Product description: stand-mounted 2-way loudspeakerwith passive bass radiator, 55cm high, using Audax
units, 1988-1990, cost $600.


These were speakers I used from 1989 until I moved to
Magnepans in 1993. Not following the gospel I always
preach myself, I bought these un-auditioned, but on the
recommendations of a jazz-listening salesman.
Yesterday I connected these old Dutch speakers of mine
once more to the system, just to get an idea of how a
certain hifi past sounded.

Treble is pure, courtesy of the HD-25 tweeter, but mostly
overshadowed by a harsh and conspicuous upper-
midrange. Tonal balance is thin, while bass is almost
inexistent and overdamped. In order to get a more or
less natural balance, reference to the Quad ESLs, I
had to apply +3dB bass lift and a +1/-1 tilt on the
Quad 34 preamp tone controls. Stereo is very wide, but the
image is put forward. Openness is good, and this makes this
speaker initially impressive with percussive music. After
a while it gets tiring though.

BNS has made a lot much better speakers since then,
the massive Nobis being a case in point, but the QUintet
was a failure...