QUAD Introduces the Affordable Elegan Loudspeaker Series

British audio manufacturer QUAD has expanded its product range with the new Elegan loudspeaker series, conceived as the most accessible way to experience the brand’s signature sound. The initial line-up comprises two models: the QUAD Elegan 1 standmount speaker and the QUAD Elegan 2 floorstanding speaker. Both loudspeakers were developed under the direction of QUAD Director of Acoustic Design Peter Comeau.

According to the manufacturer, the Elegan series was designed from the ground up and is not an updated version of any previous range. At the same time, the new loudspeakers are regarded as conceptual successors to the former QUAD L Series. The speakers are intended to work not only with QUAD’s current electronics but also with amplifiers from other manufacturers.

Both models are available in two finishes. Buyers can choose either an all-over deep matt black version or cabinets finished in natural walnut veneer. On the walnut version, the front baffle also remains matt black. The overall design is restrained and minimalist, without prominent decorative elements.

At the heart of the series are newly developed drivers with woven Kevlar cones. In creating them, the company drew on more than two decades of experience working with this material. The Kevlar fabric features a lattice weave and is treated with a self-damping resin designed to suppress unwanted resonances and ensure more controlled cone movement.

The smaller QUAD Elegan 1 is a two-way standmount loudspeaker. It is equipped with a 165 mm mid/bass driver featuring a Kevlar cone and a 25 mm high-frequency driver with a soft fabric dome. The tweeter is mounted in a specially profiled waveguide intended to broaden high-frequency dispersion and maintain an even tonal balance when the listener moves away from the central listening axis.

The standmount model has a cabinet with a usable internal volume of 15.5 litres. Its sensitivity is rated at 86 dB, while the nominal impedance is specified as compatible with an 8-ohm load. QUAD recommends amplifiers rated between 30 and 150 W. The frequency response of the QUAD Elegan 1 extends from 56 Hz to 24 kHz within ±3 dB, while the lower limit at −6 dB reaches 44 Hz.

The larger QUAD Elegan 2 is housed in a floorstanding cabinet and uses a three-way configuration. It features two 165 mm bass drivers, a dedicated 125 mm midrange driver and the same 25 mm soft-dome tweeter used in the Elegan 1. The midrange driver operates in its own sealed chamber, isolated from the pressure generated by the low-frequency section.

The internal space of the Elegan 2 is divided into separate enclosures for the midrange and bass drivers. The floorstanding model has a sensitivity of 90 dB, while the recommended amplifier power ranges from 30 to 200 W. Its specified frequency response extends from 44 Hz to 24 kHz within ±3 dB, with bass extension reaching 32 Hz at −6 dB.

For each model, QUAD’s engineers developed a dedicated crossover based on a Linkwitz–Riley acoustic topology. The crossover networks were tuned using a combination of computer modelling and extended listening sessions. Polypropylene capacitors are used throughout, while the inductors feature either air cores or laminated cores depending on their position within the frequency range.

The cabinets of the QUAD Elegan 1 and Elegan 2 were also developed individually and are not based on a shared universal platform. Their construction employs high-density panels, internal bracing and sound-absorbing materials. Both loudspeakers are equipped with rear-mounted Airflow bass-reflex ports whose profiled design is intended to reduce airflow turbulence and improve bass reproduction.

The QUAD Elegan 1 and Elegan 2 loudspeakers are already on sale. Both models are available in deep matt black and walnut veneer finishes. In the UK, the recommended retail price of the QUAD Elegan 1 is £749 per pair, while the floorstanding QUAD Elegan 2 is priced at £1,499 per pair.