Price Paid:  $250.00 from friend

Summary:
Hi
This old technology is superior to the modern and expensive solid state designs.
May be this is due to its simplicity or more linearity and or a kind of magic about the tubes .
solid state sound is like MP3s , a kind of compressed and soulless sound.
The Quad II mono blocks are classic valve power amps with excellent design and sound.
Its power output is just about 10-12 watts but is very powerful and sound as loud as 50 watts transistor amps. that is very good load tolerant . it has a big sound , bass power and extention is like krell power amps.
mids and trebles are natural and warm.
Its own preamp sound is muted and is not as good. use this power amps with a good tube preamp to hear the difference.

Strengths:
natural sound , powerful bass ,
very good design.

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
some very high priced solid state amps.

Price Paid:  $1100.00 from ebay with Quad 22 an

Summary:
They are manufactured in the 60's, and Quad II are still one of the best amps around.
I am not willing to separate the 22 from the IIs. They are born together anyway! Therfore speakers slection is very important. I had listened many pairs of speakers with Quad 22 and Quad II for several weeks straight. There are several killer combinations here, and it depends on the area of your music room and the money in your pocket. I had try on those speakers shown below, and Quad II this little 15 watt beast did an awasome job with those speakers.

For large room:

magnepan 1.6
Newform Research R645
Acoustic-Research AR9
Klipsch La Scala

For medium room:

magnepan MMG
Linn Ninka
Quad ESL 57

For small room:

Bose 55WER
Acoustic-Research AR4x
Dynaco A25

I reccommend this system for dance or hard electronic type music lover, basicly you need a 12" inch woofer speaker in each speaker cabinet, then you can bump the house.
But for anyone who enjoys classical, jazz or vocal music there is little else to beat this Quad II.

If you don't like the antique looking, you can try the Quad II-forty. Quad II-forty ^_^

Strengths:
The closest approach to the original sound. Very strong construction build.
The speakers play an important role with Quad II system.
You can tune the sounding by tubes. For example 12AX7, EF86, GZ32, and KT66, I try many different brand of tubes. IT's fun to collecting tubes. ^_^

Weaknesses:
GEC KT66 tubes are too expensive.
Bulgin plugs are weak from Quad 22.
We need a 220V step up power transformer in USA.
Original impedance was 15 ohms to 8 ohms, you need to switch several tags on the transformer to get 4 ohms to 8ohms for nowadays speakers.

Similar Products Used:
I had lots of Hi-End digital and analog solid state years ago, but I am on the tube side now. My home theater is tube system also.

Price Paid:  $400.00 from random

Summary:
i have used most quad amplifiers and speakers during the last 25 years or so . the quad11 is about as good as they get .which is quite something when you consider that they are alomost fifty years old . for anyone who is interested the quad44 control unit (pre amp) has three output voltages on the back . one of these is correct for the quad11 . quad also sell the correct connecting lead.the 44 pre amp is probably the most versatile commercial pre amp ever made. used within sensible limits and with well matched equipement, this conmbination is very natural and easy to listen to. Of course the best matching speakers are the quad esl 57. I wouldn`t reccommend this system for dance or hard electronic type music, but for anyone who enjoys classical or vocal music there is little else to beat it.

Strengths:
clarity , naturalness/ openess / built to last ( 40- 50 years already)and still going strong. quad can still service them.glow in the dark and look wunnerful

Weaknesses:
run hot need to be used in a well ventilated space. replacement original kt66 are a must, but very expensive

Similar Products Used:
quad 303 . /405-2/606/ esl63. spendor sa3 b&w 805. rotel/sony integrated. mission cyrus. nytech. and compared to countless others over the years but always come back for more quad.

Price Paid:  $450.00 from from a friend

Summary:
Smooth and never harsh.
Dont replace the resistors with metal foil such as holocos
simular. Go for tantalium or leave the original carbons in.

Strengths:
smooth warm sound that you can listen to for ages, never
harsh. However, replace the resistors with metal foil and
you can get enough harshness to think its a transistor amp.
you gain some speed and detail but the sound becomes forward
NOT recomended. Changing the resistors to tantalium is expensive
but really works wonderfully. You get the warmth but detail
and speed. Next changes I will replace the power supply caps
with black gates and coupling vaps with paper in oil. Also
will replace internal wire with solid silver. Drives my castle speakers as loud as I want for classical music

Weaknesses:
ill defined bass, missing some detail. Low input sensitivity
when used with transistor pre-amps. Can hum a little. Replacement KT66es are not cheap because many so called KT66es
are 6L6 and draw too much current for the quads fragile
transformers.

Similar Products Used:
none

Price Paid:  $300.00

Summary:
There's a certain magic about old, low powered valve amps and especially so with Quad II's. My pair are from 1967 and still have the original GEC KT66 power valves. I run them with the Quad Control 22 preamp(which I am going to replace with something else soon), Myryad T-20 CD player, QED interconnects, Transparent speaker cable and Lowther DX3 speakers (made the horn enclosures myself). I challenge anyone to get a better hi-fi sound for vocal/jazz/laid back/some classical than this for the price I paid for the system-$2500. The Quad II's are just stunning with this set-up. Smooth & warm yet still crystal clear with superb imaging.
When are people going to wake up and go back to small, low powered valve amps and highly sensitive speakers. It's the only way!!!

Strengths:
Warmth, musicality, laidback attitude

Weaknesses:
Not the most accurate...but hey

Similar Products Used:
Leak Point One, Radfords, various small valve amps