The closest approach...really

Hearing "many" combinations does in no way, shape, or form mean that proper integration of panels and subwoofers cannot be achieved.

There are many combinations that do perform wonderfully.

In this particular case maybe more listening experience is required.

Generally the saga goes, that if tubes are used with the Quads, the subs would perform best with SS. Actually blending solid state driven subs with tube driven stators is very difficult indeed. It is much easier to use tubes also for the Gradient subs to get an excellent coalesced rendering, using Gradients own active x-over but only for the bottom end and letting the Quad 63s go all the way down. After much fiddling, listening and moving the whole shebang around ( for this purpose the Quad-Gradient combo was put on wheels and the listening position bolstered with cushions to get the ears in the right height) a practically perfect blend was achieved.

Detlof, your comment about using pillows to get the ear to the right height reminds me of my struggles to get it right. As I said in my prior comment, I ended up bending the 57 slightly forward. That changes the radiation pattern so that you don't have to use cushions or anything like that. By the way, I use a digital source to drive the gradients, and a tube amplifier to drive the quads. I don't think the gradients are terribly sensitive to the amplifier you use...just use something that is more than 50W per channel and you're ok.

Mrtennis, the "offer" you put forth, which implies asking for help among people you consistently alienate brings to mind two of Rodney Dangerfield's more famous lines...

"I remember getting lost at the beach when I was a kid and asking the cop on the boardwalk if we would find my parents--and he said, "I don't know, kid, there are so many places they could hide."

"I don't get no respect. As a kid, when I played hide-and-seek, and they wouldn't even look for me."

The ESL-57s and the Gradient make a very nice combination, but I would take a pair of the PX-ed SoundLabs any day. My opinion only, of course.