Quad ESL 2805

With all the new technology and manufacturing techniques, it seems strange to be reviewing a speaker that has its roots in the 1940s. Or maybe it is not strange at all. Unlike many newer companies, Quad has a rich heritage of good products and a core philosophy. Over the decades, Quad management has recognized and stayed true to those strengths, moving only in small increments if those increments were improvements. That seems to be a common trait among the longest-lived and most venerable audio manufacturers.

It appears to be de rigueur to start any Quad review with a long-winded recital of the company’s storied history. Well, I always hated history in high school and college. There is just too much of it. I am more of a “what have you done for me lately” kind of guy. History lesson finished—moving on. Let me clear the air right now. I have no desire to do battle with fans of older generation Quads. The reasons for their fervent admiration are understood. But, as I just said, I am more of a “now” person. I like new and shiny, latest and (hopefully) greatest, with a warranty. If you would like the company’s full history, buy a pair of ESL speakers. Included with each pair is a copy of Ken Kessler’s 215-page tome “Quad: The Closest Approach”.

So it is not surprising that the latest model in the evolutionary chain caught my ear at CES in January 2010. I definitely wanted to spend more time with the ESL-2805 speakers. The ESL-2805 is the smaller of the two current models. It employs four panels with the inner two panels utilizing concentric anode rings for point source imaging. The outer rings are linear in their response. There is no crossover in the Quad ESL speakers, which further enhances their cohesiveness. The larger model (ESL-2905) has two additional bass panels.

While arranging for a review, I was also offered the use of a Quad 99 CDP-2 ($1600) and the 25Wpc Quad II Classic Integrated Amplifier ($6500). Those were the same models I heard at CES and subsequently used at RMAF 2010.

Fashion Show
Away from the hectic pace of CES I was able to become more intimate with the Quad equipment as I unpacked it in my home. I was immediately impressed by the compact size and styling of the CDP and integrated amplifier. The attractive champagne finish is classy, or should I say classic? It looks more like art than electronics. This is equipment that is designed to be displayed proudly but not dominate a room or take up any more space than necessary. Many other manufacturers could take lessons from Quad with respect to form, function, and just plain common sense in the average listening room.

The Quad 99 CDP-2 is a compact and stylish piece optimized for CD playback but with some additional features that greatly enhance its flexibility. I compared it to my Nova Physics Memory Player and was very impressed by the CDP-2’s performance. Music from the CDP-2 had slightly less detail than the Memory Player and was denser in the midrange. This was especially noticeable on vocals and pianos. Pianos via the CDP-2 sounded like they were played with a heavier hand. The CDP-2 also exhibited more upper-end digital glare. But that is not unusual. The Memory Player is a real detail monster and the most analog-sounding player I have experienced. Its neutrality tends to sound “lean” against many players I have compared it to. At less than 1/10th the cost of the Memory Player, the CDP-2 acquitted itself very well.

But that is not the whole story. The CDP-2 can perform extra duties with its 24-bit, 192kHz D/A converter. It has six digital inputs – three coaxial (RCA) and three optical (Toslink). Outputs include a Toslink digital output and two pairs of analog (RCA) outputs. One pair of analog outputs is fixed level and the other is variable (potentiometer controlled in the analog domain). Two QuadLink connectors, a power switch, and a two-prong (no ground) IEC also occupy the rear panel of the CDP-2.

The Quad II Classic is a 25Wpc compact and attractive integrated amplifier. It has three line-level inputs as well as a tape monitor loop and phonograph input with a switch to select between moving coil and moving magnet input. All connections are single-ended RCA.

Unpacking the ESL-2805s is a challenge best met by four strong hands. Once freed from their sturdy packing, I was again impressed by the Quad standard for fit and finish. My review pair was done in the attractive “Classic” finish. The Quad website pictures definitely do not do them justice.

