Quad or Primare

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Anonymous

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I can only think of Cyrus and Arcam that even use BFA these days.
 
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Anonymous

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lordmortlock:Not using terminated wires at the mo but I'll investigate tonight.

Many thanks
 
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Anonymous

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Bananas will be fine, as opposed to BFAs (female) that will not be.
 
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Anonymous

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Thanks for checking guys.........Cpl Jones was right....'Don't panic'.

Jaxwired....did your 909 arrive yesterday????
 

jaxwired

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raym87:

Thanks for checking guys.........Cpl Jones was right....'Don't panic'.

Jaxwired....did your 909 arrive yesterday????

It was delayed. I get it today.
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My new speaker stands don't arrive until tomorrow. I'd been using the RS6s as big speaker stands, LOL. But they sold and I had to ship on Tuesday. Now the dyns sit on laundry baskets. I picked up a bag of playground sand to fill the stands when they arrive. Can't wait to get it all setup. I'll snap a pic and post what my system looks like....this week....
 
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Anonymous

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Thats blown it................got the Quad but not the 909. Just won a mint pair of quad classic forty on auction. I was the only bidder. Mint, 7 months old and with 1 yr warranty from a reputable dealer. 52% RRP..........Chuffed or what.....................Now....speakers
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jaxwired

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lordmortlock:Interested to know what you think Jax

I've got quad-ra-phonic sound now...

Quad 909 arrived yesterday. Only had time for some quick listening. The first thing I noticed was the binding posts only accept bare wire and the manual specifically states that they do not accept banana plugs. However, the posts appeared to have the same lame plastic plugs that many British speakers now have blocking their banana connectors. So I tried to pry them out, but since I was not positive that they should come out (and I didn't want to damange a brand new amp), this took awhile as they were in there very tight.

It turns out that the 909 does indeed accept the banana plugs, and the little plastic caps can be safely removed with enough effort from an tiny screw driver and some needle nose pliers. Thank you lawyers of the world.

As for the sound, I can understand why some reviewers thought the bass could be better, but this may be placebo effect since the pre-conceived idea was put into my head by internet reviews. It's not that the bass is insubstantial, it's more that I've heard the same bass notes reproduced slightly deeper (very slightly). The bass still has plenty of authority and weight to it.

I immediately pulled out many recordings that are favorites for their clean detailed sound. The QUAD delivered on all fronts with this material. There is a harmonic richness, a lushness if you will, to mid-range and vocals that is fantastic. Some reviews also stated that the QUAD's highs are not extended like the best amps, I do not find this to be true at all. In fact, to my ears, this is completely unfounded. The highs are extended and crystal clear without a hint of harshness. Very good indeed.

It's really funny how much difference amps make to your system. While it's true that a casual music listener probably would find all amps pretty much the same, to anyone that listens critically on a daily basis like myself the difference between amps is startling. Some people would call the QUAD amp "warm" sounding. I am not an expert, and can only comment on my own experience with hi fi amps, but if this clean clear open sound is called "warm" then I can't imagine ever wanting a "cool" amp. How could it not be fatiquing and harsh? I want to be able to turn the volume up when I'm in the mood to do so without wincing at the piercing treble. The QUAD allows this, but is still clean and detailed. Not sure yet if this is a keeper. Too soon to tell. I can say, it's very good.
 
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Glad you're liking the new Quad. How does it compare to your NAD 355? Also, how's the transition from RS6s to Dyns?
 
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Anonymous

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Good news! Hope you enjoy it. If you tried a Cyrus 8VS2 next to it I think you'd see why it's considered warm. It's not that warm really, it's just that it's not lean! Just how it should be
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jc.com

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jaxwired:

[

It turns out that the 909 does indeed accept the banana plugs, and the little plastic caps can be safely removed with enough effort from an tiny screw driver and some needle nose pliers. Thank you lawyers of the world.

B*gg*r. I could have had my cables properly terminated (and saved several fingernails in the process ) if I'd known this.
 

jaxwired

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chainrock:Glad you're liking the new Quad. How does it compare to your NAD 355? Also, how's the transition from RS6s to Dyns?

My initial impression is that the QUAD sounds slightly better on all fronts than the NAD 355. However, part of this may be due to the separate pre-amp which is no souch either. But the difference is not huge. I feel that I've got just a touch more detail and the bass is slightly more controlled.

Comparing the RS6s to the Dyns is really apples and oranges. Pro and Cons to both. The Dyns can't touch the huge room filling sound the RS6s produce. However, my room is not that big. I don't use my living room for my HiFi because the wife has no interest and the toddlers would quickly damage the speakers if left unattended. So the little Dyns provide plenty of sound for the 14' x 11' room. In fact, they sound bigger than any similar sized stand mounter I've heard. They are shockingly good speakers. They should sound even better tonight when I get my new stands set up and filled with sand. I'm using laundry baskets at the moment, LOL. The biggest complement I can give these Dynaudio X12s is that I'm not missing the RS6s at all. And I loved the RS6s.

Any more thoughts on the spendors? I've wondered for weeks if I would have liked the A5s better than the A6s as some reviewers have indicated that the A6s are slightly livelier than the A5s.
 

lordmortlock

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Good stuff Jax. I think the issue with the bass is that it isn't quite as tight as some - something I can live with given the other benefits. I totally agree about the clean detailed sound. Loads less distortion - I seem to be able to hear music much more easily from further away and I can get away without having systems in other rooms on as the sound carries so much better than with my last set up.

A chap I know shook his head when I said I'd bought Quad - reckons the sound is really slow (like half a beat off!) I can't say I've found this. Anyone else?
 

Clare Newsome

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lordmortlock:Good stuff Jax. I think the issue with the bass is that it isn't quite as tight as some - something I can live with given the other benefits. I totally agree about the clean detailed sound. Loads less distortion - I seem to be able to hear music much more easily from further away and I can get away without having systems in other rooms on as the sound carries so much better than with my last set up.

A chap I know shook his head when I said I'd bought Quad - reckons the sound is really slow (like half a beat off!) I can't say I've found this. Anyone else?

Not this happy Quad user!

However - and as ever - system synergy is key here. Quad sound isn't in-yer-face bouncy, and if paired with less-rhythmic partners that don't shine for timing, you're never going to enjoy a pacy delivery.
 

jaxwired

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lordmortlock: A chap I know shook his head when I said I'd bought Quad - reckons the sound is really slow (like half a beat off!) I can't say I've found this. Anyone else?

Doesn't matter how much you spend or how high end your equipment is, there will always be people that think you have rubbish and they know better. It's really ridiculous since evaluating equipment is enormously subjective. Amps do sound different, that we all can agree on, "better" is totally relative.
 

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