Hello all, and welcome to the October blog from Audio T Brighton! Quad has been making a name for itself for decades, with many of its amplifiers and speakers being inducted into the “Audiophile Hall of Fame”. Bringing things up to date, following on from their recent pre/power products, Quad 33/303, they have introduced the Quad 3 integrated amplifier. As with many product releases, the Quad 3 is a retro-styled and well specified piece of kit, so let’s have a look and a listen to see what it has to offer.

Quad 3 retro integrated amplifier . . . .

Quad Electronics is a brand that goes back for decades - their Quad ESL63 electrostatic loudspeakers and Quad 33 pre/303 power amp are legendary in the hifi world, just to name a few. Their British heritage has more recently been acquired by the IAG audio group, and to be fair, they have worked hard to maintain the Quad name, releasing modern products that pay homage to the styling and sound qualities of yore. As can be seen in the picture above, the traditional orange accents of Quad equipment have been kept, and one has to say, there is a certain old-school, nostalgic charm whenever I see them, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so your mileage may vary.

Quad 3 - features and functionality . . . .

Starting at the rear and working our way forward, the Quad 3 amplifier is endowed with the usual amplifier features plus some additional functionality: 3 analogue inputs, including a MM phono stage for turntables, an analogue pre-amp out for adding an external power amplifier; 1 x Bluetooth aerial for wireless connectivity; 4 digital inputs, including 1 x USB, 1 x co-ax, 1 x optical and 1 x HDMI eArc to utilise it’s inbuilt DAC functions; 2 x 12V trigger input/output for remote control across different manufacturers. The HDMI ARC functionality is becoming more popular these days, with one-box integration with TV replay in mind being a nice touch.

Adding DAC functionality and digital inputs to integrated amplifiers seems to be all the rage at the moment, and Quad have followed suit in this regard. The DAC section is armed with a fairly up-to-date ESS9038Q2M 32-bit DAC chip, handling up to DSD512, 768kHz via the USB input and up to 24-bit, 192kHz via co-ax and optical inputs.

The amplifier section offers 65W into 8ohms and 100W into 4ohms and should drive most modern speakers comfortably. Our shop speaker selection, as you will read later, were all driven comfortably by the Quad 3 integrated.

An unusual and unique feature that may “tilt” your buying decision in favour of the Quad 3 integrated, is the tilt tone control feature. Standard tone controls are available for bass and treble if desired, but the tilt feature is one that is a hangover from earlier Quad products and not one that has caught on with other manufacturers.

Altering the tilt control has a unique frequency response effect whereby the tilt control pivots around a central frequency, typically around 700Hz. Frequencies around this point remain relatively unchanged. When you adjust the tilt control, you're essentially "tilting" the frequency response curve. Turning the control in one direction increases the treble frequencies while simultaneously decreasing the bass frequencies. This makes the sound brighter and leaner. Turning it in the opposite direction increases the bass frequencies while simultaneously decreasing the treble frequencies. This makes the sound warmer and fuller. Another thing to mention is that these adjustments are all relatively subtle, making poor sounding recordings easier to tame, and in our experience, works better than the usual tone control implementation, which we are generally keen to avoid using because it is often detrimental to sound quality.

Finally, the ubiquitous remote control is also included, so it can join the army of remote controls you have filling your drawer in the lounge cabinet - the one saving grace is that one should at least be able to single it out more easily because of the orange accent buttons that nicely match the Quad 3’s illuminated front panel.

quad 3 integrated amp and matching remote

So how does the Quad 3 sound?

quad 3 integrated and wharfedale linton speakers

We have tried the Quad 3 integrated amplifier in various combinations here at Audio T in Brighton, and in all cases, the performance was nothing short of excellent!

Under the IAG distributor umbrella, we’d recommend the Quad 3 with the Wharfedale Linton or Wharfedale Super Linton speakers, but it also sounded very good with our Proac Response DB1’s, with the DAC section sounding clean and detailed, very much in line with how we are getting used to with the ESS chipsets. A better quality streamer/DAC, Naim’s ND5XS2, or Audiolab’s 9000N, played through one of the analogue inputs, did provide the expected improvement in sound quality but given this unit is around double the price of the Quad 3 alone, the Quad’s internal ESS DAC stage held up very well.

The Quad 3 MM phono stage is a nice addition and didn’t disgrace itself in the company of our in-house Rega Planar 3 with Rega ND3 MM cartridge.

Retro with a modern twist . . . .

We’re always excited when new products arrive on the scene here at Audio T in Brighton, and we’ve been delighted with both the looks, construction, and sound of the Quad 3 integrated amplifier - it certainly stands out from the crowd, offers good value, and comes recommended from us.

As always, the proof of the pudding is in the eating — so get in touch to book a demonstration and hear for yourself.

Thanks for reading.

Ade, John, Paul, Kevin & Jake - Audio T Brighton

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