Quad Revela 2 Speakers (Pair)

The Audiophile Quad Revela 2 speaker is a new design and uses Quad’s well-respected ribbon tweeter for remarkably clear highs. Notably, modern materials have improved the performance of the ribbon tweeter for an even better sound.

This is a floor-standing unit with two Reveal, 165mm advanced fibre cones, and a 150mm midrange unit. There are also two rear-firing bass ports. Power handling is 200 Watts at 8 Ohms and the frequency response is 40 Hz to 24 kHz. Two luxurious finishes are available, lacquered black or walnut.

Modern Ribbon high frequency driver

The latest iteration of the ribbon tweeter first developed in 1949, is used in the Quad Revela 2 speaker. New materials have improved the performance and the latest version took four years to develop. Ribbon tweeters use a thin aluminium foil as the driver. This is placed in a strong magnetic field. They have several advantages over dome tweeters. The ribbon is driven by the audio signal.

Notably, ribbon tweeters do not exhibit breakup and resonance as do dome types. Additionally, the sound-emitting surface is larger and has only one-tenth the mass of a dome tweeter. This creates a precise and clean sound with a good transient response.

Notably, the original ribbon could only handle low powers. Consequently, the new version, using modern materials, is made of a reinforced sandwich. This preserves the most subtle variations of the music.

Two high-preforming bass drivers

The Quad Revela 2 speaker has two 165mm bass drivers as well as a 150mm mid-range unit. The driver cones are made of a unique formulation of wood pulp and artificial fibre. This creates a transparent and detailed output. Paper cones already have a good performance and the new material further enhances the sound. Especially in the upper midrange. The bass control is also improved.

The speaker cone and voice coil are built into a heavy-cast chassis. This reduces the chance of any resonance. Moreover, there is a high-powered magnet and voice coil assembly. As a result, the drivers feature high sensitivity and good power handling.

Additionally, the cones have been bonded to strong and compliant rubber surrounds. This also tends to dampen any resonances. The accuracy of the bass and midrange units allows them to be matched properly to the ribbon tweeter.

A refined three-way Butterworth crossover unit

Many hours of listening tests were performed to optimize the Quad Revela 2 speaker’s three-way Butterworth crossover unit. As a result, there is a seamless blend between the drive units. The sound is effortless, dynamic, and room-filling.

The crossover frequency is 650 Hz and 3.8 Hz. Crossovers are used to split the audio band into three parts, for the Quad Revela 2 speaker. This is fed in turn to each drive unit. The crossover has to be optimized and refined to best match the drivers in use.

Optimally designed cabinets

The Quad Revela 2 speaker cabinets feature optimally stressed and braced panels. Moreover, curved edges are used to minimize unwanted diffraction effects. The two rear-firing bass ports have longitudinal splines that are designed to smooth the airflow.

This boosts the bass response. Finally, the internal damping material features a mix of acoustic foam and long-hair fibre. This material absorbs standing waves and internal reflections and does not affect the bass response.

Luxurious cabinet finish

Two cabinet finishes are available, the black version features multiple layers of lacquer over a deep black veneer. This lustrous finish both protects the cabinet and helps to dampen any resonances. Additionally, the walnut version has a black front panel. The unit has a built-in metal plinth with spiked feet.