Quad

Quad was founded in 1936 by Peter Walker, and the company's stated objective — the closest approach to the original sound — has remained unchanged through nine decades of loudspeaker and electronics design. That continuity of purpose is rare in any industry, and it is what gives Quad their particular character: products designed not to impress on first listen, but to reveal more the longer you live with them.

The electrostatic loudspeaker is the technology most closely associated with Quad, and for good reason. The ESL 57, introduced in 1957, demonstrated that a full-range electrostatic panel could reproduce music with a transparency and low-distortion coherence that conventional cone-and-dome designs could not match. The ESL 2812X and ESL 2912X carry that tradition forward today — larger panels, wider frequency extension, higher dynamic capability, but the same fundamental principle: a vanishingly thin diaphragm driven across its entire surface, with no crossover in the traditional sense, producing a presentation of extraordinary clarity and naturalness.

Alongside the electrostatics, the Quad electronics range has its own distinguished history. The Quad 33 and 303 — preamplifier and power amplifier — defined a generation of British hi-fi in the 1970s, and remain among the most musically satisfying pairings of their era. The Artera Series brings that design philosophy into the modern context, with streaming, DAC and amplification integrated at a level of refinement that reflects Quad's long experience. The Platina Series represents the current pinnacle of Quad's electronics design — the Platina Integrated, Platina CDT and Platina Stream forming a cohesive reference system of considerable ambition.

We stock the full Quad range at Martins Hi-Fi, including the ESL electrostatics, the Platina Series, the Artera range and the classic 33 and 303. Dave and Chris know these products in depth and can help you find the right Quad component or system for your listening room. Come into our Norwich showroom and hear what Quad have been doing for nearly ninety years.

Contact us at info@martinshifi.co.uk, call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. You can read more about how we work on our Why Martins Hi-Fi page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.