QUAD 33
QUAD 33
- Overview
- Specifications
- Downloads
- Reviews
HIFIANDMUSICSOURCE
"QUAD have hit the bullseye for me. I’d have a 33 and two 303’s in a heartbeat if I wasn’t already happy with my setup, but any reader out there who is thinking of changing or upgrading should give the QUADs a listen."
QUAD 33/303: The Future is Now!
“…when I went back to the 303 it was just so much more transparent. I could hear the Acoustics of the church that this session was recorded in, it just sounded more ‘you are there’ with the 303”
Pearl Acoustics
"... it's got a lovely sound, it's a little sweetness in the mid-range, not overly colored, dynamic, a good sound stage...
it does deserve to be there alongside companies like Luxman, MacIntosh and these really top quality brands.. And the beauty is, because QUAD have the production in China, the quality of the finish is like the iPhone quality... it's beautiful you couldn't criticise it at all. You get all of that for a very very realistic price!"
Quad 33 & 303 and Quad Revela 2 – preamplifier / power amplifier combo and floorstanding loudspeaker
The Quad 33 proves to be an impressive preamplifier. It is pleasantly easy to use thanks to well thought-out details such as the illuminated control buttons and the intuitive tilt control. In terms of sound, the Quad 33 impresses with its clarity, precision and a warm, musical note that will particularly appeal to vinyl lovers. Despite its analogue construction, the preamplifier remains absolutely noise-free and ensures detailed, finely tuned sound reproduction. Overall, the Quad 33 combines nostalgic design with sophisticated audio quality.
Best of 2024 - STAND OUT HIFI PRODUCT
I really enjoyed having this QUAD setup here in my home; it was a pleasure to live with. The Quad 33 and 303, wins a Pursuit Perfect System Standout Award for 2024, and I think it is very well deserved.
A British Audiophile
The 33 preamp and 303 power amp deliver a warm, rich audio experience, maintaining the classic sound signature and output stage of their predecessors.... Overall, I highly recommend the QUAD 33 preamp and 303 power amp for their admirable blend of modernity and tradition.
Pursuit Perfect System (UK)
I just like having the Quad 33 preamplifier in the system; it’s easy to live with... Most people will likely use the Quad 33 with the 303 power amplifier, creating a setup that’s easy to live with—hardly any heat generated and very enjoyable sound... The real appeal lies in the overall package—its look, feel, and easygoing sound that works fantastically with the Super Linton speakers.
AREA DVD
With the new edition of the legendary Quad components, consisting of the 33 stereo preamplifier and the 303 power amplifier, the British company has achieved a great success...
Acoustically, the Quad 33 and Quad 303 shine with an enormous degree of sonic culture and acoustic harmony. Shrill, harsh sounds are foreign to the duo, even at high volume. Powerful bass and a dense spatiality complete our listening impressions.
By revisiting the QUAD 33 and 303 components, QUAD demonstrates its authenticity, pedigree and excellence as a juggernaut of the British hi-fi world - past and present.
In listing the names involved in the development of this stunning iteration of an icon, you’ll find a calculation of close to 200 years of engineering experience and 100+ years of QUAD-exclusive design and service.
A dream team of Rob Flain & Paul McConville (the world’s most experienced QUAD service engineers), Jan Ertner (30 years of experience in QUAD design), Peter Comeau (the acoustic director behind some of QUAD’s most successful loudspeakers) and David McNeill (the industrial designer responsible for two decades of QUAD innovations) were all a part of this labour of love, making no compromise in the demand for a product that could bear the name of 33 and 303.
The external design is specifically intended to continue the QUAD tradition of practical simplicity. Yet, it would be foolish to ignore the implementation of modern-day capabilities, such as an informative backlit display, delicate LED illumination and remote control functionality. And just like the original, the overall appearance is unmistakably QUAD, albeit now with a premium machined and anodised front panel and all-metal chassis.
Function
The new QUAD 33 is supported by digital microprocessor control but is otherwise faithful to a classic analogue design.
The 33 feeds the loudspeakers via the power amplifier using dedicated stereo pre-outputs, with an RCA line-level and balanced XLR pre-out option. For additional versatility and functionality, there’s also an AUX output.
Now equipped with fully balanced XLR inputs and outputs, the 33 is set apart from other preamplifiers and even its forefather model.
The brand new phono stage is Moving Magnet and Moving Coil compatible with the ability to simply switch between the two options – no mods or board upgrades necessary. With a gain of 46dB for the MM and 63.5dB for the MC, the input stage uses ultra-low noise audio op-amps. This ultra-low noise performance is combined with high slew rates and very low distortion specifications. The RIAA processing circuit has its own dual Bipolar/JFET Audio Operational Amplifier. The JFET portion of the input stage enables high slew rates to keep distortion low, even when large output swings are required.
Controls
The controls are comprehensive but simple. Again, this echoes the original design concept. Logically grouped to facilitate selection and control of the programme, a backlit LCD screen relays settings, adjustments and values. The same backlighting principle is applied to each of the push buttons, further enhancing the intuitive design with a visual indication of input selection and mode. Illumination settings for buttons and the LCD screen allow for brightness adjustment, contrast adjustment, and a simple on/off setting to suit the user’s preference.
The master volume control is a fully analogue, precision motorised ALPS potentiometer offering long-life and low-noise performance. The volume control is not only tactile and precise; its motorised operation will automatically rotate when adjustments are made via the remote control. A further row of three endless rotary encoders offer intuitive and immediate control over the QUAD-specific fine-tuning settings.
