Popularity in the US seem to correlate pretty much directly to market penetration--which in recent years has been sorely lacking in Quad's case, with just the odd exception. Still, things may be picking up. The 3-store Tenacious Sound "chain" is picking them up.
Quad S-2
Recently acquired a pair of these speakers to replace my trusty 14 year old Castle Richmond 3i's. According to the manual they need 50 hours run in before sounding their best. I've got about 30 hours on mine to date, but am already really impressed with them and they are a significant upgrade on the Richmond 3i's, which were very well regarded in their day. I haven't owned or heard many speakers in my lifetime for comparison, but these do sound extremely good to my ears and are highly regarded by the few owner reports that I've come across. So, I'm a little puzzled as to why they don't appear to be very popular, at least I rarely see them mentioned on hi-fi forums. I wonder if the reason could be that Quad are not a go to speaker brand like KEF, B&W or Dynaudio to name a few? Or, perhaps more likely, that people, especially those in the UK, tend to shy away from what was originally a UK manufactured speaker that is now a part of the IAG group and manufactured in China? Then again, the answer could be simply that the S-2 simply doesn't appeal to many folk, perhaps due to a dislike of ribbon tweeters?
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@moffer, I think it is about the dealers wanting to push the higher end models and ignoring the budget models of Quad. Those speakers are awesome. I owned the 21L for 12 years and was very happy with them. The only thing they did not do was "full range" sound. Musically, they are super satisfying. If you set them up correctly and provide them with the right amplification, they will satisfy you musically for years. Forget about the press, forget how many people own or like them, forget if they are the "in things" or not. That should not bother you. All that you should care about is - they satisfy you and leaves you with nothing to be desired. Glad to see another Quad enthusiast. Have fun. |
http://http//www.quad-hifi.co.uk/product-detail.php?pid=32 These look promising, but I can't figure out why the stated low-end extension is so high....47Hz??? |
Thanks milpai, I’m really enjoying the S-2’s they are cracking speakers. I’m not at all bothered by the lack of press they get or how many people own them. I was/am just curious how such a great little speaker is not more popular than it appears to be. I see what you mean about setting them up properly...I’m surprised how an inch or two difference of toe-in can affect the sound. My old Castles were never this fussy about positioning. Anyway, I think I’ve finally got ’em as good as I can with just a couple of degrees of toe-in and near 2 foot from rear wall to front baffle. |
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