Preamp recommendations for Quad IIs with ESL-57s


Hi, 

 

Seeking some advice about appropriate preamp recommendations for some recently refurbished Quad II monoblocks and Quad ESL-57s. 

I have the old Quad 22 preamp but am not particularly happy with it. Perhaps I should be more specific but I'm not a refined audiophile like most of you so probably lack the vocabulary. Bottom line - I just feel that it's the weakest link in the chain.

Interested to hear any and all recommendations that won't break the bank. For me, that means a budget of about $1,500 but hopefully much less than that. I live in the UK, and secondhand is not a problem for me if that gets more bang for the buck. 

I listen to classical music, jazz, acoustic-guitar/folk and (when the rest of my family lets me!) Jimi Hendrix, Led Zep, Pink Floyd and the usual suspects. Most of that is on vinyl but I'm gradually getting sucked into streaming. 

I've probably missed out a whole load of important information. Apologies if so, Just interested to hear your thoughts. 

 

Thanks in advance. 

scrumpymanjack

Well Quad did make a 33 and a 44 and I am sure one of those could be adapted to fit the older amps especially if you want to retain the Quad house sound. 

Hi Fi World magazine in the UK had an excellent tube preamp they sold under the name World HiFi some years back. I'd try to find one of those! They were very reasonably priced! My other recommendation is to get a Croft tube preamp. They are also UK-made!

@scrumpymanjack has this Quad preamp of yours been refurbished since new? If not, its in dire need regardless of the condition of the tubes.

You cannot spend too much money on a preamp. Really good preamps are worth it. Having said that, Stereophile had a nice test on the Topping preamp, easily shipped worldwide (on Amazon). I've never heard one, but the measurements are impressive.