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British company Quad has revitalised its celebrated 33 preamp and 303 power amp from the Sixties to: “delight a new generation of music lovers seeking a modern-retro twist”. Unusual at the time, Quad’s original transistor designs housed the pre and power amplifier in separate compact-width units. The power amp was designed so it could be tucked away from view, leaving only the 33 preamp – with its grey metal casework accented by orange and white buttons – in view.

The new 33 preamplifier’s compact size and shape remain faithful to the original, but the detailing has been enhanced and the casework’s colour is a little less ‘taupe’ and more ‘matt silver’. The distinctive control layout is similar, with a volume knob to the left and trio of flush-mounted rotary controls to the right (although the functionality of these is now somewhat different). The new 303 stereo power amplifier is also recognisable yet updated for the modern user.

The new 33 remains a staunchly analogue preamp, with no built-in DAC for digital sources, but its facilities have been adapted to better suit contemporary requirements. For a start, the filters for vinyl have gone and the bass, treble and slope dials have been replaced by bass, tilt and balance.

The earlier version of the 33 used DIN sockets for its connectivity, but these have been updated to a mix of single-ended RCA and balanced XLRs. The original four source inputs – ‘disc’ (for vinyl), ‘radio 1’, ‘radio 2’ and ‘tape’ – have also been replaced by four line-level inputs (3x RCA and 1x XLR) and a phono input, and there is also a choice of RCA and XLR outputs to connect the 303.

The updated 33’s audio circuitry is new, including a low-noise, custom-specified toroidal transformer, numerous reservoir/smoothing capacitors and five regulated supply rails, remaining true to the initial model’s ethos while improving on its sonic performance. The improved low-noise phono stage is also a significant advance on the original, with adjustable gain for MM and MC carts, RIAA equalisation, precision input filtering and an upgraded power supply. There’s also a dedicated headphone amp.

The new Quad 303 retains the original’s ‘triples’ output stage with a ‘symmetrical triples’ design, rendering the resting current independent of output transistor temperature. The Class AB design has been thoroughly revised, including a new 200VA low-noise toroidal transformer specially developed for this new update. The new generation ‘triples’ design provides an advanced feedback topology for the discrete power amplifier’s output stage, and Quad claims it: “delivers superior linearity and exceptional thermal stability. The result is a compact, cool-running power amplifier that possesses the capacity to deliver dynamic power and maintain a firm hold on the music while providing rich sonic detail.”

The Sixties 303 delivered 45W per channel into 8ohm, while the new edition is rated at 50W per channel into 8ohm, rising to 70W into 4. Quad says the 8ohm figure might seem a modest increase, but a much higher maximum current delivery of 10A ensures it is highly adept at driving demanding loads.

The new-edition 303 offers an upgrade path through the ability to connect two 303s in bridged mode, combining each amp’s two stereo channels into a single mono channel so the units drive one speaker each. This increases the power output to 140W per channel (8ohm). Around the back are high-quality gold-plated binding posts, a choice of RCA and balanced XLR inputs for the preamp and a 12V trigger input.

The 33 measures 258 x 82.9 x 165mm (WxHxD), the 303 is 120 x 176 x 325mm and both amps are priced at £1,200 each.

Available to buy now, you can find out more about the new 33 preamp and 303 power amp here.