After living with the Quads from the time I was 18 until I was in my late 20s(some of that time with stacked Quads) my expectations of what an audio system should do grew up around the sound of the Quads. It was my I my college friend from Baylor University, Ken Askew who introduce me to Quad ESL 42 years ago. So when I was over at his house not long ago to hear his system he asked if I would like to borrow his Wayne Picquet’s rebuilt Quad ESLs while he was remodeling his house. Of course, I jumped on the opportunity.
Ken seems to be very generous with his Quads, back in 1997/98 he loaned a pair of brand new German-built Quad ESLs to Art Dudley to review in Listener, before he even got them himself. Even though in the pictures these German built Quads look a lot like the pair I have they are not. The fit and finish of the German built Quad ESLs was much better than early Quad ESLs. Ken says the fit and finish of the the Picquit Quad ESLs is even better. They sure look better than any Quad ESLs I have ever seen. More important Ken says they sound much better the German-built Quad ESLs. I just turned in this review and I hope it will be up on Dagogo soon. If you want to read more about my experiences with the Quad ESLs you might check out my last Beatnik Column, Pet Peeve #3: “The Way Modern Speakers Play Bass” and Part II of the Pass Labs XA30.8 Review “Driving the Quad ESL”. Thanks again Ken, I have really enjoyed the time I spend with the Quads.
