Quad 11L with Nait
Posted by: Alco on 23 November 2002
Hi guys,
No no, I haven't sold my Kans again!
It's just that I got a little curious after a little chat with a friend this evening.
He just bought himself the (awardwinning praised)
Quad 11l speakers.
They look absolutely georgeous (WAYYY better than my Kans) and he told me he totally agreed whith the raving reviews this very affordable speaker got.
Take a look at this little beauty:
Available in 4 different real wood feneers coated with 7(!) layers of piano lacquer.
Now, I can hear some regular people on this forum think:
"O my god, he's not ditching his Kan's a second time within a year, is he!?"
No, as long as I haven't found a decent compatitor, I'll keep my Kans.
But, I must confess that I'm getting a bit curious about how these Quad speakers would perform, on the end of my Nait-2.
There are 3 reasons why:
1. They look so much better than the el-cheapo looking Kans.
2. IF (again IF) they sound as good/better than Kans on my Nait, I could get the little Quad's with at least a 20% discount over the already ridiculous low price. (about 500,- euro,pair)
3. The little Quads would have to stand free from the backwall, so that way they wouldn't suffer from the old fireplace that's in between.
(like the Kan's do now
)
Well, to make a long story short(er)
Has anyone heard these baby-Quads yet ?
(preferably on Naim ofcourse!)
Greetings,
ALco
No no, I haven't sold my Kans again!
It's just that I got a little curious after a little chat with a friend this evening.
He just bought himself the (awardwinning praised)
Quad 11l speakers.
They look absolutely georgeous (WAYYY better than my Kans) and he told me he totally agreed whith the raving reviews this very affordable speaker got.
Take a look at this little beauty:
Available in 4 different real wood feneers coated with 7(!) layers of piano lacquer.
Now, I can hear some regular people on this forum think:
"O my god, he's not ditching his Kan's a second time within a year, is he!?"
No, as long as I haven't found a decent compatitor, I'll keep my Kans.
But, I must confess that I'm getting a bit curious about how these Quad speakers would perform, on the end of my Nait-2.
There are 3 reasons why:
1. They look so much better than the el-cheapo looking Kans.
2. IF (again IF) they sound as good/better than Kans on my Nait, I could get the little Quad's with at least a 20% discount over the already ridiculous low price. (about 500,- euro,pair)
3. The little Quads would have to stand free from the backwall, so that way they wouldn't suffer from the old fireplace that's in between.
(like the Kan's do now
)Well, to make a long story short(er)
Has anyone heard these baby-Quads yet ?
(preferably on Naim ofcourse!)
Greetings,
ALco
quote:
Go on mate, get your friend to bring them around (once they're run in) so that you can do a dem and then tell us the results
I will, Mr Sukebe!
He told me the little Quad's had to run in for about 50 hours. After that he was more than happy to demo 'em in my room.
They got some raving reviews, but there are 2 things that bother me a little.
They seem to sound quite smoooth, which is the opposite of Kans. Also they're quite power-hungry with a 86db sensitivety.
o well, we'll see
I'll let ya guys know when I get them home for a demo.
Greetings,
Alco
[This message was edited by Alco on SUNDAY 24 November 2002 at 13:29.]
Alco,
Here's a hint. Tuck them in at the back and you have a pair of Katans
Katans seriously kick the butt of Kans.
Andrew
Andrew Randle
Linn Binn Sinner
Here's a hint. Tuck them in at the back and you have a pair of Katans
Katans seriously kick the butt of Kans.
Andrew
Andrew Randle
Linn Binn Sinner
quote:
One silly question?, the Kans are one of the best small speaker to be made. They are exciting and dynamic and sit well on the end of Naim gear, why would you want to change them?
I changed to Kan's again earlier this year, because they seem to be one of the very few speakers that don't cause to many problems with my room acoustics and I was tired of searching and experimenting.
There are 2 (well, make it 3) reasons why I might be able to change them for something else:
- One of the main reason is that the fireplace that's in between the Kan's, doesn't do much justice to the Kan's soundstage. (sorry for Round-Earth word, but maybe I'm a 50/50 case here. I do think source-first is the way to go, but I'd also like some depth, soundstage
)- Another reason is that, though the Nait-2 drives the Kans better then probably any other 15watt SS integrated, sometimes I feel the Kan's are a bit thin and shouty because of the little Nait-2 not having the power to drive 'em properly when the occasion demands.
(for example, a Cyrus 7 performed much better in this area)
- the third and not least reason is that the el cheapo, boring looks of the Kan's and their stands are starting to annoy me again.
