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The Quad II-forty power amplifiers are much more
than a tribute to one of the most famous designs in
audio - they are both refined and powerful in the
modern sense of the terms.
Although the circuit topology has changed little
from the original, significantly better components
and a brand new transformer design - still
delicately balanced - means that they are fast, crisp
and detailed, whilst producing an output current,
more than capable of driving modern loudspeaker
loads, even our very own ESL loudspeakers are
well within their capabilities.
The champagne finished chassis is strong and
heavy, internally wired with solder tags - not PCBs.
The KT-88 output valves in push-pull configuration
are visually stunning, sitting safely within a cage
to protect them. Gold-plated phono connectors
replace the ‘Jones’ plugs of the original - with a
choice of 4ohm or 8ohm taps, allowing for the
widest possible choice of loudspeakers.
Every product we make is hand-built by craftsmen
for a lifetime of duty. Quad products rarely, if
ever, need replacing and we regularly service
and maintain products over fifty years old.
This means many of the original Quad II
amplifiers have been passed down, into the
hands of the children - and even grandchildren -
of the original owners, something that is uniquely
Quad in essence. A product that is relevant today
and will remain so for generations to come.
“Musicians and recording
artists all over the world
have long recognised the
outstanding quality of
Quad products – exquisite
engineering, build-quality,
finesse and refinement.”
Quad products have always
been amongst the finest au-
dio products in the world. When
Peter Walker started making com-
mercial PA systems in 1936, few could
have predicted the revolution in hi-fi that
many of his products were to cause, the lon-
gevity they would have and the esteem with
which they would be held.
In the early 1950s, he and Gilbert Briggs, founder
of Wharfedale, embarked upon a series of now fa-
mous concerts demonstrating how real high-fidelity
music should be virtually indistinguishable from a
live performance. In order to prove this they toured
such venues as the Royal Festival hall in London and
Carnegie hall in New York. Audiences were amazed
at the similarity the Quad amplifiers were able to
reproduce relative to the live performance.
Since these early demonstrations of true high-fidel-
ity, our product philosophy has remained constant,
to produce a sound which as closely as possible rep-
licates the experience of the live performance. For
many other manufacturers, the term hi-fi may mean
‘exciting’ or ‘dramatic’ and this can be easily pro-
duced without regard to what the music sounded
like in the concert hall for the listener and may sound
‘impressive’ to the uneducated ear, but in reality is
no substitute for the sound produced by ‘real’ hi-fi.
“Factor out nostalgia. Forget the miracle of Quad
making valve amps in the 21st century. Look
at the Quads in terms of a current pre/power
tube combination. Then look at the opposition.
Now factor in gorgeous styling, superb build
quality, perfect ergonomics, ample grunt, genuine
heritage and the kind of sound which allows valve
enthusiasts to show two fingers to transistor users.”
– Ken Kessler, hi-Fi News
