Zumbo: A proposition for you

[zumbo]

Just flat-out the best tweeters I have heard. Very detailed, yet never harsh.

I may like 800 series better, but the price don't justify the product to me.

 

[zumbo]

My wife and I are child free.

So just sitting here jamming the 2-channel rig.

Digging through my cd collection, and pulled-out The Crystal Method. Those were the days.

I can't even believe these things are attempting to reproduce this in full-range.

Not my kind of music, but it will work-out a speaker.

Kinda gets you in the mood.

Time to take a break!

 

[zumbo]

 

[KEW]

Based on this, it looks like the older QLS is actually smoother through the critical midrange section.

 

[zumbo]

 

[zumbo]

Based on this, it looks like the older QLS is actually smoother through the critical midrange section.

I would think that is the trade-off for the lower FR,EDIT: or higher spl/dB, due to the larger drivers in the newer units.

You can see though that the new tweeter seems to be better.

Either way, that is the 830 compared to the new 4k pair.

I am telling you guys, and have been since '04, these things sound great for 1k.

I have never heard a better 2.5 way.

And while the 830 tweeter does have that swing mentioned, I can promise you it maintains it's composure. MB Quart was the first speaker company to ever use titanium. These guys knew what they were doing.

 

[zumbo]

Posting this again just so thread skimmers understand.

Not all MB Quart products were made by the folks who made the QLS.

German Maestro is the new name of the company that made QLS.

Short story offered on the German Maestro site.
http://www.german-maestro.de/EN/company.htm

MB Quart QLS 830 are discontinued models from '00-'03 that were built by the folks under the new name German Maestro.

 

[zumbo]

Information on the latest tweeter compared to the QLS.
http://www.german-maestro.de/EN/xsphere_home.htm

 

[rukawa11]

i find it pretty amazing your the only person on the forum that has listened to these. I think i'd jump on them immediately if there were more positive reviews on the forum. How would you compare these to the B&W 804 Matrix, I'd be able to pick up the 804's for $850.

 

[zumbo]

i find it pretty amazing your the only person on the forum that has listened to these. I think i'd jump on them immediately if there were more positive reviews on the forum. How would you compare these to the B&W 804 Matrix, I'd be able to pick up the 804's for $850.

As mentioned in the thread, there was a big marketing problem. Also, dealer network. They were big in the European market. There is another member here with 1030's, and his opinion mirrors mine. If you Google MB Quart QLS 830, you will easily find other forums where people are/were praising them.

The people you see praising them in forums actually own them. They are not members of that forum which were placed there for advertising.

As for this forum, you will see a lot of positive reviews of ID brands. Coincidence?

I place the 830 between the B&W 704 and 804/3.

I have never heard the matrix, but judging how the cabinets look, I would probably knock them down to 700 series in performance. As stated, I have never heard that model.

I think it would be safe to say the 830 should perform on par with the 804 matrix.

Only thing, the 830's would be NIB. I would personally choose the 830's. I like new speakers.

 

[bweisnicht]

Just wanted to chime in as another who has actually heard the Quarts. My local dealer apparently picked up a bunch of the old QLS line of bookshelf and floorstanders from a warehouse; the previous owner of the stock could not sell them. I listened much more to the bookshelf version, as this was the size I was in the market for. I listened to them against a similarly priced NHT model (3 way design, don't remember the model) and an older B&W nautilus model priced in the $2k range when it sold new. To my tastes, I enjoyed the Quarts the least out of the 3. Their strong point was the midrange, and also had well detailed highs. The bass quite lacking to my ears though. Overall, I found their sound very thin and not to my liking. The NHT was more neutral and liquid overall. The B&W was my favorite of the 3 (would hope so at its price), and as such I auditioned the 685's and found them also to my liking. I imagine someone with different musical tastes liking the Quarts very much, but they just weren't for me.

