Comments on: Quad 303 and 33: The Budget Audiophiler

By: Yud Reish

Yud Reish — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 09:48:13 +0000

I’m also a proud user of the Quad 33/303 combo. Sources are Roon and Phono. My vinyls sound way better, probably because my Schiity basic DAC (will upgrade soon). My speakers are Magnepan .7s, which are 4 ohm / 86db speakers.

I connect the 33 to a HSU 12V subwoofer amp. The HSU amp has a 60Hz low-pass filter (LPF) to the sub and a high-pass filter (HPF) back to the 303. I think this helps the 303 perform better, as it doesn’t have to handle the sub-60Hz frequencies. I’ve ordered 52Hz and 43Hz cross frequencies modules from HSU, I’ll experiment which works best for the 303 & MG.

The sound is sweet, holographic, and quite detailed. I listen frequently and for hours end without fatigue. The music is delivered elegantly and effortlessly. Though I can, accidentally, cause the 303 to choke if I crank the volume up too high (happens with high dynamic classical recordings). But as long as I keep the volume in the 3-6 (33 volume dial) sweet spot it’s all perfect.

I recapped the 303 in 2019, but lately I’ve been hearing crackling sounds from the right speaker after a long listen, even when all sources are disconnected. After power and cool down it goes away. I hope it’s not because of the 4 ohm load of the speakers.

By: Ian White

Ian White — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 18:51:41 +0000

In reply to Curtis.

Curtis,

That does sound good. How much did you pay for the 303?

By: Curtis

Curtis — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 18:24:56 +0000

The 303 has always amazed me. I picked one several years ago. Loved it so much I grabbed another when the price was too good to pass up. I always tend to go through system switch-ups for the hell of it (modern and vintage), trying to find that sweet pairing, and I have to say that I always come back to the Quad 303. I’m not sure what exactly it is about it, but it seems like one of those amps that has zero fatigue, it’s detailed with warmth but still punchy. Currently, I have it paired with a Bryston 11B pre and KEF 104/2 speakers. Vinyl only. Sublime.

By: Ian White

Ian White — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 00:55:23 +0000

In reply to rl18856.

RL,

I do that when a column starts to generate interest again and this is one of those cases. When it was originally published, the QUAD 303/33 piece generated over 30,000 reads and I noticed over the summer that it generated almost 500 in July which is normally a rather slow period. People seem to be finding these for sale online (eBay) or Audiogon, and Jeremy’s article kept popping up. I will let him answer your Niles question.

Best,

By: rl18856

rl18856 — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 18:40:33 +0000

Resurrecting a column from 2021… Regardless. You mentioned use of a Niles A/B switcher. Does this device allow you to switch between using 2 amplifiers and 1 set of speakers, without having to constantly change connections ? If so, do you notice any degradation in sound quality ?

By: Louis McFarlane

Louis McFarlane — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 20:13:03 +0000

I had the 303, 33 & FM3.
Sold the Pre-amp and FM tuner. Kept the 303 and added a 405 and 606. All still working after all these years.

By: E.T. Nolan

E.T. Nolan — Sat, 28 May 2022 11:59:50 +0000

In reply to Chris. I bought mine in the late 70's. No issues with them and paired with a Rega Planar deck and Spotify from a Samsung a22 I have all the music I want.

By: Ian White

Ian White — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 22:16:48 +0000

In reply to Science Gent. The 33/303 combination is really nice. It's sadly selling for 2-3 times that amount here now from dealers who have refurbished sets. Ian White

By: Science Gent

Science Gent — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 22:10:48 +0000

Bought a 33/303 combo with tuner a couple of years ago. At something like £450 it seemed very reasonable. With an Arcam CDS50 at one end and my ancient mini magneplanars on the other, the sound is excellent and I don’t expect to change anything soon.

By: Max

Max — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 21:22:10 +0000

In reply to Guy Grundy. Certainly built to last. I'm using my 45 year old set right now. I bought some new Quad speakers about 25 years ago. I don't expect to ever buy another amplifier or speakers.