Quad Electroacoustics

Quad Electroacoustics is a British company that manufactures hi-fi products.

History

The company was founded in 1936 by Peter J. Walker ( 1916-2003 ) in London as SP Fidelity Sound Systems founded and renamed in the same year in Acoustical Manufacturing Co. Ltd.. Five years later the company moved to Huntingdon.

With the amplifiers QA12 / QA12 and / P, 1948, the first Consumer Products were offered. From 1950 to 1953, the QUAD I, a vacuum tube mono amplifier (15 watts) was produced. His successor, the QUAD II, was built from 1953 to 1970. In 1957, the first electrostatic speaker was with the ESL, later ESL -57, introduced worldwide. It was also built with more modern outer shell from the German company BRAUN as LE1 under license. Two years later came the QC 22, a stereo preamplifier with separate AM / FM tuner on the market.

1966, the first transistor amplifier for the professional market was offered: 50, 50 / E. A year later the stereo components plant Quad 33 was put on the market, which was built until 1985, more than 100,000 times. From 1975 to 1982, the quad power amplifier was 405 and they built detaching power amplifier 405-2. In the late 1970s, the precursors were presented 34 and 44. 1981 was brought to the market with the ESL -63, a new electrostatic speakers.

In 1982, the company was finally in QUAD Electroacoustics Ltd.. renamed.

1995 QUAD Electroacoustics Ltd. was sold to the Verity Group plc, which also owns the brands Wharfedale and Mission. Production was moved completely to Shenzhen in China.

In September 1997, QUAD was together with Wharfedale part of the International Audio Group. Since Walker's death QUAD thus has no connection to originally founded company with its former quality.

Hifi products

Peter Walker had the intention to bring high-quality hi-fi products in the living room. Made famous are the electrostatics of the company Quad, which were produced by Brown under license.

Quad II

After the 2nd World War, Peter Walker designed a pre-stage power amplifier combination with associated radio receivers. A later version with 40 watts used the KT88 tube type instead of KT66.

Quad 33

This precursor were built in quad electroaccoustics in Huntington 1967-1985. It was originally part of a set from the precursor itself is the final stage 303 and the FM radio receiver FM3 and a wooden cabinet in which precursor and the receiver should be placed. Also there should have been a long-wave receiver. The devices are narrower than the hi- standard 19 -inch standard. Sonically, the system is based rather on the previous models, Quad II with tube technology.

Inputs and outputs: The Quad 33 has DIN inputs. Only the later models of the Series 34 and 44 possessed RCA inputs. On the back there are inputs and outputs for Tape, a phono input, as well as a radio input. So you have a total of 4 inputs. Up to phono inputs are first aligned to 100 mV signal strength. but because Today's units are producing at 1000 mV high levels, attenuation of -20 dB should here be installed ( this can be done in the cable via a resistor ). The inputs offer enough reserves to cope with potential high-level signals without distortion. The tape deck is controlled via tape card, can be made on the volume adjustments. The phono card allows both magnetic and moving-coil systems and has to be plugged in accordance therewith. On the back there is also the output for the amplifier. This is a 4 -pin DIN connector.

Controls: The volume pot is also the on-off switch. This was so (eg, Klein Hummel, here, however, the height potentiometer ) in other plants this time. However, the pot is of poor quality and has the lower volume range a bad synchronization. The tone control is as follows: There is first of all the treble and bass controls. Then there is additionally a potentiometer for control of certain keys on preselected frequencies (quasi- parametric EQ ).

Quad FM3

Together with the Quad 33 FM Tuner FM 3 was designed in the same style.

Quad 303

Transistor amplifier with 2 x 45 watts into 8 ohms. The Quad 303 was designed with a Quad 33 is the successor of the tube system. The tonal qualities have been so convincing that Pink Floyd the 303 began during the studio as a monitor power amp.

Quad 34

In the late 70s the two precursors 34 and 44 were expelled and replaced the model 33 nor to the Quad Color- 33 ajar reported the early models of the Quad 34 still on DIN connectors. The later models were then RCA inputs and outputs. The principle of the installation of plug-in cards for phono inputs (magnetic or moving coil ) was still supplemented by a board for CD. The separation into a precursor with a final stage has been retained. The quad was combined 34 with a Quad 405 power amp. But even with a Quad 303, the 34/44 are combined.

Quad 44

The Quad 44 preamp is the bigger brother of the Quad 34 and is the successor to the Quad 33 as new were recorded for example RCA inputs and outputs, CD input, and a new tone control.

Quad 405

A semiconductor amplifier with low distortion, the amp Quad 405 dar. core is the new current dumping principle on which the company has received a patent (U.S. Patent 3,970,953, expired ).

• Electronics manufacturers
• Audio equipment manufacturer
• Hardware Manufacturers (United Kingdom)
• Companies ( Cambridgeshire)