Set Up
I normally use power conditioning and upgrade power cords with all of my electronic equipment so it pained me greatly to plug the ESL-2805s directly into the wall via the generously long (ungrounded) stock power cords. I did manage to connect one speaker to my dedicated 20-amp audio circuit. When finally positioned, the speakers were much closer together than where I started. In a fit of serendipity, I realized I had two power cords (LessLoss DFPC Signature) that were long enough to connect the speakers to my Shunyata V-Ray. This combination proved a significant improvement over stock power cords directly into the wall. Every aspect of performance was enhanced. Of all the improvements, I think PRAT was my favorite. The music seemed to flow more effortlessly from a blacker background. Dynamics were improved, and at the same time, the music was more relaxed if you can accept the apparent inconsistency.

The improvement using the LessLoss power cords encouraged me to do something I had been deliberating over for a long time. I acquired four JPS Labs Aluminata power cords to try on the Quads and other equipment. Again, there were significant and all positive improvements. And again, except for better bass definition and perhaps a little more bass weight, there was no change in the tonality of the Quads. An improved power source allowed the Quads to do what they do even better, but without any significant change in character.

The Quads respond well to better power, and I encourage any owner to experiment. Of the two power cords I was able to try, the JPS Labs Aluminata was my preference, but at one-third of the price of an Aluminata, the LessLoss DFPC Signature is still worthy of consideration.

The ESL speakers come with threaded flat feet and threaded heavy-duty cones. Thick brass locking rings are also supplied so the speakers can be adjusted for level/height and then securely locked in place. Unfortunately, the cones were more appropriate for use on bare floors with floor disks (not provided) underneath. The cones were too large in diameter to pierce the carpet and padding. My experience with cones that don’t penetrate the sub-floor is that they are of no value in that application. Because my floors are carpeted, I used the flat feet. Both the feet and cones have a shiny gold-colored jewelry finish that would look attractive in exposed applications.

I purchased different brass spikes that would penetrate my carpet and padding and anchor to my concrete floors. There was a slight improvement in bass and midbass definition, but not nearly the amount I have experienced making the same change with dynamic driver speakers. The Quad-supplied flat feet had proven to be quite adequate on carpet. The spikes I added raised the speaker bases 1.5” above the carpet, thus providing a wildlife habitat for spiders and centipedes.

The final speaker position ended up with the speaker facing about 45” from the front wall and 48” between them. There was approximately 3” of toe in (measured from the front wall).

Thai Soup?

A Thai friend once invited me home for supper, saying her mother had just made a big pot of soup.  When I got there, I found a large pot of noodles and vegetables in a plain broth.  On the counter, there were at least a dozen jars of dried peppers and other spices.  The diner was encouraged to “spice” the soup to their liking. And that is the ESL-2805s.  Of all the speakers I have known up close and personal, the Quads were the most responsive to changes in the rest of the system, including wires and tubes. If someone told me they heard Quads and didn’t like them, I wouldn’t be surprised.  I was able to take the Quads from “Yuck” to “Oh Baby, Baby” by changing speaker placement and upstream “ingredients.” They are not for the impatient, but enlightenment is the journey’s reward.

With that lengthy preface, I confess I can only report on the general nature of the ESL-2805s.  Cymbal shimmer, horn honk, and other common parameters are at the mercy of the associated components. Please note that I firmly consider cables to be components and include them unconsciously when I use that term.

Nature or Nurture? (The Company You Keep)

The age-old question of heredity or environment came to mind while working to optimize the performance of the Quads.  I had the opportunity to hear a pair of Antique Sound Labs (ASL) 55wpc monoblocks. The ESL-2805s responded well to the additional power, making me wonder how much of the Quad reputation was due to speaker design (heredity) and how much was due to the usual company they kept (environment).

As much as I enjoyed the Quad Classic Integrated amplifier, there were times I longed for more power. Not to play louder because the maximum volume was not even a remote issue with the Classic Integrated. I have learned that more power relates to headroom and speaker control, even at moderate listening levels. I have experienced that numerous times. I was also faced with the dilemma of how to evaluate loudspeakers with too many variables (unfamiliar equipment), confounding the experiment.

