Quad Electrostatic Speakers

Norm Apter
Norm Apter Posts: 1,036
edited November 2009 in Speakers
I was reading a great review of the Beatles box sets (comparing the two) over at Amazon and the reviewer mentioned how he and a record store owner did their listening comparisons of the two sets on some serious hi-fi gear, including Quad Electrostatic 988 speakers. I had never heard of these before. Anybody heard them? Are they bad to the bone? Pics?
2 Ch.
Parasound Halo A23 Amp
Parasound Halo P3 Preamp
Parasound Halo T3 Tuner
Bada HD22SE tube CD Player
Magnum Dynalab Signal Sleuth
Magnum Dynalab ST-2 antenna
polkaudio Lsi9s (upgraded cross-overs)
MIT Shotgun S-3 Bi-wire Interface Speaker Cables
MIT Shotgun S-3 Interconnects (3)
IegO L70530 Power cords (3)

HT
Denon 2808ci AVR
polkaudio RTi A5s (fronts)
polkaudio RTi A1s (rears)
polkaudio Csi A6 (center)
Signal Cable Ultra Speaker Cables
Signal Cable Analog II Interconnects
Post edited by Norm Apter on
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Comments

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 51,144
    edited November 2009
    Yes, very nice speakers on tube gear. They lack the bottom end punch one gets from a cone, but they do have a sweet sound.

    BDT will have a pair of older Quads at PF this year. I'm looking forward to hearing them.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited November 2009
    Older and upgraded if I recall....right? Quad's are very nice and much more ethereal than any Martin Logan.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,264
    edited November 2009
    Ask TroyD, he has some experience with Quads...............I think he still has a pair

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,098
    edited November 2009
    I have a pair of 988's...which are still a current model.....I've had the ESL-63's and the direct replacement the 988's.

    F1 is correct...they play solid down to about, oh, 40hzish....won't go super loud and lack the dynamics of a good cone speaker....however, you will not find a more transparent and coherent and ultimately musical speaker anywhere.

    C'mon to PF and get your listen on.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • Bernal
    Bernal Posts: 991
    edited November 2009
    Norm Apter wrote: »
    I was reading a great review of the Beatles box sets (comparing the two) over at Amazon and the reviewer mentioned how he and a record store owner did their listening comparisons of the two sets on some serious hi-fi gear, including Quad Electrostatic 988 speakers. I had never heard of these before. Anybody heard them? Are they bad to the bone? Pics?
    main.gif

    I owned the Quad. Very good but difficult to repair its electronics.
    I spent some time undecided. Then listen PolkAudio "LSi" and was impressed.
    Today I have the series "LSi" full and very satisfied:).

    01) DENON AVR-4308CI: Advanced 7.1 CH/5.1+2 CH/ 3.1+2+2 CH A/V Home Theater /MultiMedia Multi-Source/Zone Receiver with Networking and WiFi/170 watts x 7 channels
    02) SUNFIRE Grand Signature - Bob Carver's
    03) OPPO DV-980H 1080p Up-Converting Universal DVD Player with HDMI and 7.1CH Audio
    04) OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player w/SACD & DVD-Audio / DENON DVD-2500BTCI: Blu-ray Disc™ DVD/CD Digital Player/Transport
    05) HITACHI P55T501. 55" HD1080 Plasma HDTV
    06) POLKAUDIO LSiC (Center speaker)
    07) POLKAUDIO LSi15 LEFT (Front speaker)
    08) POLKAUDIO LSi15 RIGHT (Front speaker)
    09) POLKAUDIO LSif/x LEFT (Surround speaker)
    10) POLKAUDIO LSif/x RIGHT (Surround speaker)
    11) VELODYNE OPTIMUN 12" (High Output Digital EQ SubWoofer 2400W/1200WRMS)
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  • TECHNOKID
    TECHNOKID Posts: 4,298
    edited November 2009
    Norm Apter wrote: »
    I was reading a great review of the Beatles box sets (comparing the two) over at Amazon and the reviewer mentioned how he and a record store owner did their listening comparisons of the two sets on some serious hi-fi gear, including Quad Electrostatic 988 speakers. I had never heard of these before. Anybody heard them? Are they bad to the bone? Pics?
    http://www.quad-hifi.co.uk/ranges.php?sector_id=1

    Very well regarded speakers!
    DARE TO SOAR:
    “Your attitude, almost always determine your altitude in life” ;)
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  • Bernal
    Bernal Posts: 991
    edited November 2009
    http://www.quad-hifi.co.uk/model.php?model_id=2&range_id=1&type_id=&sector_id=1&print=1
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,098
    edited November 2009
    The LSi's are, indeed, a great speaker....they are apples and oranges than Quads....

