Quad 303 Power Amp 2024 Edition

A True Classic
Manufacturer: Quad
Availability: In stock
Manufacturer part number: Quad 303 Power Amplifier
Free shipping
*
£1,199.00

If you are going to update a classic, the 33/303 has to be top of the list to do. A genuine classic bit of Hifi bought up to date. More than just Newstalgia, the 33/303 2024 Edition is a redesigned Pre/Power combination in the style of classic Quad. 

Such a well respected partnership requires extensive knowledge and with Peter Comeau incharge of the design, it has been in very safe hands. 

Now on Demo - Come for a listen, you know you want too! 

By revisiting the QUAD 33 and 303 components, QUAD demonstrates its authenticity, pedigree and excellence as a juggernaut of the British hi-fi world - past and present.

In listing the names involved in the development of this stunning iteration of an icon, you’ll find a calculation of close to 200 years of engineering experience and 100+ years of QUAD-exclusive design and service.

A dream team of Rob Flain & Paul McConville (the world’s most experienced QUAD service engineers), Jan Ertner (30 years of experience in QUAD design), Peter Comeau (the acoustic director behind some of QUAD’s most successful loudspeakers) and David McNeill (the industrial designer responsible for two decades of QUAD innovations) were all a part of this labour of love, making no compromise in the demand for a product that could bear the name of 33 and 303.

The QUAD 303 power amplifier was intended for normal domestic use with loudspeakers of moderate efficiency, but was also used by broadcasting and recording studios, worldwide, who appreciate its excellent performance and dependability. The ethos hasn’t deviated.

The outstanding performance of the QUAD 303 is still celebrated to this day, and is largely due to the unique output circuit developed by QUAD.

In reissuing the QUAD 303 power amplifier concept, exactly like the matching 33 preamplifer, QUAD’s incomparably experienced service team was matched with the equally adept engineering team to reinvoke the design, romance and performance in a thoroughly modern iteration of a hi-fi legend.

As with the new QUAD 33, every aspect of design and performance has been analysed and re-engineered way beyond simply modernising components and refreshing of specifications.

However, much like the original, the new QUAD 303 maintains its faithfulness to the original by employing the famous QUAD ‘symmetrical triples’. Employed to provide a completely symmetrical output stage, greatly reducing distortion and rendering the resting current independent of output transistor temperature.

This development enables the designers to reduce distortion to emphatically low levels without sacrificing stability and to maintain this excellence under all dynamic conditions.

To put this in perspective, the lowest theoretical distortion present on the very source material will still be some hundred times greater than that the QUAD 303!

The amplifier cannot be upset even when overdriven by an asymmetrical signal or by shorting or disconnecting the loudspeakers.

A brand new 200VA, custom-specified, low-noise toroidal transformer has been developed for the new 303.

The output stage of the discrete power amplifier circuit employs an advanced feedback topology to ensure superior linearity and exceptional thermal stability. Through its Class AB design, the ideal current is maintained independently of the temperature of the output transistors.

The result is a compact, cool-running power amplifier that possesses the capacity to deliver dynamic power and maintain a firm hold on the music while providing rich sonic detail.

Always respected for its conservative but consistent power-output, the classic QUAD 303 was officially rated at 45W @ 8 ohms. A modest but honest output, the 303’s venerability is in the finesse of the performance, not just the raw power. The new model is thoroughly the same.

However, with some tweaking and enhancements, the 303 is loaded with a little extra power – offering 50W @ 8 ohms (70W @ 4 ohms) with a maximum current delivery of 10A into difficult loads. The original 303 was known to have issues with lower impedance loads, the new 303 has no such trouble. Perfectly suited to the more demanding requirements of the modern audiophile, it ensures any speakers – even including QUAD’s electrostatic designs – can be driven with ease. Connectivity options comprise single-ended RCA and balanced XLR inputs, a 12V trigger input and high-quality speaker binding posts. Simple, solid and thoroughly authentic, inside and out. The power output for 'bridged mode' (for use as a mono-block power amplifier) reaches 140W @ 8 ohms or 170W @ 4 ohms (bridged mono).

Specifications

ModelQUAD 303
General DescriptionPower Amplifier
Design Philosophy and Core TechnologyClass AB Power Amplifier
QUAD 303 Triples Output Stage
Custom 200VA Toroidal Transformer
Stereo/Bridge mode selection
Inputs1 x Line, 1 x XLR
Outputs1 x 12V Trigger
1 x Stereo Speaker, 1 x 12V Trigger (Link)
Power Amplifier Section 
Gain+29dB
Rated Power OutputStereo: 2 x 50W (8 ohms, THD<1%)
Stereo: 2 x 70W (4 ohms, THD<1%)
Bridged: 140W (8 ohms, THD<1%)
Bridged: 170W (4 ohms, THD<1%)
Frequency Response20Hz - 20kHz (+/-0.3dB)
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)<0.002% (1kHz)
Input Impedance10k ohms
Input Sensitivity700mVrms (Line)
1.5Vrms (XLR)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (S/N)> 108dB (A - weighted)
Max. Output Current10A
General 
Standby Power Consumption<0.5W
Net Weight8.4kg
Gross Weight9.5kg
Dimensions (mm) (W x H x D)120 x 176 x 325
Carton Size (mm) (W x H x D)226 x 312 x 462
FinishClassic QUAD Grey
Power Requirements (depending on region)220 - 240V - 50 / 60Hz
100 - 120V - 50 / 60Hz
Standard accessoriesPower Cord, Remote Control, User Manual
Products specifications
Attribute nameAttribute value
Item ConditionNew