Quad 33 Preamplifier (2024 Edition)

The external design of the QUAD 33 Pre-Amplifier retains the brand’s characteristic simplicity, but now integrates modern features such as a backlit display, LED illumination, and remote control functionality. The premium machined and anodised front panel, along with an all-metal chassis, enhances its modern look while remaining unmistakably QUAD. Despite its updated digital control system, the QUAD 33 stays true to its analogue roots, reflecting a balance between tradition and technological advancements.

MM/MC Cartridge Compatibility
The QUAD 33 offers improved connectivity with fully balanced XLR inputs and outputs, setting it apart from its predecessors. The new phono stage is compatible with both Moving Magnet and Moving Coil cartridges, allowing seamless switching between the two. The input stage is designed for ultra-low noise performance, using advanced audio op-amps, and includes a high-performance RIAA processing circuit for exceptional sound quality, even during demanding output swings.

Control
The controls of the new QUAD 33 echo the simplicity of the original, with logically grouped functions that are easy to navigate. A backlit LCD screen displays settings and input selections, while motorised volume controls offer both tactile precision and remote adjustment. The addition of bass, tilt, and balance controls allows for fine-tuning of sound without compromising the integrity of the audio. The unique Tilt control, developed by QUAD’s founder Peter Walker, enables precise tonal adjustments by modifying both ends of the frequency spectrum in unison.

Performance and Build Quality
With over 50 years of advancements since the original release, the new QUAD 33 incorporates cutting-edge technology without straying from the brand’s core principles. A custom toroidal transformer, multiple capacitors, and regulators contribute to its superior performance. The robust and aesthetically refined design reflects QUAD’s commitment to both form and function. Built to last, the QUAD 33 maintains signal purity through a direct, short signal path, ensuring high-fidelity audio reproduction while adhering to QUAD’s tradition of ‘the closest approach to the original sound.’

QUAD’s Legacy and Modern Excellence
By revisiting the QUAD 33 and 303 components, QUAD reaffirms its longstanding legacy in the British hi-fi industry, blending authenticity, pedigree, and innovation. This new iteration pays homage to QUAD’s past while showcasing its excellence in modern audio engineering. The QUAD team involved in this project possesses nearly 200 years of combined engineering experience and over 100 years dedicated to QUAD’s unique designs and service, further reinforcing the brand’s enduring commitment to quality.

The Team Behind the Innovation
The development of the new QUAD 33 and 303 was overseen by a team of experts, including Rob Flain and Paul McConville, two of the most experienced QUAD service engineers. Jan Ertner, with three decades of QUAD design expertise, Peter Comeau, the mastermind behind some of QUAD’s most successful loudspeakers, and David McNeill, who has been at the forefront of QUAD’s innovations for two decades, all played key roles. Together, they ensured that the new products could uphold the legacy of the iconic 33 and 303.

Specifications
Physical characteristics
Weight - 4kg
Dimensions (HxWxD) - 258mm x 165mm x 82.9mm
Technical specifications
THD+N - <0.001% 1W, 1kHz, 4 ohms
Frequency response - 20Hz - 20kHz (+/-0.2dB)
Input sensitivity - 695mV (Line / XLR) 3.2mV (Phono MM) 460uV (Phono MC)
Input impedance - 10k (Line / XLR) 47k/100pF (Phono MM) 100R/1.7nF (Phono MC)
Output Impedance - 120 ohms
Inputs/Outputs
Inputs - 3 x RCA, 1 x Balanced XLR (pair), 1 x Phono (MM/MC switchable)
Outputs - 1 x RCA (AUX), 1 x XLR, 1 x RCA (Pre Out), 1 x Headphone, 2 x 12V Trigger Out