(visited a friend recently who has some B&W cherry Nautilus 805's. Now that's what I call a beautiful speaker!)
Please, don't get me wrong...
When I bought my Kan's again this year, it was intended to be a temporary(!) solution.
Also, I won't ditch 'em until I have found a worthy replacement, within my budget, amp and room.
Greetings,
Alco
quote:
The Quads may just be too power hungry for the Classik & require stand placement?
Hmm, if the Quads are too power hungry for a Linn Classik, then surely a Nait-2 won't be capable of driving 'em either.
o well, time will tell
regards,
Alco
Hi guys,
well, tonight's the night... Within 10 minutes from now a friend will visit me, and bring his Quad 11L's with him, to arrange a home-demo.
He 's using a Nait-2 also, connected to a Rega P3, and he's quite enthousiastic about the little Quads.
We'll see how they compete to my alltime flat-earth classics, the Linn Kan
See y'all.
Greetings,
Alco
well, tonight's the night... Within 10 minutes from now a friend will visit me, and bring his Quad 11L's with him, to arrange a home-demo.
He 's using a Nait-2 also, connected to a Rega P3, and he's quite enthousiastic about the little Quads.
We'll see how they compete to my alltime flat-earth classics, the Linn Kan
See y'all.
Greetings,
Alco
quote:
Why did you simply not buy Intros for god sake. They will be the best speakers for your Nait?!
Hi Ozren,
Well, it seems that you didn't read a previous topic about my Intro-II homedemo, earlier this year...
I tried the Intro's on the end of my Nait-2.
In the store it sounded fine, but in my livingroom they where much worse than the Quads!!!
(shut in,and enormous bass-boom)
So, here's my report:
Very,very carefully (they were on a loan) we unpacked the Quads. Man, the finish of these small speakers is absolutely amazing for this price!
Now, does the sound compete with the looks and finish.... ? Unfortunately, NO. Well, not within my system that is!
The Quad IIL is a (double!) rear-ported basreflex speaker, so in my room I expected some flabby,fat bass, but to my surprise the bass was fine.
Not as much low end-drive as I expected, but a little more than the Kans and just enough to my liking. Also the bass was quite tight. But.... voices sounded quite boring and lazy and the tweeter is way,way too soft,dull to my liking. I guess it's also the combination of the Nait-2. The 86db Quads just need more power to come alive.
It was obvious the Quads were good though and they had potential, but not within a Naim (Nait-2!) system.
My friend who brought the Quads never liked Kans, because they have no 3D soundstage and no real bass, but after we switched back to the Kans, he couldn't help tapping his feet and he finally confessed that the keyword for the Kans are 'boogiefactor'. THE same mainword that was missing with the Quads. (even though the Quads had a wonderful 3D soundstage)
So, the Quads went back, and the Kans are back in bussiness!
Greetings,
Alco
hmm, Hi Vuk, I'm beginning to wonder...should I take your replies serious.... Nah, don't think so 
regards,
Alco
(I feel sorry for the owner of the above system )
regards,
Alco
(I feel sorry for the owner of the above system
)quote:Looks like John Watson's sistem, so I guess not...
Am I mistaken or is all that Mana more expensive than what's on it (by a long way)?
Cheers,
Edo
Alco,
What stands were you using for the demo? If the Kan stands then maybe that could be an issue. If the quads are of the ls3/5a ilk, they may require a heavy stand; filled with something like lead or neutron star material.
However, being you described shut in and dull, a heavy stand may quite possibly make things worse.
Just thinking outloud, feel free to ignore me
regards,
michael
What stands were you using for the demo? If the Kan stands then maybe that could be an issue. If the quads are of the ls3/5a ilk, they may require a heavy stand; filled with something like lead or neutron star material.
However, being you described shut in and dull, a heavy stand may quite possibly make things worse.
Just thinking outloud, feel free to ignore me
regards,
michael
Hi Mykel,
That's a good question. I'm sorry I forgot to mension that I didn't used my Kan stands.
(the topplate-spikes would damage the bottom of the brandspanking new Quads.
We used some Atacama Nexus stands, during the demo. Probably not the best, but it'll do...
It was cleat that the Quads were good, but the little Nait-2 couldn't bring 'em to life.
Greetings,
Alco
That's a good question. I'm sorry I forgot to mension that I didn't used my Kan stands.
(the topplate-spikes would damage the bottom of the brandspanking new Quads.
We used some Atacama Nexus stands, during the demo. Probably not the best, but it'll do...
It was cleat that the Quads were good, but the little Nait-2 couldn't bring 'em to life.
Greetings,
Alco