Are Ribbon Tweeters the best? Quad Z2 HiFi Speakers Review

[@riccitone]

Terry, thank you so much for giving us your review of the Quads. This is so telling…helps me understand my Quad S2’s, even though the frequency curve is likely (somewhat) different? But it’s as if you’re describing mine. I’m sure these a more refined! But LOVing the S2’s so far ❤️

[@caznrod]

@@hclandscapes Hello, I'm from Switzerland, your answer impressed me. Would you recommend the Quad S2 speakers on the Kef LS50 meta? I have the Quad Artera Solus which is sounding quite nice with the meta...thank you.

[@snakeobias]

@@hclandscapes what sort of music do you listen to, and what is the size of your room?

[@riccitone]

@@caznrod I agree with @HJC. The Quads to me seem more flexible in that regard. Tonality is really superb as one would expect from their design tradition. But I’ve heard the metas in a couple of configs..one with lower power and then higher power amps. They definitely open up and become more nuanced with even a bit more juice from a quality power amp. And they’re pretty finicky with placement. This was in a shop, however. Not with any of my own equipment. But your amp should be capable enough to drive your metas to great effect at 75wpc? I guess it also depends on the 4ohm rating. The quads I picked for the tonal richness, transient communication, and pairing. I’m simply driving them with a Creek Evolution 50a and they do just fine 👍🏼

[@johncallaghan3097]

So good to read these comments -- I have the S2's with an Audiolab 6000A + Tellurium Q blue 2 cables -- they're terrific speakers. Glad to discover it's not just me who thinks they're so good!

[@riccitone]

@@hclandscapes That pretty telling right there! The comparison I was referring to involved a changeout between lower power tube amp (can’t recall which one) around 25wpc but had a decent 4ohm rating and an Arcam SA 90. But am thinking the tonal pairing/room setup also had an impact. I’ve never heard a Hegel and would love to try one!

[@nickhillman7085]

Had my z2’s for a month now… very happy with them the ribbons really clean the high end up.

[@filipviljamaasvensson]

Thank you Terry! I have a vague memory of asking for this review and I was happy to see your post the other day that it was coming. As an owner of the S2 I hear there are some similarities in the performance, like how they excel in soundstage and have a lot of presence in the vocal region (which I like a lot). I will be upgrading my amp and DAC before the speakers, but then I will definitely look into these or their smaller but perhaps not less competent brother/sister (who knows) ;) Cheers from Sweden!

[@johncallaghan3097]

I'm awaiting the sound demo with great anticipation, Terry. I have the Quad S2's which, at £599, are two fifths the price of the Z2's and, at least based on your verbal description, seem to share some of the latter's characteristics. It seems that Quad sprinkled some special pixie dust on the S2's, which punch way above their weight. It's sad you couldn't demo them in your earlier up-to-£650 group test -- probably not your fault as they were difficult for even consumers to get at one stage last year/earlier this year. I nearly plumped for the AE300's as a result of that group test, but in the end decided on the S2's thanks to a couple of Tharbamar's reviews/sound demos, and luckily it turned out well for me.

[@hclandscapes]

I remember them being out of stock last year i tried everywhere to get hold of a pair, so glad i finally managed to get them although i originally wanted them in mahogany only black oak was available but they still look good 👍

[@RFerreira2009]

I have the S2 and the Z2. The Z2 are much better.

[@johncallaghan3097]

@@RFerreira2009 I haven't read a direct comparison, though there's at least one review I've come across mentioning them both that would agree with you. A couple of others have said that overall they prefer the S2's. But until I listen to them in similar circumstances, I'm not able to comment personally about their relative merits beyond the most general statements -- one I live with, and the other I've only heard on KZbin. It's unfortunate that Terry (no fault of his own given the earlier dearth of the S2's), couldn't manage to include them in his earlier group test, so at least I could switch between good recordings made in more or less the same circumstances. Would you care to flesh out your opinion? In what way do you find them better? Do you listen to them in the same room? It'd be interesting to hear more detail. Not trying to be argumentative -- I'd genuinely be interested to hear. 😃

[@RFerreira2009]

@@johncallaghan3097 Sorry, but I've never seen anyone, that had both, say they preferred the S2... The S2 are quite nice, don't get me wrong but the Z2 are much better. By comparison the S2 sound thin and flat. The Z2 have much better bass and soundstage, they project this wonderful wall of sound. You get more of everything. I mean, there are no miracles in audio, the physical size difference is just massive. (FYI, I used both speakers with a Teac UD-505 and a Denon PMA-1600NE.)

