The QUALIO Audio returns to Mono & Stereo with the Quantum 2.5-way speakers.
As you can read throughout the review, the proper combination of components allows this semi-open baffle design, featuring a Satori midrange driver and a Mundorf AMT tweeter, to fill the listening space with the unique omnidirectionality that is characteristic of the speaker manufacturer’s collection.
Quantum
Qualio Quantum loudspeakers reflect the brand’s determined allegiance to quality and musical genuineness.
Every component – from the drivers to the crossover parts, internal wiring, and connectors – was carefully selected for its sonic merit rather than convenience or cost. While Quantum might be seen as budget-oriented, the quality, in every sense, is embedded in Qualio’s DNA.
Alongside the flagship models, the Quantum was designed to be as distinctive as the IQ top-tier models, surpassing its class and capable of delivering far more than its understated appearance suggests.
At the core of its performance is the Mundorf AMT tweeter, which extends effortlessly up to 31 kHz.
Mounted in an open-baffle configuration, it radiates sound both forward and backward, effectively eliminating cabinet coloration and internal resonances. The result is a significantly open and captivating presentation with a truly three-dimensional, holographic soundstage that engages the listener from every angle.
Complementing high-frequency subtlety are two 6-inch Satori NRX drivers, responsible for deep, articulate, and tightly controlled bass response.
Reaching down to 35 Hz, they anchor the music with precision and authority, ensuring a natural balance of speed, depth, and tonal accuracy.
The music
As always, here are a few reference albums that highlight the positive qualities of the Qualio Quantum speakers.
Regardless of genre, the Quantums never sound recessed; instead, they display an intriguing, chameleon-like ability to adapt sonically within the required musical sphere.
Michael Franks – Sleeping Gypsy
Michael Franks’ Sleeping Gypsy is a quiet masterpiece of musical refinement and emotional subtlety.
Released in 1977, it achieves a rare balance of intricacy and ease, blending jazz, bossa nova, and soft pop into a single, laid-back expression.
Franks’ voice, smooth yet deeply human, moves through each song with conversational finesse, conveying intimacy without ever feeling overdone.
The production is clear, open, and natural, allowing tone, rhythm, and phrasing to unfold with effortless balance.
Even after decades, Sleeping Gypsy retains its glow, reminding us that simplicity, when shaped with intention and paired with some of the most renowned performers of the genre, becomes timeless.
What makes Sleeping Gypsy so enduring is its understated emotional depth, and this is exactly where Quantum speakers stand apart.
Widely known and favorably covered, “The Lady Wants to Know” and my favorite, “Down in Brazil,” pinpoint that rare equilibrium between sensuality and objective reflection.
Qualio standmounts present Franks’ voice with the needed drama – never forceful, yet always present – with the renowned Qualio quality, where the listener is invited to sonic enjoyment rather than having attention demanded by particular voicing, something many speakers, regardless of price, fail to achieve.
Quantums act with quiet confidence, revealing the arrangements of iconic studio conductor Claus Ogerman, hovering in the sphere of fine textures.
The whole album gently embraces a magical, enticing interplay of brushed percussion, understated guitar lines, and Franks’s soothing vocals, creating an immersive yet intimate soundscape that rewards repeated listening.
When experienced through a finely tuned high-end audio system, Sleeping Gypsy reveals itself as a true reference recording – not through grandeur, but via subtlety. It demonstrates how tonal equilibrium, microdynamic exactness, and harmonic purity can transform musical manifestation.
Frank’s remarkable album never demands attention, yet remains etched in memory long after the final note fades.
Quantum’s unique capability to unfold delicate phrases and fleeting attacks of the notes of acoustic instruments is a reminder that genuine artistry resides in the tiniest details.
No matter how minimalistic Qualio standmounts may seem, they are the result of careful study in sonic balance.
Chick Corea + Steve Gadd Band’s Chinese Butterfly
Chick Corea + Steve Gadd Band’s Chinese Butterfly has cemented the Quantum speakers’ raison d’être: natural, dynamic music reproduction with outstanding three-dimensionality.
With Chinese Butterfly, the Quantums create a holographic soundstage that is not expected anywhere near their price point. Audiophiles and music lovers seeking a marriage of subtlety, harmonic density, transparency, and a wide horizontal and vertical expanse will be served with a pleasant surprise.
Splendid from the start, Sleeping Gypsy simply begs to be played a bit louder to set out the scenery, and Quantum speakers will not disappoint, even when pushed harder.
There is no sonic collapse of instruments or performers into a two-dimensional projection; the Qualio loudspeakers maintain their authority. Of course, not at unreasonable loudness, but at a level where one can feel the sonic pressure needed to experience the desired density, which, through the proper level of acoustical nodes and cues, creates a convincing, higher-plane acoustical illusion.
Nelson Faria Convida João Donato. Um Café Lá Em Casa Nelson Faria / João Donato
Nelson Faria and João Donato’s *Um Café Lá Em Casa* represents an intimate dialogue between two masters who apprehend that, at its core, music is conversation.
The album captures the effortless flow of two kindred spirits sharing ideas with earthly fluidness – warm, unhurried, and deeply human.
Qualio speakers maintained their solid performance with no attempt to impress or embellish, instead rendering every note objectively and faithfully.
Quantums set the atmosphere as virtually domesticated, without obscuring any of the conversational sophistication of lyrical phrasing and interplay, refreshingly and mightily revealing and decoding decades of artistry distilled into lingering moments of much-needed luminance.
Faria’s fluid and unforced guitar work, as well as his tone, calls for loudspeakers that can maintain a balance between clarity and warmth, along with the ability to portray Donato’s playing, which colors the sonic canvas with his unmistakable touch on piano – rhythmic, harmonically rich, yet never overbearing.
