A familiar conversation was heard while admiring the concept model of the new Quad electrostatic speaker at this year’s High End Show in Munich: ‘Yes’, said one visitor to his companion, ‘but they’re not real Quads, are they? I mean, they’re designed and made in China.’

That’s been an argument ever since the Quad brand was acquired by IAG, which is still headquartered in Huntingdon, to where the company moved in 1941 after being bombed out of London, but manufactures all the products – alongside the likes of Audiolab, Castle Acoustics, Mission and Wharfedale – at its huge complex in Shenzhen, China. It’s a very old argument, given that the IAG acquisition happened 20 years ago and there’s a case for suggesting that without the input of the Chang brothers, IAG’s owners, Quad might well by now be one of those much-lamented lost brands from British hi-fi history.

What has happened instead is that Quad has survived, updating its range with the likes of the 99/909 series and the current Elite and Artera ranges, not to mention new versions of the classic electrostatic speakers; looking back at its past with the QII series (including still-available variations on the classic Quad II power amplifier, now well into its seventh decade) and expanding its appeal with new models combining elements of classic designs and new technologies.

The slimline Vena amplifier may hark back to the style of the company’s pre‑amps of the past but comes packed with digital-to-analogue conversion and even Bluetooth, and now the company has gone even further with its ‘-One’ series, combining valve working with those same up-to-date technologies. It started this series with the PA-One, a headphone amplifier complete with valve amplification and a decidedly traditional look, albeit in a compact, desk-friendly footprint, and any suggestions that this was a slightly cynical exercise in working the corporate heritage with a retro product were soon dispelled when the product was hooked up. Like most current Quad designs, it sounded very good indeed, combining the company’s traditional honest, easily enjoyed sound with the ability to drive even demanding headphone loads. And with both digital and analogue inputs, plus the ability to function as a pre‑amp into an external power amp, it soon showed there was a lot packed into its chassis, finished in Lancaster Grey – another ‘new Quad’ innovation with a very classic flavour.

The Quad combines control and involvement with sweetness, plus a bass that’s both warm and rich but never overly bloomy

The VA-One amplifier we have here looks very similar to the headphone amplifier – same finish, same compact footprint and even a headphone socket on the front – but justifies the price differential with a rather different functionality. For while the £1199 PA-One has only pre‑amp and headphone outputs, at £100 more the VA-One has built-in power amplification and can thus be used straight into a pair of speakers. Yes, the relatively modest 15W per channel output of the VA-One means you’ll need speakers of reasonable sensitivity – Quad offers its own ribbon‑tweetered S-1 bookshelf model for £495 – but unless you really want to play rock music at realistic festival levels, that output should be more than adequate for use as part of a desktop system or in all but the largest rooms.

Remove the protective mesh cage, designed to keep prying fingers away from the hot-running ‘business end’ of the amplifier, and you reveal the VA‑One’s array of seven valves. The pre‑amp section uses one ECC83 triode, feeding two ECC82s in the driver and phase splitter stage, while two EL84 pentodes per channel provide the ‘push and pull’ of the power-amp stage through the encapsulated transformers behind the valves.

That’s the ‘trad’ bit of the VA‑One, though Quad points out the transformers here are designed to allow the warmth and generosity of the ‘valve sound’ without the softness sometimes ascribed to such designs. The modern bit is apparent when you look at the rear of the amplifier, where there are not only analogue inputs (one set) and speaker outputs, on substantial gold-plated terminals, but also digital ins on optical, coaxial and USB-Type B, and a Bluetooth antenna. Yes, the Bluetooth part is a convenience, although it does handle the aptX codec for better sound quality, but of more interest are the hardwired digital inputs, able to handle content at up to 192kHz/24 bit.