[@johncallaghan3097]

@@RFerreira2009 Thanks for your response -- much appreciated. The cabinet volume of the Z2s seems to be about 1.5 times that of the S2's -- is that "massive"? ;-) That aside, I'm not sure what "wall of sound" (a phrase that reminds me of Phil Spectre more than anything) denotes. But fair enough, I'm sure that for you they sound appreciably better -- and maybe they would for me, too. I wish I could hear them in person to see if their price is fully justified. Like I said, there's a difference of opinion on the Web, and I don't personally know anyone who owns either speaker. If I get curious enough, I may get them on home trial.

[@LuisCardoso-bo8yx]

At a certain point, I had three pairs of speakers in my living room: ATC SCM11, Quad Z2 and Monitor Audio PL100II. The MAs seemed to do everything right but the mids sounded slightly recessed and the treble too refined and inoffensive. They made everything sound nice but didn’t wow me. The Quads had a deep base even the bungs in (I thought they were glued and not supposed to be removed but it seems I was wrong) and the most detailed highs I’ve heard but the mids were too congested by the lower frequencies. Also, the dispersion pattern is very different between the woofer to the ribbon tweeter so the sound always seems to be coming from two separate devices, which it does but shouldn’t be so noticeable. In the end I kept the ATCs because the mids and highs were so detailed and life like. The bass is light but lightning fast. Maybe I’ll add a subwoofer one of these days. P.S. If one looks at both Z2 speakers closely it’s possible to see that one is oddly shaped, with top line descending faster on the left side than on the right (visible on the right speaker at 5:13s). It seems all are like that cause mine were as well. That and the fact that the plinth doesn’t sit across the whole perimeter of the speaker the same way (uneven gap and protrusion around the sides of the speaker) makes me say that the fit and finish is subpar on the Z2s. Curiously, the Quad S2s present none of the fit and finish issues and sound great, especially when we consider they’re half the price. I’d like to add that although the stated sensitivity is only 84dB, in practice they seemed the play at the same volume as the PL100II, which are rated at 88dB, so I didn’t think they were particularly demanding in that regard.

[@darrinbanfield4365]

Spoke to a dealer in quad hifi where I bought my Harbeths, he wouldn't take the z2s in part exchange, as in his words, can't get rid of them!

[@gogaming6188]

@@defsonic2884 this is true. I have quad z4. One tweeter blew off few months ago. It was fountek neo x3 branded as quad neo x3. I ordered through my dealer and the new tweeter that i got does not have neo x3 branding. It has same part no. but does not say neo x3.0 on label. It also sounds different surprisingly from other working tweeter. It doesn't gel that well with the mid driver and has a ribbon brightness to it. This is the chinese quality control they have got. Never going to buy anything from quad again.

[@gogaming6188]

@@defsonic2884 i got two only, but in process of replacing them was comparing with older working one. Both of new ones are bright and not extending well with midrange driver. The difference is not subtle and changed the voice of the speaker pair. Difference seemed beyond any tolerance limit if set by the company. This was an eye opener for me. This could also easily mean these companies can send a better performing equipment to reviewers and sell crap to general public. Clearly learning and diy'ing seems better than to trust these companies now a days.

[@jonsays3762]

I count on folks like you to huff a “port bung” and cheer me up after spending too much on audio. Bravo sir. Bravo!

[@RFerreira2009]

I had my Z2 for months before I even knew they had port bungs...

[@sergeeeeeeeeeee]

I have had these for a couple of years and really like them for clean vocal and acoustic tracks but sometimes they feel just a bit boring and can become muddy on demanding electronic music. However, I hope now that I've removed the port bungs things will change for the better😁

[@chrisgoodson9312]

I've got a pair and I've had them for a year or so. I like them. I may like them more now that I'm going to remove the bungs! I never knew. I do use with a sub mind

[@stephencosta6814]

Terry excellent review as always I really love your channel really enjoy watching please keep up the great work looking forward when the review is complete with all speakers on display you are definitely my source to go to when I need to go shopping LOL good luck to take care God bless a big fan of steve costello

[@andrefortune8278]

Super critical review wanted a bit more from them due to their looks and design and that British engineering 🇬🇧

[@amb86]

I just got a pair yesterday, they are the best to me at this price point. At the shop, i have tested them side by side with the b&w 706, 606, the elac carina and vera, powered by denon x4700 (the same as what i use at home), and they sounded the best. Part of why it just stands out so much vs the b&w 706 is probably due to the ribbon, and with the way that I only stream music from spotify this speaker really smoothes out some of the harshness from mediocre quality streamings.

