IQ Part 3

Reviewer: Srajan Ebaen
Financial interests: click here
Main system: Sources: Retina 5K 27" iMac (i5, 256GB SSD, 40GB RAM, Sonoma 14), 4TB external SSD with Thunderbolt 3, Audirvana Studio, Qobuz Sublime, Singxer SU-6 USB bridge, LHY Audio SW-8 & SW-6 switch, Laiv Audio Harmony; Active filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Power amplifiers: Kinki Studio EX-B7 monos & Gold Note monos on subwoofer; Headamp: Enleum AMP-23R; Phones: Raal 1995 Immanis, HifiMan Susvara; Loudspeakers: Qualio IQ [on loan] Cables: Kinki Studio Earth, Furutech; Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra on all source components, Vibex One 11R on amps, Furutech DPS-4.1 between wall and conditioners; Equipment rack: Artesanía Audio Exoteryc double-wide 3-tier with optional glass shelves, Exoteryc amp stands; Sundry accessories: Acoustic System resonators, LessLoss Firewall for loudspeakers, Furutech NCF Signal Boosters; Room: 6 x 8m with open door behind listening seat; Room treatment: 2 x PSI Audio AVAA C214 active bass traps
2nd system: Source: FiiO R7 into Soundaware D300Ref SD transport to Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe; Preamp/filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Amplifier: Kinki Studio EX-M7; Headamp: Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Loudspeakers: MonAcoustic SuperMon Mini + Dynaudio S18 sub; Power delivery: Furutech GTO 2D NCF, Akiko Audio Corelli; Equipment rack: Hifistay Mythology Transform X-Frame [on extended loan]; Sundry accessories: Audioquest Fog Lifters; Furutech NFC Clear Lines; Room: ~3.5 x 8m
Desktop system: Source: HP Z230 work station Win10/64; USB bridge: Singxer SU-2; DAC: Sonnet Pasithea; Headamp: Kinki Studio THR-1; Speaker amp: Crayon CFA-1.2; Speakers: Acelec Model One Headphones: Final D-8000 & Sonorous X, Audeze LCD-XC, Raal-Requisite SR1a on Schiit Jotunheim R
Upstairs headfi system: FiiO R7, COS Engineering D1, Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Headphones: Raal 1995 Magna, Meze 109 Pro, Fiio FT3
2-channel video system: Source: Oppo BDP-105; All-in-One: Gold Note IS-1000 Deluxe; Loudspeakers: Zu Soul VI; Subwoofer: Zu Submission; Power delivery: Furutech eTP-8, Room: ~6x4m
Review component retail: €6'900/pr

Two years ago I reviewed, awarded then kept Qualio Audio's IQ loudspeaker from Poland. Since then I've reviewed more speakers of course. Sidelined in my office awaiting short-term ancillary future review duties, I have Cube Nenuphar v2, Albedo Aptica, German Physiks HRS-120 and Audio Physic Codex specimens. Today I look back over my time with the IQ. How have they held up against challengers entering our digs through a reviewer's revolving doors? That's an easy answer. I haven't heard anything I'd rather listen to. That includes my office brigade. In fact, it's been at times difficult to settle into alternate speaker flavours for their review duration when I couldn't wait to get my IQ back. Feeling stupid isn't nice. Seriously though, they've aged spectacularly well. I've not felt in the least bit curious or compelled to investigate the newer Ultra Edition when I don't bi-wire. Gussied-up filter parts would translate regardless but when one is a pink porker sitting pretty in shyte, why romance change? A key ingredient to my satisfaction—its very foundation in fact—are 2+ decades of experience to know what my size room in general and the present one in particular can support. The naïve allure of bigger costlier speakers no longer pulls because that's merely about going louder and lower than I need. Active cardioid bass in an outboard Ripol sub, advanced active bass traps and the IQ's dipole bandwidth build in 'free' room tuning with anti-phase cancellation of the sidewalls even reduced time-delayed LF gain off the front wall. Chances of doing better with a full-range passive speaker strike me as zero. Outdoing the IQ's +100Hz bandwidth in my 2.1 setup at anything approaching a realistic budget is a super-marginal maybe. What tweeter would beat Mundorf's open-backed AMT? What sealed midrange would outdo SB Acoustic's open-backed papyrus-cone Satori 6-incher or the matching ported 9½" Satori woofer? These are elite drivers which at the SPL warranted by my room and ears clearly cruise not bruise and blend ideally.

So-called direct radiators don't really compete on lack of box talk and related imaging chops. That includes dynamics when standard box speakers attempt to kill off half their generated acoustic energies inside a cab whilst a dipole's full output energizes the room. My directional active adjustable bass beats passive fixed bass any day of the week. But even without that 0.1 trickery, IQ is boss. The sub only wins on dispersion pattern so reduced room response. In sports lingo, IQ remains a real problem for its weight class and beyond. The concept is effective, the execution smart. My only potential critique is the bass cab's boxiness. No curves, angles or facets tone down the brutalist aesthetic of a big rectangular bin. I don't mind but could see decorator detractors pointing a finger or two. But in the two years that I've now owned and listened to IQ in this system, I've not come across anything that even tempted me to a fling never mind follow up. Were money no issue, I still wouldn't know where to start. It'd have to be a very similar concept like a daudio W1/S1. But why bother just for change's sake? Given how the reviewing life presents continuous ops to fall off the loyalty wagon, IQ has been a paragon of steadfastness. I expect that to continue.

So there it is: contentment writ large. In the hifi review space, contentment is an ugly visitor from outer space. Best send him packing whence he came. Except mine is going nowhere. He touched down in a perfect place. As I said, IQ remains a real problem for the competition two years after it showed up on the scene. If you're way late to this party, no worries. The band plays on, nobody's gone home…