Performance

Setting up the VA-One is simple – both connections and controls are logical, and the only extra thing required is a USB driver if you’re going to use the amp with a Windows computer. This is available for download from the Quad website. I tried the VA-One with both a range of speakers and a number of pairs of headphones and found it more than capable of driving both to good effect, and with that ease of listening combined with high levels of detail that’s long been a hallmark of the brand’s products.

Having had good results with my desktop Neat Iota speakers driven by the Quad fed from my Mac Mini computer, where the generosity of sound flattered the smallish bass drivers and ribbon-type tweeters – Quad’s own S‑series speakers also use a ribbon for the high frequencies – I progressed to the larger Iota Alpha speakers, Neat’s miniature floorstanders. The modest output (at least on paper) of the VA-One proved more than capable of driving the little Alphas to room-filling levels with no signs of limits being reached, even when playing large-scale orchestral music. At the kind of listening levels most of us will require – ie not ‘scaring the neighbours with Mahler’ volume – the Quad combines control and involvement with a sweetness never straying into softness or lack of information, plus a bass that’s both warm and rich but never overly bloomy.

Saying the VA-One sounds very Quad might appear to be stating the obvious, but that’s very much the impression this amplifier creates – and all in a good way. With the lovely live Brahms German Requiem under Jan Willem de Vriend (Challenge Classics), the drama and passion of the music are beautifully delivered by the Quad, using Roon on the computer to down-convert the original DSD64 to PCM. Instrumental and vocal timbres are realistic, the choir sounds thrilling, and the glorious flow of the music is unimpeded. And yes, you can crank the volume up to exciting levels, the amplifier still having power in hand for the dynamics of the music without any nasties creeping in: the power delivery remains even-handed and the sound just as mellifluous.

With smaller-scale music, from chamber ensemble to accompanied solo instruments, the Quad’s presentation is just as convincing, if not even more so. That relaxed, effortless flow of sound is enticing with Kuniko’s toothsome transcriptions for marimba of Bach solo works (Linn), the resonance and tonality of the instrument and the feeling of the space in which it was recorded being strikingly resolved.

The VA-One isn’t an amplifier for everyone. Those in huge rooms with large speakers might well hanker after some electronics with more meat on the bones. But it delights more than it disappoints; and when you add in its ‘cute factor’, this is a pretty compelling must-explore alternative to more conventional amplifiers.

Tech specs

Type Integrated amplifier

Price £1299

Inputs One line stereo, optical/coaxial digital, USB Type B, Bluetooth with aptX

Outputs One pair of speakers, headphones on 6.3mm socket

Power output 15W per channel (into 6 ohms), 12W/ch into 4/8 ohms

Accessories supplied Remote handset

Dimensions (WxHxD) 18x17.9x33.cm

quad-hifi.co.uk

Or you could try...

The VA-One is unique in offering its mix of classic valve technology and up-to-date connectivity, so you have to look further for alternatives.

NAD C 368

The NAD C 368, at around £800, uses its manufacturer’s Hybrid Digital technology to good effect, will drive a wide range of speakers and can accept an optional multiroom module. More details at nadelectronics.com.

Quad Vena amplifier

Quad’s own range has a less expensive alternative to the VA-One in the form of the Vena amplifier. It’s a solid-state design rather than using valves, has Bluetooth built in and comes in a choice of finishes and wood wraps for a classic Quad look. It sells for £600 in Lancaster Grey, with luxury finishes adding an extra £100. See quad-hifi.co.uk.

Arcam A39 amplifier

If you want a stripped-down, high-performance analogue-only amplifier, then Arcam’s A39 fits the bill. Using the same Class G technology found in the mighty A49, it delivers 120W per channel and is highly configurable, including an mm/mc phono stage, and costs £1249. See arcam.co.uk for details.

Naim Nait 5si amplifier

Finally, totally frill-free amplification from Naim in the form of the ultra-slim Nait 5si amplifier. The latest version of the company’s original integrated amp, it sells for £1029 and has four inputs and a 60Wpc power output. Find out more at naimaudio.com.