Quad II Review | Audiophilepure

https://www.hifinews.com/content/quad-valves-reinvented

Factor out nostalgia. Forget the miracle of Quad Making Valve Amps In The 21st Century. Look at the Quad units in terms of a current pre/power tube combination. Then look at the opposition. Now factor in gorgeous styling, superb build quality, perfect ergonomics, ample grunt, genuine heritage and the kind of sound which allows valve enthusiasts to show two fingers to transistor users. Suddenly, you sense a virtue found in Quad products made prior to the 405: unparalleled cost-to-performance ratio.

The preamp sounds like what I’d expect of a £2500 unit. The power amps? The best current all-tube rig I can think of below £3500, which is what you’d pay for the heartwarming Audio Research VT50. Eyes closed, then, and this system says to me, ‘£6000’. Which is what the old management wanted just for the Celebration Quad II alone. At £3995 for the QC-twentyfour and the Quad ll-forty, the waiting list is already thrice around the block.