I decided to ease in one of my Spectron amplifiers, even though its power rating greatly exceeded amplifiers normally paired with the ESLs. Why?  Well, because I could, and inquiring minds need to know. My Aesthetix Saturn Calypso Signature preamplifier used in the low gain setting (minus 12dB) combined with a dialed-down output from my Memory Player provided the restraint needed to prevent the Spectron from overpowering the Quads.

Even at normal listening levels, the Spectron amplifier offered more dynamics and control. I did not play music louder; there was no need. I think many people play music too loud in a futile attempt to get more “excitement” out of the music. What they are really looking for is a dynamic response, both in magnitude and speed. More power made the ESL-2805s take on a different personality, like a kindergarten teacher, after a few drinks, letting her hair down on the dance floor.  Compared to the Quad integrated, the ASL was a couple of drinks, and the Spectron was a couple of drinks more.

Was the Spectron too much power?  Not when used judiciously with the Calypso Signature at its low gain setting. I am not recommending that much power.  I am merely suggesting that the ESL-2805s respond well to more power than they are typically paired with.   More importantly, the Quads will respond to whatever they are paired with, so you can have them mild or wild. Even with the Spectron amplifier, the ESL 2805s were somewhat more laid back than a dynamic driver (moving-coil) or planar magnetic speakers.  Admittedly, I do find some dynamic driver speakers (but not the majority) excessively dynamic, as if they are trying to impart an undeserved excitement into the music. I preferred the more balanced presentation of the ESL 2805s. Purists should note that Quad offers several solid-state and tube amplifiers more powerful than the Quad II Classic integrated. They are designed to be excellent companions to ESL speakers, thus removing any “guesswork.”

According to the Quad website, their speaker design strives for specific ideals. “Quad’s patented panel technology results in a combination of the speed and accuracy only possible from an electrostatic loudspeaker, together with the imaging and soundstaging only possible from a theoretically ideal point source, and the coherence and continuity of a single drive unit.”  The concept intrigues me because I value coherence very highly, perhaps above (but not exclusive of) all other attributes.  Yes, I value tonality, but I know I can change that by changing tubes, wires, or amplifiers.  Coherency lies largely in the domain of the speaker.

The Quad ESL’s reputation for transparency and cohesiveness, combined with sparkling detail, is well-earned and the reason for the company’s longevity in the market.  Certainly, that is what garnered my interest.  I was not disappointed. Those traits were proven again and again in my listening room. Now, it is my task to elaborate on what I heard, and I find words failing me or at least being tricksters.  I am sure the word transparency creates a different image for different people. And maybe especially so when it pertains to electrostatic designs.  I have heard electrostatic speakers that created an audio image so thin and spacious it was unrealistic. They were like a seductress, at first beguiling but ultimately false.

The ESL-2805s, on the other hand, avoided that artificiality while simultaneously avoiding coloration often found in box speakers. In the midrange and upper reaches, at least, there was a tangible body to the music more akin to well-designed planar magnetic speakers. Image sizing also took on appropriate dimensions. Readers should note that my reference speakers are Apogee Mini-Grands (with custom crossovers), and I have spent the best part of two decades getting “right.”

The ESL-2805s will not automatically make all recordings sound great.  They are chameleons and reflect the quality of the recording and upstream components, including the power cords on the speakers themselves.  When set up correctly and paired with the proper associated equipment, they proved to be the most transparent and cohesive speakers I have ever experienced.

What It’s All About—the Music

I find Allen Toussaint’s The Bright Mississippi [Nonesuch 480380-2] a troublesome album.  After playing it, I frequently wake up at three or four AM with a few strains of Dear Old Southland or St. James Infirmary stuck on repeat in my brain. When fully awake and listening to it on the ESL-2805s, I enjoy the presence of the trumpet in my room (but not in my face) while Allen Alternates between attacking the keys and seducing them. The delicate multi-layering of the recording is fully evident.  When I close my eyes, I can almost smell the bourbon and sawdust. 

