Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers Reviewed

Investing in a pair of excellent bookshelf speakers provides a cost-effective and space-efficient means of achieving a transcendent listening experience without physically dominating your living and listening areas. When combined with high-quality components (and arguably, a capable subwoofer in most cases), bookshelf speakers can deliver fidelity comparable to tower or floorstanding speakers at a fraction of the cost.

Case in point is the Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speaker. This elegantly crafted bookshelf speaker is the first new design by the 70-year-old UK-based brand in over seven years. With upgraded internals, a redesigned visual aesthetic, and that unmistakable classic British sound, does the Revela 1 represent a groundbreaking revelation, or is it simply another robust contender in the near-$2,000 per pair (with optional stands for almost a grand more) bookshelf speaker category? Let’s delve deeper into this speaker in the review ahead to find out.

What Makes the Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers So Special?

• The Quad Revela 1s boast some impressive engineering and tech for any high-end loudspeaker, let alone a pair under $2,500. The crown jewel of this design is the new, proprietary True Ribbon tweeter, paired with a 6.5-inch mid/bass diaphragm composed of yet another patented component, Quad’s very own compound of wood and artificial fibers, which they have trademarked as Reveal. This combination of an extremely accurate, thin and lightweight ribbon tweeter with a custom, well-damped, responsive driver creates a balanced, accurate listening experience marked by pristine highs, articulate mids and tight, controlled bass. 
• There’s even more new technology stuffed into these boxy beasts than meets the eye. In addition to the new tweeter and composite driver, the Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers feature a custom rubber surround and phase-compensated Acoustic Butterworth crossover that is renowned for smooth transitions and realistic frequency handling, which makes the Revela 1s more than capable of accurately reproducing music of varied genres without missing a beat. 
• With a frequency response range of 54Hz-24kHz, the Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers produce respectable bass for their size. This stood out to me instantly, as I found that, for several of my demo tracks, a subwoofer was not absolutely needed. This is not typical for most bookshelf speakers, but the Revela 1s valiantly held their own in the bass department. The Quad Revela 1sare rear-ported, resulting in mid and low frequencies all but free of chuffing or boominess.  One could easily set these up without needing to spend another $700-$1,000 on a subwoofer, which intrinsically increases their value even more. 
• The Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers follow Quad’s recent design language, channeling industrial design elements and combining them with elegant materials to achieve an elegant yet modern look. The speakers are available in polished high-gloss piano black or walnut veneer finishes and command attention when you enter the room. Measuring in at approximately 15 inches tall, slightly under 10 inches wide, and about 12 inches deep, they are too large to be considered compact (but they aren’t huge either), thus Quad offers companion bookshelf stands that are equally visually stunning, which will allow optimal placement in any listening space. They also come with easily removable, charcoal-colored magnetic grilles. I much prefer the grilles off, to show off the impressive tweeter and woofer combo, finished with Quad’s subtle yet classy logo placed tastefully at the bottom. 

Why Should You Care About the Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers?

Quad has a rich history and heritage in the audio industry, dating back to the 1930s. This legacy of expertise and innovation is reflected in their design, giving the Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers, and all speakers in their catalog, a sense of pedigree and authority in a very competitive, borderline oversaturated, speaker landscape. I hear and see this in the performance and visual presentation of the Revela 1s. 

It can be difficult to stand out in a vast sea of quality competitors, especially in this unique speaker category of higher-end bookshelf or stand-mount speakers, but Quad manages to do so, thanks to their esteemed reputation, high-quality materials, and forward-thinking design. The Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers were quite different from other speakers I have heard in this category, and I have to admit that they had me questioning my sound preferences and overall experience with other speakers. Was it the British sound, which tends to be more conservative and truer to the nature of the recording? Or was I wooed by the allure of the impressive ribbon tweeter? I quickly found myself compelled by and caring about these speakers. 

Some Things That You Might Not Like About the Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers

• The Quad Revela 1s are beautiful, but the finish is a magnet for fingerprints and scratches. Like most high-gloss finishes, these must be handled with care. Quad even includes cloth gloves in the packaging for this very reason. If you have young kids (read our article about baby-proofing your audiophile system), or your setup is in a higher traffic area, extra precautions must be taken to protect their delicate fit and finish. 
• The warranty for the Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers is kinda lacking. Quad provides an initial one-year warranty, which can be extended to three years once registered. Relative to other speaker manufacturers (such as RBH Sound, which offers a generous 10-year warranty on all their speakers), this is on the shorter side. While these are extremely well-made, meaning they are unlikely to have any issues once purchased, it would be nice to know your investment is protected against defects for at least half a decade, like many competitors.

