I presume you mean the "Artera" which is a development of the 99CDP & 909 power amp. I am a longtime Quad user & still have a full Quad 99 system consisting of FM tuner, CDP2, pre-amp & pair of 99 mono power amps which I prefer to the 909. In my 99 system the pre-amp is needed for the tuner & any other analogue sources. Due to space constraints, in order to instal a turntable I have retired the CDP2 & got an Oppo 105 in its place which is a universal player with most of the facilities of the Artera Play, although it has no analogue inputs. The Oppo 105 has been discontinued & replaced by the 205 which is even better so it is worth considering that (black only) as it is slightly cheaper than the Quad & a more versatile silver disc player. I have never heard the Artera but have seen it & it is a very smart looking kit which can be stacked if need be, but it is an unconventional shape so you may want to check that out. I also note on the Quad web-site another version called the Artera Solus but do not know what the differences are.
I like my Quad kit but best to get a demo, at home if possible, & if it meets your needs then go for it. If you want to compare something similar, have a look at the Rega Saturn-R CD player/DAC & Elicit-R integrated amp which together have similar facilities to the Artera but in a different mix within the 2 boxes, although less power. The 2 pieces together are in the same price range but if you do not need a lot of the power you could also consider the Rega Elex-R integrated amp which is £700 cheaper than the Elicit-R but, like its more powerful brother, an outstanding performer - I have one of each amp in different systems.
As I said I have been a Quad user for a long time - since 1987 to be precise - whereas I have only been a Rega user for a few years. I like both brands - both a bit quirky but both solid build & good performers.
