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Quad Elegan
Quad has spent much of the last few years rebuilding its range from both ends. Revela brought a new generation of conventional dynamic loudspeakers, ESL X refreshed the electrostatic side of the catalog, while electronics such as Quad 3, the reimagined 33 and 303 and the flagship Platina series have given the company an unusually broad portfolio for its 90th anniversary year. One piece, however, was still missing - a genuinely accessible pair of conventional loudspeakers designed to introduce new listeners to the brand. Elegan fills that gap with just two models, Elegan 1 and Elegan 2, and deliberately avoids anything too exotic. Instead, Quad has returned to ingredients it knows extremely well - woven Kevlar cones, fabric-dome tweeters, carefully engineered passive crossovers and heavily braced bass-reflex cabinets.
There is also a historical connection here. Quad describes Elegan as a spiritual successor to L Series, particularly the 11L and 12L models launched in 2002. Those speakers helped establish woven Kevlar as an important part of Quad's dynamic loudspeaker identity at a time when the company was still far more strongly associated with electrostatics. Elegan does not simply revive those designs, but the family resemblance is intentional - particularly with compact Elegan 1. Everything from the drivers to the cabinets and crossover networks has been developed from scratch under the direction of longtime Director of Acoustic Design Peter Comeau.
Elegan 1 is the simpler of the two. It is a conventional two-way standmount using a 165 mm woven Kevlar bass/midrange driver and a 25 mm fabric-dome tweeter. The Kevlar diaphragm uses a lattice weave impregnated with self-damping resin, combining the stiffness needed for pistonic movement with enough internal damping to keep resonances under control. Quad has worked with this material for almost a quarter of a century, but says the new drive units represent its most developed Kevlar-based designs so far.
High frequencies are handled by a soft dome mounted in a carefully profiled waveguide. Rather than simply increasing output, the waveguide is intended to control dispersion and improve the transition between the tweeter and the larger mid/bass cone. Consistent off-axis behavior matters particularly in real rooms, where listeners are rarely sitting perfectly motionless in one precisely defined position. Quad therefore emphasizes broad, stable imaging and tonal consistency rather than designing Elegan around a very narrow sweet spot.
Elegan 1 has a sensitivity of 86 dB and is specified as 8-ohm compatible, with impedance falling to a minimum of 4.3 ohms. Quad recommends amplifiers rated between 30 and 150 W. Frequency response is quoted at 56 Hz-24 kHz within ±3 dB, with bass extension reaching 44 Hz at -6 dB. The enclosure has an internal volume of 15.5 liters and measures 365 x 220 x 300 mm before allowing for terminals and grille, while each speaker weighs 8.9 kg. The current Quad product page also specifies a peak output of 102 dB.
Elegan 2 takes the same basic acoustic philosophy into a considerably more ambitious three-way floorstander. Two 165 mm Kevlar woofers handle the low frequencies, while a separate 125 mm woven Kevlar driver covers the midrange from its own isolated internal chamber. The same 25 mm fabric-dome tweeter and waveguide used in Elegan 1 complete the system. Dividing the spectrum this way allows the smaller midrange unit to operate without having to reproduce deep bass, while the twin woofers can concentrate on extending low-frequency response and increasing dynamic capacity.
The difference in scale is substantial. Quad quotes bass extension down to 32 Hz at -6 dB and a frequency response of 44 Hz-24 kHz within ±3 dB. Sensitivity rises to 90 dB, recommended amplifier power is 30-200 W and minimum impedance is 3 ohms. Elegan 2 stands 942 mm tall, 220 mm wide and 340 mm deep, again before allowing for the terminals and grille. The original launch documentation specifies a weight of 27.8 kg per speaker, while Quad's current online specification lists 28.4 kg - either way, this is a surprisingly substantial cabinet for a relatively slim floorstander.
Quite a lot of attention has gone into the crossover networks as well. Both models use Linkwitz-Riley acoustic topology rather than generic networks adapted to fit the available drivers. Elegan 1 crosses over at 2.9 kHz, while Elegan 2 divides the spectrum at 480 Hz and 2.7 kHz. The floorstander's midrange-to-tweeter transition uses fourth-order slopes, with second-order slopes between bass and midrange. Polypropylene capacitors are used throughout, accompanied by air-core inductors in the midrange and treble sections and high-power laminated-core inductors for bass. Quad says the PCB layouts were optimized for short signal paths and controlled grounding.
The cabinets are similarly conventional in principle but more elaborate in execution than their minimalist appearance suggests. High-density panels are reinforced with strategically positioned internal bracing and damping, while Quad's Airflow bass-reflex system uses shaped rear ports intended to reduce turbulence. Cabinet volumes were calculated separately around the specific requirements of each speaker rather than simply scaling one enclosure up to create the other. Elegan 2 therefore contains a 14.5-liter chamber for the midrange section and a separate 31-liter bass volume.
Visually, Quad has gone in the opposite direction from many brands launching new entry-level ranges. There are no bright colors, metallic trims or elaborate decorative panels. Elegan comes in only two finishes - deep matte black and real walnut veneer with a matte black front baffle. The black version takes some visual inspiration from ESL X, while the walnut option creates an obvious match for the wood-finished versions of Quad's current electronics. The company specifically developed the series to work aesthetically and acoustically with Quad 3, 33 and 303, creating complete systems that sit considerably below Revela and the company's electrostatic speakers.
That positioning is probably more important than any single technical detail. Quad does not need another loudspeaker to demonstrate that it can build something unusual - ESL has been doing that job since the 1950s. Elegan is meant to do something almost opposite. It gives the company's current electronics a sensibly priced loudspeaker partner and provides an entry point for listeners who may admire Quad's history but have no intention of accommodating a pair of electrostatic panels in their living room. Peter Comeau describes the series as a ground-up reconsideration of what an entry-level Quad speaker should be today, with the emphasis placed on balance, natural dynamics and long-term listenability rather than an exaggerated presentation designed to impress during a short demonstration. Elegan 1 and Elegan 2 have been available since July 24 in matte black and walnut. Elegan 1 is priced at $995/€999/£749 per pair, while Elegan 2 costs $1995/€1899/£1499 per pair. Info and pictures by Quad.
