Quad 989/2905 all around qualities

by coincidence, walked into the local dealer around the corner...playing unico tube amp with Quad 2905...beautiful air, space, 3-dimensionality and musicality. Not the last word in definition...but you only know this is if you have heard systems that are super resolving with the best in the world. And i know i came from the side of the fence that would take fuzzier more warm music over strident detail any day. I am fortunate to have come from that side of the fence, and been able to add some amazing detail into my system...so that is the only reason i heard the relative lack of precision in the 2905s...by most any other measure...a great speaker...and for the money, superb, unless you play super loud and/or lots of heavy bass intensive music.

I hope the importer would be able to arrange me a listening...
I am not sure though...
I liked ESL63 a lot, specially for they musicality.
I mean, it's amaizing... I wouldn' tell "it's the best speaker on the planet" or something alike.
After all, it's an equipment, it's a technology. It is always have its own pros and cons. But after all, when i listen to the music - i do notify some "problems", but even then, i so emotionally involved with the music it presents. Amazingly musical speaker. The only area i really felt its limitations (i.e. i couldn't enjoy the music) was rock (specially with distortion) and lack some bass/dynamics either in rock or high scale classic. Sometimes i had a certain a moment of discomfort with the treble, but that's it. If those are improved with new Quads i don't think i need a better speaker :-)

You make me want to listen to those speakers :-)
I start to think of possibility going abroad for a small trip to listen the Quads
and enjoy let's say... Spain... May be i can do it within a month or so.
Just need to hold myself tight and not to buy something till then.
It's not easy once you start listening to a speakers :-)

I have another 2 speakers on the list. Never heard them, but they might be interesting to listen to:
Vandersteen and Klipsch horn speakers (La Scala or Klipcsh horn).
Did you ever heard them and what are your perspective on them for the type of music i am listening to ?
From the horn speakers i only heard some simple Zingallis.
They had a horn tweeter. It suited some music very well, but for some other music (specially voices) i felt it was not really suitable. May be just a first time experience.

Hi Katamapah,

I have not heard Klipsch in a long time...i have heard good things about horns, but the sound is quite a different character from electrostatics. i prefer 'stats myself. The sense of enveloping you in sound is quite something. Your observations about the Zingali horn is probably about where i came out when i heard horns properly set up.

Vandersteens are very, very good and (like the Quad) good value for money...will also probably play louder and possibly lower depending on which one you consider. They do have some characteristics that are similar to Quads in the 'feel' of the music.

Zingalis i have not heard, but understand from the dealer that they consider themselves competitors with Sonus Faber, so perhaps that might tell you something. Since you have heard them, the choice is obviously yours.

You may wish to consider SFs, btw. The Homage series have much of the mellifluous character of a 2905...but are slightly more precise in some cases.

good luck and pls keep posting!