Listening to the Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers…

I powered my Quad Revela 1s with my Monolith M2100X Amplifier (read my review here), paired with a Schiit Modi 3e DAC and an ADCOM GFP-915 stereo preamp. All music was streamed through Qobuz at max settings and connected directly through my Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 laptop. 

I wanted to dive in headfirst with the Quad Revela 1s and test their ability to capture the essence of blues guitar, so I chose Stevie Ray Vaughan’s masterful cover of “Tin Pan Alley (AKA The Roughest Place in Town).” Vaughan’s signature Fender Stratocaster is paired with a gut-moving bassline for the first half of the track, and the Quad Revela 1 bookshelf speakers did a great job smoothly blending the contrasting instruments together. The bass was strong, authoritative and clean, while still maintaining lively mid and high frequencies within the solo. The True Ribbon tweeter truly felt at home here, as the various solos became more alive through the song’s gradual warm-up. Vaughan’s raspy vocals kicked in later in the track, adding a smoky quality to the song that the Quads showed off nicely. Mid and high frequencies remained competent and clean even at high volumes, and the overall impressive presentation owed no small debt to the efficiency and prodigiousness of the tweeter. 

Switching gears, I decided to revel in the beauty of Kacey Musgraves’ voice on her gorgeous track “Giver / Taker” off her new album Deeper Well. If voices were flavors, Musgraves’ would be pure honey. In this track, her vocals were front and center, enhanced by a touch of reverb. The Quad Revela 1s speakers do justice to her unique vocal quality justice. Beyond her vocals, the song had a subtle yet pronounced bassline that melded wonderfully with bright and plucky strumming acoustic guitars. The Quad Revela 1 bookshelf speakers’ forward, transparent sound signature was on full display, accurately reproducing the various nuances and colors within the spectrum of her voice, while giving the rest of the mix a polished, open sound. 

Will the Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers Hold Their Value?

Longstanding audiophile speaker brands like Quad rarely have issues maintaining respectable value over time. The Quad Revela 1s are premium bookshelf speakers with an equally premium look and feel, and could easily be converted to surround or height speakers for a larger home theater system, or set up in a secondary listening room or bedroom setup, thus giving them even more personal value and versatility. 

In terms of resale, good quality, used Quad speakers can easily be found on eBay selling for close to half of retail price, meaning that they are a pretty safe bet long-term. 

Who is the Competition for the Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers? 

A similarly-priced bookshelf speaker with an excellent air motion tweeter (AMT) is the RBH 61-SF/R. Its dimensions are slightly slimmer, which makes placement easier, but also reduces overall bass response and heft in comparison to the Quad Revela 1. It is priced at $2,400 per pair, but performs closer to a speaker with a $3,000 price tag, as the soundstage and imaging are hard to beat, especially at the listed price. 

At just under $2,200, the Bowers & Wilkins 706 S3 (Buy at Crutchfield) is a similarly well-regarded British loudspeaker, and a sound choice in this price bracket. This is an updated take on a beloved speaker series, featuring a new crossover, improved port technology, and an enhanced tweeter and midrange driver. Bowers & Wilkins’ sonic signature is known for being natural and rich, even bordering on mellow at times. Comparatively, the Quad Revela 1s might be a bit livelier and more forward, but maintain accuracy and transparency with minimal coloration. Both are wallet-worthy, and the choice boils down to preference. 

One other speaker pair in this price class worth mentioning are the soon-to-be-released $2,398 per pair Focal Aria Evo X No. 1 Bookshelf Speakers, which feature a brand-new M-shaped dome aluminum/magnesium tweeter. Focal’s tweeters are some of the best in the business, so this is an exciting prospect. The Aria Evo X No. 1s boast Focal’s legendary build quality and engineering, and come in a variety of finish options, including a unique shade of green that is sure to stand out in any modern listening room. The Focal speakers offer a smaller and lighter profile, compared to the Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers, which can be viewed as either positive or negative, depending on your listening room constraints and preferences for placement.

Final Thoughts on the Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers…

From the moment I unboxed the Revela 1 bookshelf speakers, I was instantly impressed. Aesthetically and sonically, they are a striking pair of loudspeakers that feature a remarkably clear and transparent ribbon tweeter, paired with a powerful, responsive midrange/bass driver that can hang with bigger, more expensive speakers. 

The Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers offer a unique blend of British panache, forward-looking engineering and compelling build quality that should impress audiophiles at any stage of the hobby. Good luck finding this combination elsewhere for under $2,500. There’s simply not that much competition out there that is this good.