I have Quad 2905's which create a circular pattern where as the Quad 57's have a linear pattern. If you were to take the panels apart from both speakers, you'd see a remarkable difference. Anyway, the 57's have the best sounding mid range but the 2905's are full range so it's good to have a pair of both.
Do larger planar speakers produce more accurate sound?
Planar speakers generate sound pressure via vibrating membrane panels. The excursion of the membrane x radiating area= sound pressure. This would mean that for a given sound level, membranes have smaller excursion in larger planar speakers than in smaller ones. Does this mean that larger speakers will produce more accurate sound?
I am not talking about the obvious benefits of the larger speakers in terms of low frequency production, so let's not get into that.
Showing 10 responses by goofyfoot
Worth considering where it pertains to the Quad 57’s; https://www.quad-musik.de/index.php/en/products/electrostatics/esl57-qa |
chungjh, my understanding is that Music Direct will stop distribution of Quad ESL’s. I don’t know if they will drop Quad all together. Just realize that if you purchase the 2912’s or any Quad electrostatic speaker, that the panels will eventually need replacing and if you have a technician do it, then you’ll have to ship the entire speaker. The 2912’s are about 100 pounds each. As far as AIG and their future production of Quad panels and Quad speakers, I am uninformed but I believe that someone will build the panels since all Quad ESL owners are in the same boat and will need to replace panels for their 63’s, 898’s, 2905’s and 2912’s. The 57’s have a different circuit board/panel design from the others. If anyone finds out who the new USA distributor for Quad speakers will be, please share that in a post. Us Quad owners are somewhat at their mercy. |
My Quad’s, only my ASR. I’ve heard the Martin Logan CLX’s with I believe an Ayre amp and preamp. I’ve heard the 63’s and 57’s with an NAD and possibly Mark Levinson’s, hard to remember. I’m hoping to hear the 57’s with a vintage Marantz tube amp, not the 8b’s but I wish. I’m planning on ordering a pair of Magnepan LRS’s for when my Quad’s are with the repair tech. When I bought my 2905’s, it was right after AIG opened their factory in China. The adhesive they used for the louvre over top of the perforated sheet was too sparse. So that adhesive joint is more prone to breaking and so far I’ve had to replace eight panels between both speakers. AIG panels are now using more adhesive at those joints and they’re spraying the circuit boards with an additional protective layer to minimize arcing so hope for the best. |
chungjh, The ASR Emitter 2 Exclusive is what I have and I've never regretted purchasing it. Recently, I had some issues with the output relays but that seems to be resolved. I've replaced the acid gel batteries once since I bought it in 2011. The soundstage is very wide. It actually matches up with my Quad 2905's perfectly. Though admittedly, the Quad's are a pain to deal with. The ASR detail is more than I've ever heard with any other system. It is a very musical combination. Non fatiguing. Pitch black background and well balanced. I also own the smaller ASR phono amp. The designer/manufacturer is remarkable. He'll stay on the phone or will email with you for as long as you need. He's very attentive. Finding the output relay issue required some time and he always got back to me immediately. Anyway, it's a great piece and I'd recommend it to anyone but if your stereo requirements are more modest, then the smaller Emitter 1 might be a better fit. |
I've read and heard folks say that they believe the Levinson stacked Quad 57's with the ribbon tweeters to be better sounding than Soundlabs. I cannot make that claim myself, I just wanted to put that out there. My conversations in the past regarding Soundlabs were relevant to the overall build quality of their speakers. I cannot understand why Quad hasn't seen Soundlabs as a guiding example in how to build an electrostatic speaker correctly. A friend of mine is currently building the Levinson 57 stacks, so I wait with anticipation to hear them once they're finished. |