Quad Artera Solus Play, All-in-One Streaming Amplifier + Built-in CD Player, Silver or Black

Quad Artera Solus Play, All-in-One Streaming Amplifier + Built-in CD Player, Choice of Silver or Black
New Price: € 2.299,00

EN.
General: Quad is an audio brand with an enormously rich history. Quad was actually the brand to have in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, Quad has breathed new life into this heritage by re-releasing the legendary 3-series equipment. But with the Artera series, Quad shows that they are also a modern company that can produce sleek, versatile and great-sounding equipment at an affordable price. This Quad Artera Solus Play is a true all-in-one device, and when we say all-in-one, we really mean almost everything: streaming, CD player, D/A converter with digital inputs, preamplifier and power amplifier in one compact and stylish chassis. The only thing missing is a built-in turntable.

Technology: The Quad Artera Solus Play is the most versatile device Quad has to offer. With the choice between streamer and CD player in an all-in-one solution, it leaves little to be desired. The Quad Artera Solus Play is a stylish and compact device, available in an attractive neutral black finish or a sleek and modern-looking silver finish. On top of the chassis sits a nice glass plate that completes the picture. The digital heart of the Quad Artera Solus Play is the high-quality ESS Sabre ES9018 DAC, which can convert PCM signals up to 32bit/384kHz, and via the USB input can also convert DSD signals up to DSD512. This allows users to easily play their entire music collection when connected to an external server/streamer on the Artera Solus Play. For easy and quick music playback, users can also simply play music via Bluetooth aptX. CDs can be inserted at the front where the slot-loading CD mechanism is located. The power supply is a powerful linear supply with ring core transformer, with the power supply for the left and right channels separated from each other, and each stage in the Artera Solus Play has its own power supply circuit to minimize interference between the analog and digital stages. The Quad Artera Solus Play has many connections including Toslink, Coax and USB digital inputs, unbalanced analog RCA connections, and for analog outputs you have a choice of both balanced XLR outputs and unbalanced RCA outputs. The pre outputs can be used simultaneously for people with, for example, subwoofers. Streaming is available both wired and wireless. Finally, there is also a high-quality headphone amplifier in the Quad Artera Solus Play with 6.3mm jack connection on the front of the device. The Quad Artera Solus Play provides 2 x 75 watts at 8 ohms, which is sufficient in many domestic situations with speakers with average to fairly high efficiency at normal to fairly loud listening volumes. Due to its powerful, extensive power supply with large reserves, the Quad Artera Solus Play is more powerful and stable than its stated power output suggests.

Streaming: The Quad Artera Solus Play can be connected to the network both wired and wireless. You control the streamer in the Artera Solus Play via the DTS Play-Fi application, available on both iOS and Android devices. In the Play-Fi app, you can work with many streaming services, so you can play music from Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, Amazon Music, Audacy, KKBOX, Napster and SoundMachine. For radio and podcast listeners, TuneIn Radio, iHeartRadio and Sirius XM are also integrated. And of course, Spotify Connect is simply an option. For the casual listener or for the rest of the family who don't want to get into various software options, simple playback via Bluetooth aptX is also possible. The Play-Fi app is free and easy to use. For those who prefer to use an alternative application, MConnect, BubbleUPnP and JPlay are also applications with which you can control the Quad Artera Solus Play. With DTS Play-Fi, multiroom is possible with other DTS Play-Fi equipment, including from other brands. This way, the Quad Artera Solus Play can be fully integrated into homes where audio equipment is found in multiple rooms. Although most people will simply use the 'Critical Listening Mode' in the Play-Fi app, which allows them to stream high-res files to a single device, in this case the Artera Solus Play, for the best sound quality.

Listening: The Quad Artera Solus Play is a modern amplifier with a classic sound in a modern package. The sound is neutral, powerful and dynamic, but in a way that doesn't shout about it. There is excellent distinction and intelligibility of the various layers in the recording thanks to the very good articulation and rhythmic rendering of the Quad Artera Solus Play. The sound is full and has a good amount of body, without the sound coming across as colored. The built-in CD player works and sounds excellent, and for an integrated CD player, the sound is particularly detailed and musical. In many respects, we can simply say that the Quad Artera Solus Play sounds 'as it should'. A broad interpretation and of course very personal, but after listening to this excellent and versatile all-in-one streaming amplifier with DAC and CD player, we suspect that a large part of people will agree with that statement. The Quad Artera Solus Play can be used for many situations, rooms and speakers. Due to its compact format, it can easily be put away in a piece of furniture, but thanks to its good build quality and sleek design without excessive lights and displays, the Quad Artera Solus Play is a device that is not unsightly to display.

The Quad Artera Solus Play can now be auditioned by appointment at Ohm-Audio B.V., optionally with matching Quad Artera Mono power amplifiers. Ohm-Audio B.V. is an official Dutch Quad dealer.

Specifications:

Brand: Quad UK
Model: Artera Solus Play
Type: All-in-One Streaming Amplifier with Built-in CD Player
Warranty Ohm-Audio B.V. / New Transtec: 24 Months
Analog Inputs: 2 x Unbalanced RCA
Analog Outputs: 1 x Balanced XLR, 1 x Unbalanced RCA
Digital Inputs: 2 x SPDIF Coax RCA, 2 x Toslink Optical, 1 x USB-B
Digital Outputs: 1 x SPDIF Coax RCA, 1 x Toslink Optical
Network Connection: Choice of Wired RJ45 or Wireless with WiFi Antenna
Extra: Bluetooth aptX Connection Option, CD Player
Finish: Choice of Black or Silver

Dimensions:

Dimensions per Amplifier: 320mm Wide x 320mm Deep x 105mm High
Weight: 11.5 Kg Net

Manufacturer Website: Quad Artera Solus Play