Sheer attack speed and grip of the music. Timing and precision without any excessive colouration.

Terribly fiddly connections. Please note that the Quad-link computer connection when used with a complementary quad pre-amp should be ditched in preference to the phono connections. The Quad-link is appears to give inferior audio as well as just too fiddly to attach/remove (Quad would be wise to redesign this feature in the next generation of 909 so that it controlled the on/off features of pre/power amp without including the audio signal)

QUAD 909 used in a setup that includes nad c542 and marantz 65mk2 cd players, Quad 99 pre, Monitor Audio bronze 3way speakers, Thorens turntable, Chord and Quad cables, Blue Circle and Tacima power conditioners, fully shielded power cables throughout.

The 909 is brilliant. Poise, stereo imaging, speed, timing, sheer muscle, control. It has it all. My speakers are rated at 6ohms which gives me possibly as much as 160+ W RMS tp deliver the audio magic. It just delivers the music in a toe-tapping engaging way with oodles of headroom at modest volume levels.

The stepped volume control on the preamp is barely above one third total volume and it is very loud. Bass is sublime and rolls across the floor, the treble soars with terrific precision. It has been a hugh step-up from my previous NAD c270 120w power amp.

Similar Products Used:

Technics class-A amp
Nad 3020
Nad c270 poweranp

First-rate midrange as good as other High-end amp at multiple times!
Smooth and comfortable treble
Extended bass with dynamic though not punchy enough
Reasonable scale of 3D soundfield
Addictive warmth without clinical sound
Devoid of long-term listening fatigue
Devoid of obvious addition nor coloration
Compare to old Quad amps, 909 becomes more revealing and no longer "tube-trait"
The conglomerate effect is simply "lifelike" with lots of air and harmonic, you could not ask for more at this price
better mate with tube pre-amp
The amplifier does not generate unusual hot temperature

Audiophile or audio freak might dislike its lack of spectacular or mind-blowing effect
Power output might be too small for driving those current-hungry speakers

As a classical disc collector and jazz music freak, Quad 34 + 405-2 combo has accompanied me for more than 15 years. As a non-audiophile to start with , my concern of replaying classical and jazz music mainly focus on whether the gear can reproduce a reasonable scale of soundstage / imaging , accurate tonal balance, the timbre and harmonics of instrument, just convey me the information on the disc as faithful as possible, I dislike unnecessary addition nor distortion by virtue of the gear self-signature sound!

After hearing compliment by several audiophile friends, I bought QC24 + 909 from R33 second hand market no more than USD$ 1,200. QC24 preamplifier is a tube reincarnation of its legendary predecessor Quad 22, its single and durable Philips 6111 triode can be used until you pass to your son or grandson without mishap or replacement. Sound is tonally neutral and revealing without obvious coloration, a musical and neutral preamp indeed!

Quad 909, a powerful power amplifier at 130wx2 (8ohm) to drive my KEF 103/4, gives me exactly what I want to hear in replaying orchestral, instrumental and jazz music, the sound itself is naturally balanced without edgy treble nor punchy bass, the midrange is particularly captivating and first-rate with precise imaging and transparency, bass is well-extended with dynamic and "reasonable" resolution, the 3D soundstage may not be as wide and deep as other high-end amplifier, yet the scale of soundfield satisfy my needs, the effect is simply not "Hi-fi" enough but very musically attractive, as if hearing the inner emotion of artists playing in front of you. The reproduction of flute, oboe, saxophone and clarinet are especially "lifelike" as if the soloist play the music in your room! This amplifier can deal with most of the speaker at low sensitivity effortlessly, a musical and warm amp which never make you having listening fatigue.

Some audiophiles in HK and china like to undergo a small modification by removing its Quadlink circuit board (akin to speaker terminal)which helps to release its potential power output, the improvement is aurally obvious with better extension of treble, more punchy bass and better transparency .

At this price, I could not think of any alternative or replacement!

Highly recommended!

