+1 Quad 57s were designed for small rooms. They can be enchanting even though missing highs and lows. However, the current best rebuild is Electrostatic Solutions
(ESS). They are said to give much more highs and lows.
Recommendations on small ESL speakers for tiny room
I currently have Sound Lab M545 ESL speakers. They are incredible, but I have a tiny room: 10 x 10ft. Even though M545 is the smallest of Sound Lab, it is too dynamic and overwhelms my room-even with all the room treatments. I am looking for a smaller ESL that can deliver super clarity and intimacy even at low volume. Any thoughts?
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Quad ESL 57’s, or Stax ESL. The Stax supposedly have incredible transparency, perhaps even a little better than the 57’s ( back in the day I owned several 57’s, running single pairs as well as stacked pairs , however never owned the Stax). The Stax are very inefficient and won’t play very loud, but could be a great solution for a 10 x 10 room. Cheers..... |
@chungjh It depends on what you are after. The later Quad I had (a 63 modified by Crosby Audio Works, itself a dated specimen) was a better all ’rounder, but still not close to the coherence and verisimilitude of a pair of 57s in good fettle. I have not heard the latest Quads. Their shortcomings should have nothing to do with the reliability of the panels, and of course, the original has bandwidth, dynamic and power constraints, as well as posing a difficult load to amplifiers. But, to me, they are the best Quad and the one I have retained since ’73 for use in a second system. |
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