QUAD ELEGAN 1 and 2: Kevlar Drivers, Real Walnut, and Prices That Stay Sane
QUAD is best known for electrostatic speakers that look as if the room should have been designed around them. The new ELEGAN Series is for people who have a regular home, not a mansion.
Two passive models make up the line: the ELEGAN 1 standmount at $995/pair and the ELEGAN 2 floorstander at $1,995/pair. Both are available now in matte black or real walnut veneer. QUAD calls them spiritual successors to the L Series it launched in the early 2000s.
Also, yes, ELEGAN is the name. Spellcheck has been informed.
| Model | Design | Drivers | Claimed bass extension | Sensitivity / minimum impedance | U.S. price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELEGAN 1 | 2-way standmount | 165mm Kevlar bass/mid; 25mm soft dome | 44 Hz (-6 dB) | 86 dB / 4.3 ohms | $995/pair |
| ELEGAN 2 | 3-way floorstander | 2×165mm Kevlar bass; 125mm Kevlar mid; 25mm soft dome | 32 Hz (-6 dB) | 90 dB / 3.0 ohms | $1,995/pair |
ELEGAN 1: The $995 Pair
The ELEGAN 1 is a rear-ported, two-way speaker measuring 14.4 inches high. It combines a 6.5-inch woven-Kevlar bass/midrange driver with a 1-inch soft-dome tweeter mounted in a profiled waveguide. QUAD rates bass extension at 44 Hz (-6 dB), sensitivity at 86 dB, and minimum impedance at 4.3 ohms. Recommended amplifier power is 30 to 150 watts.
That is not scary amplifier territory, but it is not a three-watt tube-amp sympathy project either. A competent integrated amp is the obvious partner.
ELEGAN 2: Twice the Price, Much More Speaker
The ELEGAN 2 grows into a 37-inch, three-way tower. It adds twin 6.5-inch Kevlar woofers and a dedicated 5-inch Kevlar midrange driver in its own isolated chamber, while retaining the same 1-inch tweeter and waveguide.
QUAD claims 32 Hz bass extension (-6 dB) and 90 dB sensitivity. The 3-ohm minimum impedance is the fine print: this speaker does not demand absurd wattage, but it does deserve an amplifier that remains composed into low impedances. Recommended power is 30 to 200 watts.
Each tower weighs 62.6 pounds. That is not proof of sound quality, but it does suggest QUAD did not construct the cabinet from optimistic adjectives.
No App Required
Both models use braced high-density MDF cabinets, rear Airflow bass-reflex ports, and Linkwitz-Riley crossover networks. ELEGAN 2 crosses at 480 Hz and 2.7 kHz; ELEGAN 1 at 2.9 kHz.
They are also passive. No app, no HDMI, no firmware update, no account creation. Connect speaker wire to amp. Done.
Why This Is Interesting
QUAD already sells more exotic loudspeakers. What it needed was a line that made sense beside the compact QUAD 3 and revived 33/303 electronics without sending the speaker budget into another tax bracket.
On paper, ELEGAN gets the basics right. The walnut is real. Prices are per pair—which should not require clarification, but here we are. And ELEGAN 2 puts a true three-way floorstander with a dedicated midrange just below $2,000/pair, firmly in the serious-mainstream lane.
None of that tells us how they sound. QUAD says the tuning emphasizes natural balance and long-term listenability rather than short-demo fireworks; that remains a manufacturer claim until the speakers are heard and measured. The value case will be settled in a listening room.
Bottom Line
Not revolutionary. More useful than that. The ELEGAN 1 and ELEGAN 2 are straightforward passive speakers from a serious British brand, finished like furniture and priced below the high-end pain threshold. That is enough to make them interesting.
Sources checked: QUAD ELEGAN Series, ELEGAN 1 product page, ELEGAN 2 product page, and What Hi-Fi launch coverage.