Quad's Iconic 33 and 303 amplifiers make a stunning return
Back in May '24 at the High End show in Munich we were able to enjoy the first public outing of these new amplifiers from Quad, which are now being officially launched.
Quad has launched reimagined versions of its most cherished separates: the 33 preamplifier and the 303 stereo amplifier. The reimagined Quad 33 preamp and Quad 303 stereo power amp offer a combination of modern-retro design and serious hi-fi heritage, boasting "highly evolved versions" of Quad's signature
technologies housed in industrial, retro-futuristic designs.
The brand says the new Quad 33 preamp features a new circuit design witha low-noise custom toroidal transformer and numerous smoothing capacitors for improved sonic performance. The 33 remains all analogue and offers four line-level inputs (three RCA and a single XLR) alongside a phono input. RCA and XLR outputs are also provided to connect the 303 amplifier or other suitable power amp.
The front of the gloriously retro fascia is home to bass, tilt and balance controls. Quad's founder, Peter Walker, created the' Tilt' control as a more sophisticated form of tone control introduced in 1982 on the Quad 34 preamp. Although not contemporary to the original 33, it is considered a classic Quad feature. The tilt control adjusts both ends of the frequency spectrum together, either attenuating the bass and lifting the treble or
lifting the bass and attenuating the treble in 1dB steps. Essentially, it rotates – or tilts – the audible frequency range on a 700Hz axis, thereby adjusting the overall sound balance with 'warm' or 'cool' hints without altering volume or adding colour to the sound.
Meanwhile, the 303 power amplifier aims to retain the original's reliability, flexibility and detailed sound. The new compact power amp is rated at 50W per channel into 8 ohms (70W into 4 ohms) and features
an updated version of Peter Walker's circuit innovation for the 303 – the 'triples' output stage. This "feedback
amplifier-within-an-amplifier" requires far less negative feedback and, in short, makes the output stage more resistant to temperature fluctuations, thus reducing distortion.
Quad highlights the 303's 10A current delivery, ensuring it is highly adept at driving demanding loads. This translates to the new 303 being able to drive a wide range of speakers with as much ease as a typical amp with a 100W rating.
Should you require even more, you can connect two 303s in bridged mode, combining each amp's two stereo channels into a single mono channel so each unit drives one speaker. This increases the power output to 140W per channel into an 8-ohm load.
Please get in touch for further details or to arrange a demo.