Verdict

Pros

• Outstanding build quality
• Potent bass performance
• Detailed sound

Cons

• Could be a little more aggressive
• Larger than most compact speakers

What is the Quad L-ite Plus?

It’s a home cinema speaker package that brings together the satellites, centre and subwoofer from Quad’s new L-ite Plus range, designed to bridge the gap between compact ‘style’ systems and bulkier but better-sounding bookshelf designs. As a result, these stylish sats won’t hog living room space – you can
easily perch them on shelves and furniture – but they’re still big and
burly enough to kick out serious home cinema sonics.

Quad L-ite Plus – Design

In the box are four identical satellites for the fronts and rears, a
centre speaker and an all-new 200W subwoofer. For added flexibility, all
of the speakers are available separately, allowing you to add extra
satellites for a 7.1 system or create a 2.1 setup, for example. The
satellites cost £250 per pair, the centre costs £200 and the sub will
set you back £600, but when bought as a package you save just under £100
on those prices.

All of the components come in a choice of high-gloss finishes: Black, White and Ruby Red. Quad sent us the white ones and damn stylish they are too – the glossy lacquer gives each speaker an alluring sheen, and when handled the speakers’ heavy cabinets exude quality. Based purely on build quality, the system easily justifies its price tag.

The satellites’ curved top and sides not only look sleek and elegant, but also help disperse sound from the drive units. The cabinet tapers towards a thinner back end where you’ll find sturdy metal binding posts, while the black cloth grille on the front contrasts beautifully with the white finish. Liberate it from the plug fixings and you’ll uncover those all-important drivers, mounted on butyl rubber surrounds.

Size-wise, the L-ite Plus satellites fall between two stools. At 248mm high, they’re bigger and chunkier than most ‘compact’ speakers (about twice the height of JBL’s Cinema 510 sats, for instance) but smaller and shallower than traditional bookshelf speakers. That means they’re small enough to blend in without greatly compromising on cabinet volume.

The centre speaker shares this sumptuous craftsmanship. Dressed in a matching gloss-white lacquer, it also curves at the top and sides – again for aesthetic and acoustic purposes – and sits snugly in the supplied gloss-white cradle. At 382mm wide and 184mm deep, it’ll command a fairly large chunk of space in your rack, but again it’s nowhere near as bulky as a full-size centre.

At 308mm by 237mm, the subwoofer is cute as a button and beautifully designed too, sharing the lustrous gloss white and black cloth grilles of the other speakers. Build quality is exemplary, with remarkably solid and heavy enclosure.

On the back you’ll find stereo RCA input and output, LFE input, a phase control switch and dials to control volume and crossover frequency.