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Review: Quad U S A ESL-989 Speaker

Category: Speakers

I have owned the QUAD ESL-989 for over a year now, and will not think of giving it up for any other speaker. They suit my musical tastes perfectly, as I listen solely to classical music, and particularly enjoy vocal music, especially Bach's cantatas.

The most important aspects of sound to me are precise definition, and reproduction, and the QUAD speakers do this nearly perfectly. They allow pinpoint resolution of each component of the orchestra, but I cannot solely attribute this to the speakers alone, as my amplifier, pre-amplifier, and SACD player also have a significant role to play in musical reproduction.

As I mentioned, the sound stage is unparalleled. The upper- and mid-range frequencies are flawless. The bass (which I only hear when listening to the organ or cello) is precise and causes my body to resonate, as well as the furniture that I sit on, but oddly enough it does not shake the floor, so I must say that this would be the only weak point of the speakers.

I have heard speakers that cost 30 times the price of the QUAD's, and they don't come close to matching the precise sound reproduction. I don't think I'll ever own any other pair of speakers.

Associated gear
Cardas Golden Reference speaker cables
drbond

Showing 1 response by milpai

milpai's avatar
milpai
2,313 posts
 
Nice review. I had heard a pair of Quad electrostats in a hotel room for the first time and it was am absolute let down. The speaker looked so big in that tiny room.
Then I got a chance to visit a dealer and that setup really blew me away. He was using ultra-expensive gear form Nagra and tubes. They are amazing speakers, especially for the clarity and being so musical. Some vocals seem eerily real. The only thing these speakers cannot do is the deep bass - of which I am not a fan. I found them tonally very soothing.
I have similar feelings for my Quad dynamic speakers.
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