Quadral Chromium Style 8

[Adrian]

On a quick visit to a family member in Blackrock... I took the opportunity to drop in to the Cloney boys.

After a brief discussion with Mark about the state of the nation, Noel appeared and promptly invited me upstairs to see something of interest!!

Upstairs sat a pair of Quadral Chromium Style 8 floorstanders, being fed from the Micormegga amp and a NAD CD player.

Piano Black Lacquer, rear bass port, teardrop profile cabinet, a ribbon tweeter (which acts more like a supertweeter), Mid range driver (155mm)and two bass drivers (180mm).

The sound.... a very natural refined sound, no harshness or shrill peaks, very smooth and delightfully pleasant. However there was one other characteristic and that was to present a image of a nearness to the music, a kind of closer proximity so to speak.

The surprises did not end there however.... zee price...Ahhh..... yes ..... Zee Price..... Zee Price is ............Zee Price..................

A smoking hot 1995 euro....per pair!! ((that's per pair... NOT per speaker)) Absolutely phenomenal value for a contemporary, very presentable speaker with high WAF.

If you get the chance to pop in they are well worth a listen. Coincidentally I would not say no to a audition to their other stablemates...

It would appear we have nothing to worry about from Brexit.... there is plenty of speaker choice to be had from Europe.

http://www.quadral.com/en/loudspeaker/chromium-style-8/





Coincidentally I would not say no to a audition to their other stablemates... like the Aurum Titan 9....seems like a very impressive range they have.

[cybot]

Good man Adrian you've gone and done all the work for me!
I've been at Noel this few years to stock the Quadral brand. Now he finally has and I'm excited. Heading up next week to audition the very same Chromium 8's. Can't wait....

Nice review by the way :)

[Diapason]

I heard them on Saturday and had the exact same response. None of your thin, harsh sounds here, just relaxed, liquid, natural sonics across the board. I was very taken with them and was pleasantly surprised at the price, especially given all drive units are built in-house. Lovely!

[Fran]

Ribbon tweeters are great when they are done right. From your comments that would seem to apply here. They look good too.

[patrick]

I had the pleasure of hearing these speakers recently in Cloney Audio. Mick also from this forum and I listened to them upstairs while playing familiar cds that we brought with us. Noel left us to our devices and promised to return to discuss our opinions on them . He said we might be surprised by the good sound and the price in particular . We listened to these speakers for over an hour and 30 mins , during which we played music by Underworld, Nick Cave, Rumer, some Classical , an old cd version of a live Lou Reed album, some Victor Krauss bass and a few more to complete a very varied listening experience. Volume was increased and lowered to check for (shouty ness) , and presence . Noel returned later and we had an interesting chat about our and his impressions of this speaker and its place in speaker hierarchy.
My personnel preference is for a full sounding yet detailed speaker , thus my use of B&W at present. Firstly I can say I found these speakers an exceptional product for the price asked 2,000 EURO. The design and external finish is modern and impressive (piano black ). I found the presentation very similar to my old 804s /803s. There was full sound , yet fast and detailed. The bass was impressive for its size and controlled , dynamic but not overpowering. The mids were lifelike ( voices and guitar ) and not cold sounding but expressive and the highs sweet , not harsh but still bright. The speakers are perfect size for the average listening room and very wife friendly . Noel expressed his surprised admiration for this little known speaker who he generously accredited to a recommendation by one of this forums members. My friend Mick was more interested in auditioning these in his wish to change his own speakers, Our comments were all positive regarding these speakers and provide Mick with a very good reference to work from in his hunt. We will be reviewing a Harbeth model next which is almost twice the price , and which has it all to do to justify that price difference. Any visit to Cloneys can be dangerous as you all know I'm sure. I only went along for the trip and a coffee and ended up spending big money on a new cartridge . But hell whats new. In conclusion I recommend any member who is looking for a new speaker in the 2,000 - 4'000 euro bracket that has great looks , great sound ,price and all made in the one factory (drive units ,n all) please give these a listen. And thanks again to Noel and Ivan and the lads at Cloneys who provide such excellent and friendly service to his new and old Irish customers.

[cybot]

I had the pleasure of hearing these speakers recently in Cloney Audio. Mick also from this forum and I listened to them upstairs while playing familiar cds that we brought with us. Noel left us to our devices and promised to return to discuss our opinions on them . He said we might be surprised by the good sound and the price in particular . We listened to these speakers for over an hour and 30 mins , during which we played music by Underworld, Nick Cave, Rumer, some Classical , an old cd version of a live Lou Reed album, some Victor Krauss bass and a few more to complete a very varied listening experience. Volume was increased and lowered to check for (shouty ness) , and presence . Noel returned later and we had an interesting chat about our and his impressions of this speaker and its place in speaker hierarchy.
My personnel preference is for a full sounding yet detailed speaker , thus my use of B&W at present. Firstly I can say I found these speakers an exceptional product for the price asked 2,000 EURO. The design and external finish is modern and impressive (piano black ). I found the presentation very similar to my old 804s /803s. There was full sound , yet fast and detailed. The bass was impressive for its size and controlled , dynamic but not overpowering. The mids were lifelike ( voices and guitar ) and not cold sounding but expressive and the highs sweet , not harsh but still bright. The speakers are perfect size for the average listening room and very wife friendly . Noel expressed his surprised admiration for this little known speaker who he generously accredited to a recommendation by one of this forums members. My friend Mick was more interested in auditioning these in his wish to change his own speakers, Our comments were all positive regarding these speakers and provide Mick with a very good reference to work from in his hunt. We will be reviewing a Harbeth model next which is almost twice the price , and which has it all to do to justify that price difference. Any visit to Cloneys can be dangerous as you all know I'm sure. I only went along for the trip and a coffee and ended up spending big money on a new cartridge . But hell whats new. In conclusion I recommend any member who is looking for a new speaker in the 2,000 - 4'000 euro bracket that has great looks , great sound ,price and all made in the one factory (drive units ,n all) please give these a listen. And thanks again to Noel and Ivan and the lads at Cloneys who provide such excellent and friendly service to his new and old Irish customers.

Good review. Thanks for sharing. I have also listened to the Quadral's and I was suitably impressed. Fantastic value for money! But are they good enough to replace my Howard's? Short answer: No. But then I haven't heard them in my own system so it's really hard to say. Have you listened to the Harbeth's yet? BTW Good luck with your new cartridge :) €5 dearer than the Quadral's too! Oh the shame ;)

[Cyndale]

I am curious about the Chromium Style 8s as well, I read in one review that the speakers were made in Germany and the cabinets in China, is this correct?

Will definitely have to give these loudspeakers a listen at the price!

Cyndale

[Cyndale]

Well, I had to bite the bullet and make the decision myself, I went over to Cloney Audio and had an audition with the Quadrals and was impressed. Then Noel offered a home demo and it confirmed my enthusiasm, so I bought them.

[cybot]

Well, I had to bite the bullet and make the decision myself, I went over to Cloney Audio and had an audition with the Quadrals and was impressed. Then Noel offered a home demo and it confirmed my enthusiasm, so I bought them.

That's great news! Hope they continue to reveal their magic at home. What system have you got and type of music?

[Cyndale]

I have the following...
LINN LP12
WELL TEMPERED ARM
DYNAVECTOR 17D3

Two Croft Series 4 power amps
Croft Supermicro A preamp
Craft head amplifier

Never having heard ribbon tweeters before, I was blown away by them.

Musical Taste...

Rock, folk, blues, jazz, reggae from 1950s to 2017.