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Hifi that gives you "the fizz"

So, if it's big, black, menacing looking audio, that's my fizz.

My fizz is JL Audio’s Gotham v2 as it's the component that has impressed me the most over the last thirty three years and followed by the Fathom f212 v2. Both are big, heavy, in gorgeous Gloss Black finish :cool: and menacing to look at. Simply jaw dropping performance.

Bad boys :)

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That's fighting talk :)! Funny enough, when I was at art college industrial design was one of the options I considered for dipAD. Perhaps it's just as well I didn't go down that path as I might not have had a job at the end of it! I still like much of the Quad style of design. They did choose some rather nice offbeat colours, with a nice variation for the knobs and that lovely contrasting orange. As it wasn't anodyne I suppose it is inevitable that some would like, and others hate it. May the woofers from hell protect us from boring hifi design, of which there is, sadly, a great deal. Just a shame that the Quad 33 was so awful sounding...

Yes, different opinions.
I too like the marigold - not orange :D - 33, but it doesn’t sound awful. I enjoy it every single day. Yet I also have very posh stuff, including valve. Its phono stage is brilliant, and very quiet. My context: 33/303/ESL57. I kid thee not. Equally fine on 94 dB/W speakers.
Peter Walker designed it entirely, yes.
 
Yes, different opinions.
I too like the marigold - not orange :D - 33, but it doesn’t sound awful. I enjoy it every single day. Yet I also have very posh stuff, including valve. Its phono stage is brilliant, and very quiet. My context: 33/303/ESL57. I kid thee not. Equally fine on 94 dB/W speakers.
Peter Walker designed it entirely, yes.
That's interesting. I haven't used my 33 in earnest for many along year, but occasionally when trying things out I've used it and found that it was very obvious that it was "in the chain" unlike, say, a Tagmclaren unit. I suppose that it could be in need of attention or possibly it's sensitivity and output didn't suit whatever I was playing with?
 
Possibly.
Its output at 500 mV may be too low for anything but a Quad.
It is excellent with CD too, once gain is adjusted (tape input).
Mine was recapped with premium quality caps too. That may help.
 
I had Quad 33/303s...

Sorry, but I found them to be super mega fugly. The 33 I found to be a mediocre pre-amp at best as well.

Hmm. I like my connections to be out of sight at the back.
 
Now now, don't get too butt hurt just because someone with a qualification in design tells you something you like is shitty looking! :D

Pah. Design qualifications are like nipples, everybody's got one.

IIRC,the Quad 33 series, and the 405 as well come to think of it, won Design Council Awards.

You might not like it, but shitty-looking it's not. Apart from the colour, obviously...
 
That's fighting talk :)! Funny enough, when I was at art college industrial design was one of the options I considered for dipAD. Perhaps it's just as well I didn't go down that path as I might not have had a job at the end of it! I still like much of the Quad style of design. They did choose some rather nice offbeat colours, with a nice variation for the knobs and that lovely contrasting orange. As it wasn't anodyne I suppose it is inevitable that some would like, and others hate it. May the woofers from hell protect us from boring hifi design, of which there is, sadly, a great deal. Just a shame that the Quad 33 was so awful sounding...

In your opinion the Quad 33 sounds awful.
Don’t make all-embracing statements...
 
I do like the look of the classic Quads. I like TTs to have a lid, think the LP12 look great as does olive era naim.
 
I prefer music which has emotion or feeling, preferably well recorded, to whatever is used to replay it.
I, too, prefer equipment with as few controls as possible, hence Nytech and Naim.
Long live music.
 
My fizz is JL Audio’s Gotham v2 as it's the component that has impressed me the most over the last thirty three years and followed by the Fathom f212 v2. Both are big, heavy, in gorgeous Gloss Black finish :cool: and menacing to look at. Simply jaw dropping performance.

Bad boys :)

Jesus.16 year old boys are likely doing something very rude over pictures of that.

Hideous.
 
I, too, prefer equipment with as few controls as possible,

I agree; I hate buttons/controls which have many functions. My motto is 'one knob, one function' in the likeness we were created. Nope, got that one wrong too; bugger !

Anyway, knobs and switches over buttons anytime.
 
Pah. Design qualifications are like nipples, everybody's got one.

IIRC,the Quad 33 series, and the 405 as well come to think of it, won Design Council Awards.

You might not like it, but shitty-looking it's not. Apart from the colour, obviously...

Button well and truly pushed, my work here is done :D Lighten up chap!

PS Your analogy doesn't work very well ... shouldn't it be two and in some cases three? ;)
 
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Haters gonna hate, obs, but the Museum Of Modern Art and myself consider it a bit of a design classic!

PS If properly serviced (and the vast majority of surviving units aren’t) its not a bad little preamp and tuner. Sure there’s plenty better out there, but viewed in a full historical system context e.g. with a 303 driving original ESLs, 15” Tannoys, Ditton 66 etc you have to spend a shed-load to beat the whole thing with modern kit. Its plenty good enough to impress with the best speakers of its era, which are way better than most modern ones!
 


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