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

New Price: € 2.299,00

EN.

General: Quad is an audio brand with an enormously rich history. Quad was actually the brand to own in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, Quad has breathed new life into this history 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-rounder, and by all-rounder we really mean almost everything: streaming, CD player, D/A Converter with digital inputs, preamplifier and power amplifier in 1 compact and stylish enclosure. 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 a beautiful neutral black finish or a sleek and modern-looking silver finish. On top of the enclosure sits a beautiful glass panel 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 effortlessly play their entire music collection with an external server/streamer connected to the Artera Solus Play. For easy and quick music playback, you 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 power supply with toroidal transformer; the power supplies for the left and right channels are separate from each other and each stage in the Artera Solus Play also 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; it has 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 subwoofers, for example. Streaming can be both wired and wireless. Finally, there is also a high-quality headphone amplifier in the Quad Artera Solus Play with a 6.3mm jack connection on the front of the device. The Quad Artera Solus Play features 2 x 75 Watts at 8 Ohms which is sufficient in many home situations and with speakers having average to fairly high efficiency at normal to fairly high listening volumes. Due to its powerful, extensive power supply with large reserves, the Quad Artera Solus Play is more powerful and stable than its power rating on paper suggests.

Streaming: The Quad Artera Solus Play can be connected to the network either wired or wirelessly. 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; 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 also an option. For the casual listener or for the rest of the family who don't want to dive into various software, simple playback via Bluetooth aptX is also possible. The Play-Fi app is free and simple to use. For those who prefer an alternative application, MConnect, BubbleUPnP and JPlay are also applications that can control the Quad Artera Solus Play. With DTS Play-Fi, multiroom is possible with other DTS Play-Fi equipment, even from other brands. In 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 it from the rooftops. There is excellent distinction and intelligibility of the different layers in the recording due to the very good articulation and rhythmic reproduction that the Quad Artera Solus Play possesses. 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, especially for an integrated CD player the sound is particularly detailed and musical. Actually, in many respects we can simply say that the Quad Artera Solus Play sounds 'as it should'. A broad interpretation and certainly 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 in many situations, rooms and speakers. Due to its compact format, it can easily be tucked away in a piece of furniture, but thanks to its good build quality and sleek design without exaggerated lights and displays, the Quad Artera Solus Play is a device that is no problem to display in plain sight.

The Quad Artera Solus Play is now available for listening 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

Extras: Bluetooth aptX Connection Option, CD Player

Finish: Choice of Black or Silver

Dimensions:

Dimensions per Amplifier: 320mm Width x 320mm Depth x 105mm Height

Weight: 11.5 kg Net

Manufacturer Website: Quad Artera Solus Play