ABOUT DLS

The DLS Home Audio history

The DLS Company (DLS Svenska AB) was established in 1980 as an engineering company. During 1983 – 1985 we introduced the “component kit” system to the Car Audio market. That was our entry ticket to this market. I can confidently state, that today we are one of top 3 high end manufacturers in the industry. We as Focal for instance, manufacture our own drivers and tweeters.
Mats Andersen, the man behind the QLN speakers, has been working for DLS for the past four and half years. After he split with his partner Nils Liljeroth and QLN was sold, we offered Mats a position at DLS.
Mats Andersen has worked in the speaker business from 1979 and is very well known in the Scandinavian countries as a very innovative speaker designer. Mats has a degree in acoustics at the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg.
Mats and I believe that the speakers he creates today are superior to the speakers he used to design during the QLN period. The main reason is that today he designs the drivers as well.

Test reviews
The DLS Home Audio speakers often come out very well in magazine tests all over the world.
Most of the tests are presented as PDF-files on our website www.dls.se on the respective product.
To certify that our R&D knowledge in the Home Audio space actually originates beyond just the past DLS years, we hereby also present some excerpts from reviews on Mats’s designs from the QLN period.

From HIFI-NEWS & RECORD REVIEW, 1997
Written by Martin Colloms
Speaker: QLN Signature

– “Everything was tidy and in place: bass, mid, treble. All was good quality; clean, even and well integrated”
– “Stereo focus was nicely precise, with no false perspectives noted. Imaging was nicely stable.”
– “In summary, an elegant compact with a powerful performance, competitively priced when engineering, build, finish and sound quality are accounted for.”

From WHAT HIFI April 1997
Speaker: QLN QuBIC 122
“deliver detail to astound”

“For astonishing imaging; wonderfully precise and accurate.
Against: Perhaps a shade too clinical
Verdict: Insightful, involving speakers that are not the thing for every listener but will be just heavenly for some.”

From UK magazine HI FI CHOICE June 1997
Speaker QLN Signature HDII
Listening test by Paul Messenger

“An impressively smooth performer”
“The QLN Signature HD II also needs plenty of power on tap. It’s balance is a little heavy and shut in but it has great dynamic range, a sweet treble and fine freedom from boxiness.”

From US magazine Stereophile No 3 1995
Speaker: QLN MODEL ONE

“In short, the QLN One is one of those rare speakers that does almost everything quite well, and at a very reasonable price. I don’t know if it’s the best speaker under $1000, but I don’t have to hear all the others to know that it must be one of the best”

From HI-FI WORLD march 1996
Speaker QLN Signature

“Super sound staging, openness and detail. Well worth seeking out”

“Separation was of monitor standard, and when listening with my eyes closed, I could almost feel the cool metal touch of my console beneath my palms. Here’s a loudspeaker that really gets you there, which, at the price, makes it a superb choice. I give it top rating.”