Devotees of this site may have already read my review of my aging Quad303/33 system. I dubbed the 303/33 as classic hi-fi for the connoisseur. My 99 system is all that and more on steroids!
With the 99 series Quad have again raised the bar in Audio Quality. This isn’t just an amplifier it ... Read review
Quad's 99 series pre-amplifier is built for the discerning audiophile. Designed to match ... more
the Quad 99 Power Amplifier or 909 Power Amplifier, it features inputs for the matching Quad 99 CD player, as well as for a turntable with a moving-magnet or movin...
The 99 CD-P is an exceptional CD player - without doubt, one of the finest and most ... more
advanced machines available. It uses a state-of-the-art transport and DAC, and incorporates both fixed and variable level outputs so it can be used both with a Pre-Amplifier, or to maintain the very cleanest signal path, directly into a Power Amplifier.The transport has a remarkable specification with an ultra-smooth servo to dramatically reduce ‘clock jitter’. The three laser pickup reads the disc with exceptional accuracy ensuring transparency and neutrality in reproduction. And the very latest 24 bit/192 kHz upsampling Crystal DAC produces breathtaking detail and resolution, opening a window to the recording and squeezing out the most subtle of nuances."A fine player with a lush sonic style that you'll never tire of", What HiFi Sound and Vision Autumn 2005.Finally, six digital inputs, (three coaxial and thee optical) allow other sources to benefit from the on-board DACs and in some systems, negate the need for a preamplifier altogether.
Advantages: Superbly engineered maximum quality system that will last a lifetime. Disadvantages: A complete system will cost over £4000 which is beyond reach for some people.
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With the 99 series Quad have again raised the bar in Audio Quality. This isn’t just an amplifier it is a whole musical work of art. Quad have always used the slogan "The closest Approach" and with this baby they take you even closer still.
I was very fortunate… I won mine in a competition otherwise I think it would have been some while before I could have saved up enough pennies to buy the entire system which weighs ... ...this.
My Quad 99 system comprises of:
99 Pre Amp control unit.
99 Power Amp
99 FM tuner
99 CDP2 Cd player
11L2 Speakers
I will posting reviews for each of these components on the site over the next few days.
In this first section I will consider the Pre Amp.
Quad systems have changed a bit since the days of my old faithful bronze orange and cream ... more
Devotees of this site may have already read my review of my aging Quad303/33 system. I dubbed the 303/33 as classic hi-fi for the connoisseur. My 99 system is all that and more on steroids!
With the 99 series Quad have again raised the bar in Audio Quality. This isn’t just an amplifier it is a whole musical work of art. Quad have always used the slogan "The closest Approach" and with this baby they take you even closer still.
I was very fortunate… I won mine in a competition otherwise I think it would have been some while before I could have saved up enough pennies to buy the entire system which weighs in at around £4000 once you have all the bits. However before you all run off screaming overpriced... NO! it definitely isn't! You will get every pennies worth of sound and in fact I would say that it is very reasonably priced for what it is, namely the Rolls-Royce of hifi.
It is very difficult to review this system as individual components because one of the joys of it is the fabulously simple way that it all links together using the new Quadbus technology. Gone are all the rats nest cables and instead what you have is a single elegant stack linked together by a neat set of ribbon cables.
The first thing you will notice about this system is that for such a tiny set of boxes it is almost impossibly heavy! If I dropped it I really think it would dent the floor rather than the other way round!
Finished in an elegant silver grey the whole system oozes quality from the second it comes out of the packing. The only slight disappointment is the made in china sticker on the back. Sadly it seems that the days of rows of old boys toiling over hot soldering irons in a workshop somewhere in Huntingdon have passed away Heigh-ho! These days the systems are designed in the UK but like many other high-end manufacturers the lure of a cheap but attentive work force has proved irresistible. Happily a quick inspection confirms that no quality has been lost through this move so whilst it is sad one must be realistic about this.
My Quad 99 system comprises of:
99 Pre Amp control unit. 99 Power Amp 99 FM tuner 99 CDP2 Cd player 11L2 Speakers
I will posting reviews for each of these components on the site over the next few days.
In this first section I will consider the Pre Amp.
Quad systems have changed a bit since the days of my old faithful bronze orange and cream styled 33 pre-amp. Gone are the slightly quirky but clever plug in modules which allowed the amp input sensitivity to be customised and matched to a wide range of equipment. Gone are the push button switches which were very futuristic when they were first fitted but became a source of annoyance later as they aged and became noisy.
In their place is a minmalist brushed metal case with a green LED display panel and some basic logic controlled switches on the front to allow operation of the essential functions of the amp. To do anything clever like adjusting the input sensitivities and response curve (yes you can still do it) you have to have the remote control which is supplied with the unit.
The remote provides access to all the necessary advanced functions many of which, like the tone controls, have been given the usual Quad minimalist reinterpretation. If you want multi-band equalisation which can make a violin sound like a chainsaw, and which will flash pretty bar graphs up and down whilst it does it then Quad will NOT be your scene. However if you want a system which will accurately reproduce the recording and provide you with ample ability to compensate for any shortcomings in the acoustics or set up of your listening environment this is the one for you.
Sonically it is superb. When you first turn the system on the first thing you notice is what is absent, namely any hum hiss or other noise. This amp is quiet like no other I have ever owned. But start to run a signal through it and the fun really starts. The reproduction is sweet and clear with not a hint of distortion anywhere. Voices seem to leap out of the wall at you and instruments sound as if they are in the same room.
The other thing you will note if you turn the amp round is the lack of the usual birds nest of cable. Quad have latterly gone down the road of using high line level flat ribbon cables called Quadbus to replace all those messy interconnects. The only time a phono plug is needed is when you want to connect a non Quad piece of equipment for example our Pioneer DAT.
The pre-amp comes well equipped with inputs. Besides the CD tuner tape and phono there are also a generous three auxillary inputs which i use with my DVD and TV systems.
If you want to use it with non quad peripherals you don't have to use the Quadbus ribbons as all the inputs and outputs are replicated as phono sockets for convenience. Digital inputs are also catered for via the CDP2 unit - but as I am writing a separate review of that unit I will save the details for inclusion there.
Overall it is a superb product and well worth the highest possible commendation. My old Quad 33/303 system which is now approaching it’s 40th birthday is still working almost flawlessly. So being realistic I doubt if I will ever buy another one as in forty years time I will be well over eighty. But if I ever do buy another system you may be sure of one thing… the name QUAD will always be on the front!
