Quad 988 / 989 reliability ??

We sold the first 25+ pairs of the new speakers. It was a task trying to keep them working. The circuit boards were very thin and the delay line coils would come loose and fall off. Also the panels seemed to be very inconsistant. The speaker is not a Quad product in the old sense as the Walkers have nothing to do with this company any longer. We are close to the US service center and problems are still present. Make certain you have a dealer who will replace out of box failures or take care of warrenty for his customers. Also they have econimized the board system by placing all the electronics on 1 board instead of the 3 boards used perviously . If a failure occures the whole electronic needs replaced.

Detlof - Thanks for your post. What kind of service was required after 3 yrs? How much "system downtime" did you incur while they were being repaired ? thanks.

Anopax - thanks for your post. I am seriosly considering a pair of Quads. I am undecided between the 988 and 989. I am smitten by the sound of Quads, but I want to alleviate all the concerns I have heard and read about: reliability, LF extension, and max SPL. I really don't know if I will be satisfied with LF extension and max SPL until I have lived with them in my home for a while - that is why I am inquiring about subs. I currently use a transmission line loaded speaker that is flat to below 20 Hz, so I am spoiled by superb LF performance, and I am reluctant to give this up. But, I also want the transparency and imaging of the Quads. thanks

Hififarm - Are you STILL a Quad dealer ? If so, is recent experience improving ? i.e. are the QC issues being addressed by the manufacturer ? Where is the US service center? Are they competent and responsive (fast turnaround)? thanks

You might want to try Sound Labs as an alternative. Comparing new production to new production, fewer problems. In the right model, better bass - the kind you are looking for.