Quad ESL 988 Floorstanding Speakers user reviews : 4.3 out of 5 - 14 reviews - audioreview.com (2024)

[Nov 02, 2002]

jshk

Audio Enthusiast

Quest 4 the holy Grail is finally over.For the past year,i'd been reading all kind of audio-related mag.,seeking for a replacement of my10yrold veteran CantonCt100 .I begin to realize we're bias with the brand we choose.That means most brands are seemingly good on each & every review.True,beauty is eye of beholder.However,after all the research & audition from show room to show room (price is no object type 5000-30000$),come to my humble conclusion ,base on the buget ,size of my room ,esthetictoo,that Quad is the replacement(i hope for now)I choose Quad because:1. Easy of placement(only44lb each)verse some speaker 200-300lb+)2.Esthetic (harmonize my room(14x20x9ht)without the look of monolith like some that reach 8foot tall3.Sound Quality:extremely smooth from treble to midrange(agree with some audio-mag.'s comment )4.Quality:my initial concern since the unit is assembled in China.Untill I learnt that each unit has 72hrs testing atthe factory & Quad dealer offer a 2day test run before ship it out to me.I'm relieved(as for my $4000 Canton speaker came with a loosen wire when it's new from the box )I've to credit the web site :http://user.tninet.se/~vhw129w/mt_audio_design/he's hi-fi hobbyist & learn a lot on this speaker history & insight.SO it's my humble opinion to recomend this speaker to anyone who seeks 5000-20000$$ range

[Oct 02, 2001]

Tim Smart

Audio Enthusiast

Having owned prior Quads, including most recently the 63s, I was prepared for a continuation of the Quad sound. But these are far better, in my judgment, having a much fuller sound and a structural integrity that allows for listening at higher volumes. In fact, unlike earlier Quads, they seem to come alive with a bit of extra volume. If you listen to voice, 1950s and 1960s jazz, light rock and folk, as I do, you owe it to yourself to give these speakers a listen. I have heard many speakers that cost far, far more but none that sound better or even as good. The truth in timbre is simply astounding on a Rudy Van Gelder recording of a jazz trio or quartet.
It's hard to call $5-6000 a bargain, but in the audiophile world of cables that sell for nearly as much, the 988s are truly a fair value.

[Nov 21, 2001]

Richard

Audiophile

[Nov 06, 2001]

Chris

Audio Enthusiast

Other than the 989, this is the speaker with the closest approach to original sound on any type of music I listened to in a very brief audition. I have read audiophiles who
commented on this speaker who have not heard it. Listen to it before making any speaker purchase in this price range.
This speaker sounds like the real thing, actual live performance. Note: The format did not have year 2001 as the model year-I left it blank, and the review was not accepted. I used 2000 to get the review accepted, but the actual model year is 2001.