    You had a hard time repairing 2905's? Why not have them repaired? They would have been under warranty, no?

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • Norm Apter
    Norm Apter Posts: 1,036
    edited November 2009
    TroyD wrote: »
    I have a pair of 988's...which are still a current model.....I've had the ESL-63's and the direct replacement the 988's.

    F1 is correct...they play solid down to about, oh, 40hzish....won't go super loud and lack the dynamics of a good cone speaker....however, you will not find a more transparent and coherent and ultimately musical speaker anywhere.

    C'mon to PF and get your listen on.

    BDT

    Would love to make it. Right now I'm send out job application materials and hopefully I'll end up somewhere on the east coast by next summer...would make it much easier to attend PF.

    As for the Quad, both you and F1 listed the limitations on the low end. Does this affect your listening habits? I mean, are there CDs/Vinyl (e.g. a genre of music) that you would NOT play on your system with Quads (here, I'm assuming you have more than one pair of speaks and more than one system) but choose to play on another instead.

    Or, alternatively, is not going below 40Hz just something you are aware of when listening to music on them and something that you can live with, a compromise of sorts for all of their strengths in other areas?

    Finally, F1 mentioned tube gear matching with these. Is everything (i.e. amp, pre, CDP) you have paired with these tubed, or a combination of SS and tubed)?
    2 Ch.
    Parasound Halo A23 Amp
    Parasound Halo P3 Preamp
    Parasound Halo T3 Tuner
    Bada HD22SE tube CD Player
    Magnum Dynalab Signal Sleuth
    Magnum Dynalab ST-2 antenna
    polkaudio Lsi9s (upgraded cross-overs)
    MIT Shotgun S-3 Bi-wire Interface Speaker Cables
    MIT Shotgun S-3 Interconnects (3)
    IegO L70530 Power cords (3)

    HT
    Denon 2808ci AVR
    polkaudio RTi A5s (fronts)
    polkaudio RTi A1s (rears)
    polkaudio Csi A6 (center)
    Signal Cable Ultra Speaker Cables
    Signal Cable Analog II Interconnects
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 34,288
    edited November 2009
    QUAD (Peter Walker) didn't invent, but did perfect, the (full-range) electrostatic loudspeaker.

    I have a pair of vintage QUAD ESL-57s. You are unlikely to ever hear better midrange. The 988s are somewhat 'spensive, but everything I've ever read about them is very positive.

    Beatles on QUADs ought to be good. I just got the mono box set... gonna have to try that...
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  • TECHNOKID
    TECHNOKID Posts: 4,298
    edited November 2009
    QUAD (Peter Walker) didn't invent, but did perfect, the (full-range) electrostatic loudspeaker.

    I have a pair of vintage QUAD ESL-57s. You are unlikely to ever hear better midrange. The 988s are somewhat 'spensive, but everything I've ever read about them is very positive.

    Beatles on QUADs ought to be good. I just got the mono box set... gonna have to try that...
    They sure have good looks and style too! Personnally for music listening 40hz is more than acceptable (unless if you are from the BOOM BOOM generation). I always love good bass and good old vintage speakers are usually my pick for music and when you think about it, good bass was important then but no body cared for the BOOM BOOM effect (Beatles music and any group worhty of that era are in fact a good examples of that).

    Cheers!
    TK
    DARE TO SOAR:
    “Your attitude, almost always determine your altitude in life” ;)
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,098
    edited November 2009
    Norm Apter wrote: »
    Would love to make it. Right now I'm send out job application materials and hopefully I'll end up somewhere on the east coast by next summer...would make it much easier to attend PF.

    As for the Quad, both you and F1 listed the limitations on the low end. Does this affect your listening habits? I mean, are there CDs/Vinyl (e.g. a genre of music) that you would NOT play on your system with Quads (here, I'm assuming you have more than one pair of speaks and more than one system) but choose to play on another instead.

    Or, alternatively, is not going below 40Hz just something you are aware of when listening to music on them and something that you can live with, a compromise of sorts for all of their strengths in other areas?

    Finally, F1 mentioned tube gear matching with these. Is everything (i.e. amp, pre, CDP) you have paired with these tubed, or a combination of SS and tubed)?

    I, personally, do not find the limited LF to be an issue at all. Honestly, the bass quality is off the scale....and there are a lot of great cone speakers that don't dip much past 40hz.

    Here is my lineup:

    VPI Scoutmaster
    Dodd custom tube phono stage
    Sony SCD-555ES (modded by Matt Anker) - only SS in the chain
    MELOS SHA-1 pre
    Heathkit W-5M mono amps (rebuilt by Gary Dodd)

    That said, I've used a SS amp with Quads and found nothing negative about it. Good amplification is good amplification...SS or tubes.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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