Audiophilepure

Once I remembered that I was supposed to be writing a review, I put on a few of my classic test tracks. Up first was Mika’s Live at Brooklyn Steel album. Listening to the song “Popular” you could feel the energy of the crowed. Mika’s voice was positioned more forward then I am used to, but the stage in general felt deeper. Instruments were well separated throughout the song and detail retrieval seemed to be consistent at high and lower volumes. As other songs on the album played, I continued to be impressed. The song “Tomorrow” thundered over my speakers and the clarity and depth of the stage was really felt. There were a few points where the sound stage lost a little definition, but these were also the most complex parts of the song (which again is okay in the context of a single ended DHT amplifier), turning the volume down slightly would restore the detail that was lost.

Listening to Yello’s The Eye, I really saw the speed of the ampsandsound Arch Monoblock amplifiers come to life. Each drum hit was clear, concise and exact. Sound seems to simply start and stop, and to continue with analogies I would compare it to a ballerina instead of break dancer. However, just imagine that the ballerina was as fun to watch as a break dancer. That is the thing with the Arch Monos–they were simply fun, and they were fun even when they were exacting and precise, and this is what makes them special. Listening to “Indigo Bay,” the Arch Monos painted a soundscape that enveloped the entire room. Each bass note reached low and the synth tracks had just the right amount of bite. It was enthralling.

Wrapping up my listening impressions, I listened to Cat Steven’s Teaser and the Firecat,
specifically the song “Moonshadow.” The bite of the guitar was palpable but never overbearing. I was able to turn the volume up to concert levels and at no point did the soundstage collapse nor did the detail ever change form pleasant to fatiguing. The final guitar round at the end of the song was especially impactful. The volume raises about 30% and the mic on the guitar becomes particularly hot. Normally I am reaching for the volume, but with the Arch Monos I simply sat back and let them do their thing, smiling the entire way.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/quad-valves-reinvented

Factor out nostalgia. Forget the miracle of Quad Making Valve Amps In The 21st Century. Look at the Quad units in terms of a current pre/power tube combination. Then look at the opposition. Now factor in gorgeous styling, superb build quality, perfect ergonomics, ample grunt, genuine heritage and the kind of sound which allows valve enthusiasts to show two fingers to transistor users. Suddenly, you sense a virtue found in Quad products made prior to the 405: unparalleled cost-to-performance ratio.

The preamp sounds like what I’d expect of a £2500 unit. The power amps? The best current all-tube rig I can think of below £3500, which is what you’d pay for the heartwarming Audio Research VT50. Eyes closed, then, and this system says to me, ‘£6000’. Which is what the old management wanted just for the Celebration Quad II alone. At £3995 for the QC-twentyfour and the Quad ll-forty, the waiting list is already thrice around the block.