REVIEW

of a faff, but once it’s done it’s done and I do get why an L pad wasn’t used.

Spikes are included and I believe that this is something that loudspeaker manufacturers have to include but I’m afraid that in most cases I just don’t see the point and would prefer something to isolate rather than connect the speakers to the floor. In fact, at shows Qualio do use the IsoAcoustic Gaia footers.

Conclusion

When first set ears on these I fell in love with these speakers and the way they present music. They are not over-analytical but are very detailed... if that’s not a contradiction.

I’d like to say that the main feature of the Qualios is that wonderfully open and airy mid and top-end presentation, but that would suggest that they only major in this aspect, and the truth is what these speakers actually represent is a very coherent and balanced speaker that is excellent from top to bottom.

This is a fairly long room and about 5m wide, but the Qualios had absolutely no problem in filling it and being able to go to volumes that you’d not want to maintain for too long without distortion or the feeling that they were being pushed too hard. They do have a sweet spot with regards to volume and that is quite loud, but they also get across detail and nuance at lower levels should that be a must.

The best speakers I’ve heard in this room and in this system and not by a small margin, and I thought it to be a world-class sounding system with our Xavian Perla (about €2K when reviewed) speakers in there. The Qualios are significantly more expensive than the Xavians, but I’d also suggest that the extra money is well spent if you have it.

Fully deserving of our top award given their price-to-performance ratio.

At A Glance

Build Quality:

They are going to divide opinion but I like the look

Of Them

There’s nothing overly clever about them build-wise but everything is well done

The Perspex housing for the mid and tweeter is a stroke of genius and helps the speakers look a lot less conspicuous than they probably should

Sound Quality:

Mids and tops are, and I hate to be clichéd with regards to open baffles, open and airy with the AMT tweeter really opening the sound up and adding a spatial dimensionality to the sound that is hard to describe until you hear it

The speakers are fast and responsive across the frequency range

Bass is dynamic, deep and tuneful

Overall this is a very balanced speaker

Value For Money:

Critics may ask where the value is in a bass box with an OB plate on top, but I think sonically they punch above their weight and asking price

We Loved:

These speakers play music (all music) and it’s hard not to just remain sat in front of them for hours at a time

The open and airy presentation with fantastic soundstaging that draws you into a three-dimensional but realistic space

Can be pushed with regards to volume…in fact they love to be pushed a bit

I think they look pretty cool

We Didn’t Love So Much:

The Perspex is a finger magnet but Qualio know this and you get a microfibre cloth in the packaging

Changing resistors until you find the one that suits you is a bit of a back-and-forth affair, but once it’s done it’s done

The inclusion of spikes is, for me, pointless and I’d prefer rubber footers or similar isolation products

Elevator Pitch Review: From Poland, the Qualio speakers are an 9.5” driver in a ported box with an open baffle mid and AMT tweeter placed atop on a thick Perspex baffle. They come with different value resistors so you can attenuate the upper-frequency output. Sonically they are a treat and come across as a highly accomplished speaker from top to bottom. The open-baffle mid and top makes for a very open presentation and whilst this could feel disparate from the bass if not integrated properly by the crossover network, the guys at Qualio have done a fantastic job in making this a supremely integrated loudspeaker. Top marks! I love them!

Price: €5550