The Z Series is Quad's flagship ribbon loudspeaker range. After taking a different approach to ribbon tweeter design using a unique sandwich formation, an exceptionally robust, high power speaker has been engineered, yet with the delicate sound, conventional ribbon speakers are known for. Z Series is housed beautifully curved piano lacquered cabinets, available in black, white and rosewood.
Unlike conventional dome treble units, where the voice coil ‘motor’ is attached separately to the diaphragm, Z Series ribbon is both the diaphragm and the motor system. The result is a unique combination of delicacy, smoothness and hear-through performance that helps make music sing.
In the Z series floorstanders this advanced ribbon unit is married to an equally high performance midrange driver with a unique double-roll-surround especially designed to control edge breakup and give equal transparency to the all important vocal range.
Both midrange and bass drivers feature Quad’s woven Kevlar cone geometry, now matched by the double-roll-surround for the same smoothness and clarity offered by the ribbon treble unit. The bass section, similar to the original Corner Ribbon, utilizes an acoustic filter bass reflex system that maintains the natural and unforced reproduction right down to the lowest frequencies of a symphony orchestra.
And, of course, putting it all together is a phase-compensated Acoustic Butterworth crossover that is the result not only of Computer Aided Design but also hundreds of hours of critical listening tests using all types and flavours of music.
Specification:
The history of Quad is one of technical achievement in the field of sound reproduction. It is a story that began with the Quad 1 amplifier, which brought the benefits of 15 years knowledge and experience in professional audio and industrial products to the task of making the most accurate domestic audio amplifier of its age.A few years later, in 1953, the product which set the standard for amplifiers was the Quad II Power Amplifier, the time of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation and the year in which Mount Everest was finally conquered. This amplifier pioneered the principle of cathode coupling through the output transformer to reduce harmonic distortion to almost negligible levels. Such was its clear superiority that this model remained in production for 18 years. Three years later, in 1956, Quad demonstrated the first true full-range electrostatic loudspeaker. This remarkable product (known later as the ESL 57) used a virtually mass-less plastic film as a moving diaphragm between two charged plates. Compared with moving coil loudspeakers, the ESL 57 was free of unwanted colourations and distortions. This landmark product remained in production, virtually unchanged, for 28 years.
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