Quad 33/303

PREAMPLIFIER/POWER AMPLIFIER COMBO

- MARTIN COLLOMS

Launched in 1967, Quad's highly original, elegantly styled 33 preamplifier and 303 power amplifier were Quad's first all-solid state designs and among the first solid state separates. The 303 may have been one of the first "vertical" amplifiers. Together with the 405 stereo amplifier, which came out in 1975, and the FM2 and FM3 tuners, these products proved to be enduring, widely feted successes from their launch until they were discon

tinued, the 33 in 1982, the 303 in 1985. Meanwhile, they enjoyed massive production runs, were marketed worldwide, and were much admired for their modern industrial design. It's said that Quad sold 120,000 33 preamps and 100,000 303 amplifiers. Across two versions, the 405 sold even more.

Quad introduced new versions of the 33 and 303 (each component $1599) in 2024, apparently moved to do so by the continuing hot market for originals. The 2024 components are not identical to them, but at least conceptually, they share much with the originals. In appearance, the new 33 control unit has distinct echoes of the original, which in its time won many design awards—as did the 303. The 33 retains the compact, chunky, weighty form.

It is finished in a muted, low-key orange/tan, not so different from the original. It has streamlined, low-profile controls and now a matching LCD display, backlit in orange, with user-variable brightness. That LCD panel is small and not high contrast, so it's not easy to read at a distance, especially the smaller, secondary legends.