I am not a fan of Soundlabs. Heard Ultimate twice in different rooms, and one A1. None of the rooms were huge but the signature of the speakers was not to my taste. I prefer Quads and Acoustats in full range, and there is also a German speaker called Audio Exklusiv which has two full range choices, one wider than the other, but the lower model (retail 8k EUR) can be found used for 3 - 4k EUR and is pretty good. I never liked the CLS, too lean in the bass for me and sweet spot too narrow. I want to listen to a well set up CLX with subs. Also want to listen to triple stacked Quads. Quads do lack dynamics and bass as compared to the others, but heard that triple stacking them can compensate for this, not sure how
Hey Bonzo, here we go again…
I need to correct something that you have stated according to my observations.
1. When you say Quads don’t do bass and are not dynamic: you are making a general statement that any person who would be actually interested in Quads, may think that “they can’t do bass and aren’t dynamic.” Now that’s a load of bollocks mate.
2. They can do bass and are very dynamic but not to the point of a dynamic driver type design because they are not designed that way in the first place. Therefore, when you say they can’t do bass, what type of bass are you referring to? Is it dynamic driver bass? Is it 20hz below bass? Is it sub woofer type bass? …
3. As a matter of fact; maggies and other stats (FULL Range) cannot match the bass that the Quads do, both on specs & in demo- I have heard them!
4. Maggies, from the entry level up to the MG3.7i, the lowest they reach is only around 35hz, some models not even 37hz. This doesn’t mean “maggies can’t do bass or lack bass.” Maggies can do bass and they’re bass is very fast, plus the tweeter ribbon is super fast with ultra high performance, so having more bass would actual kill the rest of the frequency and the entire maggie panel would be totally out of balance- just like what the Analysis ribbons are to me.
5. To me the AA’s are very erratic, they are super fast and have sonics going in all directions, either the bass has come and gone, the mids hit you very strongly with great force and the highs are equally fast, again I couldn’t enjoy the music for more than a good hour. However, in that case AA's are more dynamic and faster than Quads plus other stats Full Range.
6. The previous Quads, such as the ESL63 & 57 were solely designed to be pristine in the midband, and still to this day cannot be matched. Those earlier designs were actually mono speakers initially done by Peter Walker, hence bass was never an issue.
7. Fast forward 30 years +, the new Quad ESL2905/2912 are big stats and they can do bass very well. They respond to the signal in an effortless manner, with superb depth, palpable soundstage and once again a pristine midrange. The bass is all there, very much so when I had and owned so many versions of maggies, the only ones that surpass the new Quads in terms of overall bass are the MG3.7 series and MG20 series. None of the others can match the Quad bass, unless of course a sub woofer/tower was thrown into the equation.
8. I also noticed if I am correct, you have had only one encounter with the 2905 using Musical Fidelity amplification. These are British by design and MF was never known to produce deep bass compared to its American counterparts. So therefore, I should say “MF can’t do bass or lacks bass” They can do bass but the bass they can do would defer to every person, therefore for me to make a statement like that would be totally incorrect.
9. If you listen to a live concert, small jazz ensemble, or acoustic performance “unamplified” or in its most natural state- this is exactly what Quads and maggies can produce, and to that I refer to as the “absolute sound.” Well balanced, completely captivating, and highly musical, therefore bass is plenty and in total control. I suggest that you audition either the 2905 or 2912 with amplification such as VTL, Byrston, McIntosh, ARC, C-J and the like, and then honestly tell me that these Quads can’t do bass…
10. That leaves me with this final point, bass definition to you would be totally different to me, and to nearly every member on this forum. When my Quads were being serviced, I was using a pair of monitors, Quad 12L’s, they are superb for just $500! They don’t produce low bass at all but they do produce a mid-low end that is tuneful and bass that you can feel. It won’t push a tremendous amount of air at your face nor would it make the room rumble but it will produce some captivating music that is highly addictive. Similarly, this is what maggies can do, they are very affordable across virtually any budget, you don’t have to be a CEO or drug dealer to own a pair of maggies. From their very entry level model to their top of the line offerings, they present the BEST value across all of audio has ever know, and this is the one main reason why I was considering listening to them extensively and beginning to learn more about their newer designs. Especially the .7, 1.7, 3.7i & 20.7 series are superb value all round to now an even larger audience of music enthusiasts. Well done to maggie on this new line up!
In Summary: Quads not having bass and aren’t dynamic is only to YOUR ears, and not the general public. In that case I should say that Wilson’s have too much bass, and Genesis Audio has so much bass with its towers that the other frequencies don’t matter because you can’t hear it, rather just drown in bass…
Every frequency spectrum comes across differently and every designer has built and designed their systems in a very unique way, otherwise every dam speaker would sound exactly the same. What’s the point in that?
Therefore, before I make general comments, I would encourage the person to listen for themselves and then decide if something is lacking. Just recently I head a pair of 2912’s driven with a very affordable amp by Vincent. Plenty of bass and awesome soundstage, excellent vocals, midrange and well balanced highs to the point I was actual wondering why spend 10 times more on better amplification when this thing sounds so wonderful?
Bonzo, I sincerely feel that the MF amps regardless of stereo or mono power or what mods they had/didn't have, didn’t do justice in driving the stat bass. Try any VTL amp or Sanders Magtec on the Quads and then let me know. Oh! If you do get the chance to try out a MC452 (McIntosh 452w/ch fully quad balanced amplifier) on the Quads, please do let me know on the bass and dynamics- I have one sitting in the living room right now ready for a spin on loan for the long weekend (labour day on Monday). Enjoy your music!
Cheers, RJ
