Glenn Croft QUAD II's are back today!

[The Black Adder]

Hi.

After a few days with Glenn having an update and a check over my Glenn Croft amps will be arriving back today... Fingers crossed that the courier hasn't used the box as a punch bag.

A few changes to the power regulation have been updated as he hasn't seen these amps since the mid 90's.

Anyways will get some pics uploaded later and of course the test results.

[Marco]

Nice one, Joe. I'm sure you'll be very pleased with them :)

I've been rather critical of Quad IIs recently, elsewhere on the forum, but that was in reference to the stock, unmodified items, which I always find rather 'pipe & slippers' sounding...

However, I'm sure that Glenn's mods will have succeeded to inject some life into them, even more so now that he's tweaked them again since he last saw them. Anyway, enjoy, and let us know if you can hear any further improvements.

If possible, it would be interesting, for reference, to see a list of the modifications Glenn has carried out to your Quads. Would you know what these are, or perhaps could you ask Glenn to list them in an email, and then post the details on here for our perusal? :cool:

Marco.

[The Black Adder]

Cheers Marco.

Well, to be honest I really... really don't like the sound of stock Quad II's... as you say they are very pipe and slippers. I like my amps to be more modern sounding, punchy, fast and dynamic to portray my music tastes.

When I first heard these at Classique sounds though I had the best of both worlds because one thing I love is the physical design of the Quad II's and together with a modern dynamic sound it's a perfect combination for me as to others too I guess.

I'll try and get a list of modifications too. All together though Glenn has been superb as he worked on them over the weekend.

[The Black Adder]

ok some pics:

Before:
http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/musical_submarine/QUAD01/DSC04885.jpg

After:
http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/musical_submarine/QUAD01/DSC05322_a.jpg

Some major changes made there as you can see.

Sound wise... WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAHHH! - Everything is so much more defined like for example the sound of the skin on a kick drum is much more defined but without the loss of any bass, infact increased bass and all done so well with no exaggerated bloom although there was nothing wrong with the sound before the upgrade this revised version adds that little more to the mix.

An increased / wider stage too with more air.

So yeah, I'm appy as 10 bunnies in a bunny orgy. lol

[DSJR]

Glenn does seem to have gone away from the huge capacitor trend he had around twenty years ago. My Series 4"PP" preamp has had much the same treatment under Glenn's direction and seems no worse at all for it.. I remember that these "II's" are different again from mine, which I believe to be nearer to "stock" form.

Marco, I know we've discussed it before, but although you'll never take the "pipe and slippers" away from the II's completely (I think Joe's amps are summat else entirely :)), you can at least get them to give up the pipe and replace it with a nice alcoholic beverage (some real ale) instead :lol:..

Here's mine for another gander at the difference...

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/DSJR_photos/QuadIIcropped.jpg

[The Black Adder]

LOL... I too think the pipe could be dropped and a propper Ale is always good.

I was really surprised to see the difference when I got them back too... I guess the design takes out the need for the big caps?

[DSJR]

Yours look as if they've been doing weight training with those KT88's? fitted. A design classic and IMO a wonderful juggle of compromises, 'cos to me, they go wrong in all the right places :eyebrows:

[Reid Malenfant]

I was really surprised to see the difference when I got them back too... I guess the design takes out the need for the big caps?
Maybe, capacitor technology has come on in leaps & bounds in the last 20 years though ;) What used to be the size of a pint glass is now available with better performance in the size of a large egg cup in a lot of cases :eyebrows: