Welcome to our QUAD Page, dedicated to one of our favorite products.
QUAD is one of the world's oldest & most respected high end audio companies. Quad began in England over 70 years ago. Some reviewers say Quad is the best single brand system made today. Quad speakers are a world-class reference standard.
Editors of STEREOPHILE, ABSOLUTE SOUND & many European magazines own Quad. In 8/2009 STEREOPHILE, Editor At Large Art Dudley describes his living room system, including Quad electrostatic speakers & Quad II tube amps.
ABSOLUTE SOUND, 9/2010, ranks a Quad ESL as the most significant speaker ever made. "For top-to-bottom clarity, coherence, transparency, resolution, openness, naturalness & a disappearing act that still inspires awe, the ESL established & remains to this day a reference standard across the globe. It tops virtually every list of the best, the greatest, the most significant audio products ever made. What made it an overnight sensation was its seamlessness, quite low coloration & incredibly low distortion."
Whenever magazines have published lists of the most important products, Quad is always on everyone's "top 10" lists. Quad is the only firm recognized for totally different technologies, including speakers, tube amps & solid-state amps. Most of Quad's competitors never appear on the lists of most important products ever made.
Quad has always been known for great value. Customers have chosen Quad speakers after comparing them with more expensive models from B&W, Boston, Canton, Dali, Dynaudio, Focal, Harbeth, JBL, KEF Reference, Klipsch, Paradigm, PSB, Sonus Faber, Spendor, Thiele & many more. Every time, customers have preferred Quad speakers. A recent Quad customer is the owner of a competing audio store, who decided that Quad is the best speaker for his own personal use.
"In their factory, the designer is virtually omnipotent. He doesn't use any off-the-shelf parts, or wait 6 months to have a part custom-made. Instead, the on-site tool & die shop makes parts & he can redesign them as often as he wants. This gives him power over every part in a Quad & lets him stuff products with high quality parts at a fraction of what it costs elsewhere. This means you get better sound, because Quad's designers have long pedigrees & good ears. It also means you get unbeatable value." HOME THEATER 6/2010
Some competing electronics companies spend more on an amplifier's face plate than the entire cost of a Quad amp. The Quad amp will usually sound better than those for several times its price.
Customer comments on Quad include:
"Deeper bass; more three dimensional imaging"
Sounds as good as my B&W speakers for five times more."
"A piano just sounds more like a piano."
"It's just a nicer speaker."
A recording engineer thought our system with Quad electrostatics sounded better than others that cost over ten times more, or over $200,000. People often think the $1900 Quad 22L cost ten times more, since they sound better than many $20,000 speakers.
Gold Sound is Colorado's only QUAD dealer. There are no Quad dealers in Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Wyoming, plus North & South Dakota. Gold Sound is often your nearest Quad dealer. We are happy to ship to our customers.
QUAD PRODUCTS ON DISPLAY at GOLD SOUND
SPEAKERS
11L bookshelf*
22L tower*
L center
L subwoofer*
988 Electrostatics*
plus
Lite system* [sub, center & sats]
QUAD Electronics:
99 solid state preamp*
* top-rated by ABSOLUTE SOUND & / or STEREOPHILE
QUAD CUSTOMERS INCLUDE the WORLD’S CULTURAL GREATS.
CONDUCTORS
COLIN DAVIS – over 200 recordings with these orchestras: Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Bavarian, Boston, London, Russian, Vienna Phil. Orch. & more
NIGEL KENNEDY – English Chamber Orch.
NEVILLE MARINER – over 400 recordings with Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Cleveland Orch., L.A. Orch., Netherlands Wind Ensemble, Stuttgart Radio Orch. & more
RICCARDO MUTI - over 200 recordings with Berlin Phil., Philadelphia Orch., Rome Sym. Orch., Vienna Phil. & others
GEORG SOLTI - over 300 recordings with these orchestras: Bavarian, Berlin, Chicago, Cleveland, Israel, London, Paris Opera Or., Rome Opera Orch., La Scala, Vienna Phil. & more
CLASSICAL SOLOISTS
YEHUDI MENUHIN, violinist & conductor, over 200 recordings with Bach Festival Orch., Czech State Phil. Orch., English Chamber Orch., Menuhin Festival Orch., Royal Phil. & more
JESSYE NORMAN, soprano, over 80 recordings
MITSUKO UCHIDA, pianist, over 60 recordings
POP STARS
RAVI SHANKAR
ROD STEWART
TINA TURNER
MOVIE DIRECTORS
STANLEY KUBRICK – 2001, Barry Lyndon, Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove, Lolita, Spartacus
DAVID LEAN – Brief Encounter, Bridge Over the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, Oliver Twist
Quad, The Closest Approach
This 215 page, 12" by 12" book was written by Ken Kessler, the noted journalist who has written for over 120 magazines, including THE ABSOLUTE SOUND, FI, LISTENER, STEREOPHILE, AUDIO, GRAMMOPHONE, ROBB REPORT, plus SOUND & VISION. The book includes the 40 international awards won by Quad, including from the U.S., U.K., Japan, France, etc. There are many color photos.