[@amb86]

Oh and at a separate shop, i also did audition the wharfedale evo 4.2 (which sucks for me as i hate AMT's soundstage, its not great for putting them in a living room and listening off center), sonus faber sonetto, audio vector qr-1, and none of them wow me as much as the z2

[@jasonme3557]

Good as always and just to comment. The beginning with all the graphs and tech stuff. Yes I like that a lot. Its nice to see the comparison and look at what is being delivered. This helps with room placement and such. Okay I think I mentioned it. Revel's M106. not sure if these will be in the test but I am just about to pull the trigger on them. I had the Evoke 20 loved them. Now I'd like the revels. Have a good week.

[@antonyalumkal1526]

Thanks for the review, Terry! I emailed Quad, and they told me to leave the bungs in. Hmmm. Mine are close to the back wall, so they probably need the bungs to not sound boomy. Also, the feet were not attached to mine. Maybe yours had attached feet because it was a review copy and not a brand new one. I don't understand the high crossover. In the press from Quad, it mentions that the Z ribbon has a wider bandwidth than the S series ribbon so that it can blend more successfully with the midrange. So why not lower the crossover? Maybe it doesn't drop off as sharply? Finally, I find that these speakers really shine with hi res recordings of acoustic guitars. I have a 24/96 download of Nickel Creeks' _A Dotted Line_ album, and I can hear every nuance of Sean Watkins' playing.

[@johncallaghan3097]

Thanks for the heads up about Nickel Creek - I just listened to a lot of their stuff on KZbin and have ordered _A dotted line_ and _Nickel Creek_ albums from Ebay - a bargain at £6.59 the pair (inc P&P)!

[@antonyalumkal1526]

@@johncallaghan3097 You're welcome. I hope you enjoy the CDs.

[@shanestephenson8423]

Great review Terry 👍🎧

[@rajindergill9480]

Nice work, Terry.

[@apmihai82]

Great review as always. I am an owner of S2s and to be honest most of what you describe is what I would say also. I think they are some of the best standmounts when paired appropriately with a smooth sounding DAC+amp. I'm a bit surprised by your frequentcy measurement. I know it is room dependent but my s2 are very smooth even in the 3.2kHz region. Let's see how they sound compared to the JBL. Thanks Terry!

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

The S2 have more obvious peaks in the treble with a very sharp increase in the lower mid range and upper bass to make them sound warmer and larger than they are www.stereophile.com/content/quad-s-2-loudspeaker-measurements

[@johncallaghan3097]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem So does that mean you've heard them? If so, maybe you could review them sometime? They're the best pair of speakers I've ever owned. I go for listen in the lounge for an hour and end up spending two or three times longer!

[@roms4277]

@@johncallaghan3097 Hello, you speak to S2 or Z2 ? Best speakers for the price you said ?! The Focal electra 1008be or Revel M126be are so better, no ?

[@johncallaghan3097]

@@roms4277 They're both in a significanly higher price range. If they weren't better, I'd be extremely surprised!

[@roms4277]

@@johncallaghan3097 Ok john. Have you hear polk reserve R200, it's a fantastic speaker for the price, better than kef ls50 !

[@victorrivera6375]

Hi Terry, what are your thoughts on the Quad Revela 1s? Have you heard them yet?

[@pekkatervala8476]

There is something special on ribbon tweeters. I have an old pair of Behringer B3030A active near field monitors and I listen them more than larger passive pairs. They deliver speech very naturally. 2.0 is enough, also with TV news and documentary programs, since I'm always at sweet spot. Naturally, I prefer 5.1 with DVD and TV series with multi channel audio.

[@razisn]

Common issue with 2-ways with ribbon tweeters. Crossover has to be higher up than with a dome tweeter because ribbons can't go very low resulting in the mid-woofer getting in its breakup range. It takes good driver matching and crossover magic to deal with this issue. The late Stewart Tyler of Proac seemed to have nailed it more than many others.

