Quad 9L Active Desktop Loudspeaker (Playback 30)

Desktop Sound That Satisfies

April 21st, 2010 -- by Chris Martens
Source: Playback

SPECS&PRICING

Quad 9L Active self-powered desktop speaker with built-in USB DAC

Driver complement: One 1-inch fabric dome tweeter and one 3.94-inch Kevlar mid-bass driver  
Frequency response: 50Hz – 21 kHz, ± 3dB
Maximum output (short-term peak SPL): 105 dB 
Internal amplifier power: 60 watts/speaker
Sensitivity: 0.775 V (0dBu) 
Input impedance: 10k Ohms
Dimensions (HxWxD): 9.76” x 5.98” x 9.33” 
Weight: 22.93 lb. (complete system, including both speakers and accessories)  
Warranty: 1 year, parts and labor 
Price: $800/pair

QUAD HIFI/INTERNATIONAL AUDIO GROUP
www.quad-hif.co.uk

U.S. Distributor
TAIGA LLC 
(781) 341-1234

Comments

D. Liguori (not verified) -- Thu, 04/22/2010 - 12:32

Is this the British Quad, maker of the ESL's? Is Peter Walker rolling in his grave?

Chris Martens -- Fri, 04/23/2010 - 16:40

Hello D. Liquori,

Yes, this is indeed the British Quad of ESL fame.

I like to think that Peter Walker would be pleased to know his ESLs continue to be regarded (quite rightly, in my view) as worthy benchmark products, and I think he would approve of the idea of his company trying to build lower cost speakers that capture at least some of the ESL's magic.

Chris Martens
Editor, Avguide.com/Playback/The Perfect Vision

Saquib (not verified) -- Fri, 04/23/2010 - 22:20

Can anyone tell me if it works with the latest Macbook Pro laptops?

Tom Martin -- Sat, 04/24/2010 - 08:40

It should. The Quads have USB inputs, and the Macbooks have USB.

CEO and Editorial Director, Nextscreen LLC

John Geisen (not verified) -- Wed, 05/05/2010 - 20:56

First, let me say I'm a dealer for Quad. To answer your question, I have a MacBook Pro and just set up the 9L's on my system and it works fine; either using Apples headphone output or USB output. I'm really enjoying this setup.

John Geisen

paulseydor (not verified) -- Mon, 05/31/2010 - 15:39

John: I have hooked a pair of 9Ls to my desktop MacPro Tower, but there is, unless I'm missing something, no USB output here, only an analogue output via minijacks or an Toslink output. (Is there such a thing as toslink to USB convertor cable?) The speakers are quite good, a substantial advance over any other specifically desktop speakers I've heard. I second Chris Martens's review, especially his observations with respect to tonal balance.

RCW (not verified) -- Sat, 04/24/2010 - 13:34

800 dollars for computer speakers?

Frank D (not verified) -- Wed, 05/12/2010 - 18:07

How does it compare to the NHT M00? Thank you.

Ubuddy (not verified) -- Fri, 05/21/2010 - 21:26

I will begin to save up for these NOW!
I have been shopping for a quality computer area loudspeaker system for quite a while.
The inclusion of a good dac 6O watts per and the Quad name make it a lock for me.
Hopefully i will get to preview a set somewhere.

Ubuddy (not verified) -- Fri, 05/21/2010 - 21:26

Scrotie (not verified) -- Tue, 06/01/2010 - 01:31

"Euphonic" character? Does that mean "Like a tuba that you play while riding a horse"?!

Chris Martens -- Tue, 05/31/2011 - 09:27

Scrotie:

The word "euphonic" is the adjective form of the word "euphony," which means, according to at least one dictionary definition, "agreeableness of sound; pleasing effect to the ear."

In an audiophile sense, the word euphonic implies a sound that may not exhibit strict textbook neutrality or accuracy, but that deviates from neutrality in ways that are pleasing to the ears of many listeners. This is the sense in which I used the word.

Fair enough?

Best, Chris Martens

Chris Martens
Editor, Avguide.com/Playback/The Perfect Vision

tonyE -- Sun, 07/25/2010 - 11:29

OK.... what is the USB BIT RATE?

Does it support 24/96? 24/192? Or plain Red Book?

So... please, whenever you specify a USB interface:

(1) What are the supported bit widths and bit rates?
(2) Is it USB 1.1 or USB 2.0?
(3) Does it require drivers? If so, are they provided?

I think it's time that audio writers start to figure out how a personal computer works.... I think we have too many that use Macs and figure it's all done for them. Every time I read one of these reviews I cringe about the lack of interface specifications, to the point where the reviews become useless. You can not believe how many times I've had to email the manufacturer for details -Until very recently most devices were USB 1.1 and 16/44.1K. Which won't do diddly when your audio files are in 24/96 already.

And, yeah, btw, I do have a pair of Quad 12L actives, plus two pairs of Acoustic Energy AE1s.... and they are hooked up to PC via M-Audio devices.

IMHO, a used Quad 12L Active and an M-Audio Transit (for the computer novice) make a lot of more sense and is a lot more versatile.