For the last few years I've been audio lucky. Fat and happy while discovering new music on Qobuz augmented by the convenience of Roon, or listening to CDs and LPs. My system was delivering the goods and communicating the music. All my compatriots who came over to listen agreed. I was consistently contented and not yearning for any major changes. I'd been using a pair of Quad S-5 speakers with upgraded caps in the crossovers driven by my beloved Quicksilver Mid-Monos, also modded with upgraded caps. In addition, a pair of self-powered SVS 3000 subwoofers handled lower octaves. The S-5s are not relatively expensive, but they really gelled in my room, and were easy to integrate with the SVS subs. A few years ago Ken Kessler, in Jan 2016 Hi-Fi News, described the Quad S-5 as "what may be the biggest bargain in floor standers." From my point of view, the S-5 was better in my room than many speakers I'd had previously that were more expensive. So, when I recently came across a YouTube video featuring Quad designer Peter Comeau showing both a new Quad stand mount and floor stander, I was curious. The Revela 1 and 2 were replacing both the Quad S and Z series, which, I believe, were also designed by Mr. Comeau. Although we all know Quad for their iconic ESLs, I feel their floor standers have been mostly ignored by the audio press. I got in touch with Lionel Goodfield at MoFi distribution to see if I could get a review sample of the Revela 2. Lionel was gracious enough to provide a pair in Piano Walnut. They also come in Piano Black. The Revela 2 is not touted as the exact follow-on or upgrade to the S-5, but I feel they are close enough to merit comparison.
The S-5 is a little taller at about 44.5 in. and weighs about 48 lbs, the Revela 2 is shorter at 37.5 in. and is a little heavier at about 60 lbs. Visually, the larger S-5 dominates the room more than the smaller Revela 2. Frequency response is listed as 42Hz – 23kHz for the S-5 and 40Hz - 24kHz for the Revela 2.
Revela 2 left, S-5 right
Both are a 3-way, 4-driver design, and feature a true ribbon tweeter. It's hard to say exactly what has changed in the new tweeter, but the new design took four years to develop. Quad says: "The advantage of this 'true ribbon' design is that the diaphragm is fully energized by the audio signal and does not suffer from the breakup modes and resonances encountered in domes and other planar types."
The S-5 sports woven carbon fiber cone midrange and woofers, and three rear passive radiators, also woven carbon fiber. The Revela 2 uses a completely new wood-pulp and artificial-fiber driver for mids and lows, described here by Quad: "A new material has been developed for Revela's mid/bass diaphragms: a unique formulation of wood pulp and artificial fibers named 'Reveal' because of its natural, transparent and detailed output. Paper cones have long been regarded as yielding superior midrange performance and by adding artificial fibers to the pulp the Reveal diaphragm is further damped and strengthened, which yields superior bass control and smoothing upper-midrange resonances. The Reveal diaphragm is incorporated into a driver built on a cast chassis and fitted with a high-power magnet and voice coils to achieve high sensitivity."
Passive Radiators vs Ports
If the drivers are the heart of a loudspeaker, the crossover is its brain. The only description I've been able to find about the S-5 crossover is "sophisticated." The Revelas use a phase-compensated Acoustic Butterworth crossover, which helps them achieve a flatter amplitude response in the pass band. According to Quad, "the drivers' output is combined via a phase-compensated Acoustic Butterworth crossover network, fine-tuned to ensure a seamless blend between the drive units." Crossover points are 570Hz and 3.2kHz for the S-5 and 650Hz and 3.8kHz for the Revela 2.
Bi-wiring via two sets of binding posts is a feature I like on the S-5, but not available on the Revela 2. Only a single pair of binding posts sits on the Revela 2's bottom rear. Sensitivity on the S-5 is listed at 90 dB, although I've read they are closer to 91 dB. The Revela comes in at 89 dB. Both loudspeaker's nominal impedance is listed at 6 ohms. Trying both my amps, 50-watts of EL-34 and 150-watts of A/B solid-state, I couldn't really discern any volume or sensitivity difference between the two speakers. For most of this review I used the tube amps.
The plinths the speakers sit on have changed significantly, the S-5 employed a lighter cast alloy, while the Revelas have heavier, carbon steel plinths. Because the Revelas are heavier, shorter, and employ these new plinths, they have a much more substantial feel than the S-5. Both come with removable magnetic grills.
The Revela cabinets are an impressive makeover. My S-5s wear a rather plain, stained satin finish listed as "sapelle mahogany"—not ugly, mind you, maybe just more utilitarian—while the Revela 2 is really stunning. Pictures do not do them justice. The pair I have contrast walnut and piano black in a high gloss, and feature "generously radiused edges to reduce unwanted diffraction effects." Quad includes a nice pair of white cotton gloves so you can move and adjust the Revelas without leaving your nasty finger and handprints on the lovely gloss. The cabinet is internally braced, "using a purpose-engineered structure connected to the cabinet panels in a manner that dissipates unwanted vibrations and resonances, thus maintaining structural rigidity, even under the most strenuous of performances."
There are more differences that exist between the S-5 and the Revela 2, but you get the picture. Somewhat similar, somewhat different.
Once you get Revela 2s out of their boxes, and get their plinths and spikes installed, you'll notice how solid they feel. When I started the placement and setup chores, the combination of the heavier, more rigidly braced cabinets and the newer plinths and spikes gave me a confident vibe, and an enthusiastic anticipation of what I was (hopefully) going to be hearing soon.
