After many hours of auditioning what I hoped would be the replacements for my Quad ESL-988 electrostatic speakers, I've decided to stay with them. Why? Because nothing else was better for my room, listening habits, and pocketbook. If I were buying new today, I'd probably go with the Dynaudio C1, since the current version of my Quads, the cosmetically updated ESL-2805, retails for $10,000 and the Dynaudios can be had for several thousands less. But since I already own the Quads, and since they still do the all-important midrange (piano, human voice, guitar) better than any speaker I heard (except perhaps the $30k Magico Mini II, and then only at louder volumes), I've decided to stand pat. Happily.
The 988 is based on a design that Quad founder Peter Walker introduced in 1981 (that speaker, the ESL-63, is still in high demand for restorations). Audiophile reviewers have been gushing over these designs for more than 40 years, going back to Quad's first electrostatic speaker, the legendary ESL-57, introduced in 1957 (again, vibrant restoration market). For a sample of the praise heaped on the 988, read this review in The Absolute Sound. Several Stereophile reviewers own Quad electrostatics of various vintages, as well. It's big, it's ugly, it's finicky, but it sounds divine. (The real bargain tip here is the older and restored versions of the ESL-63 and ESL-57, which can be had for as little as $1500/pr.)
Of course, deciding to stand pat with my existing speakers has freed me up to replace most of the other pieces of my stereo system. More on that in future posts. But I'll give you one hint: vacuum tubes!
