really sang when driven by 500 watt VTL monoblocks.

I heard the 6600s a couple of years back when I sold my 2+2s. They were on ebay, but located only about fifteen minutes away from my home. I brought over a CDR of favorites to audition. The Spectra design which segmented the high frequencies into a narrow vertical strip, did seem to minimize the vertical venetian blind effect suffered by the earlier series. They also sounded a bit more neutral. Then, I heard Sound Labs and was swayed by their resolution, neutrality, extended range and imaging. The angled segments of the single diaphragm eliminate the one-person sweet spot issue found with most Acoustats. While a bit pricier, they can be found for less used on places like Audiogon. My U-1s were used but refurbished and shipped from the factory. If nothing else, I would suggest auditioning a pair as a point of reference.


...few speakers in the under $5000 can compete the sound
I would agree, although the larger Maggies are pretty nice, too along with Quad electrostats.

BTW, I had the pleasure of visiting your area a few years back. The wife and I joined her brother and family to ski at Banff. Since they lived in Great Falls, we drove through Calgary and stopped at the Olympic Center where we rode Skeletons. Wow, that was an experience. Then we drove on to Banff and also took an "ice hike" near Lake Louise. Very pretty country there.

rw