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Quad… the closest approach to the original sound.

 Quad founder Peter Walker

Since being founded by Peter Walker in 1936, Quad has established and maintained its position as a world leader in audio amplification and electrostatic loudspeaker design. In fact, it can be said that no other audio equipment company has contributed more to the advancement and improvement of sound reproduction than has Quad. This achievement has been rewarded in Great Britain, the home of Quad, when they received the Queen’s Award for Technological Achievement in 1978. Quad is the only audio hi-fi company ever to receive the award.

One of the best measures of a company is the longevity of its product designs. The standard-setting Quad II Power Amplifier was introduced in 1953, and remained in production, and the amplifier by which all others were judged, for eighteen years. Peter Walker pioneered the principle of cathode coupling in amplifier design with this model. This became the model for many an amplifier builder after the introduction of the Quad II.

 The Quad electronics workbench.

In 1956, Quad introduced the first true, full frequency range electrostatic loudspeaker. This loudspeaker would become the legendary ESL-57. A profound departure from contemporary designs, the ESL-57 was virtually free from unwanted colorations and distortion of sound, and was so successful in this respect that it remained in production, virtually unchanged, for twenty-eight years.

 Building an ESL loudspeaker.

Since those days, Peter Walker and Quad have not rested on their laurels. Such notable innovations as Quad’s patented Current Dumping amplifier technology was introduced in 1975, the ESL-63 was introduced in 1981, the ESL-988 and ESL-989 were introduced in 1999, and Quad designs have won numerous accolades and awards throughout the first decade of the twenty-first century.

Although many people buy a Quad 909 amplifier or a Quad 99 CDP CD player or a pair of Quad ESL-2805 loudspeakers to go into their existing system, many also enjoy the life changing experience of switching to a complete Quad hi-fi system. All Quad products are engineered to work with many other products on the market, but they are also engineered to work optimally with each other.

Quad II Classic
Integrated Amplifier.

Many customers take comfort in the knowledge that Quad’s legendary service department will always be there to support the full range of Quad products throughout their useful lives. For reasons like this, third generations of families are now choosing Quad for their hi-fi systems, just like their parents and grandparents did before them. Quad owners derive a great deal of pleasure from knowing that they are doing business with a company of individuals who care about the design, construction, and support of their products, as well as the knowledge that they are doing business with people who love and care about the reproduction of music.

Every product in the current Quad portfolio has received international acclaim. The pedigree of Peter Walker’s creativity and devotion to his craft live on through today’s meticulously crafted Quad products. This has remained the steady course for Quad throughout its storied history. Their goal has been, and shall always be to reproduce music in a form that is the closest approach to the original.

Osage Audio Products is honored to have been appointed a retail dealer for the exceptional line of Quad electronics and loudspeakers. These products are well-built and well-supported, reasonably- priced, and are among the best-sounding on the market at their price points. We invite you to call us at 573-696-3551or email us at customer_service@audiointelligent.com to learn more about Quad and how Quad hi-fi products can improve your listening experience.

Learn more about Quad and their products by visiting the Quad website. Product manuals and brochures are available there as PDF downloads. Be sure to read about all of the awards and recommendations for the current and historical Quad products while you are there.




ESL-2805
in Black finish.
ESL-2905
in Black finish.

The Quad Reference Series ESL loudspeakers take the genius of Peter Walker’s groundbreaking design to a level that sets the standard for loudspeaker performance.

The Quad ESL-2805 and ESL-2905 loudspeakers represent more than just a nod to the original. They have the soul of the original, but a new, sturdier, and much higher performing body, so to speak. These redesigned versions of the original ESL feature better materials and a more rigid construction, which leads to drastic increases in overall performance levels.

Quad's patented panel technology results in a combination of speed and accuracy only possible from an electrostatic loudspeaker. The ESL Reference Series also provides the imaging and sound-staging only possible from a theoretically ideal point source, along with the coherence and continuity of a single drive unit.

With possibly the lowest distortion of any loudspeaker, the Reference Series ESL loudspeaker can be enjoyed for hours on end without fatigue, never adding or subtracting from the original recording. Even at low volume levels they retain the full detail and drama of the music. In areas such as transparency, and lack of coloration, the Reference Series ESLs are without peer.

In short, the Quad ESL loudspeaker technology is unique in its ability to reproduce recorded music with exceptional clarity of sound, lack of distortion, lack of interference, and continuity of response.

These exceptional loudspeakers are available in black or in Quad’s Classic finish, which has a retro look and also matches nicely with the Quad Classic Series electronics and the Classic finish that is available in the Performance Series electronics. Examples of these finishes, as well as full product specifications for each model are shown below.

 


ESL Series Loudspeaker in Classic finish ESL Series Loudspeaker in Black finish


Model ESL 2805 ESL 2905
     
Construction    
     
Format Floor-Standing Dipole with 3˚ Tilt Back Floor-Standing Dipole with 3˚ Tilt Back
     
Type Full-range Electrostatic Full-range Electrostatic
     
Membrane Ultra Low Mass (0.5g/m2) Tensioned Film Ultra Low Mass (0.5g/m2) Tensioned Film
     
Panel Elements 4 6
     
Time Delay Progressive Concentric Rings Progressive Concentric Rings
     
Chassis Structure Heavy Duty Composite Aluminium / Steel Heavy Duty Composite Aluminium / Steel
     
Acoustic Performance    
     
Maximum Output 2N/m2 at 2m on axis 2N/m2 at 2m on axis
     
Sensitivity 1.5 mbar per volt referred to 1m. 1.5 mbar per volt referred to 1m.
  (86 dB/2.83V rms equivalent) (86 dB/2.83V rms equivalent)
     
Impedance 8 Ohms nominal 8 Ohms nominal
     
Impedance Variation 4 - 15 Ohms 4 - 20 Ohms
     
Maximum Input Continuous input voltage (rms): 10V Continuous input voltage (rms): 10V
  Programme peak for undistorted output: 40V Programme peak for undistorted output: 40V
  Permitted peak input: 55V Permitted peak input: 55V
     
Frequency Response 37Hz - 21kHz (-6dB) 32Hz - 21kHz (-6dB)
  33Hz - 23kHz (useable) 28Hz - 23kHz (useable)
         
Distortion (100dB at 1m) Above 1000Hz      0.15% Above 1000Hz 0.15%
  Above 100Hz        0.5% Above 100Hz 0.5%
  Above 50Hz           1.0% Above 50Hz 1.0%
     
Electrical    
     
AC Input 220-240V or 110-120V 220-240V or 110-120V
     
Power Fuse 63mA anti-surge, 200-240V 63mA anti-surge, 200-240V
  100mA anti-surge, 100-120V 100mA anti-surge, 100-120V
     
General    
     
Power Consumption 6 Watts 6 Watts
     
Dimensions (HxWxD) 1040mm x 695mm x 385mm 1430mm x 695mm x 385mm
  (add 25 - 55mm for feet) (add 25 - 55mm for feet)
     
Weight Net 34.8kg Net 41.6kg
     
Retail Prices: ESL-2805 ESL-2905
     
Black- Per Pair $9499.00 $11,999.00
     
Classic- Per Pair $11,499.00 $14,499.00
     

Osage Audio Products, LLC ∙ P.O. Box 232 ∙ Hallsville, MO  65255
  573-696-3551 ∙ www.osageaudio.com ∙ info@audiointelligent.com
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