My Quad 33 /303 died
forward_loop
Posts: 314
its a sad sad day 
£300 repair bill - should I spend the cash so the old guy in Huntingdon can fix it, with a magniifying glass, soldering iron and screwdriver or cast another nail in homegrown industry and buy some far eastern imported rubbish ?
£300 repair bill - should I spend the cash so the old guy in Huntingdon can fix it, with a magniifying glass, soldering iron and screwdriver or cast another nail in homegrown industry and buy some far eastern imported rubbish ?
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PM me, I might be able to put you in touch with somebody - but it'll be in the Staines area.I may be a minority of one but that doesn't prevent me from being right.
http://www.dalynchi.com0 -
Fix it, no question.
My mate was scouring the local tip for hi-fi goodies and picked up a Quad 33/303 and some Quad electrostatic speakers. Bunged the bloke at the tip £10 I think.0 -
Get something decent and new for a reasonable budget. Doesn't have to be rubbish!
Have a look at a used Sugden A21a integrated for example, warmth of valve but with decent power and dynamics...0 -
Repair it.
I am running original Audiolab (pre Tag, pre relaunch) stuff and have repaired each time it has gone wrong. I cannot find anything around that suits my ears and up to date budget.0 -
My Cyrus III has just gone the same way and I'm left with a similar question: replace or repair?0
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ok as this thread has already been slightly hijacked my Naim CD3 has started sounding very distorted (think it might be the DA converter?), Naim service costs are legendary, replace or repair?0
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Repair. It's the only decent sounding CD player Naim have made (IMO!)0
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Had this dilemma last year with my QED. Got it fixed in Glasgow - you can keep yer Sonys etc.
Some things need real sound.
-Spider-0 -
I've got a Quad 606 power amp that's still going strong after 16yrs.I use it most days&it still sounds good to me.If you really like the sound get it repaired,it can take ages to find another one you like the sound of that your happy with for years.I've still got a Meridean 200 cd transport&Arcam black box 50 DAC from the mid 90's looks dated but still sounds good.TT photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/steverob/0
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repair it. I'm not a fan of Quad, but if you are then it's worth doing it.0
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proto wrote:Fix it, no question.
My mate was scouring the local tip for hi-fi goodies and picked up a Quad 33/303 and some Quad electrostatic speakers. Bunged the bloke at the tip £10 I think.
NO !! - not the El 57's - I think that whats they were called, I think they were voted the best speakers of all time in What hifi or the like in 2000.
2phat4Rapha - thanks for the offer - but they are already in Huntingdon. Have just had a look at the costs
labour £96
suppressor PMR209M-547-100- £1.88
303 amp board assembly (x2) (must have completely blown!) £86.09
2200uf capacitor (x4)- £24.65
output transistor (x4) £6.35
packaging/carrage -about £60
together with a few leads (including CD attenuator 5 pin din-2 RCA) and including VAT £346.
apoleonD
Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 4:32 pm Post subject:
Get something decent and new for a reasonable budget. Doesn't have to be rubbish!
Have a look at a used Sugden A21a integrated for example, warmth of valve but with decent power and dynamics...
That looks a nice unit - not sure how easy they are to come buy.
still thinking...........0 -
Musical Fidelity A1 integrated amp from a (fair) while back was a nice unit too, might be a good used choice. Class A output stages IIRC... not huge power, but sweet sound.Open One+ BMC TE29 Seven 622SL On One Scandal Cervelo RS0
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NapoleonD wrote:rhext wrote:My Cyrus III has just gone the same way and I'm left with a similar question: replace or repair?
Defo replace!!
+1 I didn't really like the Cyrus stuff till it was an £8k system! Sold my CD6SE and use a PC streaming with a a good quality media player which is much better.0 -
I bought Cyrus stuff, stupidly believing a What HiFi 5 star review. Was the top cd player, amp and outboard power supply. Thought it was ok until I went on the hunt for new speakers. Then I realised what was out there for less money, I was gutted when I heard a cheaper well matched system that was far more enjoyable.
Sold the Cyrus stuff. Got more for the power supply than I paid for it brand new.
I heard more what HiFi 5star winners from other brands and found the same, it was all HiFi and no musical enjoyment.
After that I never trusted what HiFi.
Since then I've trusted my own ears and have a system I absolutely love. Including an amplifier from the far east!
OP - if you hear the right modern kit it knocks spots off any classic gear out there. It's just finding that kit. I'm lucky in that there is a shop fairly local to me that has the same approach to it all as me I.e it's about enjoying the music.0 -
NapoleonD wrote:I bought Cyrus stuff, stupidly believing a What HiFi 5 star review. Was the top cd player, amp and outboard power supply. Thought it was ok until I went on the hunt for new speakers. Then I realised what was out there for less money, I was gutted when I heard a cheaper well matched system that was far more enjoyable.
Sold the Cyrus stuff. Got more for the power supply than I paid for it brand new.
I heard more what HiFi 5star winners from other brands and found the same, it was all HiFi and no musical enjoyment.
