Bob Olhsson wrote:


"Alex" wrote in message ...
For those audiophiles who'd like to own a Quad 988 but lack the budget,
or the room, or both, which of the non-ES speakers come closest to that
magical electrostatic sound?

My Duntechs come the closest I've heard however they are more expensive. The
Quads are actually quite a bargain.

--
Bob Olhsson Audio Mastery, Nashville TN
Mastering, Audio for Picture, Mix Evaluation and Quality Control
Over 40 years making people sound better than they ever imagined!
615.385.8051 http://www.hyperback.com



For those desirous of electrostatic sound at less than Quad prices (at least in
the US), Martin Logan makes several models (Aeon i and Ascent i) that are
priced considerably lower than the Quad 988. And of course, on the used
market, Quad 63's and many of the Martin Logan models can be found at lower
prices on either eBay or Audiogon. My personal recommendation, aside from
Quads, would be a pair of used Martin Logan CLS IIzs (which is what I currently
owned). While they are no longer in production, this full range ELS is
extremely coherent, with decent frequency extension at both ends (rated down to
35 Hz at the -3 db point). These can sometimes be found for reasonable prices
on the used market. The one negative is that you need a very stable amplifier
to drive them because of low impedance drops. Also, IMHO, they sound best with
tubes somewhere in the audio chain - i.e. in either the preamplifier or
amplifier, if not both. Of course, many Quad users also prefer tubed
electronics.



Bruce J. Richman