Quantum speakers boldly wove a sonic fabric and convoluted narrative that blurs the line between improvisation and composition. This is where the Polish speakers show their out-of-the-box nature and unique capability to create a compelling sense of equilibrium, without slowing or stopping the beauty of the musical conversation.
Qualio’s refreshing transparency conveyed the presence of the instruments with natural weight and air, spot-on timbral accuracy, and, on top of that, revealed and fluidly merged more layers of subtle expression than I expected.
This was clearly evident as the notes of acoustic guitar and piano blended seamlessly, hovering in the listening space with a genuine sense of warmth and detail.
Um Café Lá Em Casa stands as a quiet statement of musical maturity, and the Quantum standmounts expertly deliver Nelson Faria and João Donato’s sparkling compositions with intention and honesty – something many speakers aspire to but few achieve.
Qualio Quantum speakers reward the careful listener, and especially with *Um Café Lá Em Casa*, they serve as a clear reminder that refinement is not about complexity but about making the right choices at every stage of the design.
Quantums step aside, letting the music breathe naturally, free of imprint or artifice, setting the stage for an understated convergence of melody and emotion in perfect balance, leaving a lasting impression long after the final chord fades.
Um Café Lá Em Casa, like a variety of other musical material, demonstrates that Quantums are far more than proof of concept and a testament to how minimalism, when combined with mastery, can evoke deep emotional resonance.
Conclusion
Speakers that act as an interpretive reenactment of the live experience—without distractions—speak volumes about the speaker designer. They connect the dots without relying on fancy marketing blurbs or promotional language, but by preserving the sense of musical magic that reanimates the emotional impact of the performance, whether recorded live or in the studio.
If such interactivity cannot be achieved, any loudspeaker fails in its primary function—to project a pure, raw musical narrative that transcends words and technical jargon.
While change happens constantly in high-end audio, one thing remains laser-focused to those in the right direction: the pure, unaltered impact of music—and this is exactly where the Quantums strike at the epicenter.
Music should never fade without leaving a lingering effect, and the Qualio speakers maintain a consistent sense of immediacy and engagement, remaining both factual and emotionally involving. At any level of music reproduction, it’s all about sonic truth.
It’s my job and role to stay at the bleeding edge on all fronts and act objectively, yet I’m always open to products that keep my attention and enthusiasm alive. And the Qualio tickles the right sensors.
With each release, the Polish manufacturer proves that their speakers offer solutions for both the present and the future—using today’s or even yesterday’s technology—while embracing everything that can be implemented most musically. Without such direction, any brand will inevitably fade into obscurity.
In the highly competitive high-end market, Quantum represents positive disruption. With Qualio, the boutique manufacturer continues to push the threshold of what’s possible within reach. It also clearly conveys the message that genuine value both makes sense and is attainable, while reminding the industry that such a merit should always be challenged.
The Quantums escape the trap of mere functionality and cliché, avoiding the homogenization of sound that even many far more expensive speakers fail to overcome.
Too often, speaker manufacturers miss the rational balance, ending up in a sonic direction that may tick many technical boxes but misses the crucial equilibrium.
On top of it, many loudspeakers are exercises in imagination. Not the Quantums!
Subtly, the Qualio floorstanders rise above subjectivity, embracing a deliberately minimalist aesthetic backed by solid technical know-how and careful voicing. Even when played loudly, they never lose energy.
Without proper voicing, one misses the emotional spark—drifting aimlessly rather than performing with conviction. While the latest Qualio speakers deliver detail at the right level, they are far from analytical. Quite the opposite—they present music with visceral intensity, engaging the listener and inviting deeper musical exploration.
The finely tuned elements of the design work together harmoniously, not clashing but interacting in unique synergy—and this is precisely where the Quantum excels.
The Quantums’ modest yet elegant size allows them to fit easily into most homes without visual intrusion, and the wide variety of color options ensures seamless integration into any interior.
There’s no merit in simplified, trickle-down technology if the sonic outcome lacks value. This is where Qualio Audio stands apart—it’s a proof of concept, the result of serious brainstorming, everything is properly designed, voiced, and fused into a meaningful whole. Most importantly, where it truly matters—both sonically and in terms of value.
For speakers of this size and price, it’s not easy to reproduce music across genres with such completeness. Yet, like the top-tier Qualio IQ, the Quantums share a distinctive fidelity to momentum and a set of unexpected traits that create a deeply immersive sound experience—one that never shies away from nuance or detail, always locking into rhythm with tight focus and harmonic richness, all while preserving the delicate balance. One of the most important stand-outs that these Polish semi-baffled speakers are known for.
Who is the Qualio Quantum for? It’s for budget-conscious audiophiles who want the best sound for their money without compromising on the essence of high-end audio reproduction or liveliness.
For what they represent—both in value and sonic performance—I’m pleased to award the Qualio Quantum speakers the 2025 Mono & Stereo Best Buy Product Award. ❖
Price
- €5.900,00 per pair
Technical specifications
- Height: 101 cm / 40”
- Width: 20.2 cm / 7.95”
- Depth: 29.5 cm / 11.6”
- Weight: 25 kg / 55 lbs
- Impedance: 4 Ω
- Bandwidth: 35 Hz – 31 kHz
- Efficiency: 88 dB
- 3-year warranty covers all Qualio speakers
Contact
Qualio
Kopanina 2
60-105, Poznan
Poland
Web: www.qualioaudio.com
Email: info@qualioaudio.com
Phone: Grzegorz +48 507 576 410, Marek +48 781 936 300