I’ve been waiting to hear the Qln Reference 9 loudspeaker ($42,000/pr) for a couple of years ago, ever since I picked the Qln Reference monitors as the 2022 Product of the Year. The Qln Reference 9 is a three-way floorstanding version of those monitors, and both Mats Anderson of Qln and Mark Sossa of Well Pleased Audio Vida have promised the Ref 9s would be everything I loved in the smaller speaker, plus more.
Words and Photos by Marc Phillips
Mark Sossa assembled a system that I’ve heard in one configuration or another over the years. First, the Qln Reference 9 loudspeakers were paired with a Vinnie Rossi Brama 2 integrated amplifier ($47,995), which also made their debut at AXPONA 2024. Add to that an Innuos Statement Next Gen music server ($25,000), the lovely Merason DAC1 MkII ($8,500), a Gigawatt PC-4 EVO + power conditioner ($14,500), an SGR equipment rack and Graceline (from Black Cat Cables) and AB-Tech cabling. The Well Pleased Audio Vida brands, if you haven’t noticed yet, are always supremely synergistic.
Did the Qln Reference 9 deliver as promised? First, I noticed that the tonality is very much the same as with the Reference monitors–while the low bass performance was stupendous, these speakers sounded very much like most of the Qlns I’ve heard (and I may have heard then all by now). So my conclusion, based on a single listening session, was predicated on two things: I rarely found the Reference monitors to be lacking in bass heft back at my small listening room back in Portland, but I also know that my conclusions might not be the same as with my current and much larger listening room. I’m thinking the Qln Reference 9 loudspeakers might sound very similar to the monitors, but they will easily energize the bigger room.
I’m planning to find out by the end of the year. We’ve been talking about me reviewing the Qln Reference 9 speakers for a couple of years, and Mark Sossa is completely committed to getting me that pair as soon as possible–along with the Vinnie Rossi Brama 2, of course. After my introduction to this spectacular system, I’m really eager to listen for myself–hopefully for a much longer time.
If you would like to hear even more coverage from AXPONA 2024, check out our recap report and highlights from our audiophile-oriented show The Occasional Podcast. You can stream the episode direct from the embed below, or from your favorite podcast platform including iTunes, Android, Google, Deezer, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more.
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