23L Classic

About the 23L Classic

The Quad 23L Classic is a 3-way floorstanding speaker designed to deliver tonal honesty and a transparent, uncoloured sound. It features a 25mm fabric dome tweeter, a 125mm woven Kevlar cone for midrange duties, and an identically sized 125mm Kevlar driver for mid/bass operations. The speaker uses Quad's innovative down-firing auxiliary bass radiator (ABR) technology with a 165mm ABR driver to provide extended and virtually uncoloured low bass response down to 40Hz, avoiding turbulence common in typical bass reflex designs. The cabinet is constructed from a multi-layer laminate of high-density chipboard and fibreboard to reduce resonance and panel coloration, finished with hand-polished veneers available in piano black, cherry, rosewood, and other wood finishes. It has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms, sensitivity of 88dB, and can handle amplifier power from 50 to 200 watts. The crossover frequencies are 450Hz and 2.2kHz, and the speaker measures 925mm tall, 225mm wide, and 316mm deep, weighing 17.2kg. It supports bi-wiring and features a linear phase crossover for seamless integration of drivers. The 23L Classic is praised for its balanced sound, smooth highs, well-defined midrange, and capable bass without the need for a subwoofer. It is suitable for medium to large listening rooms and is no longer in current production.