Change of amps – worth it?

[MUSICRAFT]

Ordered the bits I need from Quad today.

Not expecting to get the Quad 303 & all the bits until end of this week or maybe early next week!

Hi FennerMachine

8)

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[FennerMachine]

Got the Quad 303 today!

Tried to connect the speaker cables to the Quad banana plugs but they needed soldering!

Got that done (my brother in-law did a good job).

Didn't get home until 23:00ish!

Plugged it all in, running at the lowest level as everyone else is asleep.

So far very impressed.

On Tuesday I can give it a good blast but Wednesday will be the proper test.

 

[FennerMachine]

The Quad 303 is so far doing exactly what I expected & hoped it would do.

The only possible issue, if it even is an issue, is that the amplifier itself has a very quiet hum.

I can only hear it with my ear fairly close to the amp

The speakers are silent unless music is being played.

Is a small amount of quiet hum normal for these amps or should I look at getting it serviced?

I will probably call Quad tomorrow just to be sure.

I think I will be changing my signature soon!

 

[FennerMachine]

I've had a good few listening sessions this week.

I've tried classical, pop, rock, electronic, old & new music.

The only negative is the reduces bass quantity.

I feel this has been made up for with all the other positive improvements.

Its difficult to describe the sound comparison but I'll have a go.

The bass does not seem as deep or powerful BUT seems faster and bass tunes can be followed more easily.

Some instruments are much more obvious but nicely separated so everything that was there before is still there but with more added.

Voices are much clearer and 'nicer', more natural.

Where high frequencies were prominent they are more so but nicer without fatigue.

I can turn the volume up more without complaints from downstairs so the pre-amp is doing more of the work.

At about maximum listening levels that I would regularly use the amp it gets slightly warn, not hot so it has lots more oomph left in it.

 

[CnoEvil]

Good job, I'm glad you're happy. Down the road, it strikes me you are a candidate for Class A / Valves!