The original QUAD 33, as with many previous and subsequent QUAD preamplifier components, offered filters considered essential for ‘modern good quality speakers’ (as was stated at that time). Such controls are no longer required; therefore, in applying modern-day logic and suitability to today's technology, the new QUAD 33 presents bass adjustment, tilt control and balance control to allow tuning to a fine degree without intruding unnecessarily into the harmonic range essential for realistic reproduction.
The bass control allows adjustment from-3dB to +3dB. Perfect for subtle adjustments in the low-end, as a solution to adding body to thinner source material. Or conversely, reducing bass tones in the event of room-affected 'boominess'. In comparison to the time of launch of the original QUAD 33, loudspeakers and source materials have evolved mainly for the better. This evolution saw the adoption of ‘Tilt’ control in the QUAD 33’ssuccessor, the QUAD 34 (1982).
Developed by QUAD founder, the legendary Peter Walker, the Tilt control is an audiophile-quality solution for adjusting tone. Its design stems from the belief that traditional tone and EQ controls are inadequate and clumsy when adjusting tonal balance.
The Tilt control differs in that it 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. This feature is unique to QUAD and offers a subtle, precise, and consistent way to adjust your system's performance and compensate for recordings or environments.
The Tilt control, Bass control, and Balance controls are all composed of low-noise op-amps, electronic switches, and MELF low-temperature coefficient metal film resistors, forming a negative feedback adjustment circuit.
Performance
No one knows more about the QUAD 33 than the immensely experienced QUAD service department – still based at QUAD HQ in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England.
Upon initiating this project of passion, it was determined that the new 33 and 303 combination will only see the light of day if the performance stands true and improves on the original.
In over 50 years since the release of the original 33 and 303, innovations and developments have been exponential, but only some have been employed and each with good reason. Each stage of the development and every innovation was subject to thorough testing and complete agreement with the QUAD technical design AND service team.
It is bold but fair to claim that the low-noise, custom-specified toroidal transformer, numerous reservoir/smoothing capacitors, and an impressive number of regulators put the new QUAD 33 technically ahead of the original. The power supply incorporates five regulated supply rails, including multiple ultra-low-noise regulators with extensive measures employed to prevent contamination and cross-coupling. Following traditional QUAD practices, the core signal path is short and direct to preserve signal purity, and volume is adjusted purely in the analogue domain under microprocessor control. No one will champion the virtues of the original QUAD 33 more than QUAD, ourselves. However, side-by-side, technical innovations and improvements in signal processing cannot be denied.
Fit and Finish
The QUAD 33 has a crisp and clean aesthetic that evokes QUAD’s past yet sits in the modern-day with a futuristic accent. The housing is rigid and oozes quality. The end-finish is precise, just like the audio signal path. The anodised and custom-tooled fascia demonstrate the quality and level at which the new QUAD 33 will be recognised. No longer subject to cracks, fading or other issues associated with classic front panels, the QUAD 33 is ready for a lifetime of performance.
Ultimately, the new QUAD 33 considers every angle and aspect to underline the faithful evolution of the ‘33’ concept. With each step in transitioning from concept to reality, the commitment to ‘the closest approach to the original sound’ is evident.
Specifications
| Model | QUAD 33 |
| General Description | Pre Amplifier |
| Design Philosophy and Core Technology | Illuminated LCD screen Dedicated High Performance Low Noise MM/MC Phono stage Classic QUAD 'Tilt' adjustment Classic QUAD / Tone Controls Dedicated Current-Feedback Headphone Amplifier |
| Inputs | 3 x RCA, 1 x Balanced XLR (pair), 1 x Phono (MM/MC switchable) |
| Outputs | 1 x RCA (AUX), 1 x XLR, 1 x RCA (Pre Out), 1 x Headphone, 2 x 12V Trigger Out |
| Pre Amplifier Section | |
| Gain | 0dB (Line / XLR) +46dB (Phono MM) +63.5dB (Phono MC) |
| Input Sensitivity (Vout=695mV) | 695mV (Line / XLR) 3.2mV (Phono MM) 460uV (Phono MC) |
| Input Impedance | 10k (Line / XLR) 47k/100pF (Phono MM) 100R/1.7nF (Phono MC) |
| Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) | <0.0005% (1kHz, Line/XLR) <0.002% (1kHz, Phono MM / MC) |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (+/-0.2dB) |
| Signal-to-Noise ratio (S/N) | > 108dB (A-weighted, Line/XLR) > 82dB (A-weighted, Phono MM) > 74dB (A-weighted, Phono MC) |
| Output Impedance | 120 ohms |
| Headphone Amplifier | |
| Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) | < 0.01% (1kHz, 50mW) |
| Output Impedance | 2.35 ohms |
| Load Impedance | 20 - 600 ohms |
| General | |
| Standby Power Consumption | <0.5W |
| Net weight | 4kg |
| Gross weight | 4.96kg |
| Dimensions (mm) (W x H x D) | 258 x 94 x 165 |
| Carton Size (mm) (W x H x D) | 330 x 192 x 257 |
| Finish | Classic QUAD Grey |
| Power requirements (depending on region) | 220 - 240V - 50 / 60Hz 100 - 120V - 50 / 60Hz |
| Standard accessories | Power Cord, Remote Control, User Manual. |