After that I never trusted what HiFi.
Since then I've trusted my own ears and have a system I absolutely love. Including an amplifier from the far east!
OP - if you hear the right modern kit it knocks spots off any classic gear out there. It's just finding that kit. I'm lucky in that there is a shop fairly local to me that has the same approach to it all as me I.e it's about enjoying the music.
Well said,
My first proper HiFi was a pair of 704's driven by Cyrus 8 Amp + Power Amp & 8 CD player.
Though it reproduced very accurate music, it was devoid of any excitement, as I found I like quite a forward and exiting sound. I swapped it for Nad 375 amp 565bee cd, and I love it. So much cheaper system, but for me, I get tons more enjoyment out of it!
I had a listen to to entry level marantz amp/cd a few weeks back with a friend, and for the money, its fantastic, a better sound than my cyrus (for me) and £500 for the pair.....
use your ears, not what some super elite HiFi lover is telling you sounds good!0 -
NapoleonD wrote:I bought Cyrus stuff, stupidly believing a What HiFi 5 star review. Was the top cd player, amp and outboard power supply. Thought it was ok until I went on the hunt for new speakers. Then I realised what was out there for less money, I was gutted when I heard a cheaper well matched system that was far more enjoyable.
Sold the Cyrus stuff. Got more for the power supply than I paid for it brand new.
I heard more what HiFi 5star winners from other brands and found the same, it was all HiFi and no musical enjoyment.
After that I never trusted what HiFi.
Since then I've trusted my own ears and have a system I absolutely love. Including an amplifier from the far east!
OP - if you hear the right modern kit it knocks spots off any classic gear out there. It's just finding that kit. I'm lucky in that there is a shop fairly local to me that has the same approach to it all as me I.e it's about enjoying the music.
I have always done this - always bought after a dealer or home demo. Have you tried a PC as a source? You might be surprised by what can be achieved with the right DAC and software - don't use WMP or iTunes on a Windows machine they are both unimpressive. I use a piece of software by J River (all of $50 USD) on a Sony viao lappie which is configured for bit perfect streaming into a basic Cambridge DACmagic. The SQ is frankly stunning, and is is a significant improvement over my Cyrus., and we are not talking subtle changes such as a cable change might (or might not*) give you. Rest of the system is a Kandy K2 and Spendor s6e never thought that it was possible to get over excited by anything made by Spendor, but they can rock out really well!
* placebo or otherwise!0 -
I still think computer audio has a LONG way to go until it competes with a good CD player.
I have heard about as good as you can get, WAV on a dedicated server/PC optimised purely for audio (4 grands worth) through a dCS DAC into 100k worth of speakers and amp, it was ok. Put in a good 800 quid CD player instead of the computer/DAC and I preferred the CD.0 -
Anyhoo, straying wildly off topic!! OP, have you made your mind up what to do yet?0
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NapoleonD wrote:I still think computer audio has a LONG way to go until it competes with a good CD player.
I have heard about as good as you can get, WAV on a dedicated server/PC optimised purely for audio (4 grands worth) through a dCS DAC into 100k worth of speakers and amp, it was ok. Put in a good 800 quid CD player instead of the computer/DAC and I preferred the CD.
Show me a bit perfect CD transport and I might believe you! [;)]0 -
It's not about 'bit perfect', it's about how it sounds...
Not heard any source (other than the ones higher up the range than mine) that's as good as my CD Player.0 -
NapoleonD wrote:It's not about 'bit perfect', it's about how it sounds...
Not heard any source (other than the ones higher up the range than mine) that's as good as my CD Player.
Totally agree - just that my ears prefer *that* sound! Music is only an opinion after all....0 -
Well I still prefer the sound of my LP12 but that may be just because I love the whole 'mechanical' thing going on which adds to the experience. It's a pain having to get up every 20 minutes though.0
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I have an LP12. Not too bad but you are desperately reliant on good quality, scratch free pressings.0
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NapoleonD wrote:I have an LP12. Not too bad but you are desperately reliant on good quality, scratch free pressings.
Agree to some extent but (unless really bad in a quiet section) I don't find it too troublesome.0 -
There is something strangely pleasant about the odd bit of noise from a TT though...0
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NapoleonD wrote:There is something strangely pleasant about the odd bit of noise from a TT though...
yeah, I think I'm just a bit of a Luddite though!0 -
I had an LP12 until a flood destroyed all my vinyl, broke my heart and sold it after that, but coloured though it was what a fantastic experience. Interestingly, I reckon my PC sounds closer to vinyl than any CD player....
Now, cables...do they or don;'t they sound different..!
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SteveR_100Milers wrote:Now, cables...do they or don;'t they sound different..!
Without a pedantic argument, yes*.
*I make no claims about digital signal transmission cables. My only reference is listening to systems where all cables are carrying the analog signal, ie the D-A conversion is done at source.Open One+ BMC TE29 Seven 622SL On One Scandal Cervelo RS0
