When I get there Rodney and his photographer sidekick, Flash, are setting up all kinds of photo shots for upcoming issues. The former, who would not tell me on the phone what I am going to be working on, has this tantalizing grin on his face that tells me that I should like what he's got for me to test. (I like it when Rodney gives me that look.) And I am not disappointed. He pulls out two large, flat boxes that are marked MB Quart Q series.
The MB Quart Q series has been around for about five years now. The Q series is meant to be an industry "reference" or "standard," something by which all other speakers would be measured against. I have used the Q series in the past and have always been impressed with it. Let's see if the speakers are still any good.
Installation of these units is a little cumbersome, because of the size of the crossovers. The speakers themselves are a straightforward affair. They are of normal mounting depth, by virtue of being totally high tech! (See Vance's description above on the build technology and quality of these beautifully built drivers.) The MB Quart kit comes with plenty of hardware and templates. What it does not come with are easy-to-understand, written instructions. Fortunately, the illustrations in the installation guide will lead you to completion.
I started my listening session with Sade's Lover's Rock. From that moment, my carefully planned listening routine quickly changed into a listening fest. These speakers are good! (Can you believe they actually pay me to listen to great sounding speakers and tell you about it?) I listened to "Somebody Already Broke My Heart." I like this track because it features Sade singing in her lower register with conversation-level singing and very little instrumental accompaniment. When this type of song is recorded correctly, you will be able to hear all kinds of little details in the singer's voice, e.g., breathing, movement.
The QSD's recreate Sade's vocal play-back with rich detail and clean instrumental accompaniment. The imaging is rock solid and with excellent height. The bass line is re-played with a proper amount of level and impact. The speakers are definitely living up to their price point.
I switch to another speech-level singing track, this one on Tracy Chapman's album, New Beginnings. I love the first track, "Heaven's Here On Earth," for its openness and mix of instruments. The first eight bars are all instrumental, setting the mood with an acoustic guitar, wood block, and tambourine. The wood block is not as dimensional or "woody" sounding as when I tested the Morel Supremo tweeters (and no, I am not making up the name of the tweeters), but the tambourine bangs are more clearly defined and individual. The QSD's have excellent air and shimmer to the high frequencies.
When Tracy Chapman begins singing, her voice is very realistic, with good detail in her breathing. The QSD's do not falter when the concert bass drum is struck. They deliver a deep, fast, punchy impact each time. The layering of the vocals, instruments, and the bass line are smooth and seamless when played through this component system.
From speech-level singing to all out wall-to-wall rock, the MB Quart QSD's have the ability to move me. I've now shifted to the Goo Goo Dolls' Gutter Flower album. The opening track, "What a Scene," has some interesting musical effects in the second verse at around 01:16. To hear these buried details, you need high quality, low distortion speakers, and the MB Quart system is definitely qualified!
"What a Scene" is guitars, drums, and keyboards presented all at once: it's a "wall of sound." If your system is good you should be able to pick out the musical details that are buried within this cacophony of sound. The QSD's present all of this music with clarity and definition. The vocals are really great sounding and they have real image stability.