Setup with these speakers is very important. Not only the x axis—horizontal tow in, but also the y axis—vertical tilt. It took me a while to get the setup correct. Like most speakers with ribbon tweeters, the Revelas can give you too much high frequency energy if not adjusted properly. I ended up with the speakers tilted down a bit in the vertical axis, and towed in so I could see just a minuscule bit of each outside cabinet. I'm guessing this allowed them to fire just in front of the listening position. With diligent setup the Revelas will disappear, leaving you with an exquisite 3-d soundstage that differentiates the strata of sound in a satisfying way.
One thing I seem to notice with most new components that are an upgrade is an improvement in detail I've never heard before. Yes, the Revelas had that, but more. It was obvious that the Revelas improved on the S-5 with a cleaner midrange. Far right and far left images were more distinct. The Revelas also had a presence the S-5 could not quite live up to. There seemed an overall organic flow that I usually associate with more expensive speakers. I tried, but never really detected any consistent anomalies with the 650Hz and 3.8kHz crossover points on the Revelas, nor did I hear any unevenness between the mid/bass drivers and the ribbon tweeter. They feel well integrated, and present a united front. The only con (and you may not think this is a bad thing) I could really find at this point was that the Revelas seemed a bit less forgiving of poor recordings.
When I queued up "Celestial Echo" from Malia and Boris Blank's Convergence, streaming with Roon and Qobuz, the bass was surprisingly satisfying, even though it was only going down to a max of 40Hz. Had I not heard this track augmented by subs before, I would most likely not have missed them. The bass that was there and had real weight and force, especially for a loudspeaker this size. The Revelas did not tip toe around the bass. Dynamics were noticeably improved. Imaging was excellent, and was noticeably better than the already pronounced S-5s. But, the bass was not the only star here. The Revelas lovely mids and highs put Malia right in the room with me. There was also a generous amount of air dancing around the synth work that Boris was providing.
I decided to try my newest low frequency test track, "Fading Sun" from Terje Isungset's Winters Songs. Again, the Revelas obviously could not go below 40 Hz, but the track was still very enjoyable to experience. There was a pureness to this track that grabbed me. I was thinking "If I had to, I could live with the Revela 2s without the subs." I'm realizing powerful, satisfying bass may be the greatest strength of this loudspeaker.
My audio buddy Scott visited, and we enjoyed an afternoon of comparisons between the speakers. An accomplished bassist, he made several comments on the excellent low end reproduction of the Revelas. As we listened to The Meters' version of "Hey Pocky Way" from The Best of the Meters, Scott said "these speakers absolutely nailed the sound of the Fender P (Precision) Bass. I'm surprised."
The background singers on "Bird on a Wire" from Jennifer Warnes Famous Blue Raincoat (yes this album is way overdone, but it's still an excellent reference recording) spoke to me like never before. The texture and presence of the low male voices were a joy to experience, and the Quad's excellent microdynamic abilities did not bury them as I've heard other speakers do. Also, speaking of the Revelas nailing the sound of an iconic instrument, Vinnie Colaiuta's Gretsch USA drums on this cut sounded very close to the Gretsch USA drums that live (heavily damped when not in use) about 6 feet from my listening position. I heard the Revela 2 reproduce the familiar attack and overtones in the mids/highs these drums are known for that gives them a very distinctive tone. Impressive.
I decided to integrate my subs to listen to their effect once the main part of the review was complete. Once I did this I turned them off. During the holidays there was a three-day span when I could not do any listening. When I got back, I forgot the subs were off, and it took quite while before I realized I was listening to just the Revela 2s. Another tick in the bass performance box. I've been a fan of the S-5s tight bass sound with its three passive radiators, but no doubt, the Revelas with their new drivers and two rear-mounted ports yielded superior bass.
Listening to music I was familiar with, I found consistent Revela 2 attributes came across, no matter the genre. Exquisite, sparkling highs that most dome tweeters can't match, a very clean and neutral midrange, and outstanding bass performance. This loudspeaker presented a coherent, dynamic, and room-filling sound with low coloration that belies its affordable price. Although I've spent many words on the bass performance of this loudspeaker, I was wrong when I thought "powerful, satisfying bass" might be the greatest strength of the Revela 2. Nope. It's the sum of the total package. Although I'm not familiar with every floor stander in this price range, I think you'd be hard pressed to final one that is as well rounded, a source of consistent musical pleasure.
The Revela 2 extends the lineage of the S-5. It uses a similar formula, but improves. Did that new Butterworth crossover contribute to the wonderfully clean and almost undetectable crossover points? Likely. I also think the new wood-pulp and artificial-fiber drivers enhanced the overall easy-going flow, and help to provide the Revela 2 with a coherence that few speakers in this price range can provide. I'm sure the heavy and solid cabinets with the radiused edges and new internal bracing don't hurt either. The outstanding cabinet construction could easily lead you to believe these speakers were more expensive.
Since Covid I've been complaining about the skyrocketing high prices of everything. Especially audio. There have always been insanely high prices in this hobby, but lately things seem to have gotten out of hand. This is just one of the reasons I'm excited about this loudspeaker. At its affordable price, it's available to almost anyone who wants to get into high-end audio. I also love that it plays well with tube amplification. And, although I would not label the Revela 2 a budget loudspeaker, I would call it a bargain. If I had not known the price I would've guessed at least two times higher. The Revela 2 was a pleasure to have in my system. With the exceptional finish of the new cabinets, the excellent sonics, a friendly, easy-to-drive load, and its affordable price, I believe that the description "what may be the biggest bargain in floor standers" can now be passed from the Quad S-5 to the Quad Revela 2s.
Revela 2 Loudspeaker
Retail: $4495/pair
QUAD Hifi
IAG House, 13/14 Glebe Road. PE29 7DL
44 (0)1480 452561
US Distributor
MoFi
312.738.5025
