The L-Series loudspeakers

In true Quad tradition, the L-series dynamic loudspeakers offer levels of detail, neutrality and stereo imaging beyond anything else in their category. The new Classic range takes on the past L series design adding further refinements. Following in the footsteps of their famous ESL brethren, all L-series models set new standards of performance at their prices. A wide frequency response and incredibly accurate drivers produce a sound-stage so vivid and coherent you can visualise each and every sound in three dimensional space.

Build-quality is, as you would expect, superb. Each cabinet is made from reinforced 18 mm MDF, with a choice of real wood veneers. The piano gloss option cabinets then has seven coats of piano lacquer applied, with each coat drying for a full 24 hours before being cut and polished ready for the next coat. High quality gold-plated bi-wire terminals and oxygen free internal wiring ensure excellent signal transmission.

With the new Quad L–Classic speakers you can hear the efforts made in the cabinet build as the music 'plays' from the whole box as a good musical instrument would, but with complete control. There is smooth, solid bass. Voices whisper and notes hang in the air or finish cleanly where required.

Two models: the 11L is a bookshelf or stand mount speaker and you can choose the real wood in either black or cherry. The floor standing, 3–way 23L comes with a plinth with spikes to ensures stability so no reverberations can affect the sound. This model is available in gloss cherry or gloss black.

Quad 11L Classic Black Ash or Cherry wood NZ$ 895 a pair

Quad 23L Classic Gloss Black or Cherry NZ$ 3,495 Limited SPECIAL NZ$ 1,999

Inside the L-Series

Each model within the Quad L-series is hand-built from beginning to end. No ‘off the shelf’ components are used anywhere in the design (except the magnet). Every part is not only designed in-house, but tooled in-house, and then manufactured in their own factory. The multi-–layered cabinet construction significantly reduces resonance.

The bass units diaphragms are formed from ultra-strong, but lightweight KEVLAR fibres. These are then lattice woven to further improve strength and also improves resonance control. The fibres are resin impregnated and baked to produce the appropriate cone stiffness, strength and weight properties. Finally, the cone is mounted onto a specially developed butyl rubber surround. The voice coils are painstakingly hand wound to the aluminium former ensuring the drivers have excellent linearity and consistency. The lightweight but strong aluminium former ‘wicks’ heat away from the central coil region to maintain peak performance and the optimum excursion of the long-throw driver. The coils are vented to reduce the effect of any pressure build-up in the central cone region. An expensive, very fine grain powder magnet gives excellent ‘traction’ to the coil meaning that the cone tracks the music signal very accurately giving a fast and accurate sound. The drivers’ chassis is die-cast aluminium which prevents flexing in the bass units during high excursions. Finally, a profiled phase plug provides additional cone axial rigidity and also improves off-axis performance.

The tweeter unit is derived from a thorough understanding of high frequency acoustics. Although it is now fashionable to use metal dome tweeters, the supposed extra bandwidth (within the inaudible area of the sonic spectrum) these create, often comes at a heavy price – the often unpleasant ‘tizz’ of such drive units significantly hardens the sound and can sound very fatiguing. It is better to make the audible frequency as accurate and precise as possible with a very relaxed, yet precise performance. This gives the Quad Classic speakers a laid-back air of authority – never trying too hard, or sounding strained and unpleasant – but with no loss of detail.

Many years of experience have manifested themselves in the high-frequency driver. A compact yet powerful neodymium magnet keeps the tightest control on the diaphragm. Phase coherency is particularly important to ensure the bass integrates perfectly with the treble, and of course, to create a truly holographic stereo image – the hallmark of a classic Quad sound. This tweeter is a very low distortion device; it measures typically less than 1% distortion at 103 DB (equivalent to normally loud playback) output at a distance of 1 metre – quite extraordinary.

The Quad L-series crossover uses air-cored chokes with large gauge, ‘low loss’ wire. The capacitors are audiophile grade polypropylene and low loss metallised polyester. A simple crossover topology is used to preserve phase coherency and integration. Instead, cabinet design is used to ‘tune’ the loudspeaker to a flat frequency response. Four heavy-duty gold-plated terminals allow for connection using substantial speaker cables.

Quad is owned by the IAG Group, a very strong and well established technology company with a number of respected audio brands and dedicated to remaining at the forefront of high quality audio innovation.

Direct Contact

John Ransley and Carolyn Guytonbeck are the principals behind Totally Wired. It’s our own business and we take pride in building something worthwhile.

If you want to contact us directly per mail:

• John Ransley
• Carolyn Guytonbeck

Related links

• Quad systems
• Quad Vena
• Quad Elite electronics
• Quad Elite QSP amplifier
• Quad ESL 2805 & 2905
• Quad Active Speakers
• Quad Classic Components