Quad 33 Preamplifier

 I picked up a well maintained Quad 33 preamplifier and a Quad 303 power amplifier on eBay. 

The price was very fair and the condition looked good. In fact, both pieces work. They are not perfect as the components seem to be all original and after a bit of clearing of dust, I powered them both up and they do produce music!

The 33 preamplifier does produce a bit of a wave like sound from the left channel when first turned on but it's not objectionable and goes away fairly quickly. I sprayed Caig DeOxit into all the potentiometers which reduced the noise from built up grime on the contact surfaces. Then I blew off the dust inside the 33. I like the layout of the knobs and the switches are very clearly marked. 

I've placed an order for the DADA Electronics upgrades for both units since they are 50+ years old. I'll update the blog when I start the upgrade.

Here are some photos of the 33 before opening the covers and taken apart. The 33 was mounted in a cutout in a console so had this heavy brass plated fitted to it. The plate acted to hold the preamp in place and in addition, looked very nice.











































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