[@Cakebattered]

That ribbon looks nearly identical to the Fountek Neo X 3.0, which can be crossed over around 2500hz @ 12db/octave which isn't a problem most mid bass drivers. What you have to worry about us high Distortion levels, especially near the cross over freq.

[@fletchermunson6225]

Thanks again for your review. Looks like the Arenal are going to be the winner. Perhaps you should have a second winner for a speaker with more normal bookshelf size?

[@paulgillard5094]

Nice one Terry , as always. Really interested in this one. I'd heard these were really good for vocals. Thinking of a system for music plus TV . For example Naim Uniti Atom plus a small pair of bookshelf speakers. These are on my short list. There is 3 metres ( 10 feet ) between the TV and my sofa which is up against the opposite wall.

[@davehorwell1841]

I had Quad S2 with a Dali sub. They gave my Monitor Audio Gold 100 run for the money. I thought the Z2 would excel. Still think ill try the Z3/4

[@zahivigiser9223]

Hi have you tried the z4?

[@Toki1908]

Shame these Quads are discontinued in the US. I really like them, but could not find it.

[@victorrivera6375]

Hello, I enjoyed your review and wanted to ask if you thought the z2 would be an upgrade from the s2? Would you be able to provide a sound demo in the future? I own the Bowers and Wilkins 805 nautilus but boxed them when I got the quad s2 which I really enjoy.

[@krancan25]

Would have expected more from these.. Nice review!

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

What more are you expecting? No speaker is perfect, no speaker at this price is perfect - there are good and less good bits with all of them

[@krancan25]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem I just thought they would work well with a wider range of music... But will try to audition them... They look really, really nice!

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

@@krancan25 def audition them and remember what I said about their toe in as its possible I didn't have that 100% right and more toed out would have been smoother sounding

[@Romulus980]

Maybe I am the only one but could you do a video explaining how to read and the significance of the Room Frequency Response graph/measurements. All I see are lines but I wish I knew what they meant...!

[@dennisstempher9684]

I had these Quads on demo at home and loved their soundstaging and tonality... Unfortunately though they were not suited to (relatively) near field listening... I have a smallish room and at a distance under about 3 meters the drivers just did not blend... Would be interesting to hear your take on this...

[@antonyalumkal1526]

Mine are a bit over 2 meters away, and I don't notice this problem. I do have them fairly high--28 inch stands that are on blocks of maple with pegs that add an addition 3 inches.

[@seanmangan2769]

Him: ... Although, they do smell good Me: what a strange man. Subscribed.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Glad you get my sense of humour and welcome :)

[@chrisgoodson9312]

I use these with a Hegal Rost integrated but also the Willsenton tube amp. Plenty power with both

[@MarcelHLX]

I have also a set of Z2 speakers sinds yesterday. They are now in their "burning in period". My amplifier is a Audiolab 8300A and I am curius what the best speakercable is for this combination? Greetings from Marcel in the Netherlands.

[@AbsoluteFidelity]

How does this compare to the KEF Muon? Hahahahahahaha! I kid I kid... Ive been very curious about this Z2 and now I have a better idea how it sounds like. Another great one Terry! Bring on the rest!

[@rsolsjo]

I'm relieved that the port bungs smell nice. 😂

[@hudo]

Nice review, but i am missing some details that i didn't get: Are they more on cold or warm side, or neutral? Are they more lean or full bodied? Whats a good match from amp side?

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

I rarely discuss what amps to use as that is totally personal but I did cover more into the group test conclusion kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnTNiXpof6Z0gac Warm neutral etc thats all frequency response I showed that

[@hudo]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem i know you mentioned 2 dips and peaks in mid-upper range, but I don't know what that means in terms of sound - is it more cold, warm, lean, V curved, ...? Also, I don't use Dirac (tried, lost stage depth and layering, so gave up from DSP), so more interested in speaker alone sound. Thank you!

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

You dont lose anything when you use Dirac properly - what happens is the hollow "hifi" sound goes away and what seems like layering and imaging is really a sound that is lacking solidity and bass, when that is brought back the perception of the image totally changes - listen to that for a week and there is no going back to the hollow sound as you can hear straight away whats missing. This is the same when you correctly acoustically treat a room too. Its hard to put an exact distinction on the Z2 as they have a smiley face type sound so warmer in the mids but lively in the top - normally a cold sound is a very flat sound and a warm sound is rolled off at the top - smiley face is a bit of both

[@hudo]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem i tried Dirac few times over the years and several systems, even bought UMIK mic for it. It definitely helps a lot with imaging and focus, not that much with bass as i expected (moving speakers/room treatment influence that MUCH more), but after few days i notice something weird with highs and depth, so just can't use it, no matter how low i put cut off frequency. Anyway, writting this just to say a review of a speaker shouldn't be done with any heavy DSPing like dirac, since it can hide many clues about how speaker actually sounds. Just my opinion ...

