With the arrival of the new Quad 33 Preamplifier and 303 Power Amplifier combo at Audio T Manchester, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the legacy of these iconic components and explore how the new versions honour their heritage while embracing modern advancements.

The History from Quad

The Quad 33 preamplifier, first introduced in 1967 alongside the Quad 303 power amplifier, is a vintage audio component highly regarded for its elegant design, modular construction, and smooth, musical sound. It was designed as part of Quad’s integrated system, particularly for use with the Quad ESL electrostatic speakers, making it a classic choice for audiophiles.

The original Quad 33 is visually iconic, with its compact, cube-like chassis and distinctive silver and orange finish. It embodies the minimalist, functional aesthetic of the 1960s, emphasizing ease of use and modularity.

• Controls: The front panel features rotary knobs for volume, balance, tone, and input selection, offering a clean and straightforward interface.

• Inputs and Outputs: Includes multiple DIN inputs for radio, tape, and auxiliary, along with a dedicated phono input (suitable for MM cartridges).

the original 33/303 (PHOTO CREDIT: QUAD)

The Present

The reimagined 2024 Quad 33 preamplifier and 303 power amplifier bring a modern twist to the iconic 1967 models, while maintaining their classic design ethos and sound quality. Key updates include improved circuitry, contemporary connectivity options, and a retro-futuristic aesthetic, but with an even better build quality.

Seriously, the fit and finish is excellent. The Quad is just beautifully bolted together.

Design and Aesthetics

Both models retain their compact and vertical design. The Quad 33 preamp features a matte silver finish with orange accents, now LED-lit, and a modern LCD display replacing older labels. Similarly, the 303 power amplifier preserves its signature heatsink fins, updated to a more modern appearance, with ten squared-off fins instead of the original eight . Now there’s a factoid for ya!

something about those lines that take you back to 1977, be careful you don’t end up in 1967 Chromey.

Performance Upgrades a plenty.

The 2024 Quad 303 power amp, rated at 50W per channel (8 ohms), incorporates an advanced “triples” output stage and a low-noise toroidal transformer. These updates enhance thermal stability, (according to Quad) reduce distortion, and provide ample current for demanding speakers. The amplifier can also be bridged to mono, delivering 140W for more demanding speakers. We had ours playing with a pair of Spendor D7.2, in standard 50w mode, the 303 didn’t skip a beat.

The 2024 Quad 33 preamp introduces a tilt control, an innovative frequency adjustment tool from another time, originally introduced with the Quad 34 in 1982, and bass and balance controls come as standard (er thank you). It also features an upgraded phono stage supporting MM/MC cartridges and a dedicated headphone amplifier, not featured on the original 33.

The 33 also retains an all-analogue design but introduces a new low-noise toroidal transformer and upgraded circuitry for better performance. It now features modern (tongue in cheek) connectivity options, including RCA, XLR, (no dins here, pardon the pun) and a phono input with adjustable gain for turntables.

Sound Quality

Both units maintain Quad’s hallmark warm and detailed sound. Improvements in clarity and dynamic range ensure they don't sound like a “pipe smoking and slippers hifi”. Staying true to the smooth character of the originals with the added sparkle of Quads more recent offerings, we may have something here that may actually start a new trend. We are quite happy to recommend the new/retro 33/303 combo to all.

We think these new updated versions of the classic Quad strike a nice balance between nostalgia and recent hi-fi tech, making them a solid choice for both lovers of the retro aesthetic and modern hi-fi users, and that's not an oxymoron.

Thanks for reading

James, Munir & Dave - Audio T Manchester

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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