Quad Relives The Sixties With Reimagined 33 Pre and 303 Power Amps

Quad has gone official with reimagined versions of its most cherished separates: the 33 preamplifier and the 303 stereo amplifier. Both units are making their long-awaited return for today's hi-fi fan,

Inspired by amps launched 57 years ago in 1967, these new versions appeared as tantalising prototypes at this year's High End Munich expo. The reimagined Quad 33 preamp and Quad 303 stereo power amp offer that current audio catnip 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.

QUAD 33 2024

The brand says the new Quad 33 preamp features a new circuit design with a low-noise custom toroidal transformer and numerous smoothing capacitors for improved sonic performance.

This 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.

QUAD 303 2024

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.

The Class A/B amp also benefits from a new low-noise toroidal transformer specially developed for this 303 model. The unit's advanced feedback topology for the output stage promises a cool-running amp that "possesses the capacity to deliver dynamic power and maintain a firm hold on the music while providing rich sonic detail".

The 303 boasts ten heatsink fins at the front and is designed to stand vertically. The 303 has gold-plated speaker binding posts, RCA and balanced XLR inputs, and a 12V trigger input.

The 2024 versions of Quad's 33 preamplifier and 303 stereo power amplifier will be available as of mid-November, priced at £1,199 / €1,499.

Visit Quad for more information