Great news this week: the return of QUAD and their 33/303 pre/power amplifiers in a modern-retro re-imagining. Launched when this reviewer was born in 1967, the QUAD look is a classic. I have a friend whose father still has these in transistor form. QUAD has retained the styling and orange accents in the products, and the preamplifier retains its pre-digital signature as it predated digital by fifteen years; there is no DAC in the 33.
The 33 has replaced the bass, treble, and slope dials with bass, tilt, and balance in the analogue domain. Tilt is QUADs, form of tone control that attenuates both ends of the frequency spectrum oppositely in 1 dB steps around the 700 Hz axis for cool or warm outcomes. The volume control is a high-quality motorised Alps potentiometer. The 33 inputs are four line-level inputs (3x RCA and 1x XLR) and a phono input (MM and MC). The output to the 303 can be XLR or RCA.
The 303 power amplifier claims 50W per channel into 8 ohms, rising to 70W into 4 ohms. The maximum current delivery of 10A ensures it has plenty of power for demanding loudspeakers. The new-edition 303 offers an upgrade path through the ability to connect two 303s in bridged mode, combining each amplifier’s two stereo channels into a monoblock so each unit drives one speaker. This increases the power output to 140W per channel into an 8-ohm load.
Price and availability – QUAD 33 preamplifier (2024 edition): £1199, QUAD 303 (2024 edition): £1199, Available November 2024
About QUAD
Of all the British high-end hi-fi brands, QUAD (which stands for Quality Unit Amplifier Domestic) boasts the longest and most distinguished history. The company has been at the cutting edge of audio since 1936, pushing back the boundaries of performance with continuous innovation. In 1953, the QUAD II valve amplifier set new standards for audio amplification and three years later QUAD invented the first full-range electrostatic speaker – later known as the legendary ESL 57. Throughout the ensuing years, QUAD products have continued to win worldwide acclaim, building a reputation for excellence that bears comparison with the most distinguished brands in any field. QUAD has been part of the International Audio Group (IAG) since 1998, following its acquisition from the Verity Group (alongside Wharfedale). The company’s design and technical support teams and much-admired servicing department continue to be based in Cambridgeshire, England, supported by key personnel who have worked with QUAD for decades. IAG’s exceptional resources and unrivalled audio manufacturing facilities ensure that QUAD’s current range boasts many awardwinning products, including the latest generation of ESL electrostatic speakers, class-leading valve amplifiers, dynamic ‘box’ speakers, planar magnetic headphones and a range of solid-state audio electronics that fuse high-end performance with elegant, versatile design. 88 years after its formation, QUAD continues to be driven by the philosophy of its founder, Peter Walker, to produce “the closest approach to the original sound”.
