Quadral CHROMIUM STYLE 2 · Touchstone 2c

An immensely impressive stand mounted or shelf speaker that offers stunning sound for money.

The CHROMIUM STYLE 2 is as much at home as a stereo pair, or as part of a high end home theatre system. The sophisticated ribbon tweeter technology provides the foundation for its great sound quality, offering a real three dimensional sound scape, with natural sound and tonal colour. The seamless integration between the ribbon mid/tweeter and bass unit is unique at the price point.

These small speakers can fill a sensible sized room without sounding harsh or dynamically stretched.

Quadral's new Chromium 2 stand-mount speakers have been awarded 5 stars in a Hifi Choice group test and recommended Award, an impressive feat when heard against the larger, better known brands. Quadral have actually been in business since the 1970's and design all their own loudspeakers including the drivers.

" The Chromium Style range wants us to be as snared by its appearance as its sound and, to this end, combines elegantly curved cabinets (toting a fab, hand-polished black gloss finish for our stand-mount Style 2 model) with flash-looking aluminium drive units, including a very vorsprung durch technik ribbon tweeter. Stereotypically Teutonic, maybe, but the result does look extremely smart."

” Is it possible for an unknown quantity to be a revelation? Perhaps our expectations for this German speaker are unfairly muted? Whatever the case, it’s clear that this is a class act.

And, just like the Quad, it’s the fact that your attention isn’t immediately drawn to the treble in the form of ‘obvious detail’ that sets it apart. That and the clean attack and speed afforded transients. Even the best dome tweeters – and those that are fitted to the Monitor Audio and DALI are very good indeed – struggle to emulate this feat."

" Put simply, the Quadral’s mid/bass driver seems to be almost as responsive as its tweeter and integrates so seamlessly that everything coheres with a naturalness and tonality that’s very seductive. The presentation has everything to accommodate anything I play: control and authority with Prince, a fluid and tuneful bass for Jarreau and terrific fine detail and handling of micro dynamics to make the most of Lewis Taylor’s hypnotic meanderings.

The speaker captures the acoustic not just of the instrument but the ambient envelope around it, as well as the overall space (real or electronically created) of the venue itself. Reverb has discernible velocity and direction of travel. In short, everything meshes together realistically. It’s a muscular and meticulously engineered sound with no rattles or squeaks"

" Consummately revealing and balanced sound that makes the most of any music style. This dark horse is a revelation and hardly ever puts a foot wrong"