Quad 22L2

What kind of speakers did they replace?

I have heard the Quad 22L2's and they are a very nice and underrated speaker. Very similar to their cousins in the upper ranges of the Wharfedale line - the Opus and Evo's.
I am also not surprised that they have good synergy with the Marantz PM8004, which IMO is a real sleeper too.

Its refreshing to hear from someone that is satisfied with their system and enjoying their music collection all over again. Good for you brother!

The Quads replaced Canton GLE 490.2 speakers. They are good but they are too large for my listening room. They need space and are power hungry. The Quads throw out such a big soundstage and image really well considering their small size. I have them bi-wired as Quad recommends and they just sing with the PM8004 in this configuration.
Thanks for the your thoughts,Panateer! You always hear about synergy between components and you know when you achieve it. Without a doubt, I can recommend these Quads to anyone seeking a small floor stander that is strongly built and beautifully finished.

I had a pair of Quad 22L2's in my rig 2 months back and enjoyed them also. I felt there was good weight and heft to thier sound but I felt they were a little hot in the high end and that they sound best at lower volumes. My listening room is 11x13x8 and the bass was also too much. I thought the rosewood finish was nice but the (7?) coats of hand applied lacquer do not reflect in a clear, mirror finish. The reflections are rather wrinkled and wavy.

I also felt like they were slapped together (designed in Brittain, made in China, like many others, you can tell) and not the kind of craftsmanship I've had in other speakers.

I do feel like they color the sound. I heard the top end and bottom end accentuated.

Ok, so overall I felt like they really are pretty nice. They sounded better on my Prologue 5 tube amp than on my Modded Acurus A100. They did have pin point imaging, a wide soundstage and good space or air between instruments.

At the end, the bass became too much no matter where I put the speakers so I sold them for some Polk Lsi 15's which I preferred (polks leave today, Paradigm Sig 2's V.3 take thier place; my merry go round spins fast). On a side note, I paid $550 for my quad 22L2's in mint cond. with boxes. Probably one of the better deals I got on speakers.

Thanks, B_limo for your experience with these speakers. I figure that it is my room-which I consider more dead than alive due to heavy draperies, carpet and leather chairs-that these speakers interact well. Bass is pronounced but not bloated. The top end is clear but I do not find it hot. So I just think the synergy is just right between the room, components, and the Quads.

My room definately needs more treatments. I have 4 gik 244 panels. I could use about 8 more 244's and 8 tri traps, another tube amp and then the quads would have sounded like they should

I've heard the Quad dynamic series and they were a breath of fresh air in a demo room full of "hi fi" speakers. They have such a natural tonal balance and musical, listenable presentation. The Marantz PM8004 is a sleeper of an integrated amp, too. I think you chose well and will enjoy your system for a long time.

I purchased a pair of 22L2s in Cherry. I agree with comments posted above - detailed, big sound stage. I also thought with some music they had too much sizzle on the top end.
They are a great value for their price point. One major gripe is that the threaded spikes did not screw into the spike inserts held in the base plate. They were made out of tolerance. I have other gear made China - Jolida, Doge.... and the build quality and reliability is spot on. So, quality control certainly could be better regarding QUAD.

I have that issue with a few of the spikes as well, so maybe QC could be better. Nonetheless, they hit all the marks for me sonically. Thanks for all the great replies. I appreciate the feedback!

I saw replies of people having issues with the spikes... What was going on there? Bolts not threaded properly or inserts that spun? You can hold the inserts that the spikes screw into...

I use to do tool & die work many years back. I sold my speakers before tackling this issue. I did disclose the issue go the buyer though. So, either OD on the threaded spike was too big or the ID on the base inserts is too small. I tried contacting QUAD and got no where with this issue. It was so out of tolerance that attempting to screw in the spikes resulted in the base inserts unscrewing.
So, one might need to use the correct tap and chase out the threads on the inserts. This gets tricky since the inserts are a two piece assembly installed with a special 2 pin spanner wrench. One could possibly use a thread file to remove some material off of the spike - threads. This would most likely remove the brass plating though.
I ended up fabricating my own spikes using a smaller diameter brass threaded rod with nuts, washers on top and bottom. Less than ideal but it worked without looking corny.

Don't get any answers from companies using Chinese factories because they don't have any.

>>Don't get any answers from companies using Chinese factories because they don't have any.

Not always true. I needed help with a new base for a set of B&W PM1, which are built in China (something fell and damaged the original) and called B&W and got help instantly. Superb service. It's not about the location of the factory, it's about the service infrastructure that has been put in place by the company to take care of its customers.

Point taken.

Just a quick update. For the first few weeks, I did not have the speakers bi-wired but after reading that is what Quad recommends, I ordered a pair of bi-wire speaker cables from Canare. Well after listening for the past few weeks, I noticed that the Canare seemed to dampen the sound-highs were less airy and the decay was less, the bass was not as detailed or strong. I even checked that they were correctly plugged and not inverted. So I switched backed to the previous cables and, voila, the detail was back. I am not knocking the Canare but I do wonder if bi-wiring is really worth it? I'll keep it this way it is from now on. Oh, and the original cables were Emotiva. I just think they sound better.

I know I'm jumping in late, but I have these speakers and love them, I paid $800 for them quite a while ago, just after they went out of production. I find their tone pretty neutral, and I think the highs are much softened compared to the metal dome tweeters in the B&W 685s they replaced. Acoustical foam on the walls and a compete power cord upgrade from Cullen Cable, including the power box and the perfect plug, further tame the highs. Soundstage is wide and deep, imaging is detailed, frequencies extended, full sail ahead. Not getting rid of these anytime soon...

I liked them when I heard them, at least at moderate volumes, and thought them to be a product I could live with in teh right application. I would agree that they had a distinctive sound, perhaps not as physically damped an enclosure as many modern higher end designs.

One thing I wanted to share from personal experience with Quads is, the bi-wiring aspect. I used to use Signal Cable Silver Resolution bi-wires with these speakers. They sounded pretty nice. But recently I switched to Clear Day Double Shotguns. I have never heard my Quads sounds so damn good. Of course the jumpers are also from Clear Day. The point is - the better the cables are, the better these speakers sound. Same thing with the components. You introduce a new component in the system and these speakers convey the changes exactly.

I recently upgraded my cables to Audioquests and there is more clarity. So cabling is important. I am still very happy with these speakers. These seem to be perfect floor standers for smaller rooms.