Integrated Cyrus 8vs2 vs Netaudio upgrade of Quad

Hi,

This is my first post. I have been using a Quad 34/306 system, removated by Quad, with a Cyrus CD8x and Mission 773es, and Project Debut III. I have wide ranging eclectic musical tastes: including big romantic era symphonies (Mahler & Bruckner), English choral music ancient to modern (Tallis, Croft, Wood, Harris, Finzi), quartets (Shostakovich), lieder (Schubert), English folk song (Ireland, Butterworth), 70s rock (pink floyd, led zep) and traditional / folk music (Sandy Denny, Niamh Parsons, through to modern folk instrumentalists such as Michael McGoldrick, John McCuscker).

After many years of enjoyment, I've had to give the quad back to my dad, and have inherited a Quad 33/303. Something is wrong with one of the preamp channels as there is a load of noise coming from the right side, and yet, the music from the right is only remotely balanced when the balance is all the way to the right?! Its fine when I use my friends preamp with the quad power amp, so I presume its the pre. So whatever the case, this needs sorted if i'm going to use it.

Anyway. I have about £800 saved up and want some advice where to spend the money! Has anyone gotten the Net-audio quad upgrades for both the pre and power. How good are they? Though I recognise the absence of the phono stage on the cyrus, is the 8vs2 likely to compete with the net audio renovated quad 33/303? Has anyone heard the new Roksan Kandy K2? It does have a phono stage, but is this likely to compare to the net audio quad upgrades?

I used to like the Quad 34/306 sound, but together the system did have problems. It coped admirably with lieder and classical English folk song, such as Bryn Terfel / Malcolm Martineu Singing Butterworth, it coped well with symphonies and Britten's war requiem too. However, in English choral music, especially where recorded in bigger acoustics, would find the high voices tremulous and occasionally unresolvable one from the other. This probably me favourite genre of music, so I don't want to end up with a similar problem if it can be avoided.

Any advice with any of the above is greatly appreciated, or alternative ideas too!!! Sorry for the length.

Cheers,

Jamie

 

Jamie

Your Quad stuff I guess has never been serviced, maybe a good service may actually resolve the problems of unreliabilty and the sonic problems you describe.

If you like the Quad house sound, I am not convinced that the Net Audio solution of making a vintage amp a modern amp is the right one, so maybe just consider a full quad service.

Its something I am about to do with my 33/303

 

Cheers Andy,

The problems described were really very slight, but they were what i heard with the old 34/306 system, which had been Quad serviced, but which I've since had to give back to my dad! Its a 33/303 I have now, which is in poor condition and not serviced, and has alot sonically wrong with it, including a whole channel which appears grossly defective! The old quad system sound I did quite like, including the details I outline in my previous post, and, while I liked the warm edge on the sound, I do enjoy a lot of detail and honesty. I don't know what a "quad" sound really means, because I've never had any other sound to compare it to. I've listened to the 8vs2 in the shop and it does seem quite clinical, but I couldn't compare them directly.

 

A full Quad service will bring the life back but I suppose the question is "what does that sound like, then" If you've £800 at your disposal you'll get a new 8vs2 and loads of change. Possibly even enough to get a used PSX-r as the price will get lower for the 8vs2 as the launch of the newbies gets nearer.

There are two really good choices here, if you like the sound of the 8vs2 and you've already got the CD8X, you're on your way up the Cyrus upgrade ladder!

Second choice is more a leap of faith but will be fully justified. Have the Quad modded up to the eyeballs, well at least £800 worth. Stock parts in a full service will give that nice old comfortable sound Quad is justifiably famed for, if that's for you, go for it! A modded Quad; or anything else that was well designed and built, for that matter; will be an awful lot better and the money only goes on the replacement parts and labour. You won't be shelling out for manufacturers profit or shop markup because you've already got the expensive bits. Everything is built down to a price and stock parts can always be improved upon. They will be modern technology hand selected for performance but DO use the right person. Not neccessarily Quad.

You'll have better amps modded than just serviced and also better than the 8vs2. I've had the balls modded off an old Revox and it's better than a Cyrus prevs2 and mono X, so I sold them. I have kept the Cyrus system in tact and have added the 8vs2 which I shall also have heavily modded.

P.S. If you do go with the Cyrus, don't use the CD input, use any other input; tuner, TU, is best because it's on the remote; improves the 8vs2 no end. Don't ask me why, I don't know, it shouldn't but it just does, baffling ain't it? I'd still mod however.

 

My 2p's worth!
I'd have the 33 serviced by Quad or upgraded by Dada electronics - this is like a "Super" Quad service and in addition adds uprated components as well as "fettling" an input for a CD player. This would be preferable (IMO) to the Netaudio upgrades. I've tried various upgrade boards and heard not a lot (well tbh, no) real differences to the original boards. As for the 303 - again a Quad service but this time I'd have a Netaudio powerboard upgrade. It's amazing value. Oh, and if you can undo a couple screws / desolder 4 wires /lift out original board /put in new board / solder 4 wires and check 1 voltage it's worth doing yourself.