Melody Gardot shines on vocals and piano on her CD “My One and Only Thrill” [Verve B0012563-02]. I think Melody Gardot is the queen of pace, rhythm, and timing. Some popular female singers can’t seem to get the words out, and their performances suffer a slow, painful death. I want to scream-“Yo B___, spit it out.” Melody gets it perfect for me and combines a bluesy, sultry, laid-back style with a simultaneous propensity to inspire finger-snapping and toe-tapping.

The ESLs also got it just right for me.  They excelled at PRAT because they did not have multiple drivers competing for the same task. They are fast but give a sense of layering music into a room instead of launching it like a missile. Cohesive is the operative term here. Ms. Gardot skillfully blends vocals, tenor sax, trumpet, bass, drums, and Hammond organ on “Who Will Comfort Me.” “Your Heart is as Black as Night” features a prominent piano and powerful yet seductive vocals with an edge of moth-to-the-flame irony and inevitable disappointment. Quads are renowned for their clarity and accuracy in the mid-range. The newest models uphold the tradition unfailingly.  The ESL-2805s capture all the subtle nuances and transitions of MS Gardot’s performance, inviting multiple plays of the entire CD.

On the track “Rosewood” from Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams  [Sony B00005YVQ8], the solo cello was reproduced with excellent PRaT and was articulate and sweet.  Unfortunately, it’s a little too sweet.  This is a test track I use at CES and other shows, so I have heard it on numerous systems.  The Quads exhibited the characteristics more or less familiar to two-way speakers.  The bottom end was missing, along with the visceral impact. I have heard this recording reproduced with more grunts and growls.

Sometimes, it is more telling to use a single non-percussive instrument with a sustained note to judge the bass response.  The Quads have a significant mid-bass response that, along with room reinforcement, can be quite satisfying and mask the lack of true low-end bass response.  But, even though the cello does not have the lowest bass output, it doesn’t lie. Neither do kettledrums and kick drums, which can sound deficient on the Quads. Quad’s published specifications list 6dB at 37Hz, acknowledging the perennial vulnerability of the design and the only weakness I could find.

I must not fail to mention how much I appreciated the sound staging with the ESL-2805s. The sound stage always seemed so appropriate, compressed, or exaggerated. There was generous depth and size, but simultaneously excellent focus and definition. Some electrostatic and planar magnetic speakers have a presentation that is unnaturally large or diffuse.  Moving-coil speakers can do gosh-awful things to a soundstage due to the different dispersion characteristics of the multiple drivers. The sound stage presented by the ESL-2805s, combined with the uncompromising midrange performance and cohesiveness, makes these speakers stand out performers, equaling or exceeding the performance of many more expensive speakers. I have heard few rivals.

Conclusion

The Quad ESL-2805s are not merely a bargain. They represent a real entry into high-end performance. They will sound great with modest components but also respond to equipment upgrades and allow the user to grow their system without feeling the immediate need to replace loudspeakers.

During my many years of wandering the halls and exploring the rooms at CES and other shows, I found precious little that amused me and even less that excited me.  Quad ESL speakers were an exception.  I felt compelled to bring a pair home for an extended visit.  Despite the bass-shy performance, the other attributes were more than compensatory; they were compelling. After spending several months working on the Quad review, I knew I would regret it severely if I returned it.  Consequently, I purchased the review pair for my personal use and an additional reference speaker. I can pay no higher tribute.

Specifications:

Price: $8500/pair in standard black ($9500 in the Classic finish)

Four-panel electrostatic loudspeaker

Impedance 8 Ohm nominal

Frequency Range: 37Hz-21kHz (-6dB)

Dimensions (HxWxD): 41″ x27.4×15.2 (add 1-2″ for feet)

Weight: 77 pounds each

Address:

USA Distributor

TAIGA LLC

310 Tosca Drive

Stoughton, MA 02072

Telephone:  781-341-1234

Fax: 781-341-1228

Email: info@taigallc.com

Website: www.quad-hifi.co.uk

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