Quad QC 24 Pre-Amp

The Quad QC Twenty Four is a valve preamplifier of extraordinary pedigree — a component that draws directly on the engineering philosophy Peter Walker established at Quad in the post-war years, and applies it with uncompromising rigour to a modern circuit of the highest refinement. Built around new old stock 6111WA double triode valves — components sourced from global supply chains and selected for their exceptional linearity, low noise and long-term reliability — the QC Twenty Four is a preamplifier that honours the valve tradition without sentimentality, pursuing the theoretical ideal of a straight wire with gain that Walker himself articulated as the defining ambition of the perfect amplifier.

Transformer Design

The transformers at the heart of the QC Twenty Four are designed by one of the world's leading authorities on audio transformer design — components of extraordinary precision that preserve the full bandwidth and dynamic range of the musical signal without the colouration, phase error or high-frequency roll-off that afflicts lesser designs. Transformer-coupled valve preamplifiers of this calibre are vanishingly rare at any price; in the QC Twenty Four, Quad has produced a component whose signal path integrity is without parallel in its class.

Relay Input Switching

Input switching throughout the QC Twenty Four is handled by relays rather than conventional rotary contacts. Relay switching introduces no mechanical wear to the signal path, maintains an identical signal routing topology regardless of which input is selected, and eliminates the channel imbalance and channel crosstalk that accumulates in conventional switch contacts over time. The result is a preamplifier that preserves the musical signal in its purest form from input to output — a straight wire with gain, realised in valve circuitry of the finest quality.

Connectivity

The QC Twenty Four provides two main outputs, two tape play and record connections, and a full complement of line-level inputs — CD, Tuner, Aux 1, Aux 2 — together with provision for an optional phono stage for those whose system includes a turntable. This breadth of connectivity, combined with the QC Twenty Four's uncompromising circuit architecture, makes it a preamplifier capable of anchoring a serious valve system of the highest order.

System Matching

The QC Twenty Four is a natural partner for Quad's own valve power amplifiers. The Quad QII-Classic and Quad QII-Forty share the same engineering philosophy and tonal character, producing a complete valve system of extraordinary coherence and musicality. Those whose system demands still greater power will find the Quad QII-Eighty an ideal partner — together with the QC Twenty Four, a combination that sets a new standard for valve amplification at its price point.

Buying from Martins Hi-Fi

Martins Hi-Fi has been in Norwich since 1968. Elizabeth Gould runs the business today, and we stock only brands we have heard properly and stand behind. The Quad QC Twenty Four is available to hear in our Norwich showroom — speak to Dave or Chris to arrange a demonstration with Quad's own valve power amplifiers or your existing system.

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.