QUAD Dynamic Speakers
11L Bookshelfs, list $800; limited quantities for $677/pr, Product of the Year, BEST BUY, above B&W, Dali, Focal, Tannoy & others. WHAT HI-FI "Exceedingly involving, transparent, powerful, performance on all music. Excellent frequency extension for their modest size & price point, they have a slight warmth, which contributes to their uniquely intimate & cozy charm." ABSOLUTE SOUND 11/07
22L Towers, list $1900; limited quantities for $1649/pr "Closer to my beloved electrostats than any other speaker under $2000. Excellent imaging, vivid & 3-D soundstaging, very low distortion; high accuracy." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
Lite System, 4 satellites, center & sub, $2199 total, THE BEST $2000 HOME THEATER SPEAKER SYSTEM. "Sounds incredibly refined & rich in textural details - drop dead gorgeous woodwork." PERFECT VISION, 1/08
The Lite is the smallest Quad. Quad Lites have seven layers of lacquer, with your choice of piano black finish or rosewood or cherry real wood veneers. The satellites are only 9" high, 5" wide & 6" deep.
This system is available with the two front speakers & center speaker in one attractive sound bar cabinet. HOME THEATER 8/2010, loved the sound & awarded it a "TOP PICK", as one of their favorite speakers.
PRODUCT of the YEAR. 5 STARS, TOP-RATED, above Bose Acoustimass, B&W, Canton, Dali, KEF, Tannoy & more; "impressive, top-performing." WHAT HI-FI, 8/08
"Natural clarity & vibrant, lifelike textures. Like other great Quad speakers, they had an uncanny ability to reveal subtle details without over-emphasizing them. Its clear natural sound is incredibly engaging & compelling; a fine performer" ABSOLUTE SOUND 11/07
"The British firm Quad, revered for 50 years, [for] groundbreaking design, mind-boggling clarity & sonic purity. Exceptional build quality; truly beautiful woodwork. Remarkably clear sound, energetic, sure-footed & authoritative. Delivers clarity & gusto. Class leading sub; great power, clarity & bass that goes very deep. Reproduces instruments & voices with natural clarity & vibrant, life-like textures. Guests asked if they could buy the review samples. TOP-RATED in transparency, focus, tonal balance, bass pitch definition & value. RECOMMENDED by PERFECT VISION, 7/07
Q-Lite Soundbar System, Soundbar with front left, right & center, plus 2 satellites & a subwoofer, $2350.
plus
L-ite LCR is Quad's newest speaker & winner of WHAT Hi-Fi's top award, 5 Stars. This Left, Center & Right three speaker
soundbar has the same quality drivers as the separate Lite system. Power handling is 120 watts for each of the three channels. All three channels have matching Kevlar cone, cast frame 4" woofers & silk dome 1" tweeters. The cabinet is an attractive black lacquer piano finish, 5.2" high, 40.6" wide & 4.1" deep, a similar width & depth as a 40" flatscreen TV. Cost is $749. The equivalent separate speakers, the center & two satellites, if bought separately, are $900.
"A champion; delivers the audio fundamentals with panache, combining the soundbar's lush midrange with the subwoofer's weight & power." HOME THEATER BUYING GUIDE 2011; TOP PICK for 2012
QUAD ELECTROSTATICS
HI-FI CHOICE chose the top hi-fi of all time. Quad is the highest ranked speaker. "The British Gold Standard; first practical full-range electrostatic; wide dynamics & delicate transparency weaves an unmatched spell." Models can have black grills & tops; or in classic finish with gold weave grills & solid mahogany wood tops.
ESL988, A rated, $6499/pr, black; $7149/pr, classic; in same class as $39,000 models.
"World class resolution, superb soundstaging, spectacular transient response" STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/07
5 Star, top rated, above B&O, B&W, Bose, Dali, Dynaudio, Revel & more. WHAT HI-FI, 12/05
"It will play at natural levels with a purity & accuracy will spoil you." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 10/07
ESL2805, A rated, SPEAKER of the YEAR, in same class as $39,000 models.
