Quad 3 Integrated Amplifier

Description

Quad 3 Integrated Amplifier

The Quad 3 Integrated Amplifier brings together classic British hi-fi styling and thoroughly modern connectivity in one compact, beautifully engineered amplifier.

Inspired by Quad’s iconic 22 and 33 designs, the Quad 3 combines a distinctive retro-modern appearance with 65 watts per channel of Class AB amplification, a high-performance ESS DAC, moving magnet phono stage, HDMI ARC, aptX HD Bluetooth and high-resolution USB audio. It is designed to appeal equally to traditional analogue listeners and modern digital music users.

65W Class AB Amplification

At the heart of the Quad 3 is a bespoke Class AB power amplifier using a Complementary Feedback topology. A substantial 235VA toroidal transformer and 30,000µF reservoir provide the power supply with plenty of energy in reserve, helping the amplifier maintain control and dynamic headroom with a wide range of loudspeakers.

Power output is rated at 65 watts per channel into 8 ohms, rising to 100 watts per channel into 4 ohms, with maximum current delivery of up to 10A per channel.

Premium ESS ES9038Q2M DAC

Digital conversion is handled by the highly regarded ESS ES9038Q2M 32-bit DAC. Quad combines the DAC with a dedicated Class A post-DAC filter stage, proprietary clocking and carefully designed power supplies to help reduce noise and preserve low-level detail.

The result is a digital section designed to deliver clarity, scale and refinement across everything from CD-quality sources to high-resolution audio.

High-Resolution USB Audio

The rear USB-B input supports high-resolution playback up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512, making the QUAD 3 an excellent partner for a computer-based music system.

Optical and coaxial digital inputs support sample rates up to 192kHz, while selectable digital filters allow the sound to be fine-tuned to suit different sources and personal preferences.

Digital Upsampling

The Quad 3 can optionally upsample digital audio from S/PDIF and USB sources to either 352.8kHz or 384kHz. This gives users an additional way to tailor digital playback, alongside five selectable DAC filter settings.

HDMI ARC for TV Sound

A built-in HDMI ARC input allows the Quad 3 to become the audio hub of a premium two-channel television system. Connect a compatible TV and enjoy films, programmes and streaming services through your main hi-fi speakers, giving significantly better sound than most built-in television speakers while retaining simple day-to-day control.

aptX HD Bluetooth

Bluetooth 5.1 is built in, with support for aptX and aptX HD. This makes it easy to stream directly from compatible smartphones, tablets and computers while retaining better sound quality than basic Bluetooth connections.

Moving Magnet Phono Stage

Vinyl users are well catered for with a dedicated low-noise moving magnet phono stage. This allows a compatible turntable to connect directly to the Quad 3 without the need for an external phono preamplifier, making it easy to combine vinyl with modern digital sources in one compact system.

Dedicated Headphone Amplifier

Rather than treating the headphone socket as an afterthought, Quad has fitted the amplifier with a dedicated current-feedback headphone stage. The 6.35mm headphone output supports headphones between 20 and 600 ohms, making it suitable for a wide range of high-quality models.

Quad Tilt Control

The Quad 3 revives one of the company’s most distinctive features: Tilt control. Rather than simply boosting bass or treble independently, Tilt adjusts the overall tonal balance around a central pivot point, allowing the sound to be subtly warmed or brightened while maintaining a natural character.

A separate bass control and stereo balance adjustment are also included, and the tone controls can be defeated when a completely direct signal path is preferred.

Classic Quad Styling

Visually, the Quad 3 draws strong inspiration from the company’s historic 22 and 33 preamplifiers.

Its compact chassis, flush-mounted rotary controls and two-tone fascia give it a distinctive appearance that combines vintage character with modern build quality. At just 300mm wide, it is considerably more compact than many conventional integrated amplifiers and is easy to accommodate in smaller listening spaces.

Key Features:

• Class AB integrated amplifier
• 2 x 65W into 8 ohms / 2 x 100W into 4 ohms
• ESS ES9038Q2M 32-bit DAC
• Optical and coaxial digital inputs
• HDMI ARC
• Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX and aptX HD
• Dedicated low-noise MM phono stage
• Dedicated current-feedback headphone amplifier

Classic QUAD Character with Modern Flexibility

The QUAD 3 is a particularly appealing choice for listeners who want something different from a conventional integrated amplifier.

Its combination of classic QUAD styling, strong Class AB amplification, excellent digital capability, vinyl support and HDMI ARC makes it equally suitable for a traditional hi-fi system or a more contemporary setup built around streaming, TV and digital sources.