Similar Products Used:

Mark Levinson No.29, Quad 405-2, Quad 306 (still using)
Luxman L505s integrated amplifier

Followed up on previous review. Did not expect that it sounded fantastic too on my Avantgard Duo!! The sensitivity could have have been better if it was a little lower, however, this is not a big problem since it does not have any noise issue either. So instead of turning on my CJ Premier 17LS to 30+ level, I have to tune it down to about 10-18. Awesome low level details and dynamic compared to tube amps. The only thing that this may be different when comparing this to a SE amp such as the WAVAC 811D that I owned before was the mid-range magic. However, it does not seem to bother me that much since it makes up in all other alreas. BTW, it make a big difference when you have the amp isolated with some viration feet ( I use the DH Lab ceramic cones, these are the best). Currently I'm listening to this setup and love it.

As mentioned above. This amp is a steal at the used price offered on Audiogon. If I knew how good it sounded, I'd be also happy to pay full price for it. There are much worse amps out there costing much more and a pain to maintain (some tube amps...)

The cable binding posts are not the standard 5-way but require either banana plugs or bare wires and they're difficult to access. I would replace them with Edison Price or Cardas posts when I can. Bass is a litlle light, however, as I mentioned above, this might stem from the fact that I've been used to tube bass.

Detailed yet musical. No grain, hash or muddiness. When you listen to it, you do not care if it is solid state or tube, just music clear and 3 dimensional. Sound stage wide and deep with lots of air. Bass tight and clear albeit a little lacking compared to tubes, but I guess because tube amps tend to have floated bass and I'm used to them, however, I still like the bass of the Quad too. Voices are terrific through the 909. The unit styling is beautiful and unique. This is one of these stereo items that you want to keep forever. So far so good with my Quad ESL63. When I have time I'll try it on my other speakers later.

Similar Products Used:

Atma spheres, music reference, VTL, Manley, InnerSound, McComack, Wavac, Melos, Audio Research, Classe

Great midrange with good bass and good top end. Sounds very smooth like tubes without the tube hassles. Very 3 dimensional presentation. Excellent build quality. There are no openings/vents or heatsinks anywhere on the 909 for dust to penetrate...the whole aluminum chasis acts as a heatsink which provides a lot of surface area to dissipate heat. Never gets hot - only warm even when running hard for several hours. At $1500, it is in a competitive league but very few of its competitors can match its magical midrange presentation.

All aluminum chassis lends to great looks and superb build quality. Quad is now owned by a pair of very wealthy Chinese "audiophile" brothers who pump capital into Quad without blinking an eye. All design, parts, chassis are UK built or sourced but the construction is accomplished in China. The build quality, fit and finish on Asian - built equipment is as good if not better than the rest of the world. However, the cost of human resources is very low allowing for costs to be kept low. This $1500 amp would cost quite a bit more if built in Europe or in the US. This qualifies as huge bang for the buck.

12" width on all Quad electronics makes it look puny in a full sized rack - if this is a weakness...not to me.

On-Off switch located in back of unit...so you have to fiddle around to find it unless you leave it on a power conditioner to switch on and off.

That is it.

140 watt amp that weighs in at a hefty 32 lbs. despite it's small size. uses "Current Dumping" technology which is similar to the Nelson Pass Stasis circuitry with Threshold. Very well made and drives most loudspeakers.

Customer Service

Great - I have called about 10 times about general questions I had and each time i received a friendly and informative response to my call.

BTW, in contrast to some other reviewers, i will give a piece of gear a 5 if it exceeds its price point in performance, value and construction. I don't feel that a 5 should be reserved for the ultra-expensive gear, unless it exceeds its price point as well. This harder to justify with the mega bucks equipment IMHO.

Similar Products Used:

Shanling, NAD Silverline, Classe, Unison Research, Bel Canto

Spectacular midrange, excellent bass, good highs

None I can think of

It is an excellent amp. The best midrange in the price range from up to 5000$.

Similar Products Used:

Quad 306, Rotel RC1070 + RB1050