Quad ESL owners question

Bob,

Your system is totally awesome. However, I'd say that the shear size of your speakers is indicative of what I was alluding to when I generalized that good panels have great ambience, midrange second to none but are less well suited to higher SPL's. Perhaps that is partly why the bigger panels (Apogees, Sound Labs, Acoustats etc.) are BIG.

Sound Lab or ATC are other options. Gordon Holt used Sound Lab for years - I believe he now uses ATC. I don't think ATC midrange beats a great electrostatic but it comes close and of course it does other things that electrostatics generally can't do as well (such as less beaming issues and a much wider sweetspot, dynamics and high SPL output). Of course, ATC's will not have the acoustic ambience of a panel that radiates forwards and backwards (nice for chamber, church or low level classical music)- so it depends on your needs - horses for courses...

Yes, electrostats (or any dipole for that matter?) are bad bad bad bad bad for any other type of music particualy rock, progressive, symphonic, punk, be bop jazz, straight ahead jazz, electronic, dance, orchestral etc.

Less well suited to some of the heavier genres that tend to be heard at higher SPL's but definitely not "bad bad bad bad".

most "box" speakers sound "boxy", whereas panel speakers do not have box calibrations.

I agree in the sense that a great panel is wonderfully devoid of coloration in the midrange.

However, MrTennis how would you describe the sound of kick drum and toms?

To me they naturally sound "boxy"....

All I am saying is there is "bad boxy" sound from cabinet waffle and "good boxy" sound from instrument resonance...

On the other hand, I've also heard the Maggies in other systems and they couldn't really play loud or have impact.

That has been my experience and I am sorry that my generalization clearly does not apply to you or Bob. My excuse is I never heard Maggies with 7,000 watts behind them!!!!