Soltanus Virtuoso Crossoverless Electrostatic Loudspeakers

Price reduction! Trades welcome!
We need the floor space for incoming Analog Domain Argus speakers.

For sale is our dealer demo pair of Soltanus Virtuoso, full-range, (40Hz-20kHz), multipannel, crossoverless, electrostatic loudspeakers.

If you appreciate the transparency and seamless top to bottom coherency of a full-range, medium-size, electrostatic speaker, this is the speaker for you.
This is a truly innovative design, offering the purity of mid-range that electrostats are know for, augmented by similarly glorious bass and high-frequency extension.

The Virtuoso is the brainchild of designer Zoltan Mikovity. Quoting Doug Schneider of Sound Stage: "Mikovity told me that his inspiration for the ESL Virtuoso was the Quad ESL-57, many of which he’d repaired back home in Serbia, where Soltanus Acoustics is based. Of course, he wanted to create something better -- and I have no doubt that, with the ESL Virtuoso, he has.
Anyone looking for a modern, and highly evolved version of the venerable Quad ESL-57 need look no further than the Virtuoso.

Awards

Soltanus Acoustics Virtuoso - included in "The Best of Salon Son & Image 2015" A system that took me completely by surprise was built around a pair of Soltanus Acoustics ESL Virtuoso speakers. The ESL Virtuoso is a two-way, full-range electrostatic that can be run without a crossover, so long as your amplifier’s damping factor (recommend 25+) is high enough. Designer Zoltan Mikovity assured me that most amps qualify, but if yours doesn’t, there’s a knob on the back of each speaker that will engage the crossover, and an alternate binding post to connect one of the speaker cables to. The ESL Virtuoso has a claimed bandwidth of 40Hz-20kHz, +/-3dB -- thats airly wide.

At the front end of the chain was an Auralic Vega digital processor, feeding digital signals to an Aurum Acoustics Integris CDP player-preamplifier.

This system clarity was superb, and its midrange presentation was to die for -- voices sounded dazzling. The level of transparency was also first-rate -- the piano in “Within,” from Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories (Columbia), hovered precisely in space with crystalline clarity, while Rebecca Pidgeon’s voice in “Grandmother,” from her The Raven (Chesky), was so clean, pure, and effortless, it was as if she were there in the room.

Mikovity told me that his inspiration for the ESL Virtuoso was the Quad ESL-57, many of which he’d repaired back home in Serbia, where Soltanus Acoustics is based. Of course, he wanted to create something better -- and I have no doubt that, with the ESL Virtuoso, he has.

. . . Doug Schneider

Reviews:

The Virtuoso delivers each overtone so precisely, giving us impression that we are right in front of the sound source, the speaker carves out the important mid range, at lower levels & Intimacy is increased to the utmost. Reviewer: Tobias Hecklau - AUDIO TEST

SUMMARY: With ESL VIRTUOSO, Serbian maker, Soltanus Acoustic success in extending the benefits of electrostatic speakers - like unique,clarity and transparency up to and including the bass region. They are a high-tech at discount rates. Musical fine spirits for those with sufficient space in the listening room, these special speakers are highly recommended. -

EXCELLENT 90% rating

For us the ESL Virtuoso was a definitive must hear. But be warned. Chances are high that this will turn into a must have. Reviewer: Marja & Henk

SUMMAY: We can be brief. If we had to start all over again assembling an audio system, the Soltanus ESL Virtuoso would be in the top 3 of our wish list. This speaker is well built, easy to place and its pricing for delivered musical quality very competitive. Its easy-going character makes it non-problematic to find a satisfactory amplifier match of either the tube or solid-state persuasion. Even damping factor is not critical with the supplied adjustments. Zoltan Mikovity’s design complies with virtually any amplification offered as long as it is sufficiently powerful for your desired levels. Know your damping factor and the Virtuoso will match it. Add some decent loudspeaker cables and musical satisfaction seems guaranteed, personal preferences aside. In the looks department, the Virtuoso scores just as other panels this size do. There’s a large black surface. Its curved top line, massive wooden side rails, super-smooth stretchy cover jersey and small footprint make the Virtuoso salonfähig and non-intrusive. For us the ESL Virtuoso was a definitive must hear. But be warned. Chances are high that this will turn into a must have.

Dave Thomas of Stereo Review was kind enough to allow me hear his review pair of Virtuosos in his listening room before we received our first pair. Dave's '"oohs" and "aahs"' can be found by following the link below:
http://v2.stereotimes.com/post/soltanus-acoustics-esl-virtuoso-loudspeaker Features:
Soltanus Acoustics proudly presents the world’s first Crossoverless, Multipanel, (ESL) Electrostatic loudspeaker. - Frequency Response: 40-20.000 Hz ± 3dB
- Horizontal Dispersion: 35 degrees
- Vertical Dispersion: 150 cm line source
- High Frequency Transducer: 120×14 cm electrostatic transducer (200-20.000 Hz)
- Low Frequency Transducer: 2 speakers 140×16 cm dipole electrostatic transducer
- Sensitivity: 83 dB/2.83 volts/2 meter
- Impedance: 4 ohms, 1,5 at 20 kHz
- Recommended amplifier power: 25w-300watts per channel
- Recommended amplifier damping factor: 25 or higher
- Crossover components: No crossover components
- Inputs: Custom binding posts
- Weight: 26kg each
- Dimensions: 153 cm × 68 cm × 5/33 cm
Thank you for looking and please feel free to call me.
Ron Lapporte
Blue Smoke Entertainment Systems
(847) 977-0220
www.bluesmokesystems.com