Quad 33/303 (2024 Edition) + Wharfedale Super Linton

Supplied with a 3 metre pair of Chord Clearway X terminated cables & Chord Clearway X ARAY Analogue XLR 1m stereo pair. This system is ready to play your favorite tunes in minutes…

The Quad 33 and 303, paired with Wharfedale's Super Linton speakers, form a classic hi-fi setup rooted in British audio heritage and design excellence. The Quad 33 preamp and 303 power amp carry Quad's iconic legacy, blending analogue craftsmanship with modern upgrades like LED displays, remote control, and low-distortion output, true to Quad's high-fidelity standards. Wharfedale’s Super Linton speakers further enhance this setup, combining a timeless, vintage-inspired design with advanced acoustic engineering for rich, natural sound.

Together, this trio of components embodies British audio craftsmanship. The Quad 33 and 303 deliver pure, accurate sound, powered by over 50 years of design expertise, while the Super Linton speakers’ retro aesthetic and upgraded drivers offer excellent musicality and bass depth. This setup is a celebration of British hi-fi heritage, ideal for those who value both historical legacy and outstanding sound performance.

Design and Features

The QUAD 33 preserves the brand’s signature simplicity while incorporating modern upgrades like a backlit display, LED illumination, and remote control functionality. Its premium anodised front panel and all-metal chassis give it a modern yet unmistakably QUAD appearance. Despite the advanced digital control system, the QUAD 33 maintains its analogue heritage, embodying a balance between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary technology. The inclusion of fully balanced XLR inputs and outputs enhances connectivity, with a phono stage compatible with both Moving Magnet and Moving Coil cartridges, ensuring ultra-low noise and high-quality sound through advanced audio op-amps and a high-performance RIAA processing circuit.

Control and Performance

The control system of the QUAD 33 remains user-friendly, featuring logically arranged functions, a backlit LCD screen for clear settings, and motorised volume controls that allow remote adjustments. It includes bass, tilt, and balance controls for precise sound customisation, with the unique Tilt control developed by QUAD’s founder enabling tonal adjustments. Built for both performance and longevity, the QUAD 33 boasts superior components such as a custom toroidal transformer and multiple capacitors, ensuring signal purity and high-fidelity audio reproduction. This updated model reflects over 50 years of QUAD’s dedication to sound quality, staying true to its mission of offering 'the closest approach to the original sound.’

Evolution of the QUAD 303

The QUAD 303 Power Amplifier has been thoroughly re-engineered, surpassing the original model in design and functionality while maintaining its core ethos. Initially crafted for domestic use, it became popular in broadcasting and recording studios for its reliability, a quality that remains in the updated version. The amplifier's blend of modern features and timeless appeal has earned it a spot in the Museum of Modern Art, reflecting its enduring design excellence.

Technological Advancements and Performance

Staying true to its origins, the QUAD 303 employs QUAD's ‘symmetrical triples’ for low distortion and stable performance under dynamic conditions, with distortion levels now almost undetectable by the human ear. The new model features a fully complementary output stage for superior linearity and stability, enhancing sound quality even under challenging conditions. With a custom low-noise toroidal transformer, advanced feedback topology, and a power rating of 50W @ 8 ohms, the new QUAD 303 meets modern audiophile demands while maintaining its iconic design and robust construction.

QUAD's Legacy and Modern Excellence

By revisiting the QUAD 33 and 303 components, QUAD reaffirms its longstanding legacy in the British hi-fi industry, blending authenticity, pedigree, and innovation. This new iteration pays homage to QUAD’s past while showcasing its excellence in modern audio engineering. The QUAD team involved in this project possesses nearly 200 years of combined engineering experience and over 100 years dedicated to QUAD’s unique designs and service, further reinforcing the brand's enduring commitment to quality.

The Team Behind the Innovation

The development of the new QUAD 33 and 303 was overseen by a team of experts, including Rob Flain and Paul McConville, two of the most experienced QUAD service engineers. Jan Ertner, with three decades of QUAD design expertise, Peter Comeau, the mastermind behind some of QUAD’s most successful loudspeakers, and David McNeill, who has been at the forefront of QUAD’s innovations for two decades, all played key roles. Together, they ensured that products could uphold the legacy of the iconic 33 and 303.

The Evolution of the Linton

The original Linton speakers first appeared in 1965 as a two-way model, later evolving into the three-way Linton 3XP in 1975. The 2019 Linton continued this three-way design, merging vintage aesthetics with updated acoustic engineering, offering rich, natural sound that appeals to today’s music enthusiasts. The new Super Linton builds upon the 2019 model’s design with a slightly taller cabinet and structural enhancements. Key upgrades include new drivers, a more robust bass driver motor system, a redesigned crossover with high-quality components, and even an improved speaker grille for refined sonic output.

Linton Speakers Power Up

Wharfedale has introduced an upgraded version of its beloved Linton speakers, now dubbed the ‘Super Linton’. Since their relaunch five years ago, the Linton speakers have seen remarkable sales success, becoming Wharfedale's best-selling speaker and one of the most popular hi-fi speakers worldwide. This success has been driven by the Linton's appealing classic style and exceptional musicality. However, Wharfedale’s engineers, led by Director of Acoustic Design Peter Comeau, saw potential for further improvement, leading to a thorough redesign of the drive units, crossover, and cabinet, resulting in the new Super Linton.

Wharfedale’s Heritage and Innovation

Wharfedale has been crafting renowned loudspeakers since 1932, with many of its models becoming icons in British audio history. Its Heritage Series pays homage to the classic designs of the 1960s and 1970s while reimagining them with modern engineering techniques. This range includes both timeless favourites and new designs, blending vintage appeal with contemporary performance. In 2019, Wharfedale revived the Linton, a model which significantly contributed to the popularity of vintage-style speakers. The Super Linton follows this trend, joining the Heritage Series as an enhanced version of the Linton, showcasing the latest in Wharfedale’s technical capabilities.

Upgraded Cabinet & Bass Driver

The Super Linton’s cabinet, though with the same footprint as the regular Linton, is 4cm taller to increase internal volume, which benefits its acoustic performance. Enhanced construction features include dual fibreboard layers joined by damping glue to reduce resonance. Inside, long-hair fibre and acoustic damping foam aid in managing internal reflections. The increased cabinet volume also allowed improvements in the bass driver. While the 200mm woven Kevlar cone remains, a stronger motor system now extends bass reach to 32Hz, adding depth and precision for a more impactful bass experience.

Super Drivers 

The Super Linton’s treble unit inherits advanced design elements from Wharfedale’s premium Dovedale speakers. Its 25mm fabric dome, driven by a ceramic magnet system, benefits from a damped rear chamber, lowering resonance and enhancing treble detail and harmonics. A revised front plate design also improves high-frequency dispersion. The midrange driver, a 135mm Kevlar cone, is now housed in a dedicated chamber with acoustic damping to minimise back-wave interference. This upgrade ensures seamless integration of all three drivers, delivering lifelike detail and scale across instruments and vocals.

Crossover and Grille Enhancements

The new crossover network has been divided onto two circuit boards to minimise electromagnetic interference, incorporating top-quality inductors, capacitors, and upgraded internal cabling for optimal audio performance. These improvements contribute to a more refined sound, with better clarity and separation across frequencies. The speaker grille has also been redesigned to complement the crossover’s power response, further aiding driver integration. The Super Linton’s cumulative enhancements, from crossover to cabinet, elevate its sonic capability, positioning it as a versatile choice for today’s high-performance audio setups.

33 Pre-Amplifier Specifications

303 Power Amplifier Specifications