Hello advice please

[PeterQuadGlos]

I have to start by saying that my interest in HiFi is limited to wanting a reasonable sound at the lowest cost and as you will see from my system I have not be keeping up to date. I have Quad 33 and 405 (both recently rennovated with the 405 modified to the 405 Mk2 - great job by Rob Beales near Worcester), Celestion SL6 speakers and Arcam Alpha CD player. I am emotionally attached to the Quad amps, but less so with the speakers and CD player. I have been amazed that the Acram has kept going so long and part of me has been hoping for a faliure so I can update. The system is in a room that is 3.5M x 7M and the SL6s give me sufficient volume. As regards music I like classical, folk and Rock - big Richard Thompson fan -, but my priority is that voice and acoustic instuments sound authentic. I am very happy with the sound I get in that respect; as I type Olivia Chaney singing with the Kronos Quartet sounds real.

Essentially I am looking to replace the speakers and cd player with something that is low priced but offers some improvement. My questions start with has technology moved on so much that I can get some gain without breaking the bank. For example would the Monitor Audio Bronze 2 and Marantz CD6006 be better than what I have (yes my extensive research has gone as far as What HiFi best buys.). If not should I be looking to buy used to get better. If so any suggestions? Finally I have the chance to buy some Quad11L speakers. Would these be better than the Celestions?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

[Barry]

Welcome to AoS Peter,

I'm pleased to read you are happy with your Quad gear (I'm a big Quad fan myself), though the Quad 33 ought to be updated with the NET Audio mods or similar.

Can't really comment on speakers, save to say your Celestions received good reviews in their day. I believe the Quad speakers were designed for them by Spendor.

I'm sure someone will be along soon to suggest some replacements for both your speakers and CD player.

Enjoy the Forum
Barry

[walpurgis]

Hi Peter. Welcome to AOS.

Good idea having your Quad's renovated. I'm not familar with Rob Beales work though.

Me personally, I'd ignore anything stated in 'What Hi-Fi'. I don't nesessarily trust or go along with what is said in magazines.

I would never swap SL6 speakers for Quad 11's. I don't like the rather flat, two dimensional sound I've hears from the Quads. The SL6 is good, suits the Quad amplification and is definitely a bit of a classic design.

As for CD players, why not use Quad to go with the amps? Quad have always made good players. Or, consider something from Rega, their players are well liked and well supported by the manufacturer.

Anyway, there plenty going on here, so take a look around and join in the chat.


Enjoy the forum,
Geoff.

[kambo_z]

Welcome to AoS Peter,

I'm pleased to read you are happy with your Quad gear (I'm a big Quad fan myself), though the Quad 33 ought to be updated with the NET Audio mods or similar.

Can't really comment on speakers, save to say your Celestions received good reviews in their day. I believe the Quad speakers were designed for them by Spendor.

I'm sure someone will be along soon to suggest some replacements for both your speakers and CD player.

Enjoy the Forum
Barry

Hi Barry,

I am looking to buy a second system quad 33 / 303. As you mentioned on your post that mode from net audio will make it special. I have a question that if i spent probably £700, buying second hand system and do full upgrade. Is it outperform other amplifier in same bracket price. For example, Roksan kandy, Naim audia nait 5i. thanks

[Barry]

Hi Barry,

I am looking to buy a second system quad 33 / 303. As you mentioned on your post that mode from net audio will make it special. I have a question that if i spent probably £700, buying second hand system and do full upgrade. Is it outperform other amplifier in same bracket price. For example, Roksan kandy, Naim audia nait 5i. thanks

Hello Bikram,

My experience with NET AUDIO mods has been limited to their upgrade of the Quad 405 amp with dual mono power supplies. However I have sufficient confidance in their work to recommend you have them upgrade both your 33 and 303. A full upgrade, including conversion of the power output stage from quasi-complimentary to fully complimentary, improved power supplies and input boards on the 33, will set you back about £500 if you ask NET to do the work for you. I would regard that as money well spent - taking what was a very good design in the day and bringing it up to date with more modern and robust components.

I would hesitate to say how an upgraded 33/303 would compare with the other amplifiers you have mentioned, simply because I have no experience of either of them. If the purchase cost of the 33/303 combination + the NET upgrades exceed your budget of £700, then just have the work done the 33 first, and discuss with NET what the minimum essential work that would need to be done on the 303. In my experience a replacement of the large capacitors is usually required.

Barry

[kambo_z]

Thanks Barry for your valuable suggestions.

[Haselsh1]

Wow, this has indeed brought back some memories of 1983. At that time I had two close friends who owned their own Hi-Fi shop and I helped them out as often as I could as long as I got to hear the highly exotic equipment which I did. On one occasion we had hooked up some Crimson Electric amplification into Celestion SL6's and they were mind blowing. Obviously using a vinyl front end the sound was so realistic by the then standards of the day. Sadly, at that time my finances were not quite what they later became. I had a Logic DM101 with Naim amplification and QLN loudspeakers. Nice memories.

[walpurgis]

Having used the Quad 303 and 306. I'd have to say I prefer the sound of the 306. I find it more transparent and clean. Power output is similar for both.

The 306 responds well to use with a decent passive pre-amp, which in my view would be significanly better than using a 33 pre-amp, which to me is somewhat dull.

[Macca]

The 303 is very good after the upgrades. Never heard an upgraded 33 but having heard stock ones a few times I'd hope the upgrade for them involves ripping everything out of it and starting again from scratch because I really don't rate them at all.

[hifinutt]

great fan of the marantz sa8005 , its very good vfm . having had some fairly high end cd players i think it punches way above its price point

[Dickchy]

Welcome to AoS. I’m a very new member here myself. I am the owner of a Net modified 33/303 though they are not being used at the moment.
The difference between them and the original is very large. In a nutshell, the sound is more “modern” which not everyone likes of course. More dynamics, more energetic.
However my understanding is that David Pritchard, the man behind Net, died a couple of years ago. I was considering getting a second 303 modified and bi-amping them but my e-mails to Net a year or so ago went unanswered. Someone may have taken the business over however.
I may consider selling them but at the moment they are on standby duty.
Good luck.

Richard A