$9,499/pr, black; $11,449/pr, classic; "I know of no other speaker I'd rather own, regardless of price. The fiest hi-fi purchase you could ever make in terms of performance & value. Supremely transparent, free of coloration; phenomenally quick, utterly nonfatiguing." STEREOPHILE, 10/10
"The best ESL yet from Quad speakers; compelling realism & naturalness." ABSOLUTE SOUND 2/08
GREATEST BARGAIN, ABSOLUTE SOUND 5/08
"Realism & naturalness that are compelling & addictive." GOLDEN EAR AWARD, ABSOLUTE SOUND, 07 & 08; PRODUCT of YEAR, 07 & 08; EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/11.
"One has the feeling of being right in the room with the performer. They play considerably louder than older models; cleaner & faster bass." Hi-Fi + 10/07
GOLD AWARD, "There's something quintessentially right about a Quad electrostatic. Rear braced for extra stiffness & mass-loaded for extra rigidity [with] unparaIled midband clarity & neutrality, Quad ESLs are the benchmark by which all other speakers are judged. No other design is such a paragon of musicality & neutrality combined. A clear winner!" HI-FI CHOICE, awards 2008
ESL2905, $11,999/pr, black; $14,499/pr, classic; "Possibly the world's best speaker."
HI-FI CHOICE 1/07
PRODUCT OF YEAR, ABSOLUTE SOUND 1/09
"Sounds real, incredibly detailed & ravishingly beautiful on virtually any music." BUYER'S GUIDE, ABSOLUTE SOUND Spring 2010; EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/11
5 STARS, TOP-RATED over Dali, Focal, Spendor
& more. "Truly world class speaker."
WHAT HI-FI AWARDS 2008
QUAD SUBWOOFERS
QUAD, $1600, PRODUCT of YEAR. 5 Stars, TOP-RATED above Dynaudio, Tannoy, Velodyne,
etc. WHAT HI-FI, 8/08
LITE, $1100, PRODUCT of YEAR. 5 Stars, TOP-RATED, above Dynaudio, Tannoy, Velodyne, etc. WHAT HI-FI, 8/08
QUAD SOLID STATE ELECTRONICS
99 Remote control Preamp, $1099, 2010 SOLID STATE PREAMP & AFFORDABLE PREAMP of the YEAR, "Extraordinarily versatile front end; includes a dandy built-in MM/MC phono stage & some very sophisticated (& useful) tonal-correction & filtering controls (that can be defeated) Sonically it is ntable for its musical naturalness & authority." [The only other preamp recommended in $67,500]." ABSOLUTE SOUND 1/11
TOP CHOICE for price, WHAT HI-FI AWARDS 08
"BEST BUY HI-FI CHOICE 2/08
"The 99 has superb performance at a reasonable
price, intelligently chosen features for real world music playback in the home, user friendly design & ergonomics, novel styling of understated elegance & a compact footprint approaching that of mini-components. I've recommended the 99 preamp / 909 amp combination to well over a dozen friends. All remain happily satisfied with their performance. I've heard from at least as many TAS readers who did the same & any number of on-line chat groups. I always keep this combination, both as a price / performance reference & because I just enjoy using & listening to them [for their] tonal neutrality, the complete absence of edginess, glassiness, hardness, or grain; the same involving musicality & naturralness sweep all before it."
"Despite the presence of electronics much costlier than these, I often reinstate the Quads, just because they are so pleasing to listen to. They do tend to make for a more natural sounding presentation, one that's easier to listen to for the long haul. The 99 & 909 have a very clean, exceptionally low-distortion presentation with a wonderfully open & vivid midrange that I'd put up against any amplifierrs I've heard or used."
ABSOLUTE SOUND 6-7/10, EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/11
QUAD TUBE AMPLIFIERS
HI-FI CHOICE chose a Quad Tube Preamp & Amp among the top hi-fi of all time. The only other tube amp chosen is over 10 times more.
Quad II Classic Power Amp, $3100/pr. "A real honey. Delicious rich, smooth & colorful midrange. Renders strings, voices, winds, saxes & more with sweetness, delicacy & beauty." ABSOLUTE SOUND RECOMMENDED
RATED in SAME CLASS as $7000 amps; EXCEPTIONAL VALUE "Exhibiting timbral beauty, spatial honesty & deep emotional involvement, there isn't a sweeter amp on earth; it's beautiful." STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/10
QUAD II 80 Power Amp, originally $11,400/pair; now $8998/pair, One of the top 10 designs from 2008 Consumer Electronic Show "A winner. It has the grunt & low impedance to drive difficult speakers & is ideal for Quad
electrostatics." ENJOY the MUSIC.com 1/08
Quad II Classic Int. Amp, $5999 "Sounded brilliant; string tone was marvelous throughout; magnificcent; satisfying. h & colorful midrange. They have thoroughly succeeded."
STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 11/11
QC24 Preamp, $1099 "First-rate imaging; lively, engaging, remarkably neutral."
ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10; GOLDEN EAR AWARD
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