New from Quad are two floorstanding loudspeakers, joining the Classic L range at prices starting from £1300 a pair.
The Classic L 23L and 25L models, which are now in shops, combine Quad's woven Kevlar drive units with a downward-firing auxiliary bass radiator.
Quad says this design 'provides extended and virtually uncoloured low bass response, without the turbulence inherent of typical bass reflex designs – or the low sensitivity and narrow dynamic range often found in sealed-box designs.'
They're finished in a choice of furniture-grade cherry or rosewood veneer, or lacquered cherry or piano black.
Standing 92.5cm tall, the 23L (right) uses a 25mm fabric dome tweeter, with 12.5cm Kevlar drivers for midrange and mid/bass duties, and a 16.5cm auxiliary bass radiator.
The larger 25L (left) is 112.5cm tall, and uses the same tweeter, two 12.5cm drivers for midrange, and a pair of 16.5cm units – described by Quad as 'extremely talented' –for the bass. In this model the ABR is a 20cm design.
The 23L offers bass extension down to 40Hs, 88dB/W/m sensitivity and 8ohm nominal impedance, while the 25L goes down to 35Hz, offers 3dB more sensitivity and has 6ohm nominal impedance.
Both designs use two different wood materials – a laminate of high-density chipboard and fibreboard – in their cabinet construction, 'reducing the audibility of resonance and making the cabinet more opaque to sound.'
The company adds that this construction 'breaks up the resonant modes into multiple mini-modal frequency bands that lack the strong sonic signature experienced by more coherent panels such as MDF.'
The cabinets are finished with veneers selected, laid and polished by hand.
The non-lacquered cherry or rosewood speakers are £1300 for the 23L and £1750 for the 25L, with the lacquered cherry and piano black versions at £1600 and £2200 respectively.