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

@@hudo trying dirac a few times is different to using it every day for years on all manner of systems in all manner of rooms. Not blowing a trumpet there but that is what I do. It would be possible to totally change how a speaker sounds but then again every room does that anyway and much more extreme. If you use Dirac and treatment to remove the rooms sound that is a little different

[@robertm8518]

Any plans on reviewing the Dynaudio Contour 20i’s ? It’s a really great sounding speaker.

[@marcus1970]

So... Self confessed "Volume cranker!"😂😂 not only that but ... Partial to a bit of port bung sniffing too!!!😂😂 The title.... Hmmm... Personally I DO have a thing for AMT tweeters (moreso than true ribbon tweeters .... Speed, delicate touch, airiness, transient composure, imaging and soundstage capability are all traits that I enjoy about rear vented AMTs. ... But like most things I think its the specific application of tech.. as opposed to the tech itself , that truly makes or breaks a whole product...

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

At last someone mentions the volume cranker comment !! Cheers Marcus

[@marcus1970]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem in future content I'll listen out for "I'm Terry Ellis...... and I AM the Crankophiliac" 😂

[@cremersalex]

Peter Comeau's designs can sound a little edgy in the mid-range/treble sometimes. Love the Lintons but what you are describing reminds me a lot of the Denton 85. Recordings have to be exemplary.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Not with the new missions they don’t, Peter designs the speakers as per the brands core sounds and designs

[@cremersalex]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem I wish you kept the Lintons so that we could hear the differences between them and the new Missions.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

@@cremersalex I did that listening comparison at mission hq with Peter the missions are more clear and transparent much better speakers but they cost 3x as much and need very good gear

[@cremersalex]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem I would expect that from the 770 but is it that clear-cut when you would compare the Lintons to the Mission 700, since they are more or less in the same price range?

[@chryschrystyan3215]

Hi,thank's for share,do you think the Quad Artera Solus is enought for this speakers or need olso Quad Artera Stereo the power amp,i have the Z2's and i will seriously consider your answer,thank's!

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Not sure, however you would think they are designed to work well together but I haven't tried it to say for sure

[@chryschrystyan3215]

Thank you!

[@themergen1]

Would Quad Z2 be good monitor speakers being connected to my laptop.

[@IliyaOsnovikov]

It's pretty interesting that frequency responses of many if not all of tested speakers look very similar up to 400-500 Hz. That must be the room and the speaker placement.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

yes that is the power of the room, even though they look similar there is enough difference to see significant differences in the speakers designs.

[@stephenclark5218]

Hi Terry, You through in the atc 11 in the last compariso, how about throwing in the atc 19 in this comparison.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

They are £2300 thats above the price range for this group

[@tomwebb7091]

Bit of an odd range this Z series. The Z2 is big bugger and NEEDS stands or a pretty big wide solid sideboard/cabinet. The Z3 i took on home demo were amongst the quickest dismissed speakers ive tried. Firstly they were less "bassy" than the Z2. The roll off from 60hz down was major cliff edge-esque. The Z3 without a sub are the most bass shy floorstander ive ever heard... period. The Z2 has lifts around 60hz and simply dont roll off the same in my room (well 84db vs 90db explains that lol!). To audibly hear the difference between them is quite profound and quite confusing. The soundstaging from both was also really annoying and not great. The centre image absolutely locked in place but if you move off centre L to R even just a little it fell apart woefully. This meant even nodding along meant even noticeable tonal balance changes. Whatsmore when you locked in the centre image you realise there was no extension beyond the speakers in width and the depth didnt save the lack of width thus a very 2d presentation even with a grandiose 845 valve amp at 4x the Z3 price driving them. Then theres the verticle dispertion.... hilariously bad and even if they were flawless in all other regards, for home theatre use this one flaw would be a deal breaker. Ive never come across this trait on any range before. Ive owned Elac jet speakers, 3 sets of MA ribboned speakers and 2 sets of ribboned Audiovector speakers and all of them behaved far better in terms of treble/uppers dispertion which is always something to take into account with inset ribbon/amt based speakers because they rarely allow for out of box soundstage width. I really didnt enjoy my time with the Z range at the price and have nothing positive to say about them other than you can buy far better sounding and engineered speakers for less! Just my 2 pennies... oh and im not a Quad hater btw, we have had Quad amps since 1970s til today, valves and solid state and loved them alot! Mostly with proper old yorkshire made Wharfedales on the end. Good times!

