Anybody heard the Quad 21L or 21L2?


Hi,

A couple of weeks ago, I started what has turned into an enormous thread on the topic of "budget" loudspeakers for a small to medium-sized room. Here is the link, if you're interested:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?cspkr&1212633048&openmine&Rebbi&4&5&st0

I want to thank all the people on this website who have been so helpful in their comments and suggestions. I had not been involved in the high-end audio scene for over 20 years, and really wasn't aware what's available these days. Really, the people on Audiogon gave me a complete reeducation on this topic! Thanks to all of you. :-)

Now, getting to the point. At my price range, and with my associated equipment and room size and listening preferences, I was pretty well settled on picking up a pair of used Totem Arros. They seem to be going for around $800 here. The problem, however, is that my wife would really prefer that the speaker be black, or in the case of the Totem, Black Ash veneer. But all of the used Totems here on Audiogon are either mahogany or cherry finish. Getting a pair of them, new, in the black finish, will cost me over $1300, plus tax. :-(

In the other thread, however, a speaker that came highly recommended was the Quad 21L2. It turns out that I can get a pair of these in Piano Black finish for just under $1000, plus shipping. this is very attractive, indeed, but reviews of this speaker on the Internet are scarce-to-nonexistent. So, what I need to know is, whether any of you fine audiophiles have actually heard this speaker? Do you know anything about its power handling, imaging, transparency? Do you know anything about how fussy it is about room placement?

Thanks, again, in advance! You folks are fantastic. :-)
rebbi

FWIW -- I have the Quad 21L2s up and running with the Jolida 302. Sounds marvelous to me! I imagine the bass will take a few weeks to settle in, but so far so good!

Cheers - Marty
It did take a little while for the bass to relax on mine it seems. They seemed a little tense out of the box to me.
How many Watts are you running through them?

There is a review in last month's Hifi World - they were awarded 5 stars in the group test, only negative issue was they recommend a low couch for the tweeter to be at ear level.

Measured sensitivity was 86db and average impedance around 6ohm.
I carefully compared 21Ls to the Rega 3 and the Devore Gibbon 8, which is a great speaker and over twice the price of the Quads. Using Naim's entry gear (50Wpc), the Quads held up really well and while I did like the Devore's bass response just a bit better, the difference was very slight.

Echoing what others have said here, the finish on the Quad's looks like a million bucks - and is Steinway piano deep. I suggest tipping the 21L's up a few degrees towards your ears, and you will be amazed at the soundstage presented and lack of boxiness.
Robr45,Acdvd,Martyw,
Please note that the bass and overall sound of the Quads should be judged after 200hrs. Yeah, sadly that is true. As an owner of Quad 21L for 3 years, I think I can chip in my 2 cents. But be prepared for pleasant surprises after that. Once the speaker is properly broken in, it is as if you purchased an entirely new music collection. One more thing that helps is bi-wiring. You can check my system and the tweaks I have made to my amp. Not too much in $$$....but worth improving the sound up a couple of notches. Right now I am saving for a better amp - not in terms of power - but in resolution. Enjoy your 21Ls and your music :-)

Waveform,
Something may not be in "synergy" with your system - or it must be a really big room that you have your equipment in. I never go above 9 o'clock on the volume dial on my NAD.