Dead Quad 34

[TheMJ]

I suggest you taking advantage of this impasse: try a passive pre (or BTW a high-quality variable output CD player). It might well be you're not in a hurry to repair it... I've found a passive better than 33 or 34 when combined with Quad classic solid state power amplifiers as they have high sensitivity and input impedance.

And as always in this hobby, my experience directly contradicts that

Whatever passive pre (cheap to fairly expensive) I have used with my Quad powers amps, and I've had / have a few, have always killed the dynamics.

IME, active pre is the way to go and I've yet to find an affordable pre that is a better match for the 405 than the 34 is. Of course, YMMV.

 

[Seanm]

I'm currently using my headphone amp as a pre for my active speakers and it has to be said I haven't noticed any loss of sound quality. Noisy though, and I like the 34's features (including phono stage) and its looks, so it's going off to Quad tomorrow. Flat £48 charge for labour and they don't expect parts to cost much.

 

[herb]

Early 1980s into QUAD ESLs. I needed to change my 33 to use an MC cart. Comparing with an MM I found that the 34 threw a blanket over the ESLs compared to the 33 with CANCEL engaged.

I ended up with a Musical Fidelity preamp into my 303, this worked well.

Did the 34 with its fixed tilt control improve over time? I did not like the early 34.

 

[Tony L]

Did the 34 with its fixed tilt control improve over time? I did not like the early 34.

The general consensus is the later ones do sound better, this mentioned in the Stereophile review and other places. I've not compared them, I just have a deep-seated hatred of DIN sockets and refuse to have multiple formats for wiring! The 303's 4 pin DIN is the only one that exists in my three systems! It also a reason I have no vintage Naim kit knocking around despite liking it a lot!

PS The 34's phono stage needs a little surgery before it is of any use IMO. The default MM capacitance is way too high for anything bar vintage Shures etc and the non-defeatable rumble filter just sucks the bass and life out of things. Mine has been slightly modded by Rob and holds its own very well with stand-alone stages now. It is surprisingly good on both MM and MC. I have the MM set for modern Ortofons such as the 2M Black and 540/II (40pf, 39k IIRC). They sound horrendously bright into the stock 47k/220pf board, just all about the hi-hats! The rumble filter is on the Q34 main-board, not the phono cards.

 

[herb]

Thanks Tony, yes the DIN sockets may have been part of the problem I had with the 34. I use the RCA output from my CDX2 rather than the DIN output, after careful listening.

The cart was a VMS20E in a Mission 774/LP12. Ultimately a Linn MC worked much better into the MF preamp - a fine system. Much missed.

 

[Tony L]

There is far more than a change of I/O socketry over the 34's lifespan, AIUI later ones use later spec and better/quieter chips etc plus address the board corrosion issues that impacted early ones. The impression I get is that the final rev -7 mainboard is ideally the one you want as effectively that was the final bug-fix, though I'm prefectly happy with my -6 (which to my eyes at least looks all but identical!).