[@darrinbanfield4365]

Had a pair of z2s with a quad solus. Got rid of both after two years, just didn't get on with either. Replaced speakers with Harbeth C7es3 xd, which as you'd expect was much better. Solus replaced with ATC pre and power amp since.

[@nc3419]

Had the Quad S2 in my system and while they had excellent detail and resolution, the stage was flat as a pancake. Fine for movies but just didn't sound right with music. Returned them.

[@johncallaghan3097]

@@nc3419 Could have been something amiss in the rest of your system -- poor synergy with your amp, perhaps? I say this because I find the S2's almost holographic in their presentation, with great image placement in a big soundstage that is high, wide and pretty deep.

[@nc3419]

@@johncallaghan3097 Possible. Could have been the room, equipment, or just how I perceived it. If you get a holographic presentation that's great. Another reviewer of the S-2 also mentioned it had a flatter soundstage in comparison to a competitor, the Wharfedale Reva 2. Some like it, some don't...as in all speakers.

[@andershammer9307]

I thought Quad made electrostatic speakers like the ESL-63. Electrostatics are better than ribbon. I've lived with my full range electrostatic speakers for 40 years. I still get that WOW factor.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

They make them as well

[@filipviljamaasvensson]

Also, very interesting about the harshness around the crossover. I'm experiencing this (I think) with my S2, with certain notes on piano music (which I almost 100% fixed with diffusion on the wall behind the speakers) but it is very prominent when listen to Pavarotti and his high notes (don't ask me how I know LOL). -- Is anyone else experiencing this? On the Z1, Z2, or S2? How have you fixed it?

[@martyn5416]

What diffusion have you used? Bought or self made? Thanks

[@lowrider007007]

How do we find your most recent uploads on your channel? I think you're missing your 'Uploads' tab.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Hi Robert sorry mate I don't know what the uploads tab is you should be able able to get to all my videos through the main channel home page and click on videos. I think it might depend on what you are browsing on.

[@lowrider007007]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thanks, all back to normal now, I think youtube had a 'moment'.

[@jw-lk1pe]

how about the Z4?

[@kenhiett5266]

Smelling the foam port plugs is such a spectrumish thing to do and include...lol. Funny because most of us do it.

[@stuartchamberlain1882]

Would these work well with Audiolab 6000a

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

everything works with the 6000a, its very non invasive for sound but it only had so much power and get up and go so its whether that is enough for you

[@JingoLoBa57]

Cf Martin Logan bookshelf speakers would make sense…

[@wiebl5266]

The "envelopingness" of the sound, that is the width, height and depth of the sound is known as Soundstage. The clarity of the instruments and the placement of the instruments and singer is known as Imaging. They are different.

[@freelancer1499]

Would this speaker work well nearfield or desktop?

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

I am really not sure maybe email Quad and ask

[@bobb.9917]

Terry…did you actually just wiff a port bung? 😂😂😂 Will you be comparing its scent to any of the other port bungs??? LOL!

[@stonefree1911]

"Are Ribbon Tweeters the best?" Yes. Also, regardless of price, I'd put my Wharfedale EVO 4.2's against any of these speakers.

[@Cakebattered]

In most speaker designs Air Motion Transformers offer fewer trade offs compared with true ribbon drivers. That's why they are used more frequently. That said, there's a reason why dome tweeters make up the bulk of "Cost No Object" speaker designs. Despite my own love and preference for planar drivers, the loudspeaker builder in me says the best tweeters are domes.

[@lawchoongseng789]

How does the cheaper Quad S2 compares to the Z2.

[@johncallaghan3097]

I haven't heard the Z2's yet, but the S2's are totally wonderful -- outstanding imaging and soundstage right across the range, with great bass that made me dispense with my subwoofer. They're very engaging with my Audiolab 6000A amp and Tellurium Q blue 2 cables. More to the point perhaps, at £599, they're £900 cheaper than the Z2's! See the review of the quad S2's at Stereophile by Ken Micallef -- I can endorse his verdict enthusiastically.

