Ess Company

I've been curious about ESS speakers.  I know they've been reborn recently, and I'm looking forward to hearing them at AXPONA next month.  

Yep. They're back at it in the L.A. area. They've put together a new line up of exclusively 2-way systems from book shelves to floor standers, including a modern interpretation of that AMT1 called the AMT Limited. I've got a pair of 1975 first generation AMT1's sitting about 12 feet from me as a write this. They're the originals, with the 10 inch alnico magnet drivers, ported cabs, and boxed in AMT unit. They most certainly have a mid-range weakness. However, that giant dipole AMT does something my 40 year newer Focals don't. Properly placed, they create an amazingly spacious sound comparable to what you might get from a big dipole planar. That lack of mid-range is hard to get past though. I'm not sure if they've solved that problem or not. 

I was jonesin' for a pair of their Transtatics in ’71 (pre-Heil era, it was a transmisionline loaded Kef B139, a Kef B110 5" mid, and three RTR ESL tweeters), but didn’t have the $ (they were $1200/pr at the time). I finally got a pair in ’82, and still have ’em!

I owned the Rock Monitors way back when.  
They were cool speakers.  

ESS Sacramento, when I worked there, had a once a year employee sale. Everything for sale was placed in the parking lot. Salary employees got the first pick. Us hourly employees had to wait till we were off of work. I scored a pair of 4-12T  (tower) speakers for 30 dollars each. Happy days, only to have them stolen 6 months later. R and R. (Research and development) had speakers from other companies.... to see what made them tick. Had so many there I asked them if they had any they wanted to sell. Happy days again. They did not give them away (almost) but I paid much much less than in retail stores. I bought a few speakers that were in dusty box’s. I met Mr. Oscar Heil there. ESS also had a live band there once set up in the warehouse. They also paid for get together’s (food and drink..... mainly drink) at a local park every now and then. Those were the days.