Gervais Cote
Predator
I would get a 909 any time way before many contemporary amps...........especially when matched with small bookshelves such as an LS3/5A !
Amps that rock and last!
- Thread starter Neil P
- Start date
the caretaker
pfm Member
If my 909 packed up and quad couldnt fix it? I would just buy another one..I wouldn't consider any other amp..only 909 owners understand what I'm saying! If you have a 909 why would you sell it? You wouldn't.. its absurd! They are so bloody good..why would you not own one?
Gervais Cote
Predator
A 909 is built to last forever and will always be serviceable which is one of the top features of those Quad amps IMO.
Even more true when they are made in U.K.
A 909 always been on my wishlist but I just have to many amps already and still only 2 ears......
Monitor Gold 10
pfm Member
I'd like to mention my early (Hinchley Transformer) Audio Innovations Series 500...
the caretaker
pfm Member
Quads service charges are reasonable as well..I have a few amps too..the 909 is in my main kit..it will never move..I would say I have a couple of apart champ 2 amps and pretty good for the money..look like studio kit but no fan..I have a roksan amp and the apart champ 2 is much better!
Farlowe amps were present from late 70'ies & aprox. 25 years ahead.
There's a brochure archive on website.
Gervais Cote
Predator
The best units from Exposure are from between 1980 and mid 90’s.
A dealer once told me that the right 909 to get is the one with small numbers on the lower right side of the front panel as those are made in England. At the time they were priced about the same as Bryston 4Bs. Times are changing...
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Salamander
pfm Member
Is the Quad 909 really a good amp for rock? I had one on a temporary basis, yes a good amp but I would never have said it 'boogies' An amp in the same price bracket that I could directly compare it to was an NVA A60 and I know which amp I preferred.
Nagraboy
Ausculta fili
Yes, the 909 is surely a stunner.
Fatmarley
"It appears my intelligence circuits have melted"
I can't answer for the 909, but anyone who's read my previous posts on this forum knows I have a dislike for dull or boring hifi.
I was put off Quad amps because of a few comments saying they were just that (dull). Reading between the lines I noticed most who said that were using them with a Quad pre amp. I also think they can sound off when in need of a service.
With a passive and a service my 306 is far from boring. It's not small, rough and 2 dimensional like some Naim amps can be. It's big and powerful, with tight bass, clean vocals and smooth highs. Brilliant for rock.
Salamander
pfm Member
We bought the Quad 909 when my brothers amp stopped working and had to go for repair, it was partnered with his dCS Rossini using that as the pre, and and also tried with my NVA P90 passive pre. I never said it was a bad amplifier, far from it, it was pretty close to my A60, but for rock maybe 6/10, it lacked that sparkle at the top end.
Fatmarley
"It appears my intelligence circuits have melted"
The 306 is the same. I found replacing the carbon resistors for metal film fixed the problem.
I'd still take one in standard form over Naim for rock or any other type of music.
foxwelljsly
Me too, I ate one sour too.
I've tried various flavours of the big quads from the 520 to the QSP and they are all excellent. There is less to differentiate between competent power amps than any other component and these are powerful enough to drive both inefficient speakers to their best and big efficient speakers to thunderous levels. Every home should have one. I'm not sure Naim or Exposure have made anything that sounds better and very little that is as powerful. When a S/H 606 sells for half of a NAP 250, you know there are loonies put there.
I have never owned or used a quad pre amp, but my current QSP positively sparkles into the 103.2's I got this week from a humble topping e30.
I have never owned or used a quad pre amp, but my current QSP positively sparkles into the 103.2's I got this week from a humble topping e30.
