QUAD 33/303 reboot

[planet10]

Not much info yet:

the new Quad components will be available within six months. The 303 will offer 60Wpc, cost approximately €1500 apiece, and include balanced and single-ended inputs and outputs, a remote control, a phono stage, and the original Quad’s “tilt controls.” The 303 prototype was very heavier than it looked. The classic orange buttons had excellent touch.

dave

 

[moray james]

good to see your post Dave. I really like the 303 it has charm and a realistic natural quality to it. Do you know if this new 303 is also a quasi-complimentary design or does it have a complimentary output stage?

 

[ejp]

The ‘original Quad’s tilt controls‘ came in with the 44, after the 33. Good idea to use them, though, I like them. But it gives away that this new 33 probably has opamps too, so not a re-creation.

 

[planet10]

I really like the 303 it has charm and a realistic natural quality to it.

I have owned at least a dozen. I love the industrial design. Not as many 33s.

The last 303 i had got smoked by a gainclone, it would be nice to see the same but with modern circuits.

https://www.t-linespeakers.org/FALL/Q303.html

dave

 

[stocktrader200]

It looks all new . there is a display below the controls.
Looks good all new guts.

 

[AllenB]

I can't see them copying the circuit, and yet that happens to be the key. It's a unique amplifier that way.

 

[ejp]

Yeah. I can’t see them shipping a power amplifier with five setup adjustments in this day and age.

in any case I would expect:

• dual rail, and therefore
• no output coupling caps
• fully complementary
• reconsider the regulator
• reconsider the DC servo
• reconsider the LF pole frequency
• probably up the power to 90-100W.

 

[moray james]

It just occurred to me that Quad might just have designed a class D amplifier for the new 303. Who knows yet?

 

[planet10]

probably up the power to 90-100W.

One piece of info we did get was: 60 W.

dave

 

[luxwinter]

I have a 33/303 combo from the family stereo. I recall that the combo got an award from something like the London Design Institute. Love the industrial design. I think Naim stuff looks nice too - must be a British thing. I guess the 303 sounded OK. It was meant to drive the ESL 57, but not remotely in their league sonically. The 33 was completely unreliable - something to do with the contacts for all the boards in it. Sure looks cool though.

 

[vinylkid58]

I guess the 303 sounded OK.

Yes.

jeff

 

[ejp]

The 33 was completely unreliable

That’s funny, I’ve serviced hundreds of them that worked. All getting on for sixty years old.

 

[woodo]

I bought the 33/303 secondhand for $250 in the 70s, kept the 33 and matched it with a new 405 at some point which was also a reasonable price back then. Both sounded fine but I felt the 405 was warmer. I had no problems with the 33 but someone in my absence played the 405 too loud and stopped working until a friend fixed it. Nothing major. Maybe the new 303 will bring better distortion figures you would expect, but I hope quad maintains the sound quality for those with the $ who can afford it.

 

[ejp]

Thinking about a new 303 some more, a regulator with a voltage reference, or no regulator at all, would get rid of one adjustment, and a reconsidered DC servo would eliminate two more, but you would still be left with the two bias adjustments.

 

[ejp]

I would also expect reconsidered current limiting.

 

[ForsbackaKalle]

It´s for sure looks nice. Have several 33/303 and love them for what they are. A piece of British Hifi history. Hope those new ones is really well built with no nonsense quality parts.

 

[huggygood]

Hope those new ones is really well built with no nonsense quality parts.

+1... but

 

[planet10]

More info and images including backside of 303: https://darko.audio/2024/05/munich-high-end-2024-as-it-happened/

About 41 min in.

dave

 

[Boden]

There is a strong rumor Sinclair will also be back on short notice. The Project 60 will now cost USD 8000,- a piece. Stay tuned.

 

[john_ellis]

Interesting development.
Wonder what output transistors/triple they've used. Has Locanthi's patent timed out yet?
- but the chap in the video suggested they'd kept the triples. Not sure the original configuration would work with modern high speed devices which is why I suspect it would be straight triple complementary.