Hi all,

Placed this out in the wanted section though not B&o...

I have always had an interest in Quad gear, and was curious if anyone out there might have any that they would be interested in selling or trading for B&o gear? I have a good bit of nice gear I could offer in trade from 1000 era and up...

As a baseline, I am looking for a FM3, 303, and a 33.

I would be interested in even hearing any opinions about them!

Thanks in advance,

Hi Jeff,

The 33/303/FM3 combo was rated highly in its day.  I used to have the next generation Quad set up, a 34/405/FM4 which was excellent.  I think Frede rates the 405 power amplifier very highly in particular. 

Vintage Quad gear reflects one man's vision - Peter Walker's -  who designed and developed all the early Quad kit, particularly the Electrostaic loudspeakers - the ESL 57s and the 63s, both of which still have very loyal support even now - a bit like the Jensen designed B&O kit.   They are well built items, and still have a high level of factory backup, unlike vintage B&O.  They were reliable, if serviced on a fairly reasonable basis, and loads are still going strong.

The pre/power amp and FM tuners are good designs ergonomically even if the 303 isn't aesthetically beautiful.  The 34/405/FM4 is better and sounded really good with a Phillips CD104 - the CDX in a Phillips box - and ESL 63s.  In fact, this is probably the best sounding system I've ever owned.  The FM4 is on a par with the 60s Beomaster 5000 for performance.

I also think about buying another 34/403/FM4/ESL63 set up now, but the electrostatics are big and need bags of space around them.  My partner isn't too impressed by my S45s so goodness knows what she would make of the ESL 63s.  My ex wife loved them, though - hang on,what am I saying!.

Cleve

Cleve,

Thanks much!

That was just the sort of reply I was hoping for! Sadly, they just aren't seen in NA that often. I was hoping someone "over there" might have some feedback.

I certainly appreciate it.

Frede actually restores Quad as well as B&O. Look here. I have always liked Quad - particularly the ESL63 speakers. You need a big room to get the most out of these though. I would favour the 405 over the 303 though. 

Jeff,

One other thing I forgot to mention. 

The Quad Preamp/Control units, particularly the 44, have really flexible filter controls - far more sophisticated than the Beomaster 4400, for example.  In the real world, rather than the world occupied by the very minimalist school where any sort of control other than a gain knob is viewed with scepticism, they can be really helpful in reducing the glassy edge on some CDs or to minimise record surface noise without damaging the integrity of the recording. 

The 405 power amp also works rather nicely with speakers like the BBC LS3/5a.  Very classic, old school British HiFi that is still very hard to beat.

regards

Cleve 

Cleve/Peter,

Just a quick thank you for the responses! You both seem to feel very strongly regarding the "4 series." Hmmm, I guess I am just in love with the beautiful "3 series."

I will keep my hands in my pockets until one comes along!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

FFWD>> 8 months...

Wifey: Where did you get the 1940's WWII B&o?

Me: Huh?

burantek:

1940's WWII B&o

LOL

Would it be bad forum (pun intended) to slip a picture in to this thread ?

elephant:

Would it be bad forum (pun intended) to slip a picture in to this thread ?

I don't think that is a problem as we have a few fans on here... perhaps it will turn some other people onto these gems as well!

We are here partially for our love of the B&o aesthetic, but I can't help it when I say: I just love these "3 series" Quad pieces.

I think they are just knockouts!

The most amazing thing is how small they are. For comparison, here they are on top of a BM3300 for scale.

The FM3 Tuner...

...and the 33 preamp.

burantek:

And the 33 preamp.

I loved this design.

Not sure why as the colours are certainly not mainstream ... but I liked the balance and proportions of the sizes of the interface elements and the colour balance

Thanks for the photo ... made me wistful !

Well Jaff, at least you saved us from the photo of the 303 power amp - not the most beautiful of Peter Walker's creations.  Here's a link to some photos

http://www.google.co.uk/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=quad+303&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=4w1bTJXQC5P60wSsxvlZ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=6&ved=0CD4QsAQwBQ&biw=1280&bih=684

Cleve

Cleviebaby:

not the most beautiful of Peter Walker's creations.

True... but it does have a sorta' 1940's WWII industrial charm to it!

Actually, I look at the 303 in the same light as say a BS1 -it is meant to be hidden.

I have yet to source a 303. I may use a Niles SI 275 that is sitting unused -while I wait for the right one. I also need to source interconnects -I see that Sounds Heavenly has them.

burantek:

I have yet to source a 303.

Jaff,

There are always 303s on eBay UK - 12 at the moment and most of the sellers will ship to the US. 

I know what you mean about the 'sorta 40s charm'.  The latest Quad valve amps have it in spades and the new integrated amp is a beautiful piece of industrial design rather then a styling exercise.

Cleve

I have yet to source a 303 nor have I used my existing Niles amp yet.

I am giving serious consideration to a new BeoSound 8 which offers line-level AUX IN.

Q: Is the output of the 33 preamp line level? I think you know where I am going with this!

Thanks in advance!

Hi Jaff,

Nice to see you're still keen on the Quad kit.  Here's a link to the specs for the 33 Preamp, which should answer your query

http://www.toffsandtinks.com/shop/quad-33-specification/info_29.html  

Cleve 

Cleviebaby:

which should answer your query

Indeed it has! .5V

Thanks Cleve and Happy Holidays!

Year+ later and I finally placed an order with Sounds Heavenly for the interconnects!

I will be using the Niles SI 275 amp to drive a pair of S45 single frets to start.

More when the cables arrive!

Year+ later and I stop using my 275! LOL

Not saying its a bad amp - still great! - its just that a Yamaha power amp recently moved in

burantek:

Year+ later and I finally placed an order with Sounds Heavenly for the interconnects!

I will be using the Niles SI 275 amp to drive a pair of S45 single frets to start.

More when the cables arrive!

Yes, but where?  Dining room where I saw them?

Argh...

Something goofy w/ PayPal, and my order has been delayed -maybe even canceled!

@Rich: I have no idea!

Yep, PayPal and their quirkiness have refunded my payment to Steve for "security" reasons!

I emailed and called them... telling them this was a valid transaction and got nothing in return but the refund!

Oh well, cost me a week, some aggravation, and one whole whopping penny for the change in currency conversion!