In this installment of Spotlight we turn our focus to venerated British hi fi manufacturer Quad.

 

Known best for electrostatic loudspeakers and tube amps, Quad is one of the truly endearing names in high fidelity, with a history that spans seven decades. Today Quad is going as strong as ever, thanks to the relocation of their production facilities to the People's Republic of China, which gives audiophiles a chance to purchase Quad equipment for much less than it would sell for if they didn't have complete control over their manufacturing process. In addition, Quad's expansion into producing dynamic loudspeakers has helped them gain a whole new audience, and the Quad L Series has been universally hailed as an audio success at a breakthrough price.

 

Quad continues to produce their famous electrostats and valve amps at their Shenzhen production facility, but the company is no less British than it was before, with employees in the UK, and many relocated to the PRC to design and oversee production. It's a business model that has been a resounding success. And with that, let's turn the Spotlight on Quad Hifi: 

Somehow I missed this, but I think everyone else did too. Mordaunt-Short has released a new line of loudspeakers, the Mordaunt-Short Mezzo Series.

 

The Mordaunt-Short Mezzo Series offers a floorstander, two bookshelf models, a center channel and a subwoofer. The Mezzo 6 floorstander stands 39.4" and has two 6.5" aluminum woofers mated with a 1" aluminum dome tweeter.  The Mezzo 5 center mates two 5.25" aluminum mid-bass drivers with the same 1" aluminum tweeter. 2 way bookshelf models are offered, one with a 5.25" woofer, the other sporting a 6.5" woofer. Finally, the Mezzo 9 subwoofer has two 8" drivers that will plumb down to 30Hz. The series is available in light oak or dark walnut finishes, and all models except the center channel feature curved sides on the enclosures.

 

Suggested pricing for the Mordaunt-Short Mezzo line is $1895 for the Mezzo 6 floorstanders, $995 and $795 for the bookshelf models, $695 for the Mezzo 5 center, and $1595 for the Mezzo 9 subwoofer. 

Danish biochemist Troels Gravesen has received a lot of well-deserved attention for his outstanding DIY loudspeaker projects. Troels' projects are always well documented, use premium drivers and have beautiful enclosure designs, giving aspiring loudspeaker builders a roadmap toward building status designs that would retail for exponentially more money if they were commercial loudspeakers. His site also features projects of his that others have built, giving us a chance to see different interpretations of his plans. Jantzen Audio sells kits that Troels has designed using Parts Express enclosures, for those whose carpentry skills may be suspect.

 

 

 

 

According to the latest from editor John Atkinson, Stereophile turned 45 this month.

 

Those of you old enough to have experienced life before the internet remember when print magazines were our primary source of news and information for, well, anything. Stereophile mailed out their first issue in November 1962. Think about it. 45 years. It's quite an achievement. 

 

Congratulations to the staff at Stereophile, and our thanks for publishing a quality print magazine that endures in the information age.