 

[zumbo]

Just wanted to chime in as another who has actually heard the Quarts. My local dealer apparently picked up a bunch of the old QLS line of bookshelf and floorstanders from a warehouse; the previous owner of the stock could not sell them. I listened much more to the bookshelf version, as this was the size I was in the market for. I listened to them against a similarly priced NHT model (3 way design, don't remember the model) and an older B&W nautilus model priced in the $2k range when it sold new. To my tastes, I enjoyed the Quarts the least out of the 3. Their strong point was the midrange, and also had well detailed highs. The bass quite lacking to my ears though. Overall, I found their sound very thin and not to my liking. The NHT was more neutral and liquid overall. The B&W was my favorite of the 3 (would hope so at its price), and as such I auditioned the 685's and found them also to my liking. I imagine someone with different musical tastes liking the Quarts very much, but they just weren't for me.

Thanks for the reply. Dealer probably didn't have enough power on them.

Can you recall what was driving them?

 

[KEW]

Just wanted to chime in as another who has actually heard the Quarts. My local dealer apparently picked up a bunch of the old QLS line of bookshelf and floorstanders from a warehouse; the previous owner of the stock could not sell them. I listened much more to the bookshelf version, as this was the size I was in the market for. I listened to them against a similarly priced NHT model (3 way design, don't remember the model) and an older B&W nautilus model priced in the $2k range when it sold new. To my tastes, I enjoyed the Quarts the least out of the 3. Their strong point was the midrange, and also had well detailed highs. The bass quite lacking to my ears though. Overall, I found their sound very thin and not to my liking. The NHT was more neutral and liquid overall. The B&W was my favorite of the 3 (would hope so at its price), and as such I auditioned the 685's and found them also to my liking. I imagine someone with different musical tastes liking the Quarts very much, but they just weren't for me.

Is this recent - does the dealer still have some to listen to?
If so, can you give the name and location of the dealer?
Someone may want to audition a pair, and there are not any known places to audition a pair!

 

[bweisnicht]

Thanks for the reply. Dealer probably didn't have enough power on them.

Can you recall what was driving them?

THe bookshelf model was driven with an Integra ADM-2.1 which is rated at 125w/ch into 6 ohms. Don't think it was an amplifier issue, all the other speakers seemed to be driven fine.

 

[bweisnicht]

Is this recent - does the dealer still have some to listen to?
If so, can you give the name and location of the dealer?
Someone may want to audition a pair, and there are not any known places to audition a pair!

Yes, this was just last week. They have been selling the line for quite a while and I know it is VERY popular with their customers at the price point they can sell it at. Just not my flavor. The dealer is located in Madison, Wi and is called Paragon Audio and Video.

I should preface that my observations and comaparisons are mainly for the bookshelf model, I do not have enough listening experience with tower models in the price range to make any meaningful observations. From what I could see, both versions were well made and finished properly for the price.

 

[zumbo]

THe bookshelf model was driven with an Integra ADM-2.1 which is rated at 125w/ch into 6 ohms. Don't think it was an amplifier issue, all the other speakers seemed to be driven fine.

Not near enough. The speakers are 4ohm, and very power hungry.

I have 175WPC on my HT sets. They want more. I can shut the amp down.

300WPC on my 2-channel rig is getting the job done.

For the Quarts to compare in output to the other 8ohm sets, they should be provided double power, and then auditioned @ equal spl(apples to apples) for a fair SQ comparison.

 

[zumbo]

I would like to add that if the comparison was made on similar equipment that you use at home, then a fair comparison for your purpose was done.

 

[zumbo]

Just wanted to add that I am not debating your audition. I believe the other two should have outperformed the Quarts with the power provided.

And thanks for chiming in.

 

[KEW]

I would like to add that if the comparison was made on similar equipment that you use at home, then a fair comparison for your purpose was done.

I disagree with this statement.
IMHO, any speaker should be listened to on whatever gear is needed to ensure they have adequate power. This way you know what the speaker really sounds like. The next step is to determine if your gear can properly drive them. Then, if not, decide if you are willing to buy the proper gear (essentially, this is part of the price of these speakers).

Zumbo, you should try swapping your amps! You may find 175W is enough for the smaller room. It would also be good to know if 300W is enough for the large room in case you plan to upgrade.

 

[zumbo]

Called Paragon. Got permission to post a link.

http://www.paragonvideoandstereo.com/index.html

Brands:
http://www.paragonvideoandstereo.com/brands.html