Quad ESL 2812X Electrostatic Speakers – lifestyle

Quad ESL 2812X Electrostatic Speakers

Name: Quad ESL 2812X Electrostatic Speakers
Brand: Quad
SKU: Q-ESL-2812X
Price: 24999.99 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock

$24,999.99

First established in 1936, Quad is one of the UK’s oldest and most prestigious audio manufacturers still in production today. Renowned for its award-winning audio electronics and loudspeakers, Quad stays true to its ideology as the closest approach to the original sound.

Electrostatic loudspeakers use an ultra-thin, electrically charged diaphragm suspended between two perforated plates. Unlike traditional cone drivers, ESLs move air with electrostatic force—delivering unmatched clarity, speed, and transparency with virtually no distortion or cabinet coloration.

REFINING AN ICON

Since 1957, QUAD ESL loudspeakers have defined reference-level transparency, immediacy, and lifelike musical reproduction. ESL X carries that legacy forward with deeper precision, richer tone, and breathtaking realism. ESL doesn’t colour the music. It disappears into it.

ESL 2812X

ESL 2812X is a full-range electrostatic loudspeaker featuring four electrostatic panels in a time-aligned concentric array. With usable response down to 33Hz and up to 23kHz, it offers a compact footprint for medium-sized rooms—delivering Quad’s signature transparency with improved bandwidth and dynamic refinement.

FINE ART FROM THE FIRST NOTE

At just a tenth the width of a human hair, the Mylar diaphragm responds with breathtaking speed and control. This allows ESL X to reproduce rapid, short bursts of sound—like the crack of a snare drum or the attack of a piano hammer hitting a string—with unrivalled accuracy and exceptionally low distortion.

PINPOINT INSTRUMENT PLACEMENT

ESL X’s concentric panel design and analogue delay lines recreate sound from a single point in space—placing instruments with uncanny precision. Performers don’t just appear within the soundstage; they step into the room with startling realism and spatial coherence.

HIGH ON HIGH FREQUENCY DETAIL

Custom-built in the UK (to Peter Walker’s original spec), ESL X’s new audio transformers ensure a flat frequency response beyond 18kHz, revealing much finer harmonic details that bring more air, shimmer, and texture to your favourite tracks—without ever tipping into exaggeration.

THE FULL RANGE OF EMOTION

With response extending to 23kHz, ESL X delivers not just wider bandwidth but clarity—especially in the upper octaves, where harmonics breathe and spatial cues bloom. Highs gain greater air and definition, revealing texture and space that many loudspeakers simply smooth over.

THE ART OF MAKING IT RIGHT

From diaphragm tensioning to panel assembly, ESL X benefits from a complete reengineering of the manufacturing process—not for speed, but for greater consistency and precision. In doing so, ESL X honours a level of craftsmanship that has defined Quad’s electrostatic legacy for generations.

PROTECTING EVERY PERFORMANCE

Despite operating at over 5,000 volts, ESL X draws just 8 watts and features intelligent protection circuitry to prevent overload or fault conditions. So, you get stable, high-performance listening with the confidence that your loudspeakers—and your investment—are always protected.

THE POWER OF THREE

In a complete re-engineering of its operational PCB, ESL X separates power, protection, and signal circuits into three discrete modules. So it responds faster, maintaining greater clarity and composure during frenetic musical passages, with a signal path so clean that nothing stands between you and the recording.

A CONTEMPORARY CLASSIC

ESL X steps back so your music can step forward. A low-reflection matte black finish, matching grille cloth, and dimmable LED halo give this classic loudspeaker a contemporary facelift—helping it withdraw elegantly into the room to ensure each performance takes centre stage.

Format	Floor standing dipole with 3° fixed tilt
Type	Multiple electrostatic drive membranes
Point Source Time Delay	Progressive concentric rings
Chassis Structure	Heavy duty composite aluminium / steel
Panel Elements	4
Maximum Output	2 N/m² at 2m on axis
Sensitivity	1.5 mbar per volt referred to 1m (86dB / 2.83V RMS equivalent)
Nominal Impedance	8 Ohms
Impedance Variation	4 – 15 Ohms
Max Continuous Input Voltage	10V (RMS)
Program Peak for Undistorted Output	40V
Permitted Peak Input	55V
Frequency Response	37Hz – 21kHz (–6dB) 33Hz – 23kHz (useable)
Directivity Index	See Polar Diagrams
Distortion (100dB @ 1m)	Above 1000Hz: < 0.15% Above 100Hz: < 0.5% Above 50Hz: < 1.0%
AC Input	220 – 240V / 100 – 120V
Power Fuse	100mA anti-surge (200 – 240V) 200mA anti-surge (100 – 120V)
Power Consumption	8 Watts
Dimensions (H x W x D) in mm	1070 x 690 x 380 mm
Weight	35 kg