Quad Artera Play+ (Plus) Preamplifier, DAC, Built-in CD Player, Choice of Silver or Black, New

Quad Artera Play+ (Plus) Preamplifier, DAC, Built-in CD Player, Choice of Silver or Black, New

New Price : € 1.899,00

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 history by re-releasing the legendary 3-series equipment. But with the Artera series, Quad shows that they are also a modern company capable of making sleek-looking, versatile and great-sounding equipment at an affordable price. So this Quad Artera Play+ is not just a preamplifier, it is also a DAC and even has a built-in CD player.

Technical : The Quad Artera Play+ is a somewhat more versatile variant of the Quad Artera Pre. Where the Artera Pre is only a preamplifier with built-in phono stage for analog purposes, the Quad Artera Play+ with its built-in CD player and DAC with digital inputs is more suitable for the digital listener. The Quad Artera 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 is a beautiful glass plate that completes the picture. The digital heart of the Quad Artera 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 you to effortlessly play your entire music collection with an external server/streamer connected to the Artera 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 ring core transformer where each stage in the Artera Play+ has its own power circuit to minimize interference between the analog and digital stages. The Quad Artera 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, for example, subwoofers. Finally, there is also a high-quality headphone amplifier in the Quad Artera Play+ with 6.3mm jack connection on the front of the device.

Listening : The Quad Artera 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 different layers in the recording through the very good articulation and rhythmic reproduction that the Quad Artera 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, certainly for an integrated CD player the sound is particularly detailed and musical. Actually, on many fronts we can simply say that the Quad Artera Play+ sounds 'as it should'. A broad appeal and of course also very personal, but after listening to this excellent and versatile preamplifier with DAC and CD player, we suspect that a large part of people will agree with that statement. The Quad Artera Play+ is easy to combine with many types and brands of power amplifiers, but if you want the best aesthetic and sound match, it is recommended to add a Quad Artera Stereo power amplifier or a set of Quad Artera Mono power amplifiers.

The Quad Artera 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 Play+

Type : Preamplifier with built-in DAC and 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

Extra : Bluetooth aptX Connection Capability, CD Player

Finish : Choice of Black or Silver

Dimensions :

Dimensions per Amplifier : 320mm Wide x 320mm Deep x 105mm High

Weight : 8.5 Kg Net per Amplifier

Manufacturer Website : Quad Artera Play+