[@johncallaghan3097]

@@hclandscapes Before the Blue 2's, I had Audioquest FLX/SLiP 14/4 cables which cost around £37.70 for an unterminated (added my own banana plugs) 2.5 m pair. A terminated 2.5m pair of Blue 2's cost £98.50. The Audioquests aren't bad cables by any means, just not in the same league as the Blue 2's -- they sounded flatter and duller by comparison. For a start, the amplifier sounds around 3-4 dB louder for a given volume setting. IMO, they also sound more engaging, more musical if you like. They enlivened the presentation right across the spectrum of my FLAC music tracks -- from Classical through to popular, improving both instruments and voices as well as their placement in the soundstage. I don't have jumper links at the moment -- I'm using the links supplied with the speakers. Seeing as the Blue 2 jumpers at futureshop are £60, and the ultra blues £68, for 2 pairs, I might be giving one or the other a try fairly soon. Heck -- may even try the Black 2's at £85; I'm still undecided. I've never heard the XT40i cables -- what is your opinion of those, by the way? Do you have the 6000A or something else at the moment -- if so, what? Do you use jumper cables at all?

[@johncallaghan3097]

@@hclandscapes I think you're right to stick with the Hegel 120 -- by all accounts it's a step or two up from the 6000A and I would also be loth to part with it. It's true that the Tellurium connectors _look_ a bit flimsy, mainly I think because the plugs aren't so beefy, but they function well and I can't deny that they sound very good. Any way, you'll probably make a little money on your Kef metas seeing as they're more expensive than the Quad S2's, which apparently are appreciably easier to drive. I wish you well with your system, HJC! 😃

[@RFerreira2009]

I have both, the S2 and the Z2. The Z2 are much better.

[@saltyolive_]

I had the s2 after I heard the z1 I sold off the s2 in a heartbeat. The z series are sweeter much more refine and open soundstage. I can’t decide if i like those bung inside the ports or not as it is now they are inside. Really depends on the song. But removing them everything felt much more open and clear. Ps: my speakers are pull out around 1M from the back wall

[@bikemike1118]

When I hear the word „measurements“ in conjunction with sound and Hifi gear ….I shiver … because of all the ‚measurements fools“ out there who think one can measure good sound. Not meaning the producer of this video …to be clear

[@deeplyclosetedindividual]

Like those guys over at ASR...

[@zahivigiser9223]

Hi , is anyone listened to the quad z4?

[@peterlarkin762]

Aw man I wonder how many people are using these with the bungs hiding away in there.

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

I am meeting the designer of these tomorrow - he told me they are designed to be used with the bungs in to make them sound more like the ESL speakers but when you drive punchy bass through them I think they are better out :)

[@saltyolive_]

I cannot decide with or without the bungs in. They are a tad sweeter and more controlled vocals. Without they open up and a lot more transparent with better soundstage but some might prefer the sweetness of the insert bung. I can’t decide. What are you guys using? But true to be told without the bung was really wow. Driving them on the sonnet Morpheus and musical fidelity m6i

[@rosstee]

@@saltyolive_ I've never actually tried taking the bungs out! The dealer mentioned it was possible, but at home I've always kept them in as I want bass to be as controlled as possible for the best timing. I really should give it a try with them out though, as it seems to make quite a difference from what people say.

[@MrMarkhall1]

This is a speaker review, let's hear them!?

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

I did a comparison sound demo with another speaker from the group test, check in the channel

[@MrMarkhall1]

@@PursuitPerfectSystem Can you send me the link?

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

You only have to search Z2 sound demo kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5m7qaarhZqeaM0si=Y7RGfQWbOLwvrHUy

[@RanTausi]

​@@PursuitPerfectSystemHi, are they a big step up from the S2 model ? I am thinking of buying the S2

[@zahivigiser9223]

Has anyone heard the quad z4?

[@PursuitPerfectSystem]

Sorry no

[@larrygaines7462]

Ribbons should not be crossover below 4500hz and a woofer should not be used above 1000hz ie you need 3 way and drivers in the 2 in full range for 1k to 5k hz dead midrange , these suck in vocals,overprice and pa type woofer grr ,i could do better diy..

[@GeoffParsons1469]

Winkle pickers, you keep dating yourself Terry...

[@zahivigiser9223]